Friday, October 7, 2011

There and Back

           I finally got away to the Happiest Place on Earth and Anthony and I had an amazing time.  We left friday at 9 am and arrived at 4:45 thanks to Los Angeles traffic.  After dropping our stuff in the hotel room, we took the 10 minute walk to Downtown Disney and wondered around stores after buying tickets for the park and making reservations at Rainforest Cafe.  It was so much fun eating what we wanted and having fun alchy drinks to boot.  Also we were seated right below this gorilla that kept judging us for laughing too much while eating :-)  We went to bed not too late and got up at 8 am Saturday to make sure we got maximum park time.  We did discover by trying to make a reservation at the blue bayou that Pirates of the Caribbean is closed until Thanksgiving, so that was kinda sad.  We still had a great time and went on Space Mountain 3 times, Star Tours 4 times (we got the death star twice), and Indiana Jones 2 times.  Great food every night and wondering around the park together was so much fun, and coincidentally it was the first time Anthony and I have gone on a vacation together without a group.  It was sweet and romantic, a great way to celebrate 2 years together.
             Also, I introduced Anthony to Dole whip!  Its one of my favorite things about the park and if you haven't seen the stand by the Tiki Room, you should definitely check it out.  So needless to say, he loved it as much as I do and we had for breakfast both days we were in the park.  We bought the last Hooter doll in the Star Tours store.  If you are unfamiliar with Hooter, he is a character from Captain EO that our friends lovingly decided is like Anthony.
           OMG I almost forgot the best thing about Disney on the particular days we were there, it was Anaheim gay days.  People dressed in red shirts in support of the gay community and the park was flooded with people who believe in equality.  I don't think I've ever seen so many happy couples of all gender combinations.  It was remarkable and so wonderful to see people showing support for equality and having a great time doing it.  I guess it is a tradition to all hop on the steamboat at Disney at the same time and we got this video of the first trip on the steamboat (there were so many people that they had to make 3 trips for everyone to get on the boat).  It was wonderful and made the trip so much more fun because alot of people had personalized their red shirts with such fun lines as: "He's gay"(with an arrow pointing to one side), his friend wore a shirt that said "don't let him fool you, he's gay too", it was alot of fun being around so many people who were out and proud, or strongly in support of the gay community.  It was encouraging to see that kind of support.
          Oh and because it was October the park and several rides were Halloween themed.  Haunted Mansion was of course Nightmare Before Christmas themed, Space Mountain was Ghost Galaxy, and the entrance had these way cool characters on top of the entrance and throughout the park.   They lit up at night and it was so cool.  Overall Disneyland at the holidays it way fun and Anthony is amazing for coming with me and making me feel like a princess at Disneyland.  
                                           
                                                 


Saturday, September 17, 2011

A Much Needed Vacation

It's been an amazing summer, filming weddings and finally getting more responsibilities at work.  But alas I desperately need to take a break.  My favorite vacation destination is, of course, DISNEYLAND and boy do I miss the happiest place on earth.  So thankfully there is time at the beginning of the year to get away to my very favorite place.  I have been spending alot of time on the Disneyland blog, which has different fun facts and info about the parks.  It gives me a little fix of fun stuff to keep me patiently waiting until we can leave on the 30th of this month.  I'm really excited because I haven't really seen the park in Halloween mode, so it will be a different experience than I've had in the past.  I'll definitely post pictures when we're back!

And please let me know if you know any fun secrets about the park or have any suggestions of where to go or what to do!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Patience is a virtue...but not mine.

I tend to do things as quickly as possible.  That's not to say that I rush to complete things, but I like to think of myself as efficient.  I know that this is not the way that everyone operates and I try to remain focused on my goals, even as I see other things not happening quickly.  Right now though, I am in the midst of a waiting game that might just drive me crazy... Some friends and I have entered a contest on POPTENT together and the results are not announced until the 24th of August.  So in the meantime, all I can do is fantasize about a much needed Disneyland vacation with no real way of being able to go without the much needed windfall of this prize money (it is a very good chunk of change).

A related personal problem of mine is that I tend to think about all incomplete tasks at once.  Shooting weddings, working full time, and doing poptent commercials on the side tends to get my head spinning a little bit at times.  Fantasizing about Disneyland is a nice way to calm myself; there have been studies that show that one of the most relaxing things about a vacation is the anticipation of going.  However, that only serves to remind me that there are 170 entries and ours is but 1.  I think it is pretty good, especially considering some people didn't even use the proper end slate, or the correct font.  Which isn't really a big deal, but when its a contest with rules and you are trying to represent a brand these things alone can disqualify your entry.  Also, introducing a brand to a group that has absolutely no idea about it is also no easy feat.  So here is our ad for netflix.  Please take the time to like our video or comment on it.  We would really appreciate the attention.  Netflix will ultimately pick 5 videos to award 8000 dollars each, which we would split between the people who helped us make the video.

