Hip Hop Hoopla

Old People Rock!

2006-06-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

So last night was Lumen West. It's an awards party for lighting designers. The theme for the night was "I Love the 80s." There's a costume competition between firms. It's top secret and no one knows what the other firms are doing until the night of Lumen West. We decided to go as a tour group for active seniors - people IN their 80s! Here are some pics to prove that old is beautiful.

One firm went as Ghostbusters...and another went as Devo. This is not them - but they looked pretty darn close!

Needless to say, we won the costume contest! Yay for us!

Happy Birthday Sister

2006-02-26T07:04:00.000-08:00

Last night was my sister's bday bash. She's 23 today. The night started off at my apartment. Dana, Heather, Danielle and I took a cab to Acapulco Mexican Restaurant in Woodland Hills. There we had dinner and drinks until the hummer limo arrived. We all climbed in and were riding in style. The alcohol flowed freely - with cran/vodkas that were more clear than red...and rockstar/vodkas that seemed lacking in rockstar. We rode around for a while just rockin out to the tunes of the 80s. Everything after that is hazy...

Here are some things I remember:

Pitstop on the way to the club - some girls had to use the restroom at another club. Dana had to go but didn't realize it until the other girls had left...so she made me go outside with her. She squatted...and I blocked her while cars drove by. Some of our friends saw her and were impressed by it.

The skyroof was broken - can we get a discount? My sister was disappointed because she had visions of standing up in the limo and looking down at the commoners. Elliott tried this tactic...and the limo driver stopped immediately, got out and opened the door. He was yelling at us - something about violating the contract and it being a $2000 fine if anyone tried that stunt again. Wow - seems a bit harsh don't you think?

My sister, the hilarious drink nazi.

We were all drunk by the time we got to the club. We went to the Loft - it's a VIP section of The Highlands. Yeah, we're special. Long lines - but we went right past those and were in. Tables usually cost $800 plus $200 for a bottle of alcohol. Nome was our hookup and we were supposed to get a table for $200. However, we never made it to our table...

Liking The Loft - not a meat market like Tiki Bob's in Seattle. There was no ass grabbing or sleaziness...just appreciative looks and beautiful people. A good time dancing with friends.

Elliott calling Dana "Ohio" and calling me "Longview."

Dancing with Elliott...he said I dance better than my sister. That's good.

Stumbling around the club looking for my sister.

Seeing our friend Joe at the club. My sister didn't invite him to the party because he makes racial slurs against asians all the time. I remember introducing him to my hot friends...and he said he wanted to make out with Heather. I tried to tell her but he was like "shhhh...don't tell her." One of Joe's cute friends was chatting with Dana - and we had to leave - so she gave him her number.

Stumbling around outside the club looking for my sister. Dana and I leaning on each other for support. We found her with Minh. She wasn't doing well. She was on the ground, puking...wanting to sleep... We eventually got her downstairs and Minh was able to get her home. I remember my sister saying "Minh - tell my sister that I'm ok and I'm sorry. Becky - don't tell Grandma."

Elliott asking our friends if they saw him dancing with "Longview." They said no...and I didn't really hear much of the conversation, but apparently the dance was hot. I don't really remember much about it.

Standing downstairs waiting for our limo and some guy came up to Dana. They seemed to know each other - and they were talking outside. Elliott said we had to go and said we needed to watch out for Dana. I had to break up her conversation and when we got in the limo, she said that guy was someone she met when she first moved here. She thought he liked her but when they went out together, he was making out with some other girl. He's a smooth talker and bad news.

I just remember good times and lots of laughter. The limo dropped me off at home and I went right to bed. I'm so tired but the early bird in me won't sleep. No headache but the room is slowly spinning around me. Must sleep.

I Love You Louise

2006-02-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

My great-grandma died this morning. A couple weeks ago she had a new pacemaker put in...and she's been doing fine. Yesterday she got an infection and this morning she passed away peacefully. It's so sad but my gramps said she wasn't afraid of dying - now she's free of the bondage her body became...and she's in heaven with her husband and my mom. Her husband was the love of her life until the day she died. She was such a wonderful woman and she will be missed dearly. I will see her again someday.

I Hate Birds

2006-02-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well I really just have two random things to say.

