Snowballs in Texas!

This morning I finally made a GIF out of the 8 pictures that Michael took of me at a gas station in Fort Stockton, Texas the morning of January 5th!! It was easier for me to paste the HTML code from a free website called Picasion since I couldn't export it as one with Final Cut Pro and Michael is currently sick and didn't have time to teach me how to use Adobe After Effects.

I was so excited to see all the snow that morning and kept watching the fuel gauge needle in the Uhaul, hoping it would go down faster so we could stop and take pictures. It was fun stomping on the snow, realizing it was deeper than I expected. The snow was soo cold though, but Michael reminded me that I was holding a soft block of ice. My hands quickly became super numb, but it was still worth it for the fun. I did later invest in a nice pair of gloves from Target a couple weeks ago.

I do plan to make more GIFs in the future and maybe even work on some quick video snippets. They would have to be about 30 seconds or I would completely get bored and lose focus. Anyway, since I am thinking about it, here are some more pictures from our cold morning driving through different mini-towns of Texas.

This & That; Dog & Cats

On Friday we got out Internet hooked up, after a couple AT&T employees came out and fixed things. Aside from catching up on some of my more favorite shows, I am reflecting on enjoying the time when I don't use the Internet. I have found that I can easily keep myself occupied. It helps me get handmade scrapbook cards created, errands run, dishes cleaned and put away. I read more (magazines) and we hike a lot.

Michael has been doing sooo amazingly great with eating healthier and losing weight since we moved. Its almost funny how the past few days he has wanted to go hiking in the morning and in the afternoon. But due to the fact that it has been non-stop drizzling since Thursday (not counting yesterday when the weather was nice and cool and sunny), we haven't spent as much time as Griffith Park as the past weeks. Yesterday after our first time at Runyon Canyon - with our Full Sail friend, Gaby - the three of us went to Pinkberry for frozen yogurt. Gaby and I each got a mix of Chocolate Hazelnut & Salted Caramel, while Michael only got a small cup of fresh fruit with honey!!  
I am so incredibly proud of him.

 I don't feel "safe" bringing the fancy Canon camera on hikes with us- nor do I want to have a heavy backpack attached to me for an hour while sweat collects under my shirt.. Gross.. I have only brought my Polaroid camera to the trails so far. However, last night after buying a really chintzy camera at Target and not liking it right away, Michael returned it and bought us a better one instead (also at Target) ~ a Samsung ST66 with a 5x zoom and 16.1 megapixels.  Its nothing too fancy, but will be way better to take on hikes and the beach, instead of hoping they turn out okay from the lame camera on my cell phone. Here is a cute Test Photo that we took last night just to see how well the camera worked:

I'm sure it will be more in focused in natural lighting. We'll test it out soon! Anyway, so I don't really have many pictures yet. Aside from our neighbor's stray cats when I see them sleeping on our deck or just sitting around outside through our window. When their literal "cat fights" begin at night, it strangely sounds like a baby crying. That shouldn't last too much longer, now that Michael recently purchased a water gun as his new weapon of attack.

The black kitty's chipmunk face always makes me laugh! & these are only a few of the cats I have seen. I'm positive there are at least six more.

Journal Style

Today we're using the Wi-Fi at Starbucks, but our Internet box should be arriving tomorrow!!

(I feel like our road trip from Florida to California was so long ago now that I don’t remember much. Although in Fort Stockton, Texas, Michael took a bunch of pictures of me playing in the snow/soft ice at a gas station and I’d like to make an animation out of that, once I figure out how to do it.)

Michael and I absolutely love living in the Los Angeles area so far. Even the area we live in, away from the main city is so pretty. Even the Interstates have nice landscape scenery. We like our house a lot. It’s a very cozy 826 square feet that has gotten down to 52 degrees in the mornings when we forgot to turn the gas heater on! But I was told that we were having a record low in our area those first few weeks. The house also heats up to 76 degrees inside during the middle parts of the day. We have an orange tree in the front yard and I did squeeze five oranges one night to make juice for myself. I had Michael taste it too. It was very tart, but tasted better after being watered down, with a few Equals added.

