I'm lovin' it

So it's another one of those crazy weeks...the kind I love. :)  Starting tonight, I have something every night until Monday.  My boss' play opens tonight, and I've been told that "food and merriment" are to follow the performance, so that's pretty exciting.  I also didn't know I was going to go until about 10 minutes ago.  Best kind of surprise. :)

Tomorrow night is Butch Walker's last show of 2008 and it's sold out...and we'll be there.  Can't wait to see him again.  It's just going to be him and I've been told that it is going to be a pretty amazing special show for his LA crowd.  The new album, Sycamore Meadows is wonderful and has a lot of heart considering Butch's house in Malibu burned to the ground last year.  He's gone through a lot and used that to write some incredible music.  myspace.com/butchwalker

Friday night we are seeing The Submarines at the Echoplex.  Many people will know the submarines only because their song is the new background music for mac.  All the commercials are using the music for "You, me and the Bourgeoisie"...which I recommend anyone listen to (with the words!).  The new album is great and I'm fired up to see them for the first time.  And for $12!  What a deal.   I love their song "The Swimming Pool"...how great are these lyrics?

"When you kiss me in ways I'd forgotten, love is a swimming pool with no bottom." 

  

Saturday OURS plays the Roxy.  I'm going to be prepared this time for a very HOT show.  Jimmy doesn't like A/C...at least it isn't summer now, but still, it gets hot with all the people standing around and close together at a show.  I can't wait to see them again.  Haven't gotten to enjoy the full band since the summer and I missed the 2nd show because I was super sick and Cooper wouldn't let me go...(he's smarter than me sometimes)...it was a good decision, but I was bummed.  Looking forward to another amazing show.  

And Sunday night The Weepies are playing at hotel cafe.  I've never seen them, but Cooper is a big fan and I trust his judgment.  Plus if they're playing hotel cafe then chances are that I will have a great time.  Should be 5 very fun nights in a row!  

Friendship Phases

I am at a strange place. There are certain aspects of my life right now that are so incredible. And then there are others that are unfulfilled. Friendships are in transition. I've spoken to a lot of people recently who feel like there's "something in the air" with life.

I've always been a "keep in touch"-er. But at the ripe old age of 28 I'm just getting a little sick of making all the effort. It stinks to see people fall by the wayside. And I want to fight for them to be a part of my life...but you just can't make someone do that. I end up at the end of the day feeling very frustrated and unbalanced.

There are friends from college that I tried to keep in touch with...periodic phone calls (typically voicemails left and unreturned). Now that we're closing in on 6 years out of college I think I'm just a little worn out. Le sigh.

But when do you call it quits? Do you have friendship "break-up" talks? I don't know the formula.

Bottom line, I am very lucky to have some amazing friends in my life. And I think I have more than the average bear that I can count on...there's just a couple voids right now that I'm feeling pretty deeply. Hopefully hurt can be healed and something can be learned through this. But right now...I'm just sad.

Fall or something like it

The weather has been really weird here. Last week it rained in the midst of some super hot days and one semi-chilly day. Today it was 92 degrees...um, it is October. I'm in a tank top...what is wrong with this picture? Sometimes I miss "fall"...but it's fleeting.

This weekend my friend Darren had his bday party and we drove down to Orange County to hang with everyone. Per usual we had a great time. Here are some pictures of the festivities.

Darren and his wife Chelsie...love them. Coolest parents I know.

Me and the birthday boy, Cowboy Darren

Steve and I accidentally had coordinating ensembles...so goes a couple of "prom" photos.

One pose isn't enough...obviously.

There's the winner. <3

A weekend of Louis

The boys love each other. :) It is slightly adorable.

Look what I can do! For chicken sausage!!
I sit so very nicely when there is yummy-smelling human food close by and friendly people who feel sorry for me after being at the vet.

This picture is for my dad....my boy and I walked around the Grove/Farmer's Market for awhile Sunday afternoon and were looking through the cheap Hollywood touristy gifts. One was a bunch of personalized license plates. They had Brendan and Cameron and names that aren't that common, but no Molly. The next turnstile had dog ones for you to buy that said "My Best Friend" and then a dog name. I turned it around and said, "What, no Molly here either??!" But then I realized...Molly was the only name that was sold out. Ha. My name sure is popular with the canines.

