Remember The Sabbath Day, To Keep It Holy

How do you explain to someone who isn't LDS why you don't do certain things on Sunday?  I haven't really had this as an issue since high school, because I went to Utah right after I graduated and was there for the next 5 years.  Somehow it seems like it was easier in high school, or you could always blame it on your parents (I used to walk into the room -while still on the phone with said friend- shaking my head and ask my mom, "Mom, can I go to such&such next week?"  She'd catch on, say "no", and that was that.  It was my way of getting out of things I didn't want to go to, because then my friend would hear my mom say "No" and that would be the end of it).

However, I don't have Mom to say 'no' for me anymore.  Since I've been in L.A. it seems that everyone who isn't LDS goes to bars for social outings.  And Sunday is just another day in the week where anything can happen.  Yes, I have been to a bar before and no, I didn't have anything... but I have discovered that they just aren't the most comfortable of places for me to be.  I will still go when the situation calls for it (wrap parties, networking opportunities, etc), but I try to keep it to a minimum.  This one however, is not nearly as difficult as the Sunday factor.

Traditionally, Sunday is a day of rest.  It used to be that most things were closed on Sundays and it was a day that people went to church and spent time with their families, etc.  As we are all well aware, that 'tradition' has long since passed.  Even those who do go to church will still do other things afterwards.  Lots of people go out to eat after church.  Some may go see a movie, or to a concert, grocery shopping, etc.  I dealt with some of those quite frequently in high school.  On more than one occasion, I was invited to a concert - but it was on a Sunday and thus, I didn't go.  And I may have "missed out," but I felt good about my decision and was glad that I chose to decline on those offers.

Now, to those of you who may read this and aren't LDS, I will briefly explain why we don't do things such as eat out, see a movie, etc on Sundays.  I was always raised that you weren't to do anything on Sunday that would cause you or others to work.  There was even a popular primary song that started with "Saturday is a special day, it's the day we get ready for Sunday."  If we had groceries to buy, we did it on Saturday.  Instead of going out to eat to celebrate something, we made a huge dinner together.  Instead of going to a sporting event, we would play games together.  To me, Sunday was quite frequently a guaranteed bit of "family time."  I'd talk with my mom, watch a movie with my dad, play a game with my sister, etc.  

I know that I no longer live with my family, but that doesn't mean that I throw it all out the window just because I'm no longer there.  It runs deeper than that.  It has become a part of me and who I am.  If I ever participate in something on Sunday that I know I shouldn't, I get this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach and wish that I hadn't gone to or done whatever it was.  I feel so much more at peace when I keep to the things I know should be done on Sundays.

To me, Sunday is like my recharge day.  It's the one day of the week that I don't have to worry about everything that's going on in my life.  When I started college, I made it a goal to never do homework on Sundays.  I stuck with that, and it seriously made a huge difference.  It was the one day where I didn't have to be stressed about the next project, paper, test, etc.  I may not be in school anymore, but that still applies now with errands I may need to get done, bills I need to pay, etc.  

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work.” Exodus 20:8-10

These verses seem to be subject to interpretation these days, with justifications attached.  Now, I am not saying that if you do not 'keep the Sabbath day holy' that I think you are a terrible person or anything.  Some people are religious, some aren't, and some are in between; and that is a decision that you and you alone must make for yourself.  Regardless, I will still be just as good of a friend to you and love you just the same.  But for me, I just feel better about myself when I 'remember the Sabbath day' and 'keep it holy.'  I found this really great quote when thinking about this:

"When a community or nation grows careless in its Sabbath activities, its religious life decays, all aspects of life are negatively affected, and the blessings associated with keeping the Sabbath day holy are lost.  You should refrain from shopping or participating in other commercial and sporting activities that now commonly desecrate the Sabbath.  As you endeavor to make your Sabbath activities compatible with the intent and Spirit of the Lord, your life will be filled with joy and peace."

