Our only friend, the bartender

I attended a red carpet event for a jewelry store opening in Beverly Hills with Emily Asian. Raquel Welch hosted the event which was attended by fake plastic breasts, face lifts, eye lifts, botox, chin implants, perhaps even calf implants, rhinoplasty, eating disorders, and beautiful people as well. Climbing out of the car, paparazzi snapped photos of us and commented on our emerald green and teal dresses. Obviously this was our type of scene so we tripped (I tripped) and giggled our way through the crowd and headed straight to the bar. The bartender was thankful for us as we were eager for his services. "Chardonnay?" "Bring it, and keep the glass filled." He invited us to eat at the bar as well, knowing we were commoners who would happily support his views of the Beverly Hills cretans in attendance. Emily and I went in shifts to grab hor d'oeuvres from the buffet, I'd say at least six shifts, as we felt sorry for all the uneaten food left by the eating disorders. Before we knew it, stacks of plates were piled up on the bar and the bartender asked to remove the mess we left. We thanked him for his hospitality and he smiled so big, I thought his teeth were going to pop out of his mouth! Apparently saying thank you is a rare occurance.

Colette (the creator of this exclusive jewelry) raffled off a pair of earrings towards the end of the night. 30329... (OMG I'm going to win I'm going to win)... 1. One number off from winning earrings. Booohooo. I made it a point to introduce myself to Colette however, to prove to myself I had a purpose of being there. I researched her collections before attending and told her how I love the "galaxy collection." She agreed it's her favorite. I'm sure she says that about all of her collections.

A homeless guy in a wheelchair approaches us outside while we're standing at the valet stand, mapping our next spot for a drink. “You know why women are so beautiful?" he says. "Because they gave birth to you. Your momma, her momma, my momma, they could have died having us! Women could die having babies.” And I said, “So can men.” I subconsciously found a way to divert a homeless person's attention away from asking for money. He rode off on his wheelchair, through a group of people who could surely afford to drop a few hundred to help this poor man, trying to absorb my stupidity.

The jewelry is beautiful. Take a look:
http://colettejewelry.com/v2/

You fell down, scraped your knee, it scabbed. You're healed. 24 years old.

I was pleasantly surprised. I arrived home from work to find my favorite people awaiting my arrival at home for a birthday celebration. We ate chocolate cake (homemade, w/ Betty Crocker's assistance) with vanilla frosting and gelato for dinner! I also loved the karaoke rendition of "Sweet Caroline" sang as "Sweet Jessica."

Does it take really 24 years to develop such a great appreciation for life? Our mind is the control tower of our thoughts, actions, and behaviors throughout our lives. We take everything for what it is, for what it seems at the time but what is actually significant? When it comes down to it, what does it take to change our thought patterns, our opinions, our hypothesis?

Effect me. Challenge me. Say something and do something I haven't heard or seen before. What will stick and make an impact is what will bring wrinkles to my eyes when I smile. Or the tears I fight to hide when I'm doubtful or distressed. I am eager to succeed, I am cautious of the detours along the way, and my sixth sense has been working harder than ever. I've found amazing friends. Tonight they helped me to come to this realization. A random Thursday night, celebrating my birthday with close friends who care. Enjoying life. Enjoying friendship. Enjoying each other. Unforgiving of anything but the best.

A shy young woman with a pronounced taste for all life's small pleasures

Tonight I wore my "I Heart Serendipity" shirt. I became partial to the movie Serendipity in high school. A born romantic and of course a sucker for love stories, the film reeled me in as did the word Serendipity: The art of finding the unusual, or the pleasantly unexpected by chance or sagacity. My mom knew how obsessed I became with Serendipity and one winter day, brought me to Manhattan to mirror the opening segment of the film. We began at Bloomingdales where surely I had to try on anything priced under $100. Then we got back on the film's track and admired cold-weather gear in the glove department. All that shopping of course built up our appetite so we finished the day at the restaurant Serendipity where we indulged in frozen hot chocolate and brownie sundaes. I left with a smile on my face and my favorite t-shirt.

One aspect of all love stories is the chase. There is always a chance in the beginning for two people to connect and call it happily ever after. However that's too easy and life does not usually work that way. Leave out the chase and you're left with a monotonous storyline.

