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August 31, 2007

August 31, 2007


August 31, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
For E's birthday, we went to a screening of The Nines, starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa McCarthy. It was really a pretty neat movie, but it sort of defies description. Without giving it away, anyway. It's one of those makes-you-think movies. There were a few head-scratching moments, but it all came together nicely. If it comes to a theatre near you, it's worth the price of admission.

Afterwards, there was a Q&A with a bunch of the cast and crew, headed up by John August, who I wasn't familiar with before but really enjoyed. The cast and crew were peppered throughout the audience, and we happened to be sitting next to the director of photography. I hope we didn't say anything stupid while we were waiting for the movie to start. Ha. (I'm pretty sure we didn't.) The Q&A was very interesting, so I'm glad we made it to the screening that included it! And then E introduced herself to Melissa in the lobby, which totally made her night (and her birthday), so that was cool.

Posted by kate at 11:14 PM | | Comments (0)

August 30, 2007

August 30, 2007


August 30, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
My car is in the shop again. I'll get it back tomorrow, a new axle boot, a new headlight, rotated tires, and $400 later. I could've done the headlight myself, but last time it took three hours and a lot of frustration, so I'm saving myself the trouble. I may be paying too much for some of this, but I know the guy is honest about what needs to be done now, and what can wait.

In the meantime, I'm driving a loaner. A Saturn L300, I think, with a DVD player! That's pretty neat. I had to test it out on the way home, so I threw the Smallville pilot in (the only DVDs we had at work... hee) and listened to it on the way home. The screen can only be seen from the back seat, but it was fun to listen.

The guy who brought the car by was trying to sell me on the Saturn, a used car I could get a good deal on. One of his selling points? It even has heated seats! Um, hello? It was A HUNDRED AND EIGHT DEGREES OUTSIDE TODAY. Talk to me about heated seats in the winter, mmkay? Thanks.

Posted by kate at 09:29 PM | | Comments (0)

August 29, 2007


August 29, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
School supplies. My new flash drive and my journal, into which I will paste pictures and printouts, take notes, doodle, etc. We are supposed to carry the journal with us everywhere, which I am trying to do.

I feel like a bit of a dunce in class, since I am NOT a Mac person. Things I could do in two seconds on my PC are impossible on the Mac. Or, they're probably not, but I can't figure out how to do them. I had to ask some 18-year-old how to get my pictures off my camera and opened into Photoshop. I mean, I do that every single day (in PSP) on my home computer! Duh. Oh well. Hopefully I'll get used to the Mac soon!

Posted by kate at 09:22 PM | | Comments (0)

August 28, 2007

August 28, 2007


August 28, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
My cat's favorite place in the entire house to sleep is across the threshold between the bathroom and the hallway. This makes it difficult to close the bathroom door, but she's getting used to being rudelygently nudged out of the way.

This is, perhaps, her view of the bathroom. When she's laying on her back looking up at the ceiling. Which she does.

Posted by kate at 09:46 PM | | Comments (0)

August 27, 2007

August 27, 2007


August 27, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Is autumn coming already, or is this crazy lack of rain causing the leaves of even well-watered, landscaped trees to curl up and fall?

I'd ordinarily think the fact I've had a headache all day means rain is on its way, but I don't have much faith in that at this point. Rain, we need you! The mountains on the way to work, lush and green only a year ago, are brown and dry and harsh-looking. Sigh.

Posted by kate at 08:08 PM | | Comments (1)

August 26, 2007

August 26, 2007


August 26, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Downtown Moorpark (at least I assume it was downtown) is like a totally different world. It was old fashioned, uncrowded, and had a very small town feel. It was kind of neat! Most everything seemed to be closed, being that it's Sunday, I guess.

One of my tellers is in Bye Bye Birdie at the High Street Theatre, so I went to see her. I'd never seen Bye Bye Birdie before. It was a cute show. The performances were good, and the theatre was really small and very cool. They do a free live 1940's radio show the last Sunday night of every month, which might be worth checking out one of these days.

Posted by kate at 05:56 PM | | Comments (0)

August 25, 2007


August 25, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Pretty much since J and V moved to Texas to have babies, our weekly game night has kind of fizzled. We resurrected a smaller version last night and played Munchkin. Gen won. I don't know what R is doing with his hands there. At one point he asked me if "this" looked like a 'K', but I see no K there (so perhaps the answer would be 'no'). Anyway.