I definitely feel like my life has been "filled with joy and peace" because of that.  Test it out for yourself - see if it makes a difference.  I guess in the end, the answer for me is simple.  The Sabbath day is a holy day meant to be kept as such.  No matter how antiquated that may seem to some, I personally feel that it still applies today, and I will continue to observe it as best as I can.  

Boom De Ah Dah, Boom De Ah Dah

I don't know why, but I decided to write a list of random things that I love... and probably add to it from time to time.  So, in absolutely NO order whatsoever, here it goes:

-Rain and everything about it.  Dancing in it, playing in it, the smell of it, etc.

-My family --> ALL of them.  I love every single one of them for their own special reason(s) and no matter what any of them does, I will still always love them.

-Technology.  I could go on forever with this one, but seriously, how would we even get around nowadays without all the technology we are blessed to have?  The internet, cell phones, TVs, DVDs, electricity... you get the idea.

-Sunlight.  I can't explain to you why, but sunlight just makes me happy.  I don't do nearly as well in places with cold winters because it is always dark and gloomy and just depresses me.

-The Gospel.  I probably love the gospel more than anything else in this world.  I love my family, and everything else on this list, but if I had to give it all up for my religion, my standards, and my beliefs, I would do it.  I have a testimony that can never be removed, and no one can ever take it away from me no matter how hard they may try.  I love this gospel, I love my Savior, and I love this church.

-Pillows!  They just make sleep SO much more enjoyable... and trust me, I really love pillows.  Currently, there are 7 different pillows of various shapes and sizes on my bed. :P

-Nature.  I think I gained a greater appreciation for nature when my family moved to D.C.  Our backyard was basically a huge forest that I could go deep into for miles.  It became my thinking place, and it's just always so peaceful in nature.

-Camping.  To go along with the previous one, I love camping.  I know most girls don't seem to enjoy it, but oh I love it!  If I could afford it, I would have a whole stash of camping gear and go whenever I got the chance!

-Storms.  When I was younger, the second it started thundering and raining, my mom and I would go outside on our front porch and watch the storm.  I miss the daily 'sun showers' and lightning and thunderstorms we had in Florida!

-IKEA.  Haha this one made me laugh even putting it down, but I seriously love that place.  They have the coolest things!  And my room is proof of it - it's pretty much all from IKEA - from my bedding down to my trash can.  

-Culture.  I don't know why, but I LOVE learning about different cultures!  If I could afford it, I would travel the world. 

-Languages.  I have this thing for languages and I just love them!  Even if I don't understand what others are saying, sometimes I just like listening to it.  My current goal of languages to fully master before I die are: Spanish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, and Ukrainian - in that order.

-'Shade' shirts!  They just make life easier... 'nuff said.

-The ocean.  Oh my gosh I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed the ocean until I finally saw it again... and got in it... and was just there on the beach, listening to the ocean waves crash against one another.  There is just something about oceans and waves that are so beautiful and calming.

-Movies.  There is always a movie for any mood and they are great to pass the time!  Plus, it's what I do - how could I not include it? :)

-Learning.  And I don't mean education, though that is important.  But I love learning, and I love it most when it isn't forced, but by choice.  I love learning languages, how to do new things, new sports, how to fix things, etc.  I love learning new things.

-Sports!  Yes, I'm weird - I quite enjoy most sports.  And I would rather be playing than watching, though I do actually enjoy watching many sports as well (especially football and basketball).  I remember when I was about 8 and the 49ers were playing in the Super Bowl... I had to go to bed before the game ended and the first thing I asked my mom the next morning was "who won!?"

-Roller coasters.  Love 'em!  When I was 6, I was too small to ride "Anaconda" (King's Dominion), but while the other family members were arguing about who was going have to stay behind with me, our turn in line came up and we were all rushed into the next... cart (what are they called?) and I thought it was the coolest thing ever - especially that I got to ride it even though I was too short!  I have been hooked ever since. :D

-Sharing the Gospel.  With the exception of my years at BYU, I have always been one of very few LDS people in my area or school... and I loved it.  I hardly ever was given a hard time about being Mormon, but instead was constantly asked questions about it.  I love sharing what I know to be true with others.  Any question that is asked, I will gladly answer - or find the answer.