Until I know what the end result is with Netflix, I will just have to fantasize and try to remain focused at the same time.  All the while hoping and praying that it will all work out.  This is only one of about a million things I am excited for right now so I'm just full to the top with energy right now.  A few of my coworkers have informed me that my excess energy can get a little stressful, so this is something I can work on as well :-).  Enthusiasm is just pumping through my veins right now and I want all the awesome stuff I'm waiting for (including a few unmentioned things) to be well worth the torturous wait.

How do you keep anticipation from killing you?  Any and all suggestions are welcome!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Problems with Female Characters

I recently saw Cowboys and Aliens (midnight showing Bitches!) and I love Jon Favreau's work.  But as I get closer to arriving in LA and hitting the streets to find myself a job on set that I can be proud of, I wonder what the place is for women in Hollywood.  This interview with Olivia Wilde had me stoked on the film and the idea that they were portraying a woman from the time period as the strong and independent woman she would have had to be in order to survive the cowboy old west days.  However (and this is probably because I was unfamiliar with the comic on which the movie is based) I was disappointed in the film when SPOILER ALERT BIG TIME: she was revealed to be an alien.  This is probably written into the comic, as I said, but it still made me sad that the strong bad ass woman was literally from another planet.  ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT: I was also really peeved that for her to save the day she had to martyr herself.  Can a woman save the day?  Yes, if she explodes.
Here is the interview that got me so psyched on the film. Watch it. I don't think the SPOILER ALERT: alieness and martyrdom were things she is really thinking about in this interview, but they are still worth noting.

I saw a post by a friend who is always psyched about comicon on facebook and it was a link to a batgirl who apparently faced quite alot of negativity for questions relating to the inequality of female to male main characters in comic books, as well as in the creative aspects of comics.  Read it.  I was really shocked, as I'm sure "batgirl" herself was, by the clear hostility in the executive's voice when asked about women in DC.  Comics have long been associated with lonely male nerds, but that's simply not by a long shot the whole demographic of people who read comics.  That in itself is an awful stereotype and I think it is a problem that is compounded (when you read the blog interview you will understand) by hostility from the people who are in control of the brand.  Comics can be about women, as well as men.  Comics can be MADE by women, as well as men.  I used to think that this inequality was probably due to less women wanting to be involved in comic books, but after reading this blog, I feel like even though there are fewer women interested in comics it doesn't justify the 1% female creative staff noted by one male fan of the DC universe.

I guess what it boils down to is that women are still "the weaker sex" in movies and comics.  I want to fix this, but it is not something to be done (as some female film theorists would have it) in an alternative art cinema.  Women should be superheroes too; women should be movie heroes too.  I was so excited to see Kickass because of Hitgirl's insane action sequences and strength.  Ultimately though, she was reliant on a male superhero (one less experienced and more beat up throughout the film) to ultimately save her.

Unfortunately, this is how I see things.  Do you have any inspiring female characters not reliant on male companionship?  Did I majorly miss something in my ideas that I should be aware of?  Tell me how you see it because this is one thing I would like to see differently and I know the things I discussed are just the tip of the iceberg.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Paranormals

I was lucky enough to find my niche in college early winter quarter of my freshman year.  FPC has always been my group of friends and collaborators.  This year, we selected and made the film Paranormals.  Watch the epic trailer HERE.  Every year we strive to improve our technical skills and teach people new skills at the same time.  Every year we succeed, but I think this year we deserve to pat ourselves on the backs a little.

We anticipated many of the major problems we have encountered in the past, and this forward thinking allowed us to avoid several disasters (knock on wood).  Even a very delirious incident of dropping the hard-drive containing our footage, and unfortunately a very large amount of Anthony's personal files, did not set us back on our timeline.  

Not only technically did we advance, but (this may just be my bias) this project is hilarious and very fun to watch.  I am proud to have been a part of it and this has been a superb way to end my career as president of this club.  

If you are interested in attending our premiere, you can RSVP HERE.  Please come out tomorrow at 5:30pm to the Media Theater and show your support of all the film students who have worked so hard to make this movie the glorious masterpiece it is!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Healing

So although I followed the doctor's orders and didn't move for a week, then continued to take it easy and ice my back every chance I got, I have not really gotten better.  In fact, my leg and foot have started hurting as well.  I decided to go to another doctor and she had xrays done, as well as prescribing me muscle relaxants.  she also referred me to a chiropractor.  Just a few days later a chiropractor came into the Capitola mall location of Super Silver and said he just joined a practice and was giving out coupons for free sessions with him at his new location.  Well what are the odds!?!