1. On the bus tonight, this good looking guy in a white beater sat next to me. He was wearing an american flag bandanna on his head and had hoop earrings. He had tattoos and big muscles. Basically, he looked like a young pirate without an eye patch. The finishing touch was the parrot that sat on his lap. Excuse me - he was a Macaw. Apparently, they live for 140 years...and this one was only 10 months old. Just an infant really. It was uncomfortable having him so close seeing as I hate birds - and I was afraid it would sense my hatred and start cussing at me. This did not happen, thank goodness.

Also, this guy is like Dr. Dolittle or something. He has 4 reptiles, 4 birds, and 4 cats. Watch out LA, here comes the zoo!

2. I asked my sister what she was getting Minh/Andy for V-Day. This is what she said:

AMbabe01: i kinda wanted to get something for andy but i dont know
AMbabe01: well i am maybe gonna make minh those sugar cookies with his name and different words on them
AMbabe01: and i bought him this dr seuss book
AMbabe01: its kinda a jokeAMbabe01: because i have a heap of clothes on my table, and when i was drunk i said it looked like a bunch of turtles on top of each other like that dr seuss book
AMbabe01: yertle the turtle.....AMbabe01: so i bought it for him....thought it would be funny

Wow...my sister is an interesting drunk. Dr. Seuss is probably rolling in his grave.

International Woman of Mystery

2006-02-06T18:20:00.000-08:00

Yes indeed. I have discovered the COOLEST thing ever. SpySchool. I want to do it sooooo bad. Here is the program, see what you think.

SPY GIRL SPY GUY

SpySchool I The intro package - $200
Three hours of defense against the assailant (October 10) - One private Pilates session (call to schedule)
One hour of belly dancing (Thursdays 7 PM) or (Wednesdays at 11 AM)
One hour of scaling the wall (Wednesdays
7 PM or privately scheduled)

SpySchool IIBasic SpySchool - $1,100
Twenty hours of fighting skills including attacks from the front, attacks from the rear, and ground fighting (six weeks of weekly three and a half hour classes Tuesday evenings, November 2 - December 14, skipping Thanksgiving)
Five Pilates private sessions towards the tummy of death (call to Schedule)
Three hours of climbing and rappelling outdoors (certain Saturdays and Sundays in October and November)
One circus arts workshop (Thursdays or by appointment)

SpySchool IIIAdvanced SpySchool - $1,600Dates TBA
Advanced fighting techniques and strikes (fighting blindfolded, in enclosed spaces like elevators, in bed…)
Five Pilates sessions towards the tummy of death
Belly dancing or Strip tease and/or pole dancing course
How to disguise yourself and completely change your look (a two hour makeover including hair and makeup class)

SpySchool IVSuper SpySchool - $1,700Dates TBA
Weapons fighting - guns, knives, and clubs, including how to load and fire a gun and how to disarm an assailant
Five Pilates sessions (must keep the tummy of death happening)
One fabulous facial
One salon appointment

SpySchool V Sisterhood of the Amazon Death Squad - $1,800DATES TBA
Handling multiple assailants (that's two to five guys at a time)
Ten Pilates sessions (must keep the tummy of death happening)
One vicious massage
One fabulous facial
One salon appointment You are now a member of the "Sisterhood of the Amazon Death Squad", with a tee-shirt and secret field trip to prove it.

Or you can also choose from the following list:
Assailant Defense (this is a prerequisite)
Pilates (another prerequisite)
Belly Dancing
Capoeira
Boxing Fitness
Aerial Arts
Indoor rock climbing
Outdoor rock climbing and rappelling
Hair and makeup classes
Surfing
Swimming
Hiking / Adventure walks
Weapons Training