-Being left-handed...and ambidextrous.  By definition, I am left-handed and I do love being 'different'!  However, I am almost 100% ambidextrous and I love it!  Give me a pen and I can write for you in my right hand almost equally as well (just takes longer).  And in sports, I am almost always right-side dominant, though some sports it doesn't seem to matter because I am actually too equally 'dominant.'  Weird, huh?

-My friends... from all stages of my life.  It seems that most of my friends come and go depending on where we all are in life, but for the time that I have with them, I am grateful.

-Extra-special friends.  Basically, the ones who deeply impacted me in some way or another, and/or the ones I spent all of my time with.  My first best friend was Kimberly Olson-Moore - I met her when I was 3 and we were neighbors.  Elementary school was Omar Reveron - he translated for me on our school bus (I was the only non-Spanish speaking one).  Middle school was Jessi Gay, Ashli Slife, and Emily McGuire ... you get the idea.

-Life experiences - all of them.  You know how people will sometimes ask that cliche question "if you could change anything from your life, what would you change?"?  Well, my answer is cliche!  I wouldn't change anything!  Each experience I have had - good or bad - has helped make me into the person that I am today.  I may not have loved the experience itself, but I love what life experiences do to one's character.  I love the opportunities and growth that come from it.

-Animals!  There is just something about animals that you can't help but love.  I bet every single person likes at least one animal.  My favorite by far is dolphins... then cats.  If I could have a pet dolphin I would.  

-LDS Temples.  I'm pretty sure there is no other more peaceful place in the world that you can go.  I absolutely love the temples.  I love looking at them, going to them, and doing ordinances inside of them.  I love that here I can be sealed for time and all eternity to my family.

-Games.  My family is a big game family.  It's just what we do!  Whether it's a board game or cards, a silly little game like "telephone" or one that makes you think.  I just love games!

-Singing.  I love singing almost all styles and genres, but my favorite is actually singing hymns a cappella with a friend (Mary, I miss this so much!!!)

-Music.  Figured I should cover this in a very broad way.  Whether it's listening to music, playing music, learning a new instrument... I love it all.  Music is one of those universal things that is just great anywhere.

-Dancing!!  And mostly I'm talking about partner dancing.  Old school dancing.  Ballroom kind of stuff.  First and foremost being swing, of course... but waltz, cha-cha, etc... man I just love it!  I wish so badly that people nowadays still knew how to dance like that and that it was commonly seen at 'dances' still...

Okay, I guess I will end for now.  But I am almost certain that this will be one of those blog entries I am constantly adding more to.  

Let Freedom Ring

Well, of course, I have to write about the 4th of July.  I have been thinking about it a lot this year - more so than in years past.  I have always been proud to be American, but I think in times past, I have taken for granted the fact that I was blessed to be born and raised in this country.  

Though I would absolutely love it, I am not much of a world traveler, and thus not been in many situations where I have had to "defend" my country very often.  However, for various reasons, I felt like I was constantly having to defend it the earlier this year.  They started out 'in good fun,' but the more jokes on America I heard, the angrier I got.  One night, I got so fed up with hearing joke after joke about America that I promptly went home and listened to the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless The U.S.A." about 5 times in a row.  That song never meant more to me than it did that night.  

But in having to actually defend my country, I gained more pride in my country and my roots than ever before.  Sure, this country hasn't been around (or, established) for thousands of years, but it still has history.  We have traditions and folk tales, historic sites and battle grounds, and so on.  This country was founded by God-fearing people who wanted a better life for their posterity and wanted to ensure that certain "unalienable rights" could never be taken away from anyone.  What better grounds for a country to be established upon? 

 

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

That is directly from the Declaration of Independence.  