Today I took up Mark Tenenbaum's offer and was amazingly thrilled with my first ever experience with a chiropractor.  He was very gentle and explained everything he was doing so I understood the process.  Also the coupon was for a free 25 minute session and I started my session no later than 3 and was finished at 3:45 so you do the math...woo hoo extra time!  The best part is that its actually not really expensive.  45 dollars for 45 minutes and with my health insurance, I only pay 20 dollars.  A really positive turn in the extremely stressful week I've had.

I have embarked on the journey of providing the Film Production Coalition with their first ever club tshirt.  It is proving to be no simple task.  First was the complicated task of getting everyone to agree on a design and color, as well as getting the color of the shirt to work well with the design people wanted.  Once that was taken care of, I submitted a purchase order to get the company their money for printing the shirts, however, this also proved challenging, as several of the colleges that provided our club money have not gotten the paperwork taken care of to give us the money.  One road block after another...don't you just love bureaucracy...it's the most efficient way to get things done.  That's just how I see it.

Is anyone out there frustrated about the inefficient methods of some organizations?

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Busy once again...

I just received a notice in my email box that I had a new comment on one of my posts and realized I have completely been neglecting my blog.  Time has gotten away from me lately; work has been hectic, we've nearly finished shooting Paranormals, and I have managed to injure my back to add complication to everything else.

My schedule started to get hectic when one of the stores I work at was flooded in Capitola Village.  Not only did that turn schedules upside down, it presented the dilemma of how do we sell things there while construction occurs to replace all of the damaged flooring and walls.  Well the mayor of Capitola had a tent set up and that has been the solution for the time being.  While carrying one of the many boxes of jewelry from my car to the tent, as we do every morning to make sure our jewelry is safe overnight, I managed to bend over too far while trying to lift and voila, pulled a muscle in my back.  I missed a week of work and school laying in bed, as the doctor told me laying down and icing my muscle would help me recover faster.  It was an absolutely torturous time to do absolutely nothing, I used to think how glorious it would be, but no...it's insanely boring and made me kind of crazy to be honest.  I thought of all the things I needed to do and literally couldn't move to do.  Driving is apparently the worst posture for your back when injured and the break from sitting in the car actually did make a difference I think because I am starting to feel improvement.  However, since returning to school and work, my muscles continue to seize up every now and then as I'm walking around and I end up frozen in my tracks till it passes.

In other news: I am nearly a college graduate!  Holy C*&^, I'm actually almost done.  When I think about being done, its panicking, where do I go from here and will I be able to accomplish what I want to accomplish.  We'll see what the end of the school year brings.  Is anyone else busy and crazy right now? Any good tips for relieving my lower back pain?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Stiff

No, this is not about the book Stiff, although I am enjoying it quite a bit.  This is about my back.  Chronic back problems run in my family and I just had my first lasting run in with our health issues.  While lifting and moving a box at work, I pinched a nerve in my lower back.  It was agonizing and I could barely sit up in my car to drive home.  Yesterday was filled with ice packs, Tiger Balm (no, not the energy drink...its like Icy Hot), and laying down with my feet in the air.  After an extremely painful night of trying to find a comfortable way to sleep, I am feeling much better and can lay in most positions comfortably.  I guess sleep fixes anything, even if it's extremely fitful sleep. 


There were some good things about yesterday though.  I went to Oakes College Senate and they awarded Film Production Coalition 100 dollars for our ongoing project Paranormals.  It was not an easy meeting to sit through, but it was well worth the discomfort to know that we will be able to host our film premiere at the media theater on May 28th.

The other good thing about yesterday was helping Anthony with his film assignment.  In film directing, they were asked to film someone for 3 minutes without the camera moving and without the actor talking.  After the senate meeting this was easy for me.  I was in a semi-raw emotional state because of my back pain and I was also feeling reflective after the senate meeting because everyone there seemed really nice and there are times when I'm mad that I felt so alienated from my college freshman year.  My teacher for the required Oakes intro writing course continuously made a point to focus on the only two "white" students in the class and try to highlight the ways in which our life growing up was different from other students in the class.  I found this hurtful and inappropriate, especially considering he was making many assumptions about every student, purely based on the way they looked, about the way they grew up.  I felt very withdrawn and embarrassed to be picked on in this way.  He continuously insinuated that I was "part of the problem" and never listened when I tried to tell him about how and where I grew up.  This drove me away from involvement with my college, even though I picked Oakes because of its diversity and focus on equality and human rights. 

So when Anthony turned the camera on, I just cried.  There was too much going on for me to contemplate inside my head everything that I was thinking.  Questions about every step ring in my head and usually I just ignore them because I am really happy with my life, but yesterday was just not a good day overall and I was extremely frustrated with my inability to move. I think the shot actually came out really nice because just when I start to really cry, my dog came to my rescue and licked my face.  Its an up and down static shot and I wonder what people will see in me when they see it. 

