Day 158 cont. - Bed? Are You Calling Me?

It's cloudy out, I feel yucky, and the cats are napping cozily. All I want to do is take some medicine and crawl in bed.

Buuuuuuuut, I have work to finish. Freelancing sucks. You can't take a sick day and expect someone else you work with to finish things up because you don't work with anyone else!

I guess I will stay covered up in my warm pajama pants, sweater and robe and have some more tea. So not as fun as napping.

Oops, guess I shouldn't have wasted 5 minutes here when I should be working.

Day 158 - New Year's Resolutions

Holy crap! I made New Year's resolutions on here last year. They were pretty lame and I maybe kind of accomplished some of them. I do want to make resolutions this year, but I've made them smaller and more general. I think so far so good and I will be one of those people who actually does them!

1. Dress like a French ballerina - I need a "style" I think instead of a mish-mash closet. Plus I want to wear tutu skirts and leotards and long sweater wraps.

2. Take on a new hobby - I want to take ballet classes (originally inspired by the clothing), but it would also help my flexibility (the one athletic area I never was good at) and my posture. Plus, I KNOW it would be a challenge and it'd be nice to take on a sport/activity that is really difficult for me.

3. Make more connections in my industry - This is obvious. But...I am already getting ahead on this and planning lunch/coffee with one of the other writers I met in NY who is from LA. Go me!

4. Clean out closet, makeup, shoes, jewelry - This will be easy as I plan on doing it right after New Year's. Just need to scrap things taking up space.

5. Save money for next Christmas - My family wants to vacation next year, so I am going to do my part and save!

6. Redo bedding and complete bedroom - I already have a plan for my bedding and bedroom, but it is still unfinished (since March!).

7. Finally get a damn portfolio - Yes, this was a resolution last year, so here it is again.

8. Find "my drink" - I usually skip around on what drinks I drink, but I want to find a drink I love and make it my normal order.

9. Do something I am afraid of - Pretty general, but I want to do more things that I are maybe out of my comfort zone, like attend an event alone, set up a lunch with an editor I've freelanced with, anything.

10. Find a boyfriend - Haha...that's not really one! But I will meet more guys!

Soooo...I guess those are the resolutions. I'll probably forget about them or something right away. But on another note, I am back in an good mood about New Year's. Actually, I am a little under-the-weather (maybe from the temp change from Chicago to LA?), but I am taking tea and medicine and resting. San Diego, see you tomorrow!!!

Day 76 - Some Of This, Some Of That

What is with people asking you what are you live in and then getting more detailed and asking your streets?

This has happened a lot lately and has happened in the past. Maybe I am just overly cautious or private, but I have never ever asked someone I barely know the streets they live on. It's weird!


Convo between LE and me a few days ago after a lunch of lots of bread:

LE: I think the whole blaming weight on bread is stupid.

Me: I know, it's so rude to bread.

LE: Like French people eat lots of bread.

Me: And croissants!

LE: Yeah.

Me: I mean, instead of eating just the burger and fixings, maybe you should just eat the bread.

LE: Yeah. There are so many kinds of good bread.

Me: You could eat like a different kind everyday for a year and never have the same kind twice.

LE: Yeah.

(Pause)

LE: I'm tired.

Me: Yeah, too much bread.


I've been up since 5 a.m. today. I cannot believe that it is only 9 something. I've done a ton of things already and am ready for naptime.


I've decided that it is not in the cards for me to have a job with health insurance. Time to marry a suit.


I need an intern. Well, I need a job that gives me an intern. If my current "job" works out, then I bet I can totally hire some interns down the road. I'd spoil them rotten and be so much fun.


I want dark green nailpolish. Dreamy!


Remember neighbor? We think he has a lady friend. Sad. But I also think he probably has lots of potato chips at his place, so really I just want to be his friend so I can eat his chips. I will be oh-so disappointed if he doesn't have potato chips. I'll keep you updated.

Day 73 - OK, Stick With It

So I'm pretty sure I didn't get this job I wanted and I was all mopey, but now I'm bouncing back.

I'm going with the saying that obviously I wasn't meant to get it for whatever reason. OK. Done obsessing over it!

Now I've decided to really work on this freelancing thing. I mean, yeah, I've been working on it, but it's time to really start branching out and getting my writing going.

I haven't been writing as much as I want to be, so I'm sooo going to focus. It'll be like I'm on Focus-in or something.