OH MY GOSH. Forget LA Fitness - SpySchool here I come...once I have money. :(

Apartment Fiasco

2006-02-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

Well it's safe to say that I truly experienced LA early Friday morning. I went to bed Thursday night and woke up briefly to a loud yell around midnight. Went back to sleep but was awoken again around 1:40. The LAPD were here banging on some guy's door. The were yelling "Carl can you hear us? Carl we need to talk to you! Carl open the door!" This happened over and over again. The guy wouldn't open the door. A woman cop was talking to a girl that was hysterical. She was crying and not cooperating with police. The cop was trying to find out why this girl had called the police. "Did you get in a fight? Did he have a gun? You need to tell us what happened! Why are we here if nothing happened?" Since the girl wouldn't answer the questions, they had to put handcuffs on the girl. At that, the girl finally agreed to cooperate. Then the police got on a megaphone and said "CARL, COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP. IF YOU DON'T COME OUT, WE WILL ENTER YOUR APARTMENT." No response still. I heard them say that they would have to evacuate everyone. The fire alarm went off and we all exited the building. This was around 2 am. No one knew what was going on...we were out there for two hours. There were fire trucks, ambulances, tons of cops, news cameras... We saw black smoke and knew there was a fire...people were leaving in their cars...we heard gun shots and ran for the bushes... Finally we were able to go back to our apartments. Apparently, the call had started out as a domestic dispute. I think the guy had threatened the girl with a huge carving knife or gun. These people had just moved in on Thursday so no one even knew who they were. When police got here, the guy barricaded himself in the apartment and refused to come out. He told police that if they tried to come in, he would shoot them all. After we were all outside, he set his own apartment on fire. He went out on this balcony and started shooting at police. They had to fire back...they fired beanbags at him so they wouldn't kill him, just knock him down. On the news, it showed them carrying him away in a stretcher. It was intense folks!! The guy was in apartment #218. I'm in #211 which is on the opposite end of the building luckily. The only people who couldn't go back to their apartments were #118 and #318 because of the smoke damage.

The funny part was when this loud woman walked up to a guy with a dog. She said "I know this probably isn't the best time to network...but don't you work for a talent agency?" He said "yes." She proceeded to tell him about some friend of hers that is coming to LA to make it big in the acting industry...she wanted him to help her out. He said that he would be willing to talk to her but really couldn't do much to help. I'm surprised he even gave her the time of day. Too bad I forgot to put some lipgloss on before we were evacuated...you never know when your moment will come.

Up Falls Down

2006-01-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just wanna throw in the towel and go home. Today was one of those days. I miss Seattle...the people, the place, the beauty, and even the rain.

Blind Man

2006-01-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

Well the younger janitor broke his glasses the other day. Yesterday he wasn't wearing glasses and Juan, the older janitor was making fun of him. Today I saw the younger janitor outside wearing shades and he seemed to see me and waved. Tonight he was wearing them inside when emptying our trash cans. Apparently they are prescription to he has to wear them all the time now. haha I feel bad for the guy - I'm sure he doesn't have money to get new glasses and now he freaks me out because he wears sunglasses at night. Reminds me of that song from the 80s:

I wear my sunglasses at night
so I can
so I can
Watch you weave then breathe your story lines...

Creepy eh?

Sandra Gibbs

2006-01-23T18:11:00.000-08:00

You are Sandra Gibbs!!

Which Completely Random Person Are You!!
brought to you by

Celeb Sighting

2006-01-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

Well today was...almost a waste. I waited all day to get my hair cut at Fusion Hair. My appointment was at 2...and I couldn't find it. I called the place and they gave me better directions and told me where to park. By the time I got there, it was about 2:30. Then the girl talked me into getting highlights at the same time. Well folks, guess what - it ended up being a 5 HOUR CUT/COLORING! By the end, she was juggling 3 clients at the same time. The hair turned out beautifully...but my whole afternoon/evening was shot. I was supposed to have dinner and see a movie with my sis but that didn't work out. Now I'm home...just chillin. On a positive note, I had my first celebrity sighting at Fusion. Juliette Lewis. You know - she dated Brad Pitt way back in the day...was in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Other Sister, The Wedding Singer, Old School, Starsky and Hutch, etc...now has a band called Juliette and the Licks. Good stuff. I haven't even had dinner yet. :(

My Pork Rinds

2006-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Pork rinds...my dad used to eat them back when I was a kid. So I did too...until I realized how sick and wrong they are. Well apparently Mexicans love them. They have a saying that translates as "My pork rinds are crunchy." Last night I was leaving work so I said goodbye to my co-workers. The younger janitor said "Adios!" I said "Adios!" right back at him. Apparently he was really excited that I said goodbye to him in spanish. After I left, he said to Omar something that translated as "See...my pork rinds are crunchy here too." Background: Whoever has the crunchiest pork rinds is the most important. So in saying this, the janitor felt like he mattered... I made him feel important by speaking his language.

I'm going to start using this phrase although it means nothing in our culture. It sounds sort of dirty and quite frankly, I like it.