I often find myself asking if I made the right choices, picked the right path; even though I love everything I am doing right now, I always see a million different directions I could have gone in.  I guess that's the consequence of taking, "you can do anything you want to" to heart.  Never wanting to limit myself has time and again led to me spreading my time thin, but I always come through things thankful that I did more than I thought I could.  What it all comes down to though is being proud of the path you did choose instead of dwelling on the ones you could have taken.  Who knows maybe some of those paths will swing back around again.  At least that's how I see it.  How do you tackle college and career choices, and please, if you have any tips for my nerve problem, message me!

Friday, April 1, 2011

29) The story behind one of my scars

The most obvious choice for this one is the giant scar on my neck, but I feel like a bit of a broken record with the number of times I explain that I have had cancer.  So I'll try to keep this short.

In my Junior year of college, fall quarter, I discovered that I had a lump in my neck that I could move around and not really feel.  At my annual exam I pointed this out to the doctor and she referred me to a specialist.  The specialist asked me if I smoked etc (risk factors for cancer) and, when I said no, he informed me it was probably a cyst and that it was probably not cancer.  When my results came back...he was proven wrong in his assumptions.  I was diagnosed with metastasized papillary thyroid cancer.

The treatment was a surgery and radioactive Iodide treatment.  So as far as cancer goes, I got away easy.  Here's a picture of me directly after surgery.  Note my suction cup drains to keep fluid from building up in my neck.



...I had been discussing what lymph nodes look like with my surgeon at all of my appointments.  Directly after my surgery apparently showed me the lymph nodes they had removed.  I was still drugged up pretty badly sooo I don't really remember that, but all told they removed 25 lymph nodes, 15 of which were cancerous.

Any who, I believe that the term cancer needs to be evaluated.  People hear it and instantly life seems to be over, but in many cases, like mine, there is an extremely high recovery rate.  Also people get tense when they ask me what my scar is from and I respond cancer.  They seem to think they have stumbled upon a touchy subject even though I am very open and comfortable discussing my experience.  Cancer has come to denote death and despair, which can make treatment more difficult for those facing it.

If you have any questions about me or my experiences in treatment for cancer, please comment or message me.  I really believe being open and honest is the key to surviving treatments, but that's just how I see things.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

24) Celebrity Crush

I have 3 celebrity crushes and all for good reasons, so bare with me:
1) Edward Norton: I loved him in Fight Club, American History X, and Death to Smoochy ( coincidentally  these are some of my most favorite movies ever) You can read all about Edward Norton HERE

2) Kevin Smith: Quite possibly my favorite director of all time.  I have a deep respect for him and much like Seth Rogen, I will consider myself accomplished in Hollywood once I have worked with him.  He has argued down the rating of his films successfully 3 times, I believe.  Which is very impressive considering the ass backwards way our RATINGS SYSTEM is set up. Read more about Kevin Smith's genius streak of writing and directing his own films including Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Clerks II, HERE

3) Anna Torv: She is the star of my favorite show right now, FRINGE.  Its an unbelievably demanding show for her and she once again proved how incredible she is as an actress this week, when she had to play William Bell trapped in her own character, OLIVIA's body.  It was intense and really fun to watch.  Over and Over again she amazes me on this show.  If you want to read more about her career it is HERE

Definitely take the time to pick through the links, especially the link to the ratings system movie.  It is really informative and entertaining at the same time.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Puppy

I've been really wanting a big dog puppy for quite a long time.  I miss all the big dogs I grew up with and strongly feel that bigger breeds make the best family pets.  As a little kid I had boxer mix (Bailey), when Bailey died, my mom and dad took my sister and I to look at puppies.  We fell in love with Daisy and Beth.  They were from the same litter and their siblings were many and varying in size and shape. They grew to about 60 pounds each and were fairly well trained smart dogs.  We had them right up to the end of High School, but at a fairly tumultuous point of my development, my parents were separated and Beth passed away from complications due to her long fight with diabetes.  She was collapsed in the hallway and I pulled her up on my lap as her breath became uneven, my sister told me, "say goodbye Cassie" in the tenderest way and we sat on the floor petting her, comforting her until she was gone.  It was extremely hard, but I realized at that moment that she had been a very good friend and companion.  As my school schedule becomes less strenuous next quarter and Work starts no earlier than 10 am, I am at a place where I have the time to care for and train a puppy to be my friend, especially since I have Anthony to back me up and help with training and care.  I'm very excited for our new addition.  Her name is Olive and she was born the day before my birthday, December 26th.  Making her 3 months on the 26th of March.  She went to the vet this morning and started her puppy shots.  Puppies really do make the world around, but that's just how I see it.  What is your favorite pet/ companion?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

7) A photo of me without makeup and 23) Thing I least like about myself

Most of the time I don't wear makeup.  I don't have time most days, so I'm used to being slightly blotchy, etc.  Pictures are not always my best friends, especially with most of my friends owning HD cameras.  However, soft lighting from my computer screen and a low quality camera really make me look good, even though this picture was taken right after a pretty intense surgery.
This was taken at midnight on my 21st birthday.  I was talking to my boyfriend on ichat and was finally pleased with what I saw.

