Thanksgiving 2011

About 15 of us gathered at my brother's house and enjoyed a great meal and good company. I was getting a kick out of their dog Starbuck who was making the rounds, soaking up the attention.

Leilani is so sweet and friendly, and she wasn't shy showing us her outfit...

And then there was her 3 year old version of Taylor Swift...



A beautiful end to a nice day...

Halloween 2011

When my friend Bev and I started talking about what we could dress up as for a Halloween party, I went online searching for some ideas and we eventually decided on Lucy and Ethel. We knew it had to be something immediately recognizable, not just Lucy and Ethel in everyday clothes. Here's what we came up with:

I made cupcakes from the DC Cupcakes (Georgetown Cupcakes) recipe. Pretty yummy if I do say so myself.

A Trip to DC Cupcakes!

Well, it was really a business trip to Washington, D.C., but I knew I had to find a way to include a trip to DC Cupcakes in Georgetown. The night before I jokingly texted my friend Erica about meeting, and it turns out she lived a lot closer than I thought, so we were able to meet up and indulge together. I took a bus from my hotel and walked a couple blocks to DC Cupcakes. I see Erica!

There were SO many yummies to chose from, we couldn't decide!

I ate 3 that day!

I was impressed at how many workers there were; it was pretty efficient considering the long line.

GOOD TIMES!



Shania Twain Gets Her Star! - June 2, 2011

Shania’s ceremony was to start at 11:00 AM on Hollywood Blvd. in front of the W Hotel, and I arrived about 8:45, though others had arrived as early as 6:00 AM. They were just starting to set up the staging, etc. & I planted myself in what turned out to be the best spot (with the exception of the press area, of course) and chatted with other Shania fans. One girl named Melissa was there to try to get Shania's autograph on her body so she could have it added to her 160+ tattoos! (photo below). We all enjoyed listening to Shania’s music as we watched the setup.

Shania arrived with her entourage, including hubby Fred and sister Carrie Ann, and posed for some photos before the ceremony. It was cool (low-mid 70’s) but the sun was HOT. I was able to take quite a few photos and was really happy how well they came out considering I was still learning how to use my new Nikon Coolpix P100. Shania was as beautiful as ever, and of course I loved the shoes! Her long-time friend, Bo Derek, spoke about Shania’s career and their friendship. Bo’s late husband John Derek took photos of Shania for the “Woman in Me” album and directed some of her videos. (Side Bar: John Derek had a reputation for being difficult, and he told Shania right away that she was overweight (!) and had a crooked nose. She was unfazed, as she said in her book From This Moment On, “Compared to Bo, I was overweight at 115 pounds, and yes, my nose is crooked, so he was right. It didn’t bother me to hear things I already knew, and I didn’t see any reason why that would make me not want to work with him.” Love her spunk!) Bo introduced Shania, and then she spoke for about 15 minutes. I thought she seemed a bit nervous, understandably.

I loved that she posed with her sister Carrie and her husband Fred afterward, even giving him a little smooch. :-) It's nice to see them so happy. Then Shania did a few TV interviews and Bo signed autographs. You could tell Bo didn’t want to; probably didn’t want to make it about her, but the crowd screamed for her to come over.

I’ve lived in California for over 40 years and had never attended a Star ceremony. Heck, I haven’t really done anything “touristy” since we moved to CA when I was a kid in the mid-60’s. After the ceremony I had lunch at a deli down the street called Chicken Dijon, took a few more pics of Shania’s Star (now that the sun had moved and the crowd had cleared), then headed home. Pretty fun experience. It was also the 1st time using my new camera, and I was pretty pleased with how they came out. Enjoy the pics!

EDIT: I'm not very happy with the way blogspot or photobucket has lowered the quality of these pics and cut off the images (like heads cut off), so I'm working on an alternative. :-(

Meeting Shania Twain - May 12, 2011

I’ve been wanting to blog about this, but whenever I try to write something, it’s just all over the place. OK so the facts. I’d plan to spend the day there anyway, so I got there about 9:00 and went to Barnes & Noble for my wristband. I’d actually never been to The Grove in LA. It’s a cool mall, outdoor with a quaint "street" down the middle that has a trolley, though the trolley wasn't running. There's a movie theater so I went to a movie mid-day, ate lunch at Farmer's market, read Shania's book, people watched, and saw some filming of the TV show "Extra". Mario Lopez was there filming some pieces and I was in some of the scenes that made it on TV.