New Wave

2006-01-13T19:03:00.000-08:00

Well today Omar told me I dress like a "New Waver." I'm not familiar with that style...He's really into new wave. Depeche Mode and stuff. Maybe I should give it a whirl since I already have the style.

I just took a quizzie poo that Shellster had posted on her blog. Frankly, I'm shocked, appalled and offended at my result. I am only posting it here for the pure obscenity of the thing...I refuse to accept this as my fate. The quiz is "What type of lame scenester are you?" My diagnosis: "You are a pretentious indie asshole. you piss off everybody but other pretentious indie assholes. you suck extremely hard and only listen to stuff on pitchfork media. fuck you."

Yeah right back at you bastard.

Take the quiz...but be prepared to be insulted. http://quizilla.com/users/xjkx/quizzes/what%20type%20of%20lame%20scenester%20are%20you?/

Say what?!

2005-12-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well today has been a day of learning new things. Here's the dialogue of the day:

Doug and Omar: Come to lunch with us at the old Firehouse.
Me: Why do I have to?
Doug and Omar: What else are you going to do?
Me: Well I brought my lunch AND I'm going to the DMV. I have to get my new license.
Doug and Omar (laughing hysterically): Ummm...you can't go on your lunch break
Me: Why not??
D & O: Have you been to the DMV in California?
Me: No...why??
D & O (still laughing): Oh Becky...you're so naive. If you go to the DMV, you'll be there for at least 4 hours.
Me: Say what?! I just need a new license.
D&O: Well here, you have to wait forever and the people aren't nice. You have to make an appointment and even then you don't get in on time. Most people get there early in the morning before they open and wait in a line that wraps around the corner.
Me: That's sad. I guess I'll go to lunch with you guys. I'll just have to wake up really early on Saturday and spend my whole morning at the DMV.
D&O: Ha! Yeah...bring a book!

D&O: Haha peer pressure! You are coming to lunch with us.
Me: Yeah but this means I'm not coming on Friday, so there.
Doug: Why not?
Me: I can't afford to eat out every day!
Omar: Me neither. At your one year review, you should ask for a raise with the reasoning that you need more money because of the eating out peer pressure.
Me: Yeah...good idea...hmmmm

At lunch...

Me (telling about my interview at the KMD Seattle office): ...yeah and it seemed like they were trying to talk me out of moving down here.
Doug: Well you know what they said about you, don't you?
Me: No, what?
Doug: They told Jim that they really liked you and if he didn't hire you, they would. So then Jim really wanted to hire you and got his paperwork together as fast as he could so they wouldn't beat him to the punch. That would have sucked if they snagged you when we did all the advertising for this position and everything.

Isn't that sad?! I could have been doing the same job back in Seattle...if only I'd known. :( I guess there must be some reason why God's brought me all the way down here. Dang - well hopefully the Seattle folks still like me in a year and I can move back.

Other news: If only I lived in a bigger apartment, because I found this puppy that is so incredibly cute. See picture above. :)

The best part of the day was in the morning when our janitor Jose came in with a bag of Mexican bread. I grabbed one that was really good with cinnamon and sugar on top. Omar said the name for it translates to mean "shell." It did look like a shell. I told Doug later that he missed out and Omar told the story. He said that when he was coming to work, he saw Juan and he offered Omar a Mexican bread but he said no. He told Jose to come up later and offer me some because I probably would take it. He said Jose was really excited to come up and give me some bread. Haha...I think Jose likes me.

Bus Fiasco

2005-12-06T19:26:00.000-08:00

So once I moved to LA, I knew that riding the bus to work was a better option than driving. It wasn't until today that I truly realized how much better the bus is. I always rode the bus to work in Seattle and never had any problems. Tons of people ride the bus there. Here, the busses are almost empty. Everyone is on auto-pilot and must drive their cars. Yesterday I caught the bus to work and back afterwards...no problemo. Today was another story. In Seattle, bus drivers stop at pretty much every stop if they see people waiting. In LA...think again. The only way to get bus drivers to stop if you're the only one at the stop is pretty much to jump in the street. You have to really flag them down. I did not know this. So this morning I saw my bus coming so I stood up to show that I was waiting for it. It zoomed right past me. I didn't know what to do, so I just drove to work. It was annoying because I parked in a public lot and had to go move my car every three hours to avoid a ticket. The worst part was the drive home. On the bus last night, it took about 15 minutes to get home. Tonight it took me 1 HOUR!!!! I hope this never happens again.