With the help of Michael’s mom who stayed with us for five extra days after we finished our drive to California, we got everything unpacked within three days. There are a few boxes with expensive plates, etc. that we will leave taped up until we move to our next (own) house in a couple years. Right now we’re just renting- from a really great guy, also a special effects make up artist- who spent a lot of December and the first week of January flying back and forth between Orlando and North Hollywood, fixing up the house. At no charge to us! We have fresh paint on the walls, marble linoleum in the kitchen and carpet in the bedrooms. Michael likes that the floors creak. He says it adds character. I’m not sure if my body has completely adjusted to the time change yet because I usually automatically wake up around 8am and go to sleep by 10:30pm- well, that’s about normal, right?

One week after we moved in, our very good friend, Dawson, settled into an apartment in a nearby city: Glendale. (We met him during our time at Full Sail and he had been living with his family in Texas since graduation. Can’t wait for Julie to join us this summer!) We have spent a few days with him so far. Michael bought a fire pit and a grill at Home Depot, where I am 75% sure that I saw Jim Carrey, but didn’t realize until after then it was too late to be sure.. *Sigh* But Michael apparently has “famous” recipes and grilled us the most delicious hamburgers and then lemon pepper chicken drumsticks a couple days later. Both meals were so yummy! My Shake-and-Bake with mashed potatoes, green beans and corn is pretty tasty too and I finally bought a crock-pot to attempt pulled pork tomorrow.

Last Wednesday (January 16^th) was Dawson’s 22^nd birthday and he wanted to get his picture under the Hollywood sign earlier in the morning. We left at 8am, then parked at the Griffith Observatory and took a new trail that lead to a big opening. Dawson was huffing and puffing during the tougher climbs, but soon we’ll all be in great shape! The views were incredible and I didn’t mind at all every time he asked us to stop for pictures. Hopefully I can get those from him soon to post- most likely in Instagram form? (I haven’t been taking any pictures lately, aside from our neighbor’s various cats that sleep on our back deck during the day.) We walked around the Observatory, but it was closed until Noon, so we left and took Dawson to FroyoLife. Surprisingly the Maple Bacon Donut frozen yogurt was my favorite flavor. Carrot Cake is second.. My favorite part of his birthday when he said we should go back to our own places and take naps! Haha, and we did. Then he came over again a few hours later so we could go out to eat at Casa Vega. The hostess there was very friendly and told us about celebrities who have come into the restaurant. Unfortunately she said Bruce Willis and Seth Rogan aren’t very nice, even to the waiters in general. While I was texting my mom, Dawson tapped me on the arm and told me that singer, Nick Lachey had just walked in and sat down at a table! I didn’t see him, but after we were seated, Dawson pep-talked himself into getting an autograph and a picture with Nick Lachey! I was so proud of him.

Dawson didn’t recognize the four other guys sitting with him, but scoffed when he sat back down with us because he Googled the 98 Degrees band and realized those were the other band members with him! I told Dawson that it probably happens a lot. Nick Lachey is more well known because he had a solo album after the band broke up and he was married to Jessica Simpson from 2002 to 2005 when they had their own “Newlyweds” reality show.

This past weekend, Michael attended IMATS – International Makeup Artist Trade Show – for free because he was helping Michael Burnett (the guy we are renting the house from) with a Grinch application demonstrations. He told me about how he got to meet Howard Berger, a very successful make up artist who has worked on movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Hitchcock (which we still want to see) & The Walking Dead!! Michael has actually exchanged multiple emails with Howard over the past few years. He bought an IMATS shirt as a souvenir.

Some days when we didn’t have plans, we just ran errands like getting a crack in my windshield repaired, car washes, passing our tests for our California drivers licenses and running to Target and Ralph’s grocery store multiple times. On Saturday I did see This is 40 at our dollar theater, a few minutes down the road, for only three bucks! Other than that I have been watching a lot of Glee, random movies, eating salads and putting together early Valentine’s Day cards. I’ll start taking pictures soon.

The Big Move ~ Day 2

On January 4th, we got up at 5:30am and met Michael’s parents next door and we had breakfast downstairs. I stole a couple extra bagels before we left to save for later that day. In the beginning points of Louisiana, we drove along an area with tall dead tress on both sides of us, then along a raised 20-mile bridge into Baton Rouge.

Traffic got the heaviest through Houston, Texas. Possibly the most we had seen on our trip that far. We had to slow down in the Penske truck and stay in the middle to make sure we stayed close to Michael’s parents who were driving our cars.

There was a lot of chaos towards the end of the day because none of the hotels had rooms and those who did, were not pet friendly. I was trying to be helpful with finding directions and making phone calls, but got confused trying to use Michael’s iPhone. We ended up staying at a Best Western in Ozona, Texas- 108 miles East of Fort Stockton (our original stopping point). They didn’t usually allow pets, but said we could keep Sasha in a smoking room. I hope she didn’t catch cancer!