At 5:30 they would start forming the line, based on the letter on our wristband (I was in group B.) I talked with a few other fans while we were waiting which was kinda fun to meet people who were bigger fans of Shania than me; one girl about 20 who’d been a fan since she was a little girl and had a whole scrapbook of Shania, and one who was brand new fan who'd seen her Oprah interview. She arrived on time…we could hear screaming so we knew she was there :-) …but the media had some time with her first off to the side first. I knew ahead of time that we weren't allowed to have "posed photography" meaning we couldn't have a picture taken with her. We had to have our books turned to a certain page & we could take pics but they said we'd have to stop when we got right up to her. I kept taking them when I got up there & they didn't stop me. I guess they just meant not to slow the line down by asking her to pose.

As I started getting close, I actually started feeling a little emotional, a little teary, and also felt kinda dorky for feeling that way. The line was going SO fast so I knew I couldn't say much, so the conversation was something like this:
"Hi Shania"
"Hello"
"Thank you so much for being here to do this."
"You're welcome"
"Your music just makes me so happy!"
"Thank you!"

She was friendly and smiled. That was it. Because it was so brief I knew it wouldn't be worth trying to say more. There were people who tried to pose with her for pics, and the "handlers" wouldn't let them (I think they were Barnes & Noble people assigned to be the bad guys). There were a couple of little girls, like age 5-6 that they let go up to her & give her hugs. A few people ahead of me shook her hand. I thought about it, but it seemed liked an imposition for her to have to put the pen down, shake, pick up pen, etc. over & over.

I enjoyed watching her husband Fred beaming as he watched (and filmed) her, and her sister Carrie too. In her book she wrote about doing her 1st tour (on the road over a year) pretty much alone every day, and she was very lonely. She had assistants who were also friends with her, but no husband or family, so it's really sweet that he's so supportive. She said in an interview how wonderful it is to be married to your best friend, "a best friend who is edible!" :-) He is pretty cute. She said he’s always doing sweet, romantic things for her. She deserves it after what she went through.

Afterwards they were taping a segment outside with Shania for Extra, so they encouraged the fans to come out & watch. That was a fun surprise, and I took a few more pictures.

I finished reading her book a few days ago. I can’t believe what she went through. There were so many touching parts, funny too, and I respect her more knowing what she’s had to overcome, and having the courage to tell the world.

I hope to go to a concert some day, but this was unique since I was able to speak to her, even if only for a few seconds.

Interview with Access Hollywood talking about finging love with hubby Fred:

Races - Fall 2010 thru Winter 2011

Here it is March 2011, and I haven't blogged about any races since before Disneyland last Labor Day. The Disneyland half marathon 2010 was the 5th anniversary. I did the 5K the 1st year (one of my very 1st races) and have done the 1/2 every year since, so I've participated in every one since the beginning. It was fun to see a lot of my friends from Running of the Ears (ROTE) this time. A lot of them came out because it was the anniversary and to get the bonus Coast-to-Coast medal. There's never enough time to see everyone and "play" at the parks, but it was still fun.

Here's a slideshow from the Fall-Winter season:

That Smell Reminds Me Of...

(Side note before I start: My friend recently informed me that it’s time to update my blog. What? You mean because it’s March and I haven’t blogged since last August?)

So tomorrow is supposed to be the last day of winter but it looks like all we’re going to see for the next few days is clouds and rain. Mickey I & were able to squeeze in a nice 3.66 mile walk today without getting wet. There are a few signs of Spring though, as the Orange trees are starting to bloom.
I think the smell of the orange blossoms is really one of my favorite scents. Having lived in So CA since I was 7 years old, it’s one of those "olfactory memories" that takes me right back to my childhood. My Mom always loved it too, so it also reminds me of her. It’s sad that there are fewer and fewer groves every year as they are removed for new building, but I’m thankful to live in a city that still has groves & has a long history in Citrus.