The Big Move

2005-12-01T07:04:00.000-08:00

The move to LA is almost complete! It has been a CRAZY past few days. I drove about 25 hours straight with only a 4.5 hour sleep break at a hotel. The traffic has been horrendous in LA from about 3:00-8:00. I'm already learning to be an assertive driver: switching lanes by cutting off people (it's the only way you'll ever get over), going at least 20 mph over the speed limit on the freeway, turning left after the light has turned red in order to actually turn through a light. I miss the Seattle traffic after this!

My apartment is so cute! I love it, I love it, I love it. It's small but cozy. The bathroom, kitchen and entry area have stone tile while the living room/bedroom has hardwood floor. The walls are a taupey color with white crown molding. The kitchen cabinets are white with such great detailing. It's just really nice...we've been on the go nonstop the past couple days trying to drive around, shop for my apartment, and move stuff in. Today will be the last rush day I hope. My grandparents are leaving this afternoon - I'm so thankful they were here to help me. I love them! So...funny story.

Yesterday the guy from Adelphia came to hook up my cable internet. He was this hispanic guy whose name I never got. Anyway, here is our conversation:

Him: You don't want cable tv?

Me: Nah...not right now. Just internet.

Him: You sure? I can make you a good deal. I'll give you cable tv and you won't have to pay at all every month.

Me: What?! How much to set it up?

Him: Eh. How much is it worth to you?

Me: Ummm...what do you mean?

Him: I just don't put the filter in so you can get both internet and tv. It's up to you.

Me: Well, how much do people normally pay you?

Him: Oh - $100, $80...but I take $60 when someone can't afford it. You'll get 99 channels and in the long run you save so much money!

Grams: Is this what you do on the side?

Him: (doesn't really answer and starts going off on tangent)

LATER ON...

He gives me the Adelphia bill for $77 which will be billed at the end of December.

Him: Ok so you all you need to pay now is the cost for tv.

Me: Ok...can I pay you $50?

Him: Psshhh...I'll take $60.

Me: Haha - alright. Are you SURE I won't have to pay every month?

Him: Yeah! I'll even write INTERNET ONLY on the bill.

Me: Ok then. Do I make the check out to Adelphia?

Him: NO!!! This work was not Adelphia - it was me.

Me: Hahaha - Ok who should I make it out to?

Him: Make it out to...cash.

So I write the check and now I have tv. Seems shady but what can I say. Gramps says everyone is running a scam operation around here. More to come later. I miss Rian and my Roommates!

Jason Mraz

2005-11-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

Last night was amazing. I went with some friends to see Jason Mraz play at the Paramount. We had great seats - fourth row center. When we first got there, we crowded up to the stage to scream our loudest to try and get backstage passes to meet Jason after the show. Unfortunately, none of us screamed loud enough. My friends were able to snag some free shirts though. The first on the lineup was Tristan Prettyman. She has a beautiful voice and is from San Diego. I bought her cd and am LOVING it. Next was James Blunt. He's a british bloke and introduced his keyboard player Paul as his "bitch." People started screaming for Paul and James stopped playing and said, "He's MY bitch not yours!" Good times - went and bought his cd as well. He has such a great sound. Then Jason was up. Now...I have always liked his music but am not a diehard fan. Seeing him live changed all that. He is absolutely phenomenal. It was probably one of the best shows I've been to. He's so entertaining...from classical vibrato to scat to white boy rap to quirky lyrics...it was all great. He can do it all! I think he said it best when he summed up his sound "I put the TEMPO in Adult Contemporary! I put the aight in Light Rock!" Haha It's hard to say what the best part was - he was so hilarious the whole time...from the time he started doing the Robot to the time he made his drummer do a wild animal impression (which turned out to be a pigeon impression) to when he rushed off stage to pee, leaving Tristan to babble onstage for a bit. I give him an A+++! I would definitely go see him again. After the show, my friends and I were walking past the Dragonfish (a sushi place) when one of them spotted James Blunt inside with Paul. Paul's hot pink shirt gave him away. We walked into the doors and you could see the fear in James' eyes. Amazingly, there was no mob...we were the only ones to have spotted him. We said hi and told him how much we enjoyed the show. My friend and I took pictures while the other two got his autograph. Then it was off to find our car. All in all, it was a great time!

