Leap Day

Has anyone seen the movie Leap Year??? It was good wasn't it. I'm enjoying it right now.

mexican

When I was in LA Jilaine and I found this good mexican restaurant by paramount studios. It was so good we ate there twice and the guy behind the counter recognized us from the other day.

Yummy fish tacos - I wish I could eat them now

guac and mexican coke meaning imported coke from mexico.

zip line vid

Here is the long awaited zip line video. this was the easy one...

4-7

This week William Shatner was on a press tour. Twice he mentioned that God visits between 4-7 am. I have never heard this before has anyone else??

This may explain why the girls get up at 4 and stay active til about 7. They want us be the first he visits???

catus

My catus is blooming again

clean out!

Saturday and Sunday I decided to clean my closets. I did't even have to watch hoarders to do it.

Not sure if this is a good thing or bad thing but I have cleared out clothes over the last 3 years and I believe that I have gotten rid of most of the clothes I have had for 10 years and ones that had some meaning between Joe and I. Also I have gotten down to the good stuff so I will start consigning them instead of donating them.

Sunday did my tops

Saturday I tackled my dress and accesories.

Ten

My little girl turned 10 on sunday! She had a good day of laying around, treats, tummy rubs and a walk.

She asked to go to Santa Monica but that requires 2 dogs on a plane and I don't know if Ana is ready for that. Also not sure if any of my friends are ready to get on a plane with us either.

Since we don't have a 3 dog bakery here and they already at there sprinkles dog cupcakes I took foxy to Sonics. It went better than I thought it would.

Chill'in on the couch with my birthday hat on!

Where are we going??? somewhere good I hope!!

What should I order 2 dogs and a vegan at Sonic??

Chicken Strips, French Fries and Onion rings for me.

More Please!!!!!! Yes they are eating in the Lexus - Joe would have had a fit - as you can see the towel was not staying in place for long.

song of the day

tgif

My happy place

I'm so happy this week is done it has been hell! Plus my class reunion is this summer....oh crap

sauna

This week I have been in the sauna 2 days and is it weird that each time I have met 2 nice women in there?

The first one I was thinking she was a strange being in a sauna with full on eye make up. Come to find out she was just stopping in to warm up and then was going to work out. (with make up on) She is actually a model for shop NBC (which kind of explains the makeup) and from Moscow. She moved to the US to go to college and learned English while attending classes. That is amazing to me.

The other girl was like me warming up due to her Renauds/arthritis.

random thoughts

Yesterday I had a guy over to try and fix my software that has been crashing - it took 2 hours and then he said I have never seen anything like this - don't know what to do...Welcome to my life I said. It still isn't fixed I have to call the company - yuck!

Disclaimer this is only my experience - it is nobody that reads this...if you are your the exception.

Why is it that the people that are so religious and devoted to the church are the people that are the meanest or are bad people over all??? Is it because they go to church a couple times a week to be forgiven? What about the rest of us spiritual people that just believe that you should always be a good person no matter what???

Why is it guys beg you to be there friend on Facebook then de-friend you?? Then text you to say I was thinking of you. What ever!

Why is it that on Saturday I bought Ana a bark collar and now she isn't barking???

Why are some girls that haven't gotten married so crazy territorial around guys???

Why are the simplest thing so hard?

I'm sure there are more just can't think of any now :P

furry friends

Since today is vday I thought I would share my fuzzy friends I met in LA. Sorry again for the late blogs I have 50 things going on and not enough time to get things done. I love my beauty sleep so to stay up past 10 is not for me. I will share later what is going on because as you know my last plan for my new life got bursted and I have a new one which require a lot of detail to be worked out so that it can't be popped again.
Also you can see I have not practiced my photoshop skills these are just as they are...

Pooh would not let go of my hand and kept kissing my hand - crazy pooh

Just like a big stuffed animal - I wanted to take him home

Music-Adele

Most of you know I love music. Sometimes I'm a little bit of a groupie...back in the days I have been good lately. Sunday is the grammy's and I love Adele and she is up for a bunch this year.

Then Wall Street Journal on-line has this article about her and Mr. Wilson. Which is Dan Wilson or Dan as I call him. (or my neighbor by the lake or I almost hit Dan one day by the lake) Any way I feel like I really know him and I'm so proud of him.

My love for him started in the mid 90's with Semisonic then grew more personal when I was with Joe. Once we even had dinner next to him - The tables were so close it was like he was eating with us. It was also before we were married so I was paying more attention what he was saying then Joe, but does that really surprise anyone???

