Artists 4 Peace Concert

Tonight, I had the pleasure of participating in a special concert held at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal City Walk.  Following special performances by Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and Eric Benet, I had the honor of performing "We Are The World" with a group of very talented singers in a special tribute for Stevie Wonder.  It was an amazing evening, making our rehearsals prior to, well worth the involvement!

Here are some pics from the rehearsals leading up to the show. Unfortunately, by the time Chaka and Stevie hit the stage, I was behind stage prepping for our performance.  I hope more pics from the event will start circulating so I can post more of our actual performance!

Choir Directors at vocal auditions

Vocal Rehearsal

Vocal Rehearsal

Vocal Rehearsal 

Singing my solo in rehearsal

Show Day!

Sound Check

Our stage tee

Vocal Directors: John and Delbi

My favorite little singer! Loved her~

w/ new from Alyson

Hanging out before hitting the stage

Show time

Eric Benet=HOT!

Malia was amazing!

Steve & Chaka on stage together

Steve posing w/ us after the show

Mall Madness!

Remember that board game from the early 90's called Mall Madness?? It was by far my favorite of all time. I LOVED that game.  The automated voice will call out things like, "Sale at Rusty's Electronics."  or "Clearance at Susy's Boutique." Than you had to walk your mannequin over to the store so you could purchase items off your "shopping list."  

Anyway, I had to make a run to the mall this morning.  One of the pleasures of working varied hours is that you can get your shopping done during the day when most 9 to 5'ers are at work.  I had to hit up one of my favorite "work attire" clothing stores, "New York & Company," located at the Burbank Mall. If you are like me, you highly dislike those annoying kiosk vendors who insist on grabbing your attention with their catchy lines. The lotion dudes are the worst, "Oh Miss, you are SO beautiful. Can I touch your hands?" Ew! Since that line doesn't work they go, "Excuse me, can I ask you a question?...Please....PLEASE!!!!"  Than, there's the sales associates in the stores who try to get you to sign up for a credit card and save a whopping 15% on a $10 item.  Really?  

I kindly decline to each of these people. But, what I really want to say is:

1) If I wanted to buy lotion, it wouldn't be from a creepy guy who works at a kiosk who is trained to sell me a product that is WAY more expensive than an average bottle.

2) No, I do not wish to get my teeth whitened, eye brows plucked, back massaged or anything waxed in the middle of an unsanitary mall with people walking around gawking.  

3) If I want to sign up for a credit card, take advantage of the buy one get 50% off or have you start me a fitting room (a.k.a. so I don't steal your clothes) I'd have already brought this to YOUR attention.

4) Yes, I would like to eat one of your amazing pretzel samples...in fact, they are SO good, can I take a few more to go so they can tie me over until dinner? Thanks

People do the strangest things...

When I fly, I like to sit near the window.  I'm a window seat type of gal.  Nice view, a place to rest your head if tired, not as cramped as the middle seat and you won't get your foot chopped off by the beverage cart like the aisle seat. 

Every time I fly, I always experience the same thing when the plane arrives at the gate.... The "fasten seat belt sign goes off" and EVERYONE jumps up out of their seats, opens up the overhead compartments and.....WAIT!  They can't move because it is too crammed.  Everyone is trying to grab their carry-on luggage from above while losing their temper at the next one because they are too close.  Then there's always the guy who needs to grab his suitcase from above while amidst the herd of cattle and practically smacks the old lady behind him with a wheel while he tries to get it out. 

#1) I don't understand why everyone stands up and rushes three steps to the aisle, only to wait and be crammed next to someone with bad body odor or a screaming baby when you can remain comfortably in your seat until it's your turn to get up and walk out of the plane. 

#2) I run into the same issue when I take the train to work.  People crowd towards the door even before the train stops just pushing to get out of the train once it arrives at the station.  I get it...we are all in a hurry and time is of the essence.  But, once you get out of the train, you have to hit the escalator which takes time anyway due to the amount of people who are waiting to get on it.  I guarantee you, your exit strategy which consists of pushing your way to the door to be the first one out, is not going to   

save you a ridiculous amount of time, so again... you might as well remain comfortably seated until the train stops and you can get off safely.

Fall in Minnesota

My brother got married over the weekend in beautiful Walker, MN. As a family, we had a fabulous time. During my last day there, I spent time driving through town taking pictures of the beautiful leaves.  Here are some pics from the weekend. 

My dad and brother 

w/ my sister

w/ brother and sister

Mom w/ brother

My brother w/ nieces and nephews

w/ my brother, new sister-in-law and older sister

Family portrait 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Anyone?

I returned to LA a few days ago after a long weekend visiting family and friends in MN. Before I left, my father gave me several stalks of rhubarb to take back with me.  I felt like I was smuggling illegal plants in my suitcase! :)  We wrapped them real good in plastic wrap and tin foil before placing them in my checked luggage.  I couldn't wait to get home to make some homemade strawberry rhubarb jam.  However, I quickly realized he gave me enough to make a pie as well!  So, today, I headed to the grocery store and bought a bunch of jars along with ingredients to make my pie and jam.