And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

These men who signed the Declaration were of the first to give their lives for our freedom.  That has carried on through today, with so many citizens of this country currently at war to protect and preserve this free country.  Have you ever noticed how frequently the phrase "it's a free country" is used here?  Have you ever been in a different country?  Do they freely say that?  Those of us who are blessed to live in this great country, do we really realize how lucky we are?  Last summer, I took my first trip out of the U.S. and went to Australia.  I was in the car with an Australian family as well as another girl from the U.S.  The mother asked a question to my friend that she didn't particularly want to answer and so she said "I plead the 5th."  I don't think the Australian woman quite picked up on it, as she had a very confused look on her face after that.  We have a Bill of Rights too, that gives us the "right to remain silent" or, Plead the 5th.  

One of the biggest and greatest blessings is our freedom to worship however we so choose!

  

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;"

And this isn't the 6th or 12th or 27th amendment - it is the first.  And not only is it part of the 1st Amendment, but excerpt is the very first sentence!  There was no greater importance to our Founders than to be able to be a part of whatever religion they so chose.  Not every where in the world has that freedom (ie China, for example).  Without that "bill of right", the gospel would not have been able to be restored, and life as I know it would cease to exist.  I love my religion with all my heart, and thank God for our Founding Fathers who fought for all that they did, but especially for freedom of religion.

I AM proud to be an American and I love my country dearly. I know it has its problems and difficulties, but in the end, there is no other country I would rather live in.  I have faith in this country and can never forget what it has given me.  I have written plenty to suffice for now, but I want to leave you with the lyrics (and video) to "God Bless the U.S.A.", as there is no other song more fitting to listen to on the 4th of July.

If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life, 

And I had to start again with just my children and my wife. 

I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today, 

‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away.  

And I’m proud to be an American where as least I know I’m free. 

And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. 

And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. 

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A.  

From the lakes of Minnesota, to the hills of Tennessee, 

across the plains of Texas, from sea to shining sea,  

From Detroit down to Houston and New York to LA, 

Well, there’s pride in every American heart, 

and it’s time to stand and say:  

I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. 

And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me. 

And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. 

‘Cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land God bless the U.S.A!

Sing Me A Song

Okay, I want to know what changed.  Up until three years ago I was writing lyrics sometimes 6-7 times a month.  From 9th grade until then, it had become my 'escape' and my way to 'express my feelings' or whatever.  I had more lyrics than music, but what I had I shared with friends.  It was a big part of why I wanted to major in Media Music once I got to BYU (I also wanted to do film scoring, as I have been obsessed with film scores for as long as I can remember).  I was so determined that that was what I wanted to do, yet somehow in the midst of everything, I turned into this shy and timid person when it came to me, my voice, and my music.  I don't know if I had a bad experience that I just blocked from my memory or what, but at some point, I just totally pulled back and never shared any of it with anyone anymore.

Me in Summer of 2004

I also became way too self-critical of my stuff and I wouldn't even let anyone read or listen to it; and when I did... I felt like it would have been better to have just kept it to myself - even if someone did say they liked it!  How's that for messed up thinking?

Then, I got to BYU.  I was so gung-ho about getting into the School of Music and was doing everything I possibly could to get in.  I even finagled getting into the Songwriting class my first year there (which is hard to do - especially as a freshman - unless you're already in the major).  But I suddenly felt like a fish out of water, and clammed up even more than before, which caused a major nose dive for me in that class.  I still tried for the next year or so, but eventually must have just given up all together, because at some point in '06, I stopped writing.  At that point, I had filled 4 1/2 notebooks of lyrics and ideas, chord progressions and melodies, and I apparently just... stopped.  December 2006 was my last one.  

I did however end up getting into the School of Music.  But not for Media Music - for Sound Recording.  At that point, I had abandoned the Media Music track all together and gone to--you know what... I went to what was safe.  I had no doubt that I could succeed with Sound Recording.  It was the technological side of things that always seem to come naturally to me.  

