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
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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. :)