Posted by kate at 05:50 PM | | Comments (0)

August 24, 2007

August 24, 2007


August 24, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Fish... are creepy. I don't like to eat them (although I'm working on that), and I don't even really like to watch them. They give me the willies! They swim. Back and forth. And stare at you with one eye, then the other. Back and forth. Staring. Heebie-jeebies! There was one memorable meal at Rainforest Cafe in Orlando where one brightly-colored tropical fish literally stalked me throughout my entire dinner. It stared me down. Glared at me with one eye at a time. And I was eating chicken!

Anyway. I don't like fish, but I DO like Finding Nemo. It's one of my favorite movies. This little mini fish tank makes me smile. I think it's because you can see both of the fish's eyes at the same time. Less creepy that way.

Posted by kate at 10:08 PM | | Comments (0)

August 23, 2007

August 23, 2007


August 23, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Monet was sleeping soundly when I found her like this. She lifted her head when I got the camera. She is not allowed to be on the table, let alone SLEEP on the table! She knows this. She glared at me defiantly. I scooped her up and deposited her on the couch. She curled up again and went back to sleep, but I know she was thinking that the nice, soft couch is not nearly as comfortable as sleeping on a paper envelope on top of a hard table, because she's freakin' weird! And bad. Bad table-sleeping cat!

Posted by kate at 11:18 PM | | Comments (0)

August 22, 2007

August 22, 2007


August 22, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Tonight was my first class--not at Valley College, as the brochure would indicate, but I live too far away to receive a pamphlet for Moorpark. I was too preoccupied to take a picture at the school before class, too ready to go home after. But it was good! I am not the oldest person in class, nor the one with the least computer graphics know-how. Whew!

One of the requirements? Carrying your camera wherever you go. HA! Done.

Posted by kate at 11:09 PM | | Comments (0)

August 21, 2007


August 21, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I walked off dinner (Indian--my favorite!) with S at my park. I'd never been to the park at night, and was pleasantly surprised to find it well-lit (well-lighted?) and decently populated. Not only were there several sports practices and games going on, but quite a few people walking or running, with and without dogs, strollers, and mp3 players. It was a nice night to be out.

Posted by kate at 11:02 PM | | Comments (0)

August 20, 2007

August 20, 2007


August 20, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This weekend, Gen had karate special training, which consisted of, among other things, daily three-mile runs up a mountain. Barefoot. There were blisters. And pain, judging by the wincing and yelping coming from her room. Personally? I can't imagine ever running three miles barefoot on purpose, but to each her own!

Posted by kate at 07:53 PM | | Comments (0)

August 19, 2007

August 19, 2007


August 19, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
It was a deceptively beautiful day out today with a nice breeze that effectively hid the heat until I had walked about 40 minutes in one direction. Then, suddenly, I could feel every single one of those 100+ degrees. *sweats* I turned around and ended up stopping at Trader Joe’s on the way home, both because I needed food, and because I knew it would be air conditioned. I ran into (literally) a Michael Cera lookalike trying to navigate the crowded corner where the hummus is--I must have Superbad on the brain--but he got his hummus, I got mine, and we went on our way. I made it home without my mango popsicles completely melting, a miracle!

Posted by kate at 07:33 PM | | Comments (0)

August 18, 2007


August 18, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
We celebrated C's birthday, finally. In true A. Family Tradition, there was a choice of gifts (the first bag holds money towards Tiffany's; C had wanted to go for her birthday, but I'm not in the habit of buying Tiffany's for friends' birthdays). Hardly a gift-giving occasion goes by in my family where someone is not given two gifts to pick between. Is that strange? *laugh* It works out pretty well, I think. Everyone's happy. Even though usually, it's really hard to choose. (For the record, C took the gift-gift.)

After dinner, we went to see Superbad. The line was insanely long, even with having pre-bought our tickets and getting to the theatre an hour early. Yikes! We barely got seats together. Craziness. I thought the movie was HILARIOUS. There were about three too many puke scenes, but bodily fluids aside, it had all the heart I'd hoped it would.

Posted by kate at 10:22 AM | | Comments (0)

August 17, 2007


August 17, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This little thing hangs in the corner of my room. My mom gave it to me when I moved, and I think it's pretty cute. I don't have a story to go along with it, other than I needed a picture, and there it was. ;)

Posted by kate at 10:11 AM | | Comments (0)

August 16, 2007

August 16, 2007


August 16, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
It was another sloooow day at work today. I was reading random Wikipedia articles, and somehow, by clicking links within the articles, landed on BT, which took me to JC (and from there, Mickey Mouse Club and Tony Lucca). Did you know JC's next album is supposedly called 'Kate'? I think I'd heard it somewhere ages ago, but was reminded today. That's pretty neat. If only it'd be released, already!

