Oh yeah!

I started an actual thinking piece this morning (yes, I WILL finish it later after K's audition) but then I got stuck with something I forgot to mention yesterday.

One thing that really bugs be is internet stalking. It used to happen all the time: I would post something on Facebook and then a "friend" who would always like to say "I have a profile but I am NEVER on Facebook" would ask about something I had done swearing that I had mentioned it. I didn't. It happens a lot with K's jobs, because of the new feed mutual friends can now see comments made on my wall. Complete strangers were coming up to me at castings telling me how cool it was that K did this or that. Creepy. I got rid of a bunch people on my page but that doesn't stop the stalking. I don't have anyone blocked (except my MIL) because I have nothing to hide, but seriously, get a life.

I also can't block this blog and I know that people I no longer have in my life are coming here, what they're looking for is beyond me.

Forgot to write that yesterday when I was annoyed. If anyone needs to know what I'm up to they can ask me, if they aren't my friend why do they care?

OK, back to writing my actual thoughts.

Random

Things annoying me today:

SOPA & PIPA unfortunately are not uber-trendy young royals, they are a way to take our freedom. Please sign here.

Marky Mark: Sorry dude, had you been on that plane you would have died like everyone else. I understand that you have a fabulous set of muscles but you can't fight with explosives strapped on a body. The part about jerking off is just wrong. TMI my friend. Read here.

Modern Family: Oh no!!! Baby Lily is going to drop an F-bomb and people are upset. I don't give a BLEEP about that. Want to know what gets me upset? The ridiculous amount of Erectile Dysfunction commercials playing during the day while I'm trying to watch football with my daughter. She knows what swear words are and she doesn't use them. Does anyone really want to explain boner pills to an 8 year old?. Read here.

Facebook Timeline: I don't like it.

There are a few other things but those are the main issues. Talking with N on Saturday reminded me of a few more I never wrote. Maybe tomorrow.

U & I

Just because I adore this song. It was the first song out of my iPhone today. And I know my friend N must love it too :)

Enjoy.

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Beautiful

Lots going on this week, lots went on last week. I met an old friend for breakfast on Saturday, honestly I have no idea when we last saw each other. She's not on Facebook either so we have to read each others blog to find out the latest news. I can't tell you how good it is to reconnect with someone who is truly an extension of yourself.

We spent hours and hours comparing war wounds, laughing at how similar those wounds were. Once again we were living parallel lives. It was good to have a friend who actually understood every strange minutia of my former problems. Reading events on our blogs was only the tip of the iceberg, hearing the actual stories and their gory details made them actually seem funny. It's funny because even as I was living these events I would think "I need to tell N this" or "Only N would understand this" and even if I didn't tell her just knowing she was out there made me feel better.

Anyway it felt good to sit and talk (and talk and talk and talk). We share an interesting history and met even though mutual friends thought it might be a bad idea (it wasn't). We lived completely different lives yet share the same story. Something only kindred spirits understand. This was one reunion that wasn't spawned through Facebook (N swore off social networking after her own drama). Nope, it was born out of old fashioned communication, OK it was texts but still.

I can't wait to see her again, this time I'll bring K and she can share in our gabfest.

N and I always shared a love of music, I forgot to ask if she liked Band of Horses, I heard this song earlier and it somehow reminded me of old times even though it's pretty new.

Hope you like it girlie!! Love you!

Back in the swing of things

On Tuesday I got a call for a commercial casting on Wednesday for K after a nice and quiet few weeks off. I was happy things were starting but now had to reschedule an afternoon playdate. About that same time I got another call from our good friends who live in Germany most of the year. They were back and wanted to play. We decided on an early movie and then maybe a quick lunch before K and I took off for her audition. The next morning K got another audition across town at the same time. Hmmm, why do they think I can be in two places at the same time? We were told to go early to one and later to the other. Thanks, I think I figured that one out myself. The only problem was getting from Santa Monica to Studio City at the worst possible time. I didn't really want to think about until I had to, we had an overdue playdate to make.

We saw the early movie and took the kids to the beach where I tried out my new lens again, it was a little harder with two kids running on maximum power. Then we took off for the first audition of the day. No traffic but no parking and we HAD to be there by 3:00PM to make the other one by 4:30PM. We got there and saw K's bestie who said the wait didn't seem too long, they had other calls to make too. We ended up waiting an hour and I had one minute on my meter when we got to the car, good thing because there was a traffic cop ticketing already.

I now had 30 minutes to get to Studio City with 90 minutes of traffic. I called and said forget it, they said go and I had until 5:00PM. My GPS (who I'm sure is trying to kill me) told me I was going to be late. I pulled off the freeway and took streets the whole way and it only took 45 minutes. It was almost possible to be in two places at the same time! They must have liked her because she already got called back.

On the way home I arranged for a sleepover with K's friend from Germany and stopped off to get dinner for them. I love watching these two play together, it's effortless. They get along so well I didn't want him to leave. I hardly ever say that about kids and certainly have never said it about a boy. It's always sad when they have to say goodbye. I'm hoping we get to spend some more time together before they leave.

My dad is also in town again for a visit which means that K is working next week. For some reason every time he visits she books a good job.

The other day I said I was looking forward to getting back to normal swing of things and then I realized there is no normal for us. We never have the same week twice. This used to freak me out, I'm getting used to it now.

We've always been a see-saw kind of family anyway.

Testing, 1,2,3.

When D asked me what I wanted for Christmas I was serious when I said nothing. I said I cold buy some things and put them under the tree. I honestly didn't want anything, back in November at the parent party for K's school D bid and won a beautiful ring at the live auction. I thought we were doing a nice thing by simply attending but he raised the bar and made all the other husbands look bad. The ring is completely beautiful, absolutely perfect and pretty expensive. For the first time it was me that concerned about spending money.

Anyway, Christmas morning I was given a present to open first. This never happens. Inside a nondescript box was an amazing Canon 24 - 105 f4 L professional lens. While I said I didn't want anything, I meant it. I wanted a new lens but it wasn't something I really thought about. Having a best friend who is also a professional photographer puts any picture taking in the back of my mind since I am now enjoying the styling part of the shoot. So for the days that followed I tried out my new toy, I saw a difference but I needed help. I called my buddy and asked for help. She suggested I bring my crew over to hang with hers and she can give me some pointers.

In between glasses of wine she showed me the best setting for getting what I want (and what I wanted was the look she gets!) We decided to test it out, having kids that model helps out tremendously. I grabbed her daughter and shot her for a few minutes. With the proper settings and an incredibly gorgeous kid I got the kind of pictures people pay a fortune to get. I couldn't wait to try it out with K.

Today was that day. I curled her hair, picked out an outfit that made her look like a little French girl and went to the village. At first she was annoyed, but she soon realized that people were watching and she went right to model mode. When she was finished I paid her in ice cream and we ran home to see what we got. I was beyond thrilled to see images that I always knew I create (with the help of a professional). K gave me her best "told ya" smile and took off to play with her iPad. I posted some faves to Facebook to show friends and felt the love in the form of "likes" and comments. I even got a few requests to do headshots and shoot the new line of a designer we know. The headshots I will gladly do, the job I will pass on to my buddy until I fully manage the crazy manual settings I will now have to master.

All in all it was a great day. K and I are already planning our next shoot, another fist. She never likes the clothes I pick but once she saw her French girl images I became cool again.

Oh la la.