I'm usually very self-conscious, especially about my very sensitive skin and the mole I have on the right side of my nose, but after surgery these things seemed so little in comparison to my fresh wound.  As time passed, my scar has healed and every time Anthony catches me looking at my neck in the mirror, he hugs me tight and tells me not to care; one line could never change someone's opinion of me.  Its true, most people don't even notice the scar now.  Surface flaws aren't something I dwell on anymore.

What do you notice about yourself that others don't see?  Tell me how you see it. 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

17) Worst Hair Moment

I truly wish I could forget this moment...although I'm not sure I've ever seen a picture of the carnage.  When I was younger, maybe 10 at the oldest, I had bangs.  After this happened, I grew them out and have not had bangs since.

Around the christmas holiday season, we had a family gathering where I would see all of my extended family.  I was really excited for it, but mostly for the white elephant gift exchange game we always played. I was about a month overdue for a trim on my bangs and had been whining at my mom about it for weeks to no avail.  They were constantly blocking my vision and poking my eyes, I had enough.  We were all getting ready for the family christmas party when I decided I couldn't take it anymore and would be taking matters into my own hands.  Since all of the bathrooms were taken, I chose the next most reflective surface I could, the metallic accent on our oven, grabbed a pair of scissors, and went to work.  This in itself would not have been a bad idea, had the reflective surface actually been flat, but it was not actually a mirror, just a metal handle so it was slightly curvy.  I clipped and clipped, stopping occasionally to admire my progress.  When I was done, I waited for a bathroom mirror to enjoy my work in a large reflective surface...only to find that I had effectively clipped a large rainbow into my hair.  Needless to say, I was extremely upset.  But I still had to go to our family event; I cried and avoided photos as best I could the whole time.  To this day I'm not sure whether or not a photo of me in this state exists, but family members reading this will provide me with one, if it exists, I'm sure.

So that's it. Definitively my worst hair moment.  It was deeply embarrassing, but now looking back on it I can have a good laugh about my impatience.

Have you ever done something embarrassing that you laugh about now?

Monday, February 28, 2011

5) Meaning behind my blogger name

When I was little I watched Winnie the Pooh, mainly for Tigger and Rabbit and Kanga.  The bear who ate honey constantly was a little too selfish for me; he never wanted to share.  There was one episode in particular where Rabbit finds a sick little bird named Cassie that he then nurses back to health.  As Cassie was already the abbreviated form of my fairly long name, I was pretty excited by this.

This isn't the original appearance of the character, but apparently it is so old that its impossible to find now.  

Anywho, my nickname from that point on was Cassie Bird.  I still remember watching that show and rabbit caring for the sick little bird with the broken wing.  Hanging on to these little memories still makes me super nostalgic, but its fun to reminisce.  

As for the actual title of my blog:  I'm opinionated and aware of it.  This is my little nod to the fact that I know I'm not always right, but I'm doing the best I can with the world perspective that I have.  I can only deal with the world as I see things and hope to understand other peoples' perspectives too.


Friday, February 25, 2011

30 in 30ish

My cousin, a fellow blogger (sensibly sassy), has been doing 30 in 30ish for a few weeks now and I decided it would be a good way for people to learn more about me. So here it goes:
30 in 30ish topics


1)Your work space.
2)The best part of your day.
3)Something you refuse to do.
4)Last book you read.
5)Meaning behind your blog name.
6)Talent you wish you had.
7)A photo of you without makeup.
8)Last item you purchased.
9)Something that makes you sad.
10)15 Facts about you.
11)Your favorite thing right now.
12)Best Christmas present you ever got.
13)Your favorite teacher.
14)Something you’re thankful for.
15)A photo from your childhood.
16)Something you crave.
17)Your worst hair moment (if you skip this one, it’s totally cool).
18)Favorite smells.
19)Last time you cried.
20)Last time you had to apologize to someone.
21)Something that scares you.
22)Something that really bugs you.
23)What you dislike most about your appearance.
24)Celebrity crush.
25)A trait you deplore in others.
26)A photo taken 10 years ago.
27)First book/movie/song that moved you.
28)What turns you off?
29)The story behind one of your scars.
30)Blank


I won't be posting everyday, but there are definitely some that I can knock at the same time.  soooo without further ado,  I'll start with number number 2: the best part of my day.