So, today's picture is the shadow of a vase of fake flowers. I don't like the graininess that comes from not using a flash in a not-so-well-lit room at night, but the flash would've totally washed out the shadow, see. I do like the way the red glass vase leaves a red shadow.

Posted by kate at 08:36 PM | | Comments (0)

August 15, 2007

August 15, 2007


August 15, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Tonight was laundry night. I'm proud that I managed to do four loads in three hours using only two dryers. See, I'm a hanger. I run about half of my laundry around in the dryer for five minutes or so, then hang it (no ironing needed!). Our laundry room is not well-suited to hanging. This stairway, however, is conveniently located directly in front of the laundry room door, so I line up all my hangers along the back of one of the steps and just hope no one kicks anything off before I manage to get it all hung and then inside the apartment where it can finish drying in peace.

I do feel bad that I had to steal from my pig to do the last two loads. I need to pay him back tomorrow. And now that my bizarre laundry habits are common knowledge...

Posted by kate at 09:02 PM | | Comments (0)

August 14, 2007

August 14, 2007 (b)


August 14, 2007 (b)
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I was torn over whether to use this picture, which is cute of Mom and me, or this one, which is just a pretty picture, I think. Either way, we went on the Paramount Studio Tour this morning, which was very enjoyable!

We got to go on the set of Entertainment Tonight (did you know the female host--Mary Hart, is it?--has it in her contract that her legs must be visible at all times, as she believes they're her best asset?), watch a bit of Everybody Hates Chris filming, and go onto the set of Nip/Tuck. Nip/Tuck was the one I was most excited about, as it's the only one of the three I actually watch. The only bummer there is that the sets are all new this year (for their move from Miami to Los Angeles), so nothing was immediately recognizable. It will be when I watch the new season, though, so that's cool. And I was able to tell which apartment was Christian's and which was Sean's, so that was fun, too. *g*

They were also filming parts of the new Indiana Jones movie out and about, but we didn't learn that until the very end of the tour. I guess that's all hush-hush, but our guide said we DID see some of the filming, we just didn't know it at the time. I suppose I'll have to watch the movie with a close eye when it comes out to see if I recognize anything.

And now, my mom is on a plane back to Chicago. It is very sad. Her visit was much too short, and I really won't see her again until Christmas. Ah well. A few days is better than none at all!

Posted by kate at 05:05 PM | | Comments (0)

August 13, 2007


August 13, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Monday was a long day because it was one of those totally pointless days at work when everything that needs to be done is done and there isn't much else to do, and my mom was sitting at home alone while I wasted time at work. Argh! I did finally try to leave early at about 3:30, had my purse on my arm and my computer turned off, when issue after issue came up. Over an hour later, I finally managed to extract myself a *teensy* bit early. Grr.

But it was a pleasant evening of Porto's Cuban Bakery for dinner (YUM!) and general hang-out-with-mom-ness.

Posted by kate at 04:53 PM | | Comments (0)

August 12, 2007

August 12, 2007


August 12, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Today was our company picnic at Will Rogers State Beach in Malibu. It was actually pretty nice! The company rented out a whole section of the beach and there was food, games (Tug 'o War, water balloons, three-legged race, etc), and a sand castle building contest.

They had experts to help with the sand castle contest, so I learned a few tips. It was a three hour time limit, and we lost interest after about an hour and a half. *laugh* Our castle was cute and small, and totally wouldn't have won against the sprawling estates some groups were building even if it hadn't gotten accidentally half knocked over near the end. But still, fun!

Posted by kate at 06:57 PM | | Comments (0)

August 11, 2007

August 11, 2007


August 11, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Mom and I spent the day shopping, chatting, and laughing until our sides and our cheeks hurt. We then went for a walk to the MR Park, and walked past Los Angeles's version of a 'river', as it runs near our apartment. Pretty pitiful, yes? After our walk, we stuffed ourselves full of Indian food and came home to laugh some more. Good times.

But also, I got a call from a very exhausted-sounding J... and BABY OMG!! Six pounds five ounces, one week late to the day, and daddy J, momma V and baby Jonah are all doing well. My first friends to have a baby! Exciting! Cannot wait for pictures. Babeh!

Posted by kate at 10:10 PM | | Comments (0)

August 10, 2007

August 10, 2007


August 10, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
So, I get that it's a Lexus, but in light of my Superman/Smallville enjoyment of late, I prefer to add my own little fandom twist. And that turns it into a license plate made of awesome. It was parked next to me at "our" Chinese restaurant, which I took my mom to for dinner. Delish!