I started off by cutting up my rhubarb and strawberries into tiny pieces and placing them in the pie pan. I then placed the top layer of crust onto the pie and placed it in the oven for about an hour.  It turned out beautiful! 

I couldn't wait for it to cool down so my friend and I could try it out!  

Mmmm!!! Delicious!  Tomorrow...I'm making the jam!

Books

I LOVE books. I LOVE book stores.  I LOVE libraries.  I also LOVE to buy books. I LOVE having lots of books on various topics.  Yet, I don't like to read them.  Why is that?

For example, if you were to sit on my couch and look across the way over to my kitchen counter, you will see I have a stack of approximately 15 books placed neatly on top of one another.  I put them there about a month ago with plans on starting to read them...not all at once, obviously!  I created a calendar to which I would read so many pages a day until I completed reading ALL of them.  

Since it's been over a month, it's only natural for you to ask, "How many of those books have you read so far?"  My response would be, "Embarrassingly none."  You may than ask, "Well, why don't you put them away on your book shelf where you house an abundance of other books you've never read?"  And I'd respond by saying, "Because, I intend to read them...one day... and they are already in order of how I will read them."

That is how my mind thinks.  I am guilty of making lists and charts and calendars, labels...basically anything to do with organization.  The challenge is, I rarely have the attention span to do the items on the list...including reading the books on my counter or on my book shelf for that matter.

I'm hoping one day I will have the desire to sit and start reading some of these before they become obsolete :)

Darned if I DO, Darned if I DON'T

I moved into my apartment May of 2010. It's a nice community filled with tenants who are in some form of entertainment (dancers, actors, models and I would imagine singers too.)  One of the reasons I picked this place was for the activity that takes place around me. I don't feel like I'm ever alone because I can just look out my window at the pool area and see people swimming or soaking up the sun.  

Anyway, my good friend Jaime used to work in the property management office before I moved in. When she heard I was looking for a place to live, she mentioned to me that her building (the building I live in now) had an open unit and she suggested I take a look at it. So, I rushed over and took a look at the unit. I fell in love with it and moved in a few short days later.  

About a month after I moved I was really toying with the idea of getting a cat...a ragdoll to be exact.  However, I knew that if I got one, I'd have to pay a pet deposit along with a monthly animal fee.  Since my friend worked here, she said that she would just turn the other cheek and not say anything.  However, if it were ever discovered I had a cat, I'd have to start paying the animal fee.  

Well, fast forward a year later, my friend no longer works here and I came home the other day to find a notice on my door that read, "Annual Unit Inspection" is going to take place, "Tuesday, July 19th, 2011."  I thought, "Oh great...now I'm going to have to find a place to hide my cats for when they come to 'inspect' my unit."  The notice didn't say what they would be doing or how thorough of an inspection it would be.  So, I didn't want to take any risks.  I made plans to board the cats at a local little place called, "The Best Little Cat House" in Burbank.  It was absolutely adorable!  I spent COUNTLESS hours cleaning my apartment to make it immaculate.  Don't get me wrong....my place isn't that messy. However, I needed to make sure there was no proof of cats living here in case it was a thorough inspection.  

Wouldn't you know the day came and I waited...and waited...and waited...and no inspector came! Ugh!  So, fast forward to Thursday afternoon. I was in my bedroom trying on a new dress when my doorbell rings.  Half dressed I open my front door to see 4 men standing at the door.  One states, "INSPECTOR. We are here to inspect your apartment."  I got REALLY mad. I go, "Inspector????? You are THREE days late!"  He goes, "Yes, we are running behind schedule." I go, "Well, I am not even fully dressed right now you are just going to have to come back at a later time." He goes, "Well, ma'am, you are one of the last units so we have to see your place now."  I go, "Well, you are going to have to wait and come back in 5 minutes because I have to change."  I slam the door (well, not really but I felt like it.)  I hurried up and changed and shuffled some papers together to clean up a pile I had laying on my living room floor. In the course of it, I gave myself a HUGE paper-cut between my finger and nail. OUCH!! There was blood everywhere.  Ughh! There was NO WAY I could hide the cats now.

So, finally I open the door and let the inspector in with the cats running around in their full glory.  I think I scared the other 3 guys so they stayed in the hallway.  The inspector was very nice and only stayed for a few minutes. He was there to check the smoke detectors.  When he was done he looks at my cats and was like, "Oh, aren't they beautiful!  What breed are they?" I go "Ragdolls."  He goes, "Oh! They are so beautiful.  Where did you get them from?" "How old are they?" "Are they friendly?" "Aren't cats just the best?"  "What is their temperament like?" "Do they shed?"  "How often do you brush them?" Seriously??!!  Can't you just get out of my home!!  Go figure the inspector guy is a cat lover and couldn't leave my cats alone.  I can just see him down in the management office..."Yes, the girl in unit 4406...you know...the one who has two cats..."  And than my management company will see I am not paying cat rent and I will be notified.  Thanks inspector dude!  Here I went to all that trouble to get the cats out of my place on the 19th and he doesn't even show up until the 21st! 

Darned if I DO, Darned if I DON'T!  :)