I'm trying to write about the whole wedding thing with Bride Brain, but am having trouble. Maybe I should get my oldest sister's help.

Other than that, short post today. Going to Target with gift cards in hand this weekend. Thanks to the parents and LE's family too!

And doing the taxes as well, with a bottle of tequila. Sounds productive to me.

Did I mention yet that we have a cute neighbor? He's a little goobery and plays video games a lot, but I really think he is totally LE's type. Perfection...

Day 47 - Frustrating...

I was looking at a website that I wrote an article on Fall TV and noticed that they have an interview with Seth Rogen up, however they spell his name Rogan. This is very frustrating for me because how can a magazine typo their biggest article? And how can the writer who wrote it have typo-ed the person he interviewed?

So, this has all made me realize that I need to reorganize myself or more so, my freelancing.

And maybe it’s time to think a little bigger.

I do remember before I moved out here, my oldest sister said I should look into freelancing. My first thought was:

Freelancing? Please, I don’t want to do that bullshit. I deserve to be on a staff.

Well, funny how life works.

In nice news, I got a check from a magazine that I did a piece on that I had already forgotten about. Yay!

But now I must think about what I can really write about and want to write about: they say write what you know and Legal Eagle has mentioned two things to me that I know:

LE: You watch more TV than anyone I’ve ever met.

True.

LE: I’ve never seen anyone with more lipglosses than you.

True.

So, I know TV and lipgloss. There must be a career somewhere in there!



^ First image to come up when I Google TV and lip gloss. It’s Juicy Couture lip gloss. It’s ugly.

And finally, in totally awesome news - remember Gossip Girl and her husband. Well LE found out he isn’t her husband, but he’s her gay friend! Love it! So now he will be known as Gossip Girl’s Gay or G3. This makes them both even more amazing. I can barely handle it!

Day 40 - I Know My Neighbors

This can be a good thing if your neighbors are totally awesome or you want to date one or they’re rich.

My neighbors are not and I went a really long time not having to deal with any of them other than Nosy Neighbor.

However, the tides have changed now that I work from home mostly. The first situation began with Georgie. He is a little neighbor boy who looks like he is straight from the ’50s.

Me: So Georgie came by my window today while I was reading.

Legal Eagle: Is his name really Georgie?

Me: Oh no, that’s just what I call him because he looks old-fashioned and it was the first old-fashioned name I could think of. I don’t know his real name.

LE: OK.

Me: So Schatzi was in the window and Georgie came by and was like “Hi.” And then he just hung out trying to play with Schatzi through the window while I am lying on my bed reading.

LE: Weird.

And stuff like this has continued. He has come by my window many times after school and given me a hello, but just the other day he crossed the line. He tried to sell me school fundraiser items (like jewelry or chocolate as he put it). He thinks we are such good friends that I will buy that sucker crap! I didn’t buy because as he asked I was thinking about my credit card bill.

Well, needless to say this relationship needs to be adjusted.

However, he is not my only friendly neighbor.

There are these older women down a few apartments who occasionally sit outside and gossip. We’ll call them the Gossip Girls. One has often complimented me and LE, saying we always look so nice. Now, I would LOVE to be friends with them and put on my best smoker’s accent and have my coffee black and wear some house slippers while chatting with them in the middle of the day, but alas, they are not the friends I have.

One GG has a husband. He’s perfectly nice and all, but has become very chatty. We’ll call him GGH (Gossip Girl Hubby).

Yesterday as my window is wide open for the cats to enjoy, however my desk is in sight of my window:

GGH: Well, you’re on the computer about as much as we are.

Me: (wondering why there is a man at my window) Oh yeah, work of course (making it clear I don’t surf for porn).

GGH: I thought we were the only ones. We’ve got four computers and two printers and who knows what else.

Me: (really wondering why two people would need four computers) Oh, yeah, I know (staring at my one computer and zero printers).

And then today:

GGH: Hi neighbor.

Me: Hey. How are you?

GGH: Good. So you have high speed internet?

Me: Yeah (not having any idea if I have high speed, but assuming mine is at least medium to high speed).

GGH: Through Time Warner.

Me: Yeah! (realizing we do use Time Warner, but also realizing we might have DSL?)

GGH: Yeah, us too. We tried to get dial-up and DSL, but it was too slow.

Me: I know. (No I don’t).