Posted by kate at 09:45 PM | | Comments (0)

August 09, 2007

August 9, 2007


August 9, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
If I'd taken a 'before' picture, this would be so much more impressive! This cabinet was in a precarious state; I feared for my life in anticipation of a possible avalanche every time I opened the doors--which was often.

I had a training class today at work, and the class was lots closer to home (10 minutes instead of 45) and let out at 3:15 (YAY!), so I ran to Target. Love back to school! They had tons of organizational stuff in their Back to College section, so I tore apart, cleaned out, and organized the entire cabinet. Whew! *wipes brow*

Now Mom can visit. Everything's cleaned, vacuumed, and neat. It's a good feeling!

Posted by kate at 06:32 PM | | Comments (0)

August 8, 2007


August 8, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
This is the tree just outside my bedroom window. The picture was taken at dusk; it looked much darker from where I sit at my desk, but when I actually went out to take the photo, it was still somewhat light outside. I love palm trees.

And okay, flickr's uploading/tagging/description page seems to have changed, and I'm not sure I like it. Hmm.

Posted by kate at 06:25 PM | | Comments (0)

August 07, 2007

August 7, 2007


August 7, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
These are three of the five pictures occupying the corner of wallspace above my bed. The scenery shot is a photograph of Jamaica, I think, that my friend's grandfather took. The other two, from Breakfast at Tiffany's and Singin' In the Rain, are actually calendar pages I framed. I just liked them.

Posted by kate at 10:02 PM | | Comments (0)

August 06, 2007

August 6, 2007


August 6, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I have a TV cat. Monet sat and watched the television with pure, focused concentration for at least a half hour. By the time I got it in my head to take a picture, we were on... a genital herpes commercial. *laugh* As I was waiting for something better to come on screen to try again, she heard a noise outside the window and scrambled up to check it out.

Posted by kate at 08:26 PM | | Comments (0)

August 05, 2007

August 5, 2007


August 5, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
On request from my friend, M, the Weeds/Californication billboard out and about around town. Getting this picture was pretty amusing, as I wasn't sure *exactly* where it was, only that it was on the road I'd take when driving my teller home from work. From the direction I was driving today, it was facing the wrong way, so I had to keep an eye on my rear view mirror and then pull a U-turn when I found it. But nice to look at, yes? I've seen them a few places, but this is the only one I remembered the location of for sure.

David Duchovny, on TV again! I hope this show is available for download on iTunes, because it looks pretty freakin' fabulous.

Posted by kate at 06:06 PM | | Comments (0)

August 04, 2007

August 4, 2007


August 4, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Grandma Peggy sends the occasional picture in the mail, and this is the most recent, probably taken in about 1985. Wasn't I cute? Hee.

Posted by kate at 09:26 PM | | Comments (0)

August 03, 2007

August 3, 2007


August 3, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
I'm usually a do-it-yourselfer when it comes to things like, well, tweezing. I was mentioning today that I should probably go to a salon and get some real shape back (I don't even remember the last time I did that). On my way home from work, my coworker called and said she had a two-for-one coupon to her eyebrow place, and did I want to join her? Sure! Why not? So as I was trying to take a picture of my eyebrows, I was amusing myself by making faces. Eyebrows!

My other excitement for the day was meeting my mom's cousin and his wife for lunch. It had probably been more than a decade since I last saw them, so that was nice. I got all the gossip from that side of the family that's usually diluted by the time it gets to me. *g*

Posted by kate at 09:48 PM | | Comments (0)

August 02, 2007

August 2, 2007


August 2, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
It's bad when you start receiving notes from fictional characters... at work. I had yesterday off and came back to work to this (the Thank You might be for approving his vacation, but I can't be sure). I think I might have mentioned it before, but my entire office is hooked on Smallville to the point of obsession. Every last one of 'em. I am amused.

Posted by kate at 06:26 PM | | Comments (0)

August 01, 2007

August 1, 2007


August 1, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
Today I was in one of my neurotic, furniture-moving, hands-and-knees-scrubbing kind of moods. Every last inch of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and bathroom are clean enough to eat off of. Cinderella would be proud! But by the time I got around to my bedroom, I'd totally lost steam. We'll see if a little nourishment reenergizes me.

Posted by kate at 05:51 PM | | Comments (0)

July 31, 2007


July 31, 2007
Originally uploaded by kayay1
As I was waiting for my gas to pump, I realized my little Sorcerer Mickey has been hanging in my car for seven years. That's a long time! He's a bit of a little secret, as I'm pretty sure he can only really be seen from the driver's seat, thanks to the way the dash board rounds upward over the steering wheel. He makes me smile.

Posted by kate at 05:39 PM | | Comments (0)