In bloom...

Except for this recent heat wave, this is my favorite time of the year in California. The weather is typically in the 70's during the day, so the sun really does feel like it's kissing your skin, rather than slapping it silly with cancer-producing UV rays. And it cools down to the 50's at night, letting me still snuggle into my favorite sweaters. Then there's the view of the mountains, which are less inhibited by smog than any other time of the year. And let us not forget this season marks the wrapping up of yet another year in my never-ending graduate program. But I think what I appreciate the most are the flowers. All the pretty flowers! Unfortunately, it's hot enough to fry eggs, bacon, and a side of green tomatoes on the sidewalk today, so I thought I would take a few shots of what's blooming around my apartment complex before they get too scorched. Granted, I chose the worse time of day to do so, in direct sunlight...but life's too short. Get over it. And enjoy!

The first two pictures are plants right outside of our front door. The first picture is our new potato vine (let's hope we do a better job of keeping this vine alive)!

The best part - fresh flowers for the house every day!

Official Again

This is my new wedding band, and I know it looks like one more than the other rings I've been wearing these last few months because my client asked if I got engaged over the weekend. It's awesome when clients ask personal questions - really, SO FUN.

Now remember, we specifically got a band so that when (WHEN!) we find the diamond, I can still use this ring when we travel. Speaking of traveling, for those who were wondering (that would be you, Tiffany), our next big trip is in June, for our anniversary. Since it will be our 5th, we kind of wanted to do something Big Deal-ish. So, we're going to Ecuador! The decision was quite random, but turns out random works really well for us! We're staying at an "adventure spa" on the side of the Andes mountains, about a hundred miles from the nearest airport (http://www.lunaruntun.com/). I'm having visions of riding horses in the mountains, hikes through the rain forest, and hour-long massages (for $15!). But best of all, their currency is the USD, so take THAT, you fancy Euro, you.

It's just a hunch, but I've got a feeling this trip is going to be much needed by the time it rolls around, since finishing the quarter a week early and submitting a few drafts of my Dissertation proposal stand between now and then. Ready...set...GO!

Famous Last Words

Me, last night: I don't think I'm going to cut bangs this go-round. We'll be traveling too much for all that fuss.

Me, tonight:

Whoops.

Definitely making it into the Christmas newsletter this year...

Okay, okay, I'll end the suspense for the two of you who were in such a state. :) So, the reason I was dressed up in a school uniform in the North Hollywood metro station was because...

I WAS IN A MUSIC VIDEO!!!!

No, not a remake of anything related to Brittany, don't worry. A facebook message was sent last Friday to everyone who was a member of the group Ecclesia Hollywood (the church Ben and I attend), from our pastor, Brandon, that said:

Hello Friends-I'm shooting a Music Video for SWITCHFOOT as a promotion for the new NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN feature. We shoot Sunday night from 7pm to 5am (yikes) and I'm in dire need of Extras to bring life to a subway station. The idea is that Switchfoot is playing in a Los Angeles subway and the passing trains cut into feature film footage in the same way that those crazy Pavensie children find themselves back in Narnia. If you are in need of $50, a meal, and a sleepless night on set... I NEED YOU!!!!

Now, let me ask you - if YOU had received this message, would you let the opportunity pass? I think not. Or I thought not until I realized Sunday was National Don't Answer Robin's Phone Call Day and came to the conclusion that if I wanted to do this silly video thing, I was going to have to do it alone - I couldn't find anyone to go with me! Ben was on the fence for a bit, but then said something along the lines of not wanting to be too tired the next day at work. Like it was a big deal if he wasn't at his best when he killed those cancer cells. Hmph!

So, I grab the stuff I was instructed to bring (one causal outfit, one business outfit, and lots of work to do during the down time) and headed to the designated area. As soon as I parked and headed toward the station, I had this panic that this was all a big mistake. I felt super lame and out of my element, thinking, "What am I doing here?!" But before I knew it, I was selected to be in the first group to start shooting and we were whisked away to the station in Hollywood, smack dab in the middle of a huge tourist area. It took a long time because of the crowds, but finally the scene was set up and the band was getting ready to do their thing - walk through the maze of people and ride down the escalator to the station while carrying their instruments. Then, right before Brandon yelled 'action!', some douche bag started blasting his boom box, stripped down to his skivvies, and began to dance. Instantly a huge crowd gathered around him and the shot was ruined. Street performers are not uncommon in this area, but this guy was totally stealing the thunder from the video shoot. But Brandon was great and rolled with the punches, as did the band. I noticed how patient they all were with people asking for autographs and wanting to take pictures, and I could tell these guys were quality. Anyway, after about an hour, the crew had what they needed and we packed up and headed back to the original station. I think I made it into a few shots and you'll be able to recognize me in the scene.

But wait - it gets better!

So another few hours go by and we're shooting scenes inside the station. There's a lot of down time, and I'm making good headway on my homework, considering. I'm also making friends with real live actors and learning about their lives (what a weird world). Then there's an announcement that they need four extras to stand in as the Narnia kids and I was chosen to be Susan! So after dinner (which was at midnight!), they get me suited up in a polyester school uniform, complete with knee-highs and mary janes. Then they put me in hair and makeup and I'm transformed into a fifteen-year-old (maybe it IS okay to look so much younger than my real age!) Then I proceed to wait for a few more hours before my scene, during which time I chatted it up with the band in between takes, and some of their friends (including the cello player guy who played with Jon at the fundraiser Ben and I attended in Anaheim last year - amazing!). Tim thought he knew me! I even made people laugh at times and I started having daydreams of getting asked to join them all for breakfast, becoming a groupie, and then a member of the inner circle. Then I remembered that I'm not 13 and should probably get a grip.