I think most of my life, I have been afraid of failure.  If there was a possibility I wouldn't succeed in something, I just wouldn't try it.  That changed when I did Young Ambassadors.  Truth be told, I did it to go to Australia.  I didn't even know what the group was when I joined - I just knew that it was my ticket to Australia.  And it turned out to be one of the most bittersweet things ever; one of those "glad I did it, but never do it again" sorts of things.  Again, I was doing the 'tech' side of things.  I knew I could do it, and I was good at it.  I knew I couldn't fail.  But then, I started to see how much fun the performers had and decided that that was the end I wanted to be on.  I thought about auditioning for the next year, but quickly dispelled that idea... for fear of failure.  But you know what?  I finally conquered that fear.  I auditioned anyway.  And I "failed."  I didn't even make callbacks.  But I auditioned.  

Who knows if I'll ever actually be in a show or not, or sing an original song in front of an audience.  What I have learned is that you never know until you try.  If you want it, go for it.  And if with that attempt comes failure, so be it.  It will only make you stronger.  Tonight, for the first time in almost 3 years, I wrote another song.  And who knows, maybe one day, someone will actually hear it too. :)

Then A Hero Comes Along

I have officially been on the set of "Heroes", seen all the locations, and even helped mic a few of the actors.  I saw the infamous loft in New York City, Arthur Petrelli's office where he was killed, Mohinder and Matt's apartment, the abandoned Coyote place where Angela Petrelli's family was killed, and some room that I didn't recognize.  Ironically enough, none of those locations I just mentioned were used the day I was there.  We were filming in some building that had a safe.  I have no idea where it was supposed to be... D.C. maybe?  There was a big fight scene with Peter and a new character that took half the day.  But it was awesome because instead of watching the "behind-the-scenes" stuff on a DVD, I was there to witness it myself! (This was the first time I'd been on set where actual fight scenes and stunts occurred)  They had this guy attached to a wire and pulled him back at full speed... at which point, he went flying (back first) into a wall.  It was awesome.  The guy hit so hard that when he stood up, he was practically rocking back and forth.  Oh, and apparently this guy played Darth Maul on the Star Wars Episode I movie.  And I don't watch The Office, but one of the cast members from that is dating a guy who was on set that day, so she was there as well. 

The other half of the day we were filming at a carnival that was supposed to be in Japan.  

By the time we wrapped, it was about 2:30am.  Now, normally 2:30am isn't so bad for me... but before I went to the Heroes lot that day, I had been working on another no-pay film short in Culver City that started at 5am.  So by the time I made it home and to bed, I had been up for almost 24 hours straight.  Let's just say, it was pretty easy to fall asleep!!

Also, the sound mixer for Heroes was absolutely awesome.  He was so incredibly helpful with telling me how to jump through all the hoops and become part of the sound union (695) here...and hopefully I will be able to find 100 days of paid work so I can join the union.  Yeah... unions.  I hate unions.  But, it's a necessary evil here.  And the whole thing I have discovered is like a Catch 22.  You can't join the union until you have 100 thoroughly documented days of PAID work, and you can't get most 'paid' work until you have joined the union.  Luckily, Utah has no union and I've made a pretty good network there, so I just may end up working on a few more films in Utah in the next year or two.  Boo for Utah, but yay for paid days of work (I haven't gotten a real paycheck since the last week of April!  I need paid work!!!).

Well, that's it for now.  I have no other upcoming gigs as of it, but hopefully something will surface soon!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

So... I'm not generally a baseball fan, but I was invited to a Dodger's game last night and it sounded like fun.  I was actually quite surprised at how fun it was!  We also had amazingly good seats and could see everything that was going on.  And sitting a few rows away from us was Pau Gasol from the Lakers.  Yeah, I don't usually keep up with NBA stuff either (though I do love college ball/March Madness), but the Lakers did sort of just win, and I'm in L.A.... so I've been hearing a bit about them.  And I did see the final Lakers/Magic game (though I was rooting for the Magic.  Hey, I'm from Orlando!) so I actually even recognized him!  And holy crap he is TALL!  At one point during the game, a big crowd about 20 rows back spotted him and started chanting "Lakers, Lakers!"  I felt kind of bad for the Dodgers since we were at the Dodger's Stadium, after all. 

