Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Fun Snack

Fun Snack by Petunia21
Fun Snack, a photo by Petunia21 on Flickr.

Always fun to bit into a red bell pepper at 6:00 to this colorful surprise!

So many components! What does it remind YOU of?

Big Pumpkins

Big Pumpkins by Petunia21
Big Pumpkins, a photo by Petunia21 on Flickr.

I would love to think that I prayed to my Fairy Godmother, that this pumpkin would turn into a house in my adorable neighborhood.

Or a high paying, short work day job complete with magical benefits, 401k, job security and flexibility!

Or a winning lotto ticket that would afford me time, money and reason to travel around the world!

Man, I love magic pumpkins!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Seriously big cookie

Seriously big cookie by Petunia21
Seriously big cookie, a photo by Petunia21 on Flickr.

Its that time of year again when cookies and candy and sweets OH MY are on the brain.

I just passed our reception office and like clockwork sit 2 big plastic jack-o-lanterns filled with candy and chocolate. I spent 5 minutes or so sniffing the mini "fun size"-d bag of m&ms and Twixts.

I "stepped away" from the pumpkins. Note to self... stay AWAY from Reception 'til January.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Rain on my parade

It is a cold, rainy day in Los Angeles. The first proper rain of the fall season.  The kind of weather where you find your hand reaching for your warmest sweaters or tutlenecks.  "Don't forget your scarf!" my beloved told be before he headed out.  It'll be cold at night when you come home. Ohhhh yeah.

I pulled out a long sleeve shirt, full pants, and put on my black leather boots that can withstand the rain.  My purple umbrella and raincoat were both waiting for me in my car. Not the smartest thing since I pass through many unprotected entrances and carports before I come to my own car.  I keep my work bag, lunch bag, and purse close as I can to ensure the huge droplets of rain stay away from my important papers.

The dive to work is hideous.  The first rain of the season brings out the most panicked drivers. We all know that a few months of oil build up is about to mix with the rain. And its really coming down.  But I don't mind. I'm listening to my newest book on tape, Bossypants, written and narrated by Tina Fey.  And this sh*t is funny!

I run into work. Despite having my raincoat on now, and using my umbrella, the umbrella isn't really big enough to carry my monstrosity of an ensemble (again, Lunch bag, work bag and purse... good thing it wasn't a yoga day).

I fix myself a cup of tea (having downed already 2 cups of coffee this morning) and enjoy the sullen gloomy weather, all bundled up at my desk, work work working.

My tummy grumbles, and even though I packed a lunch (leftover brown rice pasta and new england clam sauce & steamed Brussel sprouts) the weather is just screaming for Turkey Chili from our stage cafeteria.

I suit up and walk across the studio lot ducking under any breezeway and awning that I can fine.  The rain is taking on a diagonal directions so my pants are getting wet. My thick rubber heals are protecting my feet from puddles, but I'm still careful where I stand.  Racing into the building and giving the umbrella a few shakes out of respect for the venue, I run to the counter...
 
            ... they are out of turkey chili

They offer up chicken noodle... but I didn't feel like picking out white flour noodles out of my soup.
They offered up Tomato Bisque, but confirmed with the lady that they do indeed use white sugar. I turn around, defeated. My head hanging low. I make my way back outside, shooting up my umbrella.  I am sad. I almost want to cry (I know, it sounds retarded). The pounding rain on my umbrella really feels fitting of my gloomy disposition.

"you still have yummy clam sauce leftovers!" my inner self reminds petulant Petunia.  And my inner self it right.  I still do.  Turkey chili will have to wait for another day.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

A Little Bit Wicked, and a Little Bit of Relief.

Living in LA, as a freelancer means, well, from one job to another, you're commute is bound to change.  And with commuting for me usually means... traffic. Traffic. TRAFFIC.

My worst commute was The Valley to Santa Monica.  Man, I'd come home just, rip shit mad.  Road Rage was a very real factor in my life.  Then, I found books on tape.  Cue the angels.  The books usually took me to a far away place and certainly away from the 405 parking lot.  It usually only took me about 1 disk to get attached to the plot, and then, I would just listen, and drive.

My favorite author to listen to is Maeve Binchy.  She doesn't read her own books, but most of them take place in either Ireland or Greece, or Italy.  Between Maeve's words or the narrator's accents, I would drift away to a special 'happy place', and my hands would loosen around the the steering wheel.

By the time I reached my parking spot at home, I usually "had to" wait in the car for the chapter to end, or a good place to stop.  But the point was, I would enter through the threshold to meet my beloved with a much different attitude.  (Sometimes, I would HOPE for more traffic... shhhhhhhhh!). 

Another fun series was the Shopaholic books from Sophie Kinsella.  Again, the English accent helps, and the light fun content was enough to distract.  Nothing truly though provoking here.

My last and current job has kept me 2 years 'steady' with the same commute... which, is a Medium sized commute if we were playing the 3 Bear scenario. 30 minutes or so on and off the brakes to get to work, 17-25 on the way home.  All of 5.1 miles.  Luckily I don't usually come home feeling like my temper had rocked off the Richter scale from the freeway.  Summers were so great, but now that the kiddies are all back in school, commuting has gone back to sucking medium suck.  Stop and go for all of 5 miles just sucks.

Enter, Kristen Chenoweth.  My friend had mentioned that she heard that Kristen's book, "A Little Bit Wicked (a play on her developing the role of Galinda in Wicked on Broadway".


Turns out, Ms. Kristy from Broken Arrow, OK also narrates her book so I ordered it from my library and waited, and waited, and waited... I finally got the notice that it was my turn :) I think I waited a few months. So long, that I forgot that I ordered it until I got the email.

The minute I popped it into my cd player in the car, I was ADDICTED.  She is so freakin cute, entertaining and enchanting.  The experience as a whole was so delightful. I can not rave about it enough.  She is honest and funny, and the alliteration is amazing.  I finished disk 6 today... and I was so sad.  Its over. Done. Blah.  But I did make a copy of it, so I can throw it back into circulation when I need a pick me up!