I finally watched the movie Amelie, wearing the Serendipity t-shirt and all. Amelie grew up without proper socialization as her father, a doctor, mistakenly diagnosed her rapid heart beat as a disorder, leaving her home schooled and without friends. Her awkwardness and appreciation for the small things in life that no one else catches draws you in to her lovely character. She notices a man and is immediately enthralled by him. Rather then approaching him and making herself available, she sends him clues leading him on a wild goose chase in search of his mysterious admirer. The story, the music, the colors and the artistic shots made for an extremely enjoyable two hours.

There's nothing like throwing on an old t-shirt. Easy to wear. Comfortable.

Up Close and Personal with Fire

While driving home from Burbank tonight on the 405 South, I drove into what looked like a fire storm from miles away. As I neared the Getty Center, I was surprised the road wasn't closed as the fire was burning literally just feet from the highway. The smoke lit the night sky in a mountainous, mushroom formation of an orange and purple haze much like a sunset. However it was 1 am. I felt fearful from the vast area of flames burning and the lingering heat.

I pray that these fires stop burning throughout California and hope people will take precautionary measures to prevent the occurrence of the damaging phenomenon. Please put out your cigarette butts before throwing them on the arid soil. And do a freakin rain dance while your at it. I'll join in.

I just want to blog.

Great night in Hollywood with the ladies. I highly recommend Boulevard 3. Of course I cannot guarantee it will be as much fun as tonight. Fashion week, lingerie show, endless entertainment, beautiful men (when do we ever get to see so many beautiful men in underwear ladies???!!!) , french men, dancing, laughing, lots of laughing. Ahhhh. I'm laying in bed with Emily as she locked herself out of the house of course. Apparently my quote of the night... Em, I just want to blog. She passed out in the back seat of my car and is now sleeping in my bed. No help with this blog at all folks. I guess my driving is just that relaxing. I quite enjoy being the designated driver. I am responsible for myself and the passengers a.k.a. the precious cargo in my front and back seat. The energy of this great company was enough to keep the night alive tonight. I love you girls. Pictures/Vids soon to come from Jess #2.

I wish you could be in my head for a little bit so you could realize how amazing of a person you are

One of the greatest satisfactions is finding a person you can completely open yourself up to, who won't judge you, who will hold your hand through it all and will always leave you feeling loved. My parents have always provided me with that support and yes, that's what friends are for. But how often do you meet someone and within a matter of minutes, you have developed an understanding stronger than any friendship that's grown over a life time? It's now been a year and half since we met and this person has moved quickly to family status.

My mind was filled with regret and lost hope. My body ached. But this special friend said, "I want you not to feel so sad anymore. I wish you could be in my head for a little bit so you could realize how amazing of a person you are ." Some people always know the right things to say that will make you feel good. I know from the bottom of my heart this was the truth.

Camping Uncensored

7 PM- We sat around the campfire and wrote a story. Everyone contributed one line. Here is the final piece:

It was a close race for the loser of the day award but Jessica began pulling ahead quickly in the morning. And it tickled my feet. So Matt ran away. Can I just say Berto tried to save the day with a condom. It's cool if your name is Mandora because then your nickname could be Dora. And Amish sent out 2000 emails about the camping trip. I realized when I looked north and saw the big rock and the cliff, I wouldn't be able to reach it without jumping into the water. After the projectile vomit came out my mouth, I wanted to jump into the ocean and die. I knew he'd been dead for a few days because rigor mortis had set in. As I sat warming myself by the crackling fire, I realized I could really use a box of a kittens. I found later that he was a predatory lender. I needed a condom but luckily Berto brought four so I saved my air mattress.

Memories from the trip:
Jessica puking exorcist style on the boat.
Matt puking in his mouth on the boat. Why couldn't I keep it in my mouth?
14+99999 miles hiking
Deer with awesome antlers jumping out in front of Emily and scaring everyone during hike
Christopher Bunk and Jess's discovery of a deer carcass while exploring
Berto's numerous condom discussions (apparently more ways to use than we ever thought to believe)
Bruno's surprise visit to the campsite
Meili's fear of Bruno the robot
Falling into the fire
The Random Girls of Catalina Island
Waking up to the sound of waves crashing
Getting through all "99 bottles of beer on the wall" during hike
Nick, me, Leila and Brian running as fast as possible to the end of the trail in search of bacon cheeseburgers
Meili's exciting return to civilization an hour later than everyone else