The best part of my day is going to bed.  Strange, I know.  But no matter how bad my day has been, or how stressful, or even how exciting and fun, I know that at the end of the day I can curl up next to Anthony and talk about my day.  Its soothing to know that I always have someone to talk to.  Even if we have driven each other crazy all day on set or disagreed about a project, we always find a way to calmly discuss things and go to bed feeling really good about tomorrow.  I think its very important for people to have this support and comfort. 


That's just how I see it.  What is the best part of your day?

Santa Cruz Film Fest

Here it is, for those of you who weren't in 172 with Anthony, his film for the class.  It pretty much speaks for itself,  sooooo without further ado: Duality.

http://www.vimeo.com/20381411

Hopefully it will be going to the Santa Cruz film festival this year!  His classmates voted it one of the four films that could be selected based on independent judges' selections.

Also I'm in it lol.

Let me know what you think.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Eye of the Storm

Hello all,
I know I promised pictures from set, but I have yet to see any soooo instead I will share a pretty epic video my friend introduced me to on vimeo.  It is called Eye of the Storm and the behind the scenes in as cool as the actually movie.  These people are just a group of friends that had some free time and the talent to make this amazing piece.

http://www.vimeo.com/19659763

http://www.vimeo.com/19661520

Although the movie is short it is incredibly well made and shows how a group of friends can really accomplish something.

What is your favorite internet short?  I love sharing new stuff with my friends so let me know if you have something cool.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Shoooooting in the rain!

This weekend it is pouring in Santa Cruz...and snowing.  But the show must go on and we are shooting 10 pages in 2 days.  Hopefully it all goes smooth; its a small crew and in my experience we have the most fun and get the most done when there are fewer people around.  So this should be lots of fun and I promise I'll post some pictures later!

Let me know what you're up to this wet weather weekend.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

School, Work, School, Work, Film Set, Rinse and Repeat

So lately I have alot on my plate and I am starting to really wish this quarter would hurry up and be over already!  Here is my schedule for a week
Monday: Film 120 Section(a paper is due every section), Work until next class, Film 132 international cinema, read for Anth 194h
Tuesday: Work until class in afternoon, Film 120, read for Anth 194h, summarize all articles read this week for Anth 194h, rewrite Mock NSF for Anth 194h (a new draft is due every week), Film Club Meeting
Wednesday:Work until class in afternoon, Film 132 international cinema(this class overlaps with my senior sem anth class by 45 minutes so I cut out early to make senior sem), Anth 194h until 8pm
Thursday: Film 132 Section, work until next class, Film 120, work until 9pm
Friday: If I'm lucky this is my recoop day because the weekend is spent filming and preparing to film portions of FPC's feature film...So far this has actually panned out to be my recoop day once.  Luckily our shoots have been really well directed, assistant directed, and shot, so I've been fairly free to get work done on the weekends as I need to.

Unfortunately, the past few weeks, all three of my classes have had papers due one day after the other so it has been rather hellish doing this much writing.  My advisors warned me that taking this many writing intensive classes would be tough.  They were write, this many classes, plus work, plus film is alot.  BUT THERE IS HOPE!!!!!  It is already week 7 of 10...I'm in the home stretch, I can see the finish line, after these three classes its gravy until June.  I'm going to graduate on time, with a major and a minor.  Its an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, but until week 10 is over I have to buckle-down and really focus so that I finish this as strong as I started it.  That's how I pull through week after stressful week.  Keep your eye on the prize and always know your goal is in sight!

What keeps you going through stressful weeks?  Tell me how you see it!

Monday, February 7, 2011

I'm sick but making the best of it!

For the past few weeks I have been cycling between feeling awesome and productive, to sick and unable to speak.  Today I took the day off from work and classes after a very unfulfilling night trying to sleep.  I did work though and napped.  So really I think its the best of both worlds, I didn't fall behind on anything and now I'm feeling alot better.  Hopefully the upward trend continues.  I'll be going to bed early tonight, but before I do, I'm going to top of my lazy day with Paranormal Activity 2!

In case you don't know about this movie, I've included the IMDB links for both the first and the second.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179904/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1536044/

I absolutely love these new horror films because they are psychologically thrilling, little things happen in the corner where you don't notice them and just when you figure out what is going on, something big happens.  I recommend these films to everyone, horror film lover or not.

Hopefully, the extra adrenaline I get from watching the movie will jolt my immune system into more activity!

What do you do when you're sick?  Tell me how you see it.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

F*&% the Super Bowl, I'm watching the Puppy Bowl!

I know, I know, the Super Bowl is kind of a big deal.  Honestly though, the only thing I enjoy about the Super Bowl is the funny commercials that come with it.  Maybe this aversion stems from my family screaming at the television during many games in my youth.