Louis the pug has been itchy, poor guy. So Saturday meant a vet appointment for Mr. Pugmire. He was very brave but his tail went straight in spite of us reassuring him throughout the appointment. That's a typical pug trait..straight tail instead of a curl when tired or sad or nervous.

Afterwards we went to Hugo's and Louis was thrilled with his bites of sausage. He was a good boy.

Tattoo too (I mean two)

Katie channeling her inner-actress to capture a photo of "pain" before she began getting her tattoo. P.S. this was her 6th tattoo so she couldn't have been less nervous.

Our parents gave us animal nicknames when we were young. We both liked the idea of remembering our parents in this way. KT was "turtle" because she can be slow and stubborn when she wants to be (she should still be called this by the way... ;)).

Getting my first tattoo I was pretty nervous. I didn't know what to expect pain-wise. This one hurt more (must be because of the placement of the needle on my foot and the fact that the skin is so thin there). When people see my wrist tattoo they usually say "ohh, did that hurt?" and I'm not lying when I say it really didn't. The Rat tat healed much quicker though.


The finished product...I'm Molly Rat or Ratty or just Rat. Why? Because I'm a mess. I think this might've originated from Templeton on Charlotte's Web maybe since he was into everything and liked food and made a mess. :) I love it.

The love of music...permanently

When you love something or someone it's almost hard to explain to anyone else exactly how it makes you feel. My sisters have both gotten tattoos over the years that mean something to them. Sarah has drawn every single one of hers (not that hard to believe considering her artistic talent) and Katie's are all well thought-out with symbolic or familial meaning. I had been tattoo tempted (if that's a phrase) for a couple of years but just couldn't pinpoint what I wanted. Anyone that knows me knows that most of my extracurricular activities center around music. I love going to shows, supporting local bands, finding new musicians, listening to music. So I started thinking about something that would encompass that. I was at a loss. I didn't want something generic like a music note. I also didn't want something that made it seem like I myself was a musician (although I played a mean clarinet back in my day and I will love to sing harmony until the day I day...and probably beyond) like a microphone or a guitar or something. So I hit a brick wall as far as designs go.

I started contemplating getting a mixed tape...hmmm, kinda boyish. I thought about an old-school record...then I heard that tended to end up looking like a steering wheel because it is hard to get the variation of the grooves to come out in black ink. Thought about an amp. Then there was a design of headphones that I liked but it was still sort of plain. One day while at work, my friend sent me a design she found...YES, this is it!! I loved it. It had the headphones, it had love, it had heart, it had the beat, and it had the idea that all of those combined make me who I am, a music lover.


The song "Beautiful Beat" by Nada Surf reminds me of my tattoo when I hear it...when they played this last Saturday he said, "This is a song...about songs." :)

***********************************************************************************
If I could get anything done
Maybe I'd hold still
I'm trying to levitate I'm
Trying to leave the ground
Tryin' to remember when I could
Fix anything with sound

I believe our love can save me
Have to believe that it can
I want to redirect myself with you
Do you understand?

Beautiful beat, get me out of this mess
Beautiful beat, lift me up from distress
*********************************************************************************
Sometimes I really do feel like a song can make everything better. And I love lyrics. Which is why I will never regret this tattoo. Music makes my heart beat....

Another weekend of music

Friday's enjoyment was Rob Dickinson at hotel cafe...he is amazing.



Saturday was Nada Surf at the troubadour. Luckily two of my guy friends are equally in love with this band and Cooper joined because it made me happy. Good times! Good band!

Arthur the great

I love this animal. It will continue to crack me up that people in my neighborhood are scared of my dog...he is the biggest softie you can imagine. We went to the vet for his yearly check-up and he now weighs 70.3 lbs. But don't tell him that...he thinks he's small. At the vet he was sitting on my foot. :) Arthur arthur, love of mine.

Life's little coincidences

I take pleasure in the small things...one definitely happened last week.