LA Here I Come

2005-11-13T01:18:00.000-08:00

Well...it's been quite some time since I last wrote. Things have been incredibly insane for me lately. A couple of weeks ago, I accepted an administrative position for KMD Architects. It's a great opportunity - lots of growth potential, good salary, great benefits...the only downside is that I have to move down to their Santa Monica office. It was a very hard decision to make because while I was very excited about the position, I was unbelievably sad at the thought of leaving Rian, my roommates, and my family behind. I just feel like this is the only time in my life when I will be able to do something like this...I don't want to regret not taking a risk. I just hope that Rian will find a job down there and move to be with me! It will be tough - but I have faith that we love each other enough to make things work. My last day at work is the 18th...my dad and I are flying down to Cali on the 21st to look at apartments and will return on the 24th. If I can move in fairly soon after, my family will be moving me down there on the 25th - we will be driving of course. I'm scared for the big move and everything, really excited...and just trusting that the Lord will provide for me. I am still worried about being able to afford the cost of living down there. We'll see what happens!

RIP Moby

2005-10-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well it's been an up and down sort of day! It started off great...I made breakfast for Rian and I - yummy yogurt parfaits. Then we went to his house to get some clothes for him to drop off at the drycleaners. We also decided his fish bowl needed cleaning. We dumped Moby into a little bowl and cleaned out the bowl. Rian doesn't have a thermometer or anything, so he sort of guessed at the water temperature. It felt pretty warm but he said Moby likes it warmer. He put a couple capfuls of water purifier into the bowl but forgot to mix it into the water. We dumped Moby back into his home and Rian put a little more water in. After we put the fish back in his place, I dropped a couple bloodworms in the water. A few seconds later, Moby started sinking to the bottom of the bowl and would fight to swim back up...but he was lopsided in the water and continued to sink. I told Rian that he was dying but didn't really think he was. I thought the little guy was playing a joke on me! We watched in horror as he continued and finally landed on the bottom, not getting back up. Rian sadly said, "He's dead." I started sobbing and he flushed Moby down the toilet. It was a sad day. I think it was a combination of shocking water temperature and not mixing the water purifier in well...Rian thinks he had a heart attack or something. After that, we headed to Slave to the Needle. I wanted a smaller nosering and Rian wanted 0 gage hoops. We went to the one in Ballard but they were all out of 1 mm noserings so we headed to the one in Wallingford. They don't have 0 gage hoops so Rian decided to get a tattoo instead! He got a black bass clef on the back of his forearm. It's really cool. I got my small nosering even though my nose is inflamed, even after a year and a half. Now I have to soak my nose 2-3 times a day in chamomile tea with sea salt. We'll see what happens. This afternoon, I went to Ivar's Fish Bar with my grandparents and cousin. It was so good! This homeless guy who I've bought food for before came to our table to beg for money...my gramps gave him $2 and then the guy asked him for $5. Beggars can't be choosers! Geez...it's the same guy who asked to take a shower at my house last year...and also when I bought him a sandwich, I turned around and he was holding chips too. Ah well...what can you do. Rest in Peace Moby.

Burlesque

2005-10-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

So Rachel went to a Burlesque show last night at the Catwalk. The roller derby girls were serving on skates. Today she described all the acts to me...and now I really want to go to one! It sounds like a ball - a ball of scandalousness and hilarity all rolled into one. Mucho entertainment. The trick is convincing people to come with me! I left a flier in Heidi's room to get a reaction and got none at first. Feeling dejected and wanting a rise, I proceeded to tell her all about the burlesque show. I told her that we should go and possibly even learn some burlesque moves of our own at Miss Indigo Blue's Academy of Burlesque. She was shocked and appalled...just the reaction I was looking for. I love her!! But seriously folks, I think we should all go learn how to shake our bosoms and twirl those tassels. Or at least watch how it's done. When we go to the show, we can wear evening gowns with slits up the sides and sparkly fake eyelashes. I can't wait! To be continued...