The Big Move ~ Day 1

Phew! It sure has been an adventure these past few weeks. And I’ve only been able to post now because we haven’t really had Internet since we left Orlando. I am currently sitting in Panera Bread with Michael, indulging in a Mediterranean Salmon salad and using their Wi-Fi, with plans to go hiking again after!  On Thursday, January 3^rd at 11am, Michael and I (along with so much help from his generous parents- honestly, we wouldn’t be in LA right now if it hadn’t been for them) began our drive across the country.

We drove though Tallahassee, Mobile, enjoyed a beautiful sunset in Mississippi (which was too pretty to add the “colored pencil” effect to) and stopped in Covington, Louisiana for the first night. The Residence Inn was amazing. I loved how each room looked like a tiny apartment. Definitely my new favorite hotel.

The four of us had dinner at Applebee’s then went straight to sleep after showering, so we could get up again at 5:30am! I was surprised at how good Sasha behaved in the hotel (Michael only had to get out of bed once to make her stop barking), compared to my first experience with her over Thanksgiving.

..& Hello 2013

You are so beautiful already! Yesterday, on the very first day of the new year, I got the chance to drive up to see Alana again. I last saw her and Cody in July, but not since her accident in September when she got thrown off a horse. But she is doing much better than I thought. Last I heard she was in a wheel chair about 80% of the time and just held onto tables and people when she had to walk around. But yesterday when I visited her, she greeted me at the door- she was standing there like normal and holding her new dog, Oliver. I was so excited and proud of her!! She still gets therapy for her hands and has to keep walking a lot to eventually get back to her original posture/ form.

I was able to meet Cody's parents too since we stayed at their house for the day. They were very nice and had a small Yorkie dog named Lexie. We drove to Governor's Park down the street (twice since at first I forgot my camera in Cody's room!). It was a wonderful huge open field with a run down house at the top of the hill. Although some bricks had fallen out and the doors were boarded up, I thought the pictures turned out really cool.

I stayed for dinner and Cody's mom made beans to symbolize coins, Asian salad for dollar bills and frozen grapes. You're supposed to eat 12 for each month of goodness. I only had two because last night we couldn't remember what grapes were for. We also had yummy rolls and ham and rice. Cody's Grandma Dottie also joined us and told me that she lived in LA one year in the 1940's and worked at a flower shop.

PS ~ My mom and I didn't end up going to the Morningside Nature Park and Farm today (Wednesday) because it rained. Plus the Living History volunteers only dress up and work like they are back in the 1870's on Saturdays and that was what I really wanted to see. But I got my days mixed up. Oh well.

Goodbye 2012..

I'm already feeling torn between my resolutions and hobbies. I am trying going to spend less time on the computer, but I also need to update for the past two days before I go out and take more pictures at a nature park/ farm.. What a pickle I am in! I'm actually updating on the porch at my parents' house so at least I'm getting some fresh air while I type this.

On Monday night Mia and Tonia came over after I spent a few hours visiting our friend Lindsey. (She lives in California, but its six hours north of LA, so I'm not sure how often we will be able to visit. Although I would love to see her at the end of the summer because she is having a baby in July!!) I was so excited a few days ago when I found out that Tonia really likes Glee too, so the three of us sat in my room with a candle and the lights off. We talked a bit about our big plans for 2013 and then listened to Lea Michele's beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night".

My small graham cracker house after it "snowed" powdered sugar!

Mommy's first house suffered a California earthquake. Oh no!!

This is her finished Flintstone house & mini house for Dino.

Tonia's big Dugger family house, heehee.

After our peaceful five minutes with the song, my mom joined us in a game of Quelf. I will admit, that game even makes me feel embarrassed -which rarely happens- but I got into it more after I had to do an Irish jig while singing "the Wheels on the Bus". Considering I also had to wear a bra on my head and keep the game's box under my shirt half of the time, I'll leave those pictures to the imagination. Around 10:30pm, we began making belated ginger break houses using graham crackers. Mia got way creative and very detailed with her Indian village. It was wonderful!

Mia's Indian tribe around the fire. Watch out for bears!

Her Indian village was complete with teepees and a grassy river.

☼ THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST YEAR YET ~ I CAN FEEL IT IN MY BONES!! ☼