the year was 1981...

... and I was a young, impressionable tween (although we weren't called that then). My aunt, who is only 11 years older than I, bought an album with a dog on the cover, and I soon realized the guy singing was the cute doctor on the soap my mom watched, General Hospital. 

And thus began my lifelong love of musicians legally named either Richard (Rick Springfield, Richie Sambora) or John (Taylor, Bon Jovi, Rzeznik).

I eventually somehow -- by either begging or stealing... I don't remember ;) -- moved my aunt's "Working Class Dog" record out of her house and into mine. And today it still lives in my house (granted this is now six houses later), collecting dust in a big bin of records, including six other Springfield releases from the '80s and maybe early '90s. 

For those of you not alive in the '80s, this is what records look like. They were big flat cardboard things with cool photos or graphics on the outside and a big round black piece of plastic inside :p 

Tonight, I traveled back in time musically (and somewhat physically -- have you ever been inside The Canyon Club in Agoura? Eek!) to see Rick, my very first rock star-crush perform up-close-and-personal. (This is the only benefit of the trapped-in-time Canyon Club... it's tiny.)

The show was super-fun, and nostalgic, as seen here (just ignore the crazy, old-enough-to-know-better groupies)... 

... and was infused with a dash of friggin' awesome in the form of Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters. Dave appeared onstage (although he came without his beautiful baby blue Gibson guitar that I might love just a little more than him) to perform "The Man That Never Was" from his documentary Sound City with Rick, as seen here:

Overall it was a great show! Rick knows how to work an audience and -- even though he's technically only a year and a half younger than my dad (oy) -- totally still rocks out.... even if he does need some help from Starbucks to do so ;)

This might be my fave photo of the night. LOL.

notable quotable: trent shelton

On this day especially, live with gratitude for what you do have. 

Thousands of people lost the ability to do that 12 years ago. 

things that make me smile

Getting lots and lots of hockey tickets from the Fed Ex man :) 

anniversary of "the white folder club"

One year ago today pretty much sucked. It was the day "The White Folder Club" was formed. The members of this club did not choose to join it. But when I think about it now, I think most members of the club are much happier for being a part of it.

You see, a year ago, 100 or so people walked into a building (that some of them had been walking into for a decade or more) and then walked out 2-3 hours later with a white folder full of information about employment severance from the entertainment conglomerate they'd dedicated thousands of hours of their lives to.

At the time, there was shock and tears and fear. But there was also an unexpected and thoroughly incredible new sense of camaraderie. While sadly watching co-worker after co-worker be escorted through the lobby carrying that tell-tale white folder, something happened: a major shift in perspective. Suddenly those with the white folders realized they were free.

Now I realize not everyone who was forced into the club that day may agree with me (as not everyone's white folder was as thick as those that had been walking into the building for more than a decade). But I -- and many of those that I am close to -- believe getting that white folder was an amazing blessing.

I'd given way too much of myself to that place. But being (figuratively) smacked upside the head with a white folder was the wake up call I'd been needing for at least five years to move on to something that puts a smile on my face versus knots in my neck. And that white folder was my golden ticket.

My current conundrum is I'm not 100% sure where I want that ticket to take me. But that's okay... for now.

I've landed in a new place with a great new title and really nice co-workers and I walk out of the office most days at 6pm on the dot. Am I doing what I want to do "when I grow up"? Nope. But I think getting to that ideal place where creativity meshes with my monthly mortgage payment might take some time. So for now, my goal is work/life balance.

To me, that means focusing on things I neglected for years. So, a little less than a year ago (after the white folder shock wore off), I made a list of all the things I'd wanted to do for years but put off because I was too busy working all the time. And I started checking things off the list.

The list included practical things like painting my guest room, changing the 60+ year-old-doorknobs on the closet doors of my house, and tending to my gardens that I love.

After much contemplation, research and threats from people who were sick of hearing me talk about "someday..." for years, I added a two-week trip to Italy to the list. My mom joined me, and I will treasure those memories forever.

It also included things I had to do for my own sense of well-being. I started signing up for workout classes and got into a schedule to keep myself sane. And I made myself start writing more. I missed writing.

And the list also included fun activities -- museum visits, hiking, trying popular restaurants when they weren't totally packed -- that I and many of my fellow members of "The White Folder Club" started doing together on weekdays ... because we could :)

I'd always said the reason I stayed at that place so long was because of the people I worked with. And that (plus being too tired to update 13 years of my resume) is the honest-to-god truth.

So a year ago, when all but eight or so people I cared about all got the boot at the same time, cutting the cord was surprisingly easy for me. I went back to pack up my office and never looked back.

Early this morning, a fellow member of "The White Folder Club" published a blog post about our anniversary today. His blog mentioned someone comparing that day one year ago to "The Red Wedding" from Game of Thrones. And as bloodbaths go, it's hard to argue.

But his post also pointed out all the things he's learned since then.

My comment: "Well said my friend/fellow member of The White Folder Club."

His response: "If only John Hughes was still alive to write a film called 'The White Folder Club.'"

It's kind of crazy how dead-on that implied comparison is. I don't think any of us who declared ourselves "The White Folder Club" one year ago today while sitting in the The Federal Bar in Noho consuming a lot of alcohol at noon were thinking about that quintessential coming-of-age flick from our teens. (At least I know I wasn't.)

But I do know that -- like The Breakfast Club -- we've all learned a lot about ourselves and are better because of it. And we're all bonded in a way only we will ever understand.

So, my fellow members of "The White Folder Club," congratulations on entering what seemed like a scary void a year ago and coming out on the other side.