Finally my scene rolls around and it's after 4 am by this time. The trains are getting ready to start operating again and people will start filling the station soon, so we're on a time crunch. The place the four of us "kids" in one of the train cars, with the band behind us. You can only see our backs and the props we're holding (the horn and bow and arrows), and I have the very important job of holding the horn while they do some close-up shots on it. But apparently I don't hold a horn very naturally, because Brandon had to keep readjusting my grip. Hey - do YOU know how to naturally hold a horn with a lion's head on it?! Give me a break! Eventually I did it right, the shoot was wrapped, and we all scurried out of the station back to real life.

After I changed back into my normal clothes and was putting the uniform back in wardrobe, Jon swung by to thank the four of us again for being part of the video. HE thanked US! This was the attitude of the band the whole night - so gracious, down to earth, and humble. I was blown away. The whole experience was just surreal. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to take many pictures, partly because it would have probably been frowned upon and partly because I didn't want to be That Girl. But here are a few I snagged when no one was looking.

So be sure and watch the film when it comes out in May or June...I'm not sure where you'll be able to see the music video, but I'll keep you posted. Does this count as part of my fifteen minutes if all you see is the back of my head and my hand?

Oh, Happy Day!

This post celebrates two occasions:

1) Finishing the detox! We ended up stopping a day early because we had out of town guests, and let's face it - the actual fast day was over (which is the whole point of the process) and I wasn't losing any more weight. So bring on the sugar! Bring on the gluten! Bring on the ten pounds I lost? Laura and Karl, the friends we had visiting from England, won't let us use them as an excuse for stopping early, but what kind of hosts would we have been if we couldn't even feed our guests properly? Kudos to Becca and Dave for making us a fabulous detox-approved meal! You know you've got good friends when they're willing to go to all that trouble for you.

2) This morning I was offered and accepted a clerkship position at City of Hope, my number one choice for placement! I can't begin to tell you how stressed I was about this April 14th between 9-11 am! It was the final step of a long process that involved multiple meetings, resumes, and interviews. After all that hard work, you sit by the phone and wait to find out where you'll be all next year. Talk about anxiety inducing! My call came at 9:04 and that was the longest four minutes of my life! Woot-woot - I'm so glad this morning is over!

I also have another couple of exciting blogs to share with you, but as I'm going on two hours of sleep right now, I'll save them for another day. I'll leave you with this little teaser: the reason I was out until 5:30 this morning involved me wearing a school uniform in a subway...

One of the many reasons I love Fuller...

My British professor tonight is wearing this t-shirt, neatly tucked into his belted khakis.

Sweet. I know.

Day 6

I've waited to update everyone on the status of the sugar and gluten fast because 1) I wasn't sure I was going to make it, and 2) this face basically depicts how I've felt for the last four to five days. But since I am now past the half-way mark and my mental state more closely resembles a depressed acceptance rather than hair-pulling, people-punching anger, I thought I would venture to describe my experience thus far.

Hell.

That's it, pretty much.

But if you want more details, here are some things I've noticed:

1) I LOVE sugar. I mean I really, really love it. But for a girl who would prefer eating dessert first, I am surprised to learn that what I miss the most is my vanilla or caramel latte. I'm not having caffeine withdrawals (I still maintain that caffeine doesn't affect me much), but I miss the whole experience of entering a coffee shop, ordering, studying, and of course, ingesting the rich, fulfilling nectar that is, let's face it, more of a dessert than a drink.

2) I use food as a reward A LOT - whether it be a little snip of chocolate, a good cup of coffee, or a glass of wine after a long day. These past few days my reward has been sugar-free gum. GUM!

3) Our social life centers on food. Thus, we will be hermits throughout this entire experience so as to not rub our noses in what we can't have. Even simple outings, like going to Target, is challenging. We made the mistake of going to the mall on Friday to look at wedding bands (I've given up hope of finding the ring until we pack up for our next big move) and decided that they must pipe in sweet smells to the entire building to entice you to the food court.

4) As an athletic person, I need carbs to maintain a certain level of activity. I've gone on two runs since this blasted fast and my energy level is WAY down. I'm talking needing 9-10 hours of sleep a night! A friend told me that's because I'm not eating enough, but I feel like I'm a vegetable/fruit/meat-eating machine right now! The first time I was hungry was last night and I think that was because it was Saturday and I'm used to eating junk on weekends. The good thing from this exhaustion is that, having taken place in the first week of the quarter, I was forced to cut some things out of my schedule that I probably otherwise wouldn't have...and they really needed to be cut.

5) If you have a partner on board, you can pretty much do anything - Ben and I are surrounded by temptation at our house (M&Ms, dove chocolates, non-water drinks, oreos, mac&cheese, chips, etc), but it's been easy to not think about them because we're helping each other. And if it weren't for him, I'm pretty sure I would have thrown in the towel by now. Plus...we have spent HOURS discussing exactly what our first fast-free dinner will consist of!