I was in line at Starbucks with two people in front of me. The first woman ordered, but I was looking outside at my doggie and wasn't fully listening when she said her name but it sounded similar to Molly. She moved on to wait for her drink. Then the woman right in front of me ordered and when asked told them her name was Molly. When I got up there and ordered I said "my name's Molly...was that other woman's name Molly too?" and the barista said "yes, both of the people before you are named Molly." So of course all of us Mollys had to chat. We had a moment and laughed at the sheer "coincidence" that 3 of us would be in a row at one of a gazillion Starbucks locations in the greater Los Angeles area. And we bonded over the fact that it is rare to meet one Molly, let alone two (that aren't canines). :)

It was a bonding experience. On the way out both of them wished me a good day. Lesson learned : maybe it shouldn't take us having the same name to wish that someone has an amazing day ahead!

Love-liness

I scoffed, I rolled my eyes. I gagged a little at romantic movies and cheeseball moments.

Then it happened to me. I take it back. I apologize to those filmakers who made those movies and those friends who shared their disgustingly gushy stories of how they fell for the most amazing person and were met with a less than supportive response. Or maybe I masked it well as I gagged internally. :)

It's true. He's great. I'm smitten. And I'm happy. It's been 6 years since my last relationship and I encountered some pretty terrible situations during those years. You get the bad to see the good? Maybe. Maybe I needed that perspective to be ready to be spoiled. I'm ready! Hit me! Spoil me and I'll share disgustingly gushy stories (only when given permission by the spoiler). Part of it has to do with age and experience I'm realizing. I have learned so much about myself since college that to be in a relationship now is SO different from in the past. It's interesting. I'm on board to see what happens, that's for sure!

My building...a history lesson

The building back in the 20's-30's. Old Hollywood, check out the cars. Used to have a barber shop and a drug store in the basement. Now it's laundry and a ping pong table and a vending machine. :)

The building as I know it. It definitely has retained it's old charm which is part of the reason I fell in love with it.

The pool as it used to be...

...and now, no more diving board (we're a little more safety-conscious nowadays). I love having this on my roof. So rare in LA to have something like this.

Being back in LA means being back to crazy life. I can't really express how much I am loving my pool this summer. Having a pool on my roof is ridiculously amazing. Maybe even ha-mazing. And it has helped me meet more people in my building too. I love the history of the building. I mean, Reagan swam in that pool. People used it in the 20's. That's just cool to think about.

I have been meeting new people left and right which is great. Really feeling positive about the direction my life is headed. Things are falling into place.

For now...time to relax. :)

My new love...

The Young at Heart CHORUS!!

Seriously, they are amazing. If anyone gets a chance to see the documentary "Young at Heart" I recommend it. I know that right now it is not in wide release but luckily I live in the land of movies, Los Angeles, so we always get the chance to see films like this. I fell in love with this choir while watching the movie. They are a choir from Northampton, MA between the ages of 78-92. But they are not your grandma's choir!



I got the chance to see the film twice and when I found out that they were playing a show here I knew I HAD TO GO. It was a-mazing. To see a group of older people who still have SO much spunk was so inspiring. New songs added to the mix were Radiohead "Fake Plastic Trees", Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side", and Nirvana's "Come as You are." As they finished the show they got a standing ovation. The crowd cheered so long the director, Bob Cilman said they would sing a couple more. They did the crowd-pleasing "Yes we Can" that is shown in the trailer for the movie. The last song was an amazing rendition of "Forever Young" ending with the whole chorus singing loudly and throwing their fists in the air for the final note. Goosebumps! And another standing ovation....

go see the movie!

Here goes something...

I am slightly obsessed with Nada Surf currently. It is funny because when I mention this band to people, automatically the reaction is..."Oh, they had that song 'Popular'." This is a true statement but that song is so unlike the real style of Nada Surf that it is sad to me the other songs aren't well-known.

But I like being in on the secret. Plus the lead singer looks like Kelly ("Shoes...shoes...let's get some shoes...").

Most of the bands I like are under the radar...Butch Walker, Nada Surf, Ours....I feel special for being able to know their music.

"Here Goes Something"

Look around, what a mess
Anybody's guess
Here goes something
Yeah here goes something
Now change programs
Here goes something

Gravity's, big success
No one's taken off yet
Changing speeds, What a ride
Stir up your insides
Your majesty
Your majesty
Your majesty
Where we mean

Chasing light, dawn to bed
It came to me instead
Chasing light, dawn to bed
It came to me instead