Anyway he went on to do solo stuff and we were always up front listening to him - then in 2011 he did a reunion benefit for a guy who was hit while riding his bike in North East Minneapolis - of course I went to that - I think I even posted a video from the show.

My point of this blog is that he co-wrote a song and played the piano with Adele and here is a little bit of the article. The article is about why does Adele's song "someone like you" make you cry. Ah yeah it does...it also explains why people like me like music...it could be worst I could like the sex, drug and food additions. I hope they win big Sunday Night!!!!!!

"Someone Like You" is a textbook example. "The song begins with a soft, repetitive pattern," said Dr. Guhn, while Adele keeps the notes within a narrow frequency range. The lyrics are wistful but restrained: "I heard that you're settled down, that you found a girl and you're married now." This all sets up a sentimental and melancholy mood.

When the chorus enters, Adele's voice jumps up an octave, and she belts out notes with increasing volume. The harmony shifts, and the lyrics become more dramatic: "Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead."

When the music suddenly breaks from its expected pattern, our sympathetic nervous system goes on high alert; our hearts race and we start to sweat. Depending on the context, we interpret this state of arousal as positive or negative, happy or sad.

If "Someone Like You" produces such intense sadness in listeners, why is it so popular? Last year, Robert Zatorre and his team of neuroscientists at McGill University reported that emotionally intense music releases dopamine in the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, similar to the effects of food, sex and drugs. This makes us feel good and motivates us to repeat the behavior.

Measuring listeners' responses, Dr. Zatorre's team found that the number of goose bumps observed correlated with the amount of dopamine released, even when the music was extremely sad. The results suggest that the more emotions a song provokes—whether depressing or uplifting—the more we crave the song.

With "Someone Like You," Adele and Mr. Wilson not only crafted a perfect tear-jerker but also stumbled upon a formula for commercial success: Unleash the tears and chills with small surprises, a smoky voice and soulful lyrics, and then sit back and let the dopamine keep us coming back for more.

saturday

Saturday was a strange day...first of all there was an off shore flow so all the smog, fog and marine layer were not around. We started the day with a clear day. That doesn't happen often in LA. Everyone was talking about it. It was really nice.


I made it up to the top of Mt. Hollywood...I love hiking up there!! Look how clear it is amazing!

Proof I make it to the top

Thought this was funny :)

One our (joe and I) favorite spot which is right by the rock above

After hiking I need to swing by the camera store...and met this rock photographer he was having a book signing. Hello that would be awesome to be one!!!!! Me, music and the front row what else could I ask for.
Me and Rob did I mention he is from Minnesota??? I just wish I had my other ray bans on like his. Next time I'm there I going to see if we can shot to gather - he is very funny so the problem might be to try and keep the camera from moving due to my laughing.

broke girls and cupcakes

Last Tuesday we attended the taping of 2 broke girls. I think the show might air the 27th but not sure they mentioned something about leap year in it so that is why I think that date but who knows. It was a funny show about dog sitting and hopefully my "oh my God" doesn't make it on the show I was a little loud one time when nobody else was...lets just say I saw something coming a mile away and was quick to react.

Also you know the main reason I go to the taping is to check out the crew...this one happened to have a very cute Asian writer. Ahh the could of should have would have when I think back but just flirted and say "bye" Main cause I thought I had a friend I was going to to see. that is another issue that WILL not be discussed :) (like how I did that)

It was a long taping we start at 5 and got out at 10 with out them feeding us. Not to mention that was our first day in LA and was exhausted. It was fun though.


These next photos go along with 2 broke girls - but it is really just one - me...this is the reason for no blog yesterday I was making cocktail cupcakes last night and was to tired to blog Tuesday night or Wednesday morning. Jenn and I had fun making very strong cupcakes...

Jenn did frosted the pretty cupcakes on the tray

Cosmo cupcakes, dark velvet cupcakes, lemon drop and french 77 cupcakes. Oh I can still smell the alcohol...

paramount studios

One of the days Jilaine and I were in LA we did Paramount Studios. This year is it's 100th birthday.

Below is part of the iron fence - it caught my attention then I asked if I could go see it on the tour. The guide said sure add "if you touch it you will get good luck" ok so why would he not have mentioned that on the tour and brought us by it???? Any way I rubbed my whole body on it.

The lucky fence is behind us

The would not let me anywhere the glee set...for good reason - notice the fence is in the back ground of the signing

Woody Harrelson's hand print when when he ran around the studio naked.

next destination

here are some of the girls I met on my hawaii trip. My next photo trip will not be so warm...I'm headed to Iceland. I had to get a couple pair of water/wind proof pants. My adventure wardrobe is growing, how scary is that.

more street art

street art