My favorite part of Super Bowl Sunday is on a network completely unrelated to football.  Animal Planet features a "football game" of puppies with a kitten halftime show starting at 3pm on the day of the big game.  Not only is this super relaxing and entertaining, it is done to raise awareness of adoption.  Good deal?  I think so.  If your friends plan on watching the game tomorrow, I strongly suggest skipping the pre-game show in favor of the Puppy Bowl.  Your team may lose, but at least you will get to enjoy cute fluffy animals playing, running, and getting confused about what to do with a water bowl...Animal lovers rejoice because this is about the cutest thing you will ever see.

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/puppy-bowl/

Aaaaaaaand I almost forgot to mention the best part, the ref is hilarious... he seems very uninvolved with his referee duties and I often suspected he is either on cold meds or some other "medication".  This makes for quite a funny show throughout, as he sometimes has to call penalties on the furry competitors. Overall I must strongly recommend you work this show into your lineup for game day...

I promise, it will be worth it!

What is your favorite part of the Super Bowl?  Tell me how you see it.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Valentine's Day

We are 3 days into february and already I'm tired of seeing Valentines day stuff.  It is the most contrived holiday in the entire calendar year.  I may just be bitter from a high school career of extremely disappointing Valentine days...Some people will know what I'm talking about here.

Although I think it is extremely important to show commitment and passion for your partner, it is just childish to assume this will be the most romantic day of the year.  Last Valentine's day a friend hosted an unValentine's day party.  It was a potluck with lots of food and friends...I even brought unValentine themed donuts from Psycho Donuts. www.psycho-donuts.com  It was definitely high on the list of enjoyable February 14ths.  We played social games like Mafia, where everyone gets a playing card, one signifies the killer, and as the rounds progress everyone must convince the other players that they are not the killer.  I strongly encourage people to take this route, instead of creating a high expectation date plan, that, trust me, could end disastrously.

 I just feel like we should use this day as a way to appreciate our friends and companions, and the love we feel for them.  After all, who is there for you when romance doesn't pan out?  It's your friends who are always there to support and I think they deserve a holiday more than the relationship you take part in 365 days a year.

As I see it, if you plan on partaking in Valentine's day activities you should read this yahoo list...its actually very insightful as to how to be subtle on such a corny day.  http://shine.yahoo.com/event/valentinesday/6-mistakes-men-make-on-valentines-day-2446085/   And if you must know, I already gave my BF his "valentine themed" present.  That's right, I do things on my own schedule.

What do you think of Valentine's day?  Tell me how you see it.

Monday, January 31, 2011

So Pleased

As I have mentioned, I am the president of the Film Production Coalition at UCSC.  This title also makes me the executive producer of the feature length film for the year.  We are making a 50ish page comedy with some mystery and horror mixed in.  We have shot two weekends and I am so pleased with our progress this far!  We are nearly one fifth of the way through our script already and many of the complicated special effects shots are already completed.  Props to the crew, the officers, and production team of The Paranormals.  Thank you for all your hard work and we are off to a great start!  Here are some stills from our locations this past Sunday.






Keep your eye out for information about the completed project in the spring.

When projects go this well right from the start, it really gives me an extra dose of enthusiasm for film making and the arts.  What awakens your passion?  Tell me how you see things.

I have a thyroid

Ok so I don't actually have a thyroid, but I did find a super cute little pin version of my removed organ at the pharmacy on campus that really made me smile.  It now occupies the lapel of my jacket.
Apparently created by a former student with anatomical and artistic inclinations, there was a whole series of internal organs, including the very cheerful thyroid.  It's called "I heart guts" and is most definitely now on my list of favorite things.  http://iheartguts.com/  With my insanely busy schedule ( I am taking a mini-break from writing a mock NSF grant to write this) it is really important to find things that can carry you through.

I will have classes until 5:45, then probably spend several hours in the library, then finally go home to eat.  While this sounds very dull and time consuming, there is an upside: my class and library time will be spent with one of my best friends and my boyfriend.  Things like sharing the torture of film screenings really make it easier to survive the often boring movies.  Now I can add sharing my super cute thyroid with them to the list of upsides for my day.

Life can get monotonous and finding joy in things is the most important way to, not only enjoy life more, but appreciate every experience you have.

Tell me how you see it!  What simple thing made you happy today?

Thursday, January 27, 2011

A Fond Reunion

Today I was on the way from work to class and stopped by the express store on campus to get a snack.  I ran into my favorite snack food ever.
I have never been a natural food fiend so let me explain: In November of last year I was diagnosed with metastasized thyroid cancer.  The treatment was a surgery, which I underwent in December, and a radioactive Iodide treatment, which I underwent during spring break.  My holidays were so much fun :-).  