Hey Stranger

2005-10-07T18:54:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen someone you've met before but aren't sure if they remember you, so you try to avoid them or pretend you haven't met them before in order to save face? Well...it has happened to me many a time. In fact, it happened today. Rachel and I were in the showroom when this man walked in - he seemed familiar to me and the second she said hello to him I realized where I knew him from. I did an internship a couple years ago for a furniture showroom about 5 blocks from where I work now. He is the owner of that showroom. So Rachel was helping him and showing some fixtures to him...I looked at him, thinking maybe he would recognize me but he didn't seem to. Later he called to get pricing for this fan that we carry. I gave him retail pricing but realized afterwards that I should have given him trade pricing. I called back and he asked if I used to work there...I said that I'd done an internship there a couple years ago. Apparently he thought I looked familiar and he couldn't figure out where he knew me from. So you see, we were both thinking the same thing but didn't want to appear the fool. He said that next time he would say hello. So to all you folks who have experienced this awkwardness, just say hi! See what happens.

27 Bloody British Sluts Who Will Shag Just About Anything

2005-10-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

I'm a winner!! I have waited about two agonizing months to find out if my pack on Catch 27 was worth anything. Turns out, it was worth a bottle of Gordon's gin! Suuuweeet! Here is an excerpt from the email:

"Hooray! Becky
You fabulous specimen of Genius!You’ve pulled off the impossible!
You won . . . did somebody say Brits? ........ you win a BOTTLE OF GORDON'S . . . (which holds the Royal Patent for GIN) . . . . . The P-Giver wonders who holds the Patent for SLUTS? . . . . for your awesome pack of 27 Bloody British Sluts Who Will Shag Anything That Breathes.
Yes, dude, the Catch27 Prize Committee actually sobered up long enough to bestow a prize on your lucky ass."

Awesome. That's all there is to say. I always knew my genius would be recognized someday. Can't wait to crack open my bottle of gin and have a dirty martini or two with my roomies.

"Taking A Break"

2005-10-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

What the heck does it mean to "take a break" when you are engaged? My sister is engaged to the most wonderful man and was/is planning on getting married next August. Yesterday she told me that they are taking a break - she feels like her life has always been on fast forward...graduating in 3 years, already half done with grad school and engaged. She wants to slow things down and live her life. She wants to finish school...Andy has to finish school...they live far away at the moment...Do all these mean she has to call off the engagement, whether it be permanently or temporarily? She says they still love each other and will get married, she just doesn't know when. She also doesn't know how long this break will last. They had a break a couple years ago and it lasted a whole week. We'll see what happens this time. She is overwhelmed with planning a wedding from so far away while also trying to focus on school and work. It's understandable...but what does taking a break really mean?! I'm confused. Are they still together or are they broken up? All I know is that both of them are very sad. I feel bad for Andy.

It's official. My cousin has moved to Seattle from Alaska! I didn't know if it would really happen. She's living in these nice brick apartments on lower Queen Anne. Rian and I took her out for lunch yesterday and then later she came to a movie with us. It should be fun having her in town...I hope she stays. Her classes start tomorrow at the Art Institute - her goal is to meet a friend with a car. I'm jealous because she's going to see The Killers in a couple weeks at Key Arena. Well...that's all I've got right now. No spunk at the moment.

Put On A Happy Face

2005-09-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

Customer Service. Also known as lying to customers in order to save your company's butt, smiling and nodding at jerks who need someone to yell at, and ocassionally actually helping out clients that you love. I've never really had to deal with the first two descriptions I gave because my clients haven't had anything to complain about...until now. Basically, I've been lying to this client for a couple weeks because of something out of my control. His fixtures should have been ready a week and a half ago but the order has been put on hold. I'm running out of excuses and the client is irate. Today he called and spoke very condescendingly to me - he said he wants his fixtures NOW. He threatened to call the manufacturer directly and "ream their asses." If the fixtures aren't ready by Monday he says he will cancel the order and wants his money back - not store credit but a full refund to his credit card. He went on about how the showroom isn't well run well anymore under new ownership, blah blah blah. I said I would have to call the manufacturer and get back to him. He said to call him back if they would be ready by Monday and if not, then to not call him. If that was the case, he wants the manager or owner to call him basically so he can yell at someone with authority. That was the most unpleasant of conversations and I hope that the situation gets cleared up on my day off. Lying to customers makes me feel horrible. They deserve the truth but we'd lose business. I guess it's called a moral dilemma. Where is my Business Ethics professor when I need him? Welcome to the Real World. Rock on.