GGH: Take it easy.

Me: You too.

Now, I can play this situation a number of ways. I can start closing/semi-closing my blinds, thus depriving my cats of doing whatever it is they do at the window. Or I can totally take this on and even have like a persona for each neighbor that I snap into. This could be fun. And who knows, being chatty with GGH might lead me to hanging out with the GGs!

Well, for now, here’s to me and my neighbors!

Day 39 - Oh, That's Right...

My middle sister asked me a couple of days ago what I blogged about (she is even more technologically reluctant than me at times, so I don’t hold it against her for not reading this everyday or for not emailing).

All I answered was, anything. You know, conversations that are funny and whatnot. And then after further discussion I realized that my blog did have a premise!

How could I have been so forgetful. This is all about What I Like About You-ifying my life!!!!

So I think it is high time for some updates.

Well, I’m still as adorable as ever. So that is going great!

As far as career and stuff, I want to believe it is going in a good direction. I’m busy and working a lot. And while much of it is still “pro-bono,” In Style has picked up and I am getting a fair amount of work there.

Oh and with the addition of my super cute desk and chair, my room and stuff is getting a little better than it was. Still want to move to Long Beach though, but alas the money thing hasn’t quite taken off.

And then there are guys, or lack thereof. Unfortunately Legal Eagle and I have been consumed with a number of things and haven’t had much time to just go out for a simple night. But I’d rather do that in Long Beach too.

Hmm...ah yes, organization. I was going to try to get super organized. It is going in the right direction. But I do need to get my print-outs of clips organized. However, my files are going quite well.

One that I have completely passed over was wanting a “hang-out” place. This is rather difficult. Well, there isn’t much here and part of me would hate to find somewhere I absolutely loved only to move to Long Beach. So until the hopefully sooner rather than later move, Starbucks is good.

Zany situations is going awesome! It’s pretty standard that something odd happens around here every now and then.

What I need is to be really computer-saavy and figure out how to make an awesome WILAY chart or graph and be able to track my progress. Although this may be taking things too far.

Day 32 - First Comes Praise...

Then comes money???

As I have continued my freelancing, things are getting better. And I have had a few editors tell me how impressed they are with what I have done and with my clips.

This is a good sign and is slowly putting me in a better mood.

But what is putting me in a really good mood is that my mom finally sent me some pictures from their trip out here.



How adorable are we?! And who knew that wetsuits could be so flattering.

I think that picture makes this blog enough for today. Plus there really isn’t much going on here.

Except tomorrow I am covering the Stand Up 2 Cancer event! Should be interesting…

Day 13 - I Do Pro Bono Work

Pro bono publico - (usually shortened to pro bono) is a phrase derived from Latin meaning “for the public good.” The term is sometimes used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service.

^ as defined by Wikipedia

I’m not sure what I consider myself currently, as far as employment goes.

Ideally, I like to think of myself as self-employed. Like I don’t need to be working in an office and somehow have everything I need and want. But this little scenario is not really the case.

At other times I reluctantly consider myself unemployed. However, there are times when I can realize that this isn’t 100% true because I do work, freelance, etc. and make a few bucks here and there.

So while this little problem will not be decided on for some time I’m sure, I have managed to come to one conclusion. After agreeing to do more writing for free (because I need to have as much writing experience as possible to “make it.”), I realized that I am writing for roughly 3 or 4 publications free of charge. So now, I am choosing to say that I am a pro bono writer.

I mean, really, I do my work all for the good of the public, like a lawyer or doctor would.

So it’s decided.

And while this may seem all glamorous and relaxed, it is so not like when Val worked from home, starting her own company and wasn’t making any money.



^ Couldn’t find any pictures of Val when she started her business from home, but here is one where she is trying to get a new client. Plus it has Lauren in it and I definitely need to get into more situations like Lauren…highly awkward ones, but totally funny ones.

Val never had to worry about money when she was working at home. Plus she had a totally awesome loft and even a sort of office area. My laptop is next to my bed on a tiny table. Not quite the same.

But my pro bono work will continue. It’s my way of giving back in the best way possible. Sure I may not save any lives, but I just might recommend a TV show that someone ends up loving and isn’t that better than saving a life.

On a side note: For those of you wondering from yesterday’s post if Legal Eagle did take her bike out of the dumpster when she was a child…yes, she did and she continued to ride it.