And here's to friendship, remembering what's really important, and new adventures in this thing called life.

where did summer go?

It's September. How did that happen? The summer flew by and I feel like I missed it ... I guess that's what happens when you are re-aclimating to working and getting used to a new job.

I do remember talking about my new job over a lot of breakfasts/lunches/dinners/drinks with friends. I also remember a 4th of July BBQ and hosting some grilling nights complete with super messy s'mores. I hosted my first afternoon tea complete with scones and finger sandwiches. Oh, and I went to a lovely wedding in the garden of the British Consul-General's residence and a fun, internationally-themed baby shower, both with really good food.

I went to some concerts -- Opening Night at the Bowl, Heart, John Williams. I bought a lot of concert tickets for this fall. I did not buy tickets for Bon Jovi at Staples Center in October because Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Giant Ego are still fighting and not on tour together as they should be. That will be the first Los Angeles-area Bon Jovi concert since 1989 I am not at. Sad.

I went to the Arclight Sherman Oaks for a bunch of movies, only a few of which were memorable. Although right now I can't remember which those were.

I went to Pop Physique a LOT and have super-strong calf muscles to prove it.

I did not read past page 22 of Pride and Prejudice... yet. I will do this. I must.

I also did not write a lot. Going back to work has tired me out. This makes also makes me sad. I feel like I've been sucked back into the evil corporate void, where creativity does not exist. I need to start writing more and finding small joys in normal things like I was able to do on my "sabbatical."

I saw this article on twitter a few weeks ago. I have a journal I haven't touched in years. I usually just go to it to vent about things I dare not say to another human being. I think I am going to dig it out and turn it into something positive using that list as a guide.

I am also going to start re-reading some of my creative writing books from college -- Wild Mind, The Artist's Way -- that assign things to write about and get the juices flowing.

The Artist's Way makes you write morning pages... I remember that. I am so not a morning person.

Maybe I'll go read Pride and Prejudice instead.

things i love: summer cocktails

One of the best things about sunny summer days and warm summer nights is sitting around with friends sipping cool, fruity cocktails. Here are some of the concoctions I've enjoyed this summer (in addition to my go-to Cape Cod, of course ;) :

Elephant Bar's Skinny Mango-Fusion Mojito, which claims to be less than 165 calories. I say claims because, while this drink was very good and refreshing, I didn't taste any of the mango that is allegedly in it. And if it weren't for the floating mint I'd say this was a margarita. In fact, that's what I accused the waiter of mistakenly bringing me when he first set it down. Oops.

Seasons 52 Mandarin Orange Cosmopolitan. That silver shaker next to it holds 2-3 more cosmos depending on how full you can fill your martini glass without spilling it all over yourself as you sip from it. (Not that *I* did that. Nope.) This drink definitely wins the 'best value for your money' award so far this summer!

Benihana's Strawberry Cucumber Spritz with Tito's Handmade Vodka from Texas, which I drank in Encino :)  This was de-li-cious! Very refreshing, which is great when you're sitting in front of a giant metal grill. 

 

Spark Woodfire Grill's Pink Grapefruit Martini, also made with Tito's Homemade Vodka, which I have a bottle of in my wine fridge (which is where I keep my vodka since I don't have a lot of white wine). This was also yummy and refreshing. And it looks really cute and girly in a frosted martini glass ;) 

A classic mojito from El Torito Grill, where I've found myself a lot this summer due to its proximity to the Arclight Sherman Oaks. I have also started making some of these at home now that my mint plant has exploded in the recent humidity. But drinks are more fun to drink when you don't have to do any of the work to make them ;)

a new, succulent view

I'm not a big Pinterest person. I just don't get the obsession some people have with looking at photo after photo after photo taken by strangers and then sharing those strangers' photos with others. But I have been on there three or four times in the year since I first created an account and have some boards, mostly filled with images of cool ideas for my house and garden. 

One of those ideas was this cute wall garden I "pinned" to my "loveliness" board of pretty garden stuff about a year ago. 

I originally thought I might use this idea to decorate the gray stucco walls of my back patio. But then, at some point a few months ago, someone mentioned (sarcastically) what a lovely view I had outside of the window above my kitchen sink. (The view is of the half cinderblock, half wood wall giving my neighbors and I some privacy from each other.) 

That side of my house is a barren wasteland... the ground is a cemented-in a brick path allowing access to the one working electrical plug I have outside, and my tankless water heater mounted on the side of the house. To improve the kitchen window view, I first thought maybe I could grow jasmine or bougainvillea out of a big pot and have it crawl up and cover the wall. But both of those plants love sun and need lots of water... and watering in the barren wasteland will be a chore. 

Then I remembered that cute wall garden and realized there are some plants that don't need a lot of water :) 

Via the blog of the photo's original "pinner," I found out you can buy latches to hold terra cotta pots on a wall, so I ordered some from Vat 19, "Purveyors of Curiously Awesome Products." Then I wandered into the Burbank DoIt Center to kill time while friends were shopping in second-hand stores nearby and found cute green and blue painted pots on sale to use with my latches. 

These things sat in my garage for about a month until yesterday when I finally had time to go to Home Depot, where I bought six small catci and succulents. I put them all together and now this is the view from my kitchen window!

I'm hoping these plants will be able to survive mostly on rain and early morning mist because, like I said, getting water to that barren wasteland will be a pain. And sadly, my "brilliant" idea of watering them by squirting water out the kitchen window from the faucet's hose isn't going to work. Couldn't make the angles and squirting distance mesh at the same time. I did make a faboo mess all over the window sill and counter though. Live and learn ;)