 

Anyway, it was actually a pretty exciting game as far as baseball goes.  We had 3 or 4 home runs too!  No grand slams, but we were close a time or two!  And I had absolutely no idea about the "7th Inning Stretch" thing.  It was cool though - a girl sang, and they also did this Michael Jackson tribute thing.  Then, after the game they had a ton of fireworks accompanied by a medley of Michael Jackson songs and quotes from celebs about their thoughts on his death.  All in all, it was actually a really fun game to go to!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off To Work I Go!

I forgot to mention that I got two more calls about various gigs in the near future.  One is for this Sat-Tues (boom op), but unfortunately, is also unpaid.  Yes, I understand that I will most likely have to do a great deal of unpaid gigs for a while, but I decided that if I'm not even getting paid for it, I'm going to avoid working on Sundays as much as possible.  I contemplated whether or not to call this guy back and tell him that I was available for all four days, or see if I could finagle just a Mon-Tues thing.  I pulled up the original post from mandy.com and it specifically said "if you can work all days or just one, we'd love to have you!"  So I called the guy back and told him that I couldn't do Sat/Sun (technically already had plans this Sat anyway) but that I was free Mon/Tues if that worked at all.  He said that they would plan on that unless they found someone who could do all 4 days.  I also mentioned that I wouldn't mind coming on Mon/Tues to help in any other department as well, and so I think I will be on that set one way or another for the first two days of next week.  Hey, I could either (a) be sitting at home twiddling my thumbs making no money or (b) working actively on a set...making no money.  I'd rather at least make good use of my time and use that time to network and make some good connections!

Oh and this is totally off-topic, but one of the actresses on the short that I'm working on right now I happened to meet on Saturday at that party!  How random is that!  Small world already, and I've only been here two weeks... haha.

To Catch a Murderer...

Well, I found work!  Okay, sort of.  It isn't paid.  But still, it's getting me onto sets and giving me opportunities to network, etc.  It's a film short called "My Name is Matt" and the premise of it (as well as the twist) is pretty disturbing.  For now, I'll just leave it at the fact that multiple people are brutally murdered and can be found throughout the house the next morning, with various fatal stab wounds.  I wished so badly that I had brought my camera today!  But last time I brought my camera onto a set, it nearly got destroyed (ended up getting used as a prop near water), so I thought I'd give it a break this time around.  I sure wish I hadn't!  I have to remember to bring it tomorrow... and to find my memory cards.  These pictures are from my camera phone:

Anyway, I actually found this gig through mandy.com, so apparently websites like that do actually work.  And, the crew was actually really cool.  I remember a lot of Utah crew people telling me that they don't like L.A. crews because they're not as friendly, more competitive, etc., but this crew was great.  

And I bet you couldn't guess what 'crew role' I had today.  I was grip and electric! haha.  When the guy called me last night (yes, we are always about very last minute in this business) to see if I could work today, he explained to me that they already had sound covered but that they were lacking in grip and electric.  I told him that I would be happy to do it, but warned him that I had never done it before.  That didn't seem to bother him in the least.  They must have been hurting real bad for an extra hand.  I actually didn't mind doing it though.  In fact, it was kind of fun to do something different (though sound is still my #1). 

The funny thing though was that the other grip guy (there were only two: the gaffer/key grip/pretty much everything, and some random guy I'm not sure had ever even worked on a film before) kept asking me questions about what we should do!  I found it rather amusing that I come halfway into the production (they started a few days ago) and the other grip guy is asking me what to do.  But, I suppose this is a good thing, because it means I portray an "I know what I'm doing" attitude no matter what department I happen to be working in! haha.  I did know generally what to do though, because I've been around enough grip and electric stuff in the last two years to know all the lingo and what equipment the gaffer was asking for.