Anyway, before I could consume the Radioactive Iodide, I had to starve my system of Iodide so that absorption would be maximized.  Here is a short list of things that have Iodide in them:
-Milk
-Processed anything
-Egg yolks
-Red dye
This in itself shouldn't be a problem, unless you actually read labels...then pretty much everything is off limits, except food you make yourself from scratch with fresh everything.  Ideally, I would cook for myself, but as I was not only changing my diet, but studying for finals, as well as, being deprived my thyroid pill (part of the treatment prep, it makes you insanely tired to not have your thyroid hormones fyi), I was in no condition to cook 3 meals a day.

About a week into my special diet, I was getting pretty tired of the limited food items I could have.  My hormones were also funny, as previously mentioned, so I was extremely near to a nervous breakdown trying to find snack foods in between classes on campus.  I wondered into the express store with no hope of finding food I could eat, only to stumble upon Larabar and steaz sodas.  I read the label...and I could ACTUALLY READ EVERYTHING ON THE LABELS!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was allowed to eat all the ingredients because they were all natural with no Iodide.  They were really yummy too and came in flavors like blueberry muffin and coconut creme pie.  I was overjoyed and stocked up immediately.  In my food deprived delirium though, I completely forgot about these magic healthy foods existed once I was done with my diet, until I found them again.  I will endlessly recommend these brands to anyone!  Here are links to their webpages, please visit.
http://www.larabar.com/
http://www.steaz.com/
Santa Cruz being so alternative actually came in handy!  Hurray for vegan hippies!

Do you know of any alternative brands that actually taste good and are good for you?  Let me know, I am certainly open to trying suggestions.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Today I just had to roll my eyes...

Here's the background: I currently hold two part time jobs, while working at a college office on campus, my coworker (who is at least 40, but I'm not sure specifically how much over 40) started complaining to me about how hard it is to do her job.
I listened to her whine about helping 6 people at once and not being able to go to the mailroom for hours at a time, but honestly, I can't relate.

I started working at 14 as an office assistant; pulling files and helping customers is what I do.  Yes, at the start of the quarter groups of students come in for their ID sticker.  It is in no way overwhelming.  They form a line usually and when they don't they still wait in an orderly fashion to be helped.  Sometimes you must answer phones as you are giving students their stickers.  Overall, it really is not a super demanding job.  So to endure a grown woman 2-3 times my age complaining about basic office duties...I just had to roll my eyes.  This is not high stress and if she thinks it is...I honestly don't know of a job that is less stressful.  Maybe she should be a starving artist.  :-)

To be fair, my first job involved pulling files, helping people pay their accounts and bringing dogs to customers...sometimes at the same time.  So perhaps I can just deal with "normal offices" better than most.  Who knows.

As always, feel free to tell me how you see it!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

My First Post

                 Hello to anyone who happens to stumble onto my blog!  My cousin has been blogging for a few years now and I find its a nice way to keep up with someone when you can't see them often.  So with that in mind, I decided to take a stab at letting people know what's going on in my life.  Currently, I am Executive Producer of a film at UCSC in addition to a full time course load and two part time jobs.  Needless to say I'm busy.  I enjoy everything that is going on in my life though and would probably be insanely bored if I wasn't this busy all the time.
              
So now that you know what's new in my life, I'll get to the point of my blog: entertaining and exciting things that happen in my busy life.

             One interesting thing that I encountered this weekend was an insanely bad party (after a full day of filming I decided since I didn't have to get up early for work the next day that I would go, hang out for a bit, and maybe provide rides to campus if the need arose)...and it wasn't that the people throwing the party weren't awesome.  The problem was all the freshmen, who were testing their drinking limits.  Part of the problem was that half of them were just completely letting themselves go; these kids were letting the alcohol effect them more than it actually did.  Running around bumping into walls and yelling as loud as they could.  The worst though, was girl I will call "Bertha".  Bertha was a freshman who showed up so drunk that she could not put food in her mouth and was trying to grab drinks from people and take them to her friends who were waiting outside to crash the party.  She didn't make it outside though...and spilled the drink all over the floor.  Then didn't clean up the large amount of alcohol.  She was far from the only one out of control drunk too.  She stood out in the fact that she led the barrage of freshman crashers who were not known by anyone throwing the party.  I ran into one of the hosts who was mouthing WTF, WTF over and over again, I definitely felt that way too.  I don't think I'm getting too old for parties, but I definitely felt out of place when wild 18 year old after 18 year old showed up and I very quickly decided that this was not the place for me to be.  I helped a friend, who was quite sloshed when I showed up, drink some water and sober up a bit, then gave him and several other friends a ride home so that they didn't have to witness anymore of the disaster zone.  To the renters: I'm so sorry chaos descended on your house like that and I hope nothing dramatic happened after we left.  And that is the bad party, as I saw it.

Tell me how you see it!  I am excited to communicate with people.