I also have some smelly memories that are a little odd too. Like when I smell diesel, it always reminds me of the 3 ½ months I spent on the road with Continental Singers 25 years ago. At the time, I hated the diesel smell of that bus, but now it’s a nice memory. Or whenever I smell a fireplace burning, I think “that reminds me of the mountains.” Around here it’s not often that people light a fire, but in the mountains where the weather is cooler, it often smells that way, And then there’s my dog Mickey. Maybe you have to be a doggy parent to get it. Or maybe even if you’re a parent you’ll think I’m nuts, but I love her smell. When I first took her to the vet as a pup, the receptionist said, “Aw, the sweet smell of puppy!” I thought she was a little crazy at the time. But now…it’s soothing. She’s my baby girl. I can be a tense mess, then she jumps up on my lap, gives me a big kiss, and maybe even a cuddle. And I bury my face in her fur. But when she gets wet? Well then she’s just a big ole wet dawwwg.

What scents hold a memory for you?

Christmas 2010 Season

OC Fair Double 5K Series - July and August 2010

My friend Dana & I found this great 5K "series" that was being held at the Orange County Fairgrounds. The 1st one was on opening day, July 18th, and the 2nd one was on closing day, August 15th. You got a regular medal at the 1st one, then a 2nd medal that attaches to the 1st, making it a "Double Medal". Pretty unique and fun.

 

It's odd doing a fitness event and running by these! :-)

"My name is Edith Ann"

24 Hours in Las Vegas or The “Other Sarah” of Phantom! - July 2010

When I found out my sweet friend Sarah Combs would be going on as "Christine" in the Phantom of the Opera, I started planning how & when I could go to see her. Sarah and I did a few shows together when she was a little girl and I haven’t seen her in over a year. She has grown into a beautiful young woman with more talent than I have in my little pinky! My best friend Kim figured out a day that would work for her, and we set the date. Sarah graciously offered tickets at a great deal, then Kim was able to get us a hotel room AND flights because of all of Jeff’s accumulated travel points. The Phantom is Kim’s favorite show so she was pretty excited too.

We left on Weds. Morning and arrived in Vegas around noon. I had a gift card for P.F. Changs, so we made that our first stop.

Checked into the hotel, then thought it would be a good idea to walk to the bus stop & get a day bus pass instead of using cabs. It was about 110 degrees and 2 blocks of walking convinced us this was a bad idea. So we walked to the nearest hotel & got a cab. Good thing we didn’t spend too much time trying to hail a cab because apparently it’s illegal for them to stop on the strip. We went to the Bellagio and checked out the beautiful gardens. It was refreshingly cool in the gardens and so pretty and clever.

We also saw a little bit of the fountains “show” but decided to come back later to see the full show. So we hoofed it over to the Coca Cola and M&M stores. Again, so hot! We were dripping after a few blocks. The stores were cute though.

We saw a few creepy characters along the way, some of whom were in costume. Ha! Got another cab back to the hotel to have a snack (complimentary soda, cheese & crackers in our room…Thanks again to Jeff’s points!) and get cleaned up for the show.  Another cab over to the Venetian to pick up our tickets at Will Call. That’s when I saw this!

It was SO exciting to see her name on the marquee! We were seated IN THE 7TH ROW! with just about 10 mins. until show time. The show was fantastic, with several elements we had not seen in the L.A. version. It’s shorter, at 90 minutes, but they kept the music that everyone loves. The house is made to look like a Paris opera house, very ornate, complete with mannequins in the box seats and the famous chandelier, only this one had 4 pieces to it. They had some great special effects too. And then there’s our Sarah, WOOHOO! She was beautiful and truly an “Angel of Music.” Remember that high “E” that Christine sings at the end of the title song? Well Sarah nailed it! Who needs Sarah Brightman when you’ve got Sarah Elizabeth Combs! :-)  After the show Sarah showed us around the stage, including trap doors & cool set pieces, then we visited a little and took a few pics together.

After the show we took a look around the Venetian. The gondolas were cool, and we saw a few interesting stores. The pic below is the store where Michael Jackson reportedly dropped over a million.

Kim & I really wanted to go to Serendipity for ice cream so we decided to eat in the food court rather than waste time finding another place for our late dinner. So we walked over to Serendipity, got there at 11:05 only to find out it closed at 11:00. Boo. Sadness. So we walked back to the Bellagio to see the fountains show in the dark. Very cool. The 1st time the accompanying music was Faith Hill’s “This Kiss”, so of course I loved that! The 2nd was to Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas!” An appropriate way to end the night.

 

We went back to the hotel after midnight. Thursday morning we got up around 7:45 for our complimentary buffet breakfast, then headed to the airport. The trip was short, but oh so much fun, and I got to share it with my bestie!