The biggest difference between grip & electric and sound is when you work.  Doing sound is pretty dang easy until we're actually ready to start shooting; that's when sound's job becomes vital to the production.  But grip & electric works in between takes and rests when filming.  It is kind of backwards to what I'm used to, so that part took some readjusting but other than that, it was great!  Tomorrow we shoot from 3pm-3am and Wednesday is 7pm-7am... ouch.  But hey, it will be fun.  The crew is good and therefore will be a decent few days.

Can I Get Your Number?

So... I was at this party last night in Beverly Hills (cool, huh?) and overall, it was a blast.  Saw a few people I had met the night before at a different party, ran into some old friends from a film I worked on two years ago, and met quite a few new people who were really awesome.  However, amidst that, I also met this one guy who simply would *not* leave me alone!  To use my mother's term to describe certain people from past films I've worked on, he was a puppy dog.  He would literally follow me around this place no matter where I went, and every time I thought I had successfully managed to relocate to a new circle, he would appear out of nowhere again!  And... he was a touchy-feely guy.  I'm sorry, but when you have only met said person 5 minute prior, you do NOT have the ability to move as you please.  You are limited to a handshake...*maybe* a hug.  Upon getting to know the person (and assuming both parties are on the same level), you may be granted a hand on the shoulder or arm, etc.  ...Then again, I suppose this all has to do with if there is a mutual attraction from the beginning or not.  But in any event, this attraction was NOT mutual, and therefore limits the person in question to a mere handshake.  

At one point while we were talking, I was looking for any way to get out of the conversation, because I felt as if I had already used every excuse in the book for reasons why I was going to go "over there" now.  So I pretended like I had gotten a text and started answering a fake text.  He, however, took that as his 'golden opportunity' to joke about getting my number.  I was going to leave it as a joke and pray we moved away from it because I really didn't want to give him my number.  But then he actually said, "but seriously - *can* I get your number?"  ...really?  Are you kidding me?  Dude, you must be the most daft guy in the history of the planet to not realize that I am *clearly* not interested.  

Then at one point while a friend of mine and I were talking, this kid magically reappears again.  My friend is a nice guy and so he began to include him in the conversation, but seriously this kid was just awkward on so many levels!  He found out that my friend was an extra in one of his favorite movies (from 1992!) and asked for his autograph!!!  (Um, hello... we live in L.A.  Most people here have at least been an extra in something.  Heck, I've even been an extra in a couple films!)  This friend of mine thought he was kidding and thus laughed as if it were a joke until he realized he wasn't joking and said "oh, you're serious..."  This was about the time my friend Russ walked up.  So when the other two were talking, I whispered to Russ "this kid will NOT leave me alone!!"  Russ said "Don't worry, I got ya covered" and successfully helped me escape from the puppy another 3-4 times throughout the night.  By the way Russ, thank you!!

So... minus that little mishap, the party was a blast!  The majority of people I've met here (in CA) are great and I finally feel like I'm living in a REAL world (as opposed to the illustrious Provo "bubble" I wished daily to escape from).  More to come in the near future.  

Oh and sorry Mom, but I already love California. :)

Thoughts and Updates...ish

I think I've discovered why I have such a terrible time writing in here.  It's because whenever anything exciting or 'newsworthy' happens, I write in my real journal first.  By the time I have finished writing about it, I'm tired and don't feel like (1) rewriting a 'public' version or it or (2) editing the already-written version.  It takes too much time, and I have it written elsewhere and that seems to be good enough for me.  Also, I don't know how much - or how little - to include in here.  I want to include enough so those who want to keep up with me will get the basic gist of what's going on, but I also don't want to include *too* much because I made that mistake in the past (high school) with one of those stupid "livejournals" and would prefer not to repeat any version of that.

But, I have recently discovered that people actually read this and want me to update them with what is currently going on in my life - especially now that I have moved to Los Angeles...