Look at this face.

2005-09-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

Well - something has come up in a conversation with a new friend tonight. It's a topic that seems to pop up every now and again. It goes something like this:

Loserboy007: You look so much like a friend I have back home
Loserboy007: Laura Cone! :-) you could be twins!
cookiezenmilk: i've heard that many a time
cookiezenmilk: i just don't have an original face
cookiezenmilk: :-(
Loserboy007: Oh whatever...

I'm telling you, it's true. Everywhere I go, people either tell me I look like someone they know and love...or they mistake me for someone they know. One time, a high school teacher of Lisa's thought I was once a student of his. Finally it came out that I had no idea who he was. Another time, Chris thought he saw me on campus at Western...only it was my unrelated twin. I asked him if she was cute. Now that's a tricky question. If he said yes it means he thought another girl was cute. If he said no it must mean that I'm not cute - I mean he said he thought she was me for goodness sake. Rian told me the other day that his boss keeps trying to hook him up with some chick who looks a lot like me. Rian says I'm much cuter though thank goodness.

Please be honest...DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEONE YOU KNOW? Do I have a long lost twin somewhere?

Sniffles

2005-09-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sick. Not sick enough to stay home from work but not well enough to prevent my voice from turning nasily. For the next week or so, answering the phone will be horrible. People will think I'm Fran Drescher or something. Please God, no! My nose drips the second I let my guard down...it could happen in front of a customer. There's no hiding the dribble of snot once it slides down your upper lip. Sick dude. The congestion is giving me a headache and making me o-so-tired. I want to curl up and go to sleep. I must resist the temptation though because word on the streets is that Shellster is making brownies tonight. Ice cream and brownies will be my cold remedy. Just you wait.

A New Beginning

2005-09-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

The start of something new is always a beautiful thing. For me, there's always something new going on - therefore I like to think that beauty is reflected in me... Why not be honest here? Sorry, I really meant to explain my latest fascination. I've started a new collection of rock poster art. No, not cheesy posters which freeze awkwardly posed rockers in an artificial light to be preserved for posterity. I'm talking REAL ART. The first addition to my collection arrived today. It's a Bright Eyes screenprint. I LOVE IT!! However, from now on I will only buy posters from shows that I've actually attended. This is why I must get my hands on the Sufjan Stevens Triple Door artwork - I saw it at Bumbershoot for $20. Some research will ensue because the business card I grabbed has been lost. Next time I see him play, I will need to get his autograph - I adore him. He's a Christian to boot!

Babies for Dinner

2005-09-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ok so we didn't really have babies for dinner...but our burritos were really the size of small infants. That was how someone described the size in a review I read. Now I've experienced it firsthand and would have to agree. The roomies and I went on a little adventure tonight. We got dinner at Gordito's Healthy Mexican in Greenwood. It was excellent - large portions+cheap prices= HAPPY BECKSTER! I can't wait for leftovers.

Apparently I should be a real estate agent or something - I found my cousin an apartment in Seattle and didn't even have to try hard. I guess it helps that her price range is in the average price for a one bedroom in Seattle (aka too expensive for me). I heard this through the family grapevine...news in our fam travels fast. Don't tell anyone things that you don't want second and third cousins finding out the next day. There are no secrets in the Gilliland family. So my cousin will be here shortly attending the Art Institute - we'll see how long she lasts. Rian says hanging out with an 18 year old is going to cramp his style...

Confessions of a Blog Virgin

2005-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Well...the time has come. I've resisted this blog fad long enough. Might as well jump on the bandwagon. Am I scared? Yes. Totally stoked? Yes!! One notable thing happened today - my tastebuds were confused. Rian brought me an unknown, unexpected Starbucks drink this morning at work. I started drinking it at once, sort of expecting a pumpkin spice latte. This was not the case. The taste was nondescript and unfamiliar - I finally convinced myself it was hot chocolate since there was no coffee flavor. After talking to Rian later, he informed me that it was chai with a shot of white chocolate. I've had this drink many a time and this was unlike any I'd had before...hmmm. Starbucks is going down the tubes in my book - give me a local favorite like Java Bean anyday. They have hazelnut whipped cream there and they even put smiley faces in my foam. Now that's service with a smile.