That being said, I will try to (a) be more frequent in writing these and (b) sum up what has happened each time I write.  Really, not that much has happened since I moved here.  I officially got here on June 9th around 9pm and pretty much hit the sack the second I got all of my stuff in.  The next few days I spent catching up with some old friends from Utah and Virginia.  I went on this massively long hike on Saturday morning in the ... Punch Bowls?  I really don't know if that's what it was actually called, but that's what everyone kept calling it.  Maybe it's "Punch Bowl Canyon" or "the punch bowl hike."  I have no idea, but in any event, I went on a 9-10 mile hike.  And I don't mean just some measly little trail-marked path either.  We had to climb up a ton of rocks, shimmy around bigger rocks in some places, cross streams/rivers multiple times, etc.  We finally got to what I'm assuming is the reason this place is called the 'punch bowl' because it was a small little "bowl" of water at the top that was deep enough for one to swim in.  However, it was absolutely FREEZING, so I didn't get in.  They also had 'cliff jumping' where you could jump from super high up until water that was about 16 or 17 feet deep.  No thanks.  Only one person from our group actually did that.  

On Wednesday, I met up with a friend I met when working on "Frozen" and we had a real good time just chatting and whatnot.  It's always fun when you have a friend you can talk with for almost 3 hours and not even realize that much time has gone by.  And I now have the utmost respect for him as well, because for the first time in my life, a 'swearing' friend of mine picked up on the fact that I don't swear and - get this - he himself stopped swearing!  I didn't even say anything to him!  He just did it on his own.  Sure, I don't like swearing and would prefer if others would try to keep it to a minimum when around me, but I don't exactly go publicizing that to the world; and I will only say something to a friend or acquaintance if s/he is dropping the f bomb multiple times in a short span of time.  Otherwise, I just try to keep my "filter" on and deal with it, because I have discovered that most people don't seem to care.  So I'm just floored that not only did he pick up on it, but he stopped without me even saying anything!  First-class is all I have to say... first-class.

Today, I found the perfect 'starter-job' out here, but the only problem is that I haven't gotten it yet.  The description is as follows: 

"You will do runs, transcribe tapes and mix audio on shoots plus whatever else comes up." Sweet, sounds good.  

Requirements:

Film / Broadcasting School major 
4-year degree 
Field mixing and booming experience 
Bright, Creative, Energetic, Passionate and Hard working 

Perfect!  And for those of you wondering, yes my degree is technically a Bachelor of *Music*, however, all 'training' I got was catered more towards film.  And all jobs I had while in school were all film and/or broadcasting related.  If they want the broadcast side, I did work for KBYU Broadcasting for four years... so see, I'm set!  Now the only problem is actually getting the job!  Oh, and it doesn't pay a whole lot, but it does pay and that's good enough! ($450 a week, regular M-F thing, but prob 10-hr days).  

Tonight I went to this dinner group thing some people in the ward do once a month.  Well, in the LA 1st ward.  I'm technically not in that ward seeing as I live a half hour away, but that is the area I plan to move into once I come back from filming HSM4 in Sept/Oct.  Plus, I really wanted to live closer to the actual city because I knew that the wards there would be more legit.  I have met a few people in the YSA ward here and well, most of them have lived in this area their whole lives and are still living with their parents.  And if you're still in college and home for the summer, fine... but at this point in my life, I am post-college and want to meet people who are more my age and who have real careers already, etc.  And tonight was awesome!  Pretty much everyone I met was originally from another place, and currently done with school and working in production, music, law, accounting, etc.  It was a breath of fresh air.  I definitely felt more comfortable in that atmosphere than around the YSAs I have met so far in the Agoura area.  

And by the way, I think I am 100% 'back to normal'!  Remember that massive change I had back in November?  Well I was real good at keeping it up for quite some time, but apparently got lazy at it when I dated Martin, or somehow unknowingly re-learned the 'back-off' vibe (probably because I was already dating someone), and it took a while to re-train myself into November's mindset.  But let's just say, I am definitely back!

That is all for now.  Consider yourself officially updated.  I'll be sure to post again once I get a real paying gig (or full-time job).