Finn's Bar Initiation

Waiting for Michael Phelps' final run is a perfect time to catch on up the ol' blog. About 45 minutes away now-- the women's marathon is just finishing up. Makes me wish I could run... for more than five minutes. I hate long runs. Give me short sprints any day.

Anyway.

So yesterday was a short day on set. It was Friday, and pretty much the only thing we heard from anyone who was in charge of anything was "It's Friday," in a tone that really said, "Come on, people, it's Friday, let's just get something on film and go home."

It was the first time we've been on the new sets, and we were in the Finn's Bar and Restaurant the whole time. It's a bit of a claustrophic set, not like the VM cafeteria that was very open and airy. There's three main areas to the restaurant, with two being divided by a moving wall that a couple of set dressers kept moving all over the place. Ryan and I got set at a table right next to the bar at one point, and we were able to discover how the set dressers make alcohol: Coke mixed with apple juice for any amber colored drinks, and watered down gatorade for the fruity girly drinks. We thought it was funny that they were using brand name Coke and not something like Safeway brand for a wasted drink, but whatever. Watered down gatorade isn't too bad, by the way.

Apparently my eyes are a dazzling blue under the set lights because both of the guys I ended up set with during the night commented on them in mime speech. It was the only genuine thing that I actually understood from either of them, seeing as how most fake background conversations consist of "Oh, really?" and "Oh, I see," and "Do you come here often?" I was trying to think outside the box last night (for my own amusement, since they had no idea what I was saying), and pretended I was watching the Olympics on the bar TV. I think my guy figured out what I was talking about at that point, but then he switched back to offering me a sip of his coke and apple juice for the second time and we were back to making the loop of safe mimed comments.

As long as they keep the two scenes shot yesterday in the episode (#3), I think we're all definitely going to make it in. In both scenes I'm set right next to the actress playing the waitress (we secretly called her Wendy the Waitress, from How I Met Your Mother), and during the last scene her start point was actually talking to me and the guy I was with. I didn't recognize the girl from anything, though she did look familiar, and I think she's pretty new to the biz. She was really nice to us talking in between takes unlike certain cast members who I had to step out of the way for in fear that they would walk right into me. I swear, Kristen Bell never acted like the people around her were invisible, and she was a very well known actress. Unlike certain cast members on this new show.

Here's us waiting to get called to set! Check out my comfy set chair- it's even got a footrest.

Ah, the life of the background is just so hard.

08.08.08 In Pictures

8 roses from Jen and Justin Watching/playing Wii soccer

More of that. Look how much fun they're having!

Video game= perfect girl talk time

Britt gets her new camera = I get to be in pictures now!

Like this one!

Ryan was so awesome to let us borrow his Wii.

So, this isn't the best picture, but man. It just sums up the spirit of competition, doesn't it?

Alicia, me, and Jen

Bustin' out of the Smash Brothers

Rabbids! It'll make your arm muscles ache for a week.

Game glaze.

New Ryan's birthday card:

Hello, 24. So far, I think we're getting along excellently.

All in all the party was great fun. Thanks to Ryan and Jared for supplying the games/running home for lost parts and everyone who came to have fun with us!

Almost There!

Just say no to blog slacking!

Okay, forgot to post the video from our O.B. on set experience. Not terribly great quality, but what can you expect from a phone? At this point, all us background are lounging on the beach getting a tan while they spend an hour filming a scene that only requires the main actors. Sonia took the opportunity to catch up on the hours of sleep we missed because of pillow talk with Jenna until midnight and then getting up at 4am.

Next up was the world premiere of Alice! Some CCT guys put together a brand new rock high school version of Alice in Wonderland, and the premiere ran only two weekends. It was a decent musical, but could definitely use some work livening up the middle, which was looooong and uneventful. Act two picked up almost immediately with the appearance of Ryan Hansen (roommates past and present, you may remember him as Dick Casablancas on Veronica Mars) in a hilarious number that was a cross somewhere between Robin Hood Men in Tights and what I can only imagine would be the actual Dick Casablancas' experience in musical theater.

Almost done with the updates now! Just got to post the birthday pics and we're good to go for a review on our Ex List experience last night.

Next up: Hollywood

There's a new show in town (RIP Veronica Mars), and the Monday after ComicCon, Brittany, Sonia, my sister, and I headed down to O.B. for filming of the second episode of the Ex List (does it sound stupid to you? It sounds stupid to me). Justin had called us a couple nights before for the roles of runner, race volunteer, pedestrian, and race volunteer, respectively.

After the 27th lap around Newport, Brittany was really regretting her agreement to be in the race. Sonia, Britt, and I, however, were sitting pretty. Well, Britt was sitting pretty. They stuck her in the bar window, and I told her she could totally sneak her book in between filming. Which she did. The only person on the entire street who couldn't care less that B-list Hollywood stars were filming a scene six feet in front of her. Sonia and I, the good race volunteers that we were, got stuck standing in the street for a couple of hours while they went through all the shots. There was very little structure going on where background was concerned; everyone else kept disappearing, either back in the bar or around the corner to base camp.

The bar thing: before base camp was set up, we got to hang out in the Irish pub they were using for the exterior of the cafe. My little just-turned-18 sister's first time in a bar. I was so proud. I took pictures. And then sent them to Mom and Dad.

Here's us in the pub! (Darn backlighting ruins pictures.)

More info later. Brittany, Ryan, and I are going up tonight to be on the new sets for the first time. (I seriously might cry if I see how they've torn down the VM cafteria and dorm room and made it into the new show's sets, but Andy assures me we won't be on that part of set.) More pics and details to come!

Back the Truck Up: Comic Con

Okay, so I see what's addicting about watching the Olympics. It was a good night. Not for the Americans so much. Even the Canadians were whipping our tails in the diving competitions. And those Chinese synchronized high divers are something else. They totally deserved the medal.

But, on to other things. Like going back in time.

Comic Con!

Impressions:
It's nice to have hobbies. However, some people are just too into some things.
Comic Con is not a place for children.
We should have gone on Saturday.

Highlights:
The chance to see Neil! Patrick! Harris! From our fave show, How I Met Your Mother!

Disappointments:
Neil! Patrick! Harris! not being on the panel after all. Some last minute cancellation. Boo, NPH. Boo.
No Heroes panel. No Office panel. They were all the day before.

All in all, it was fun because of who was there: me, Jen, Justin, and Justin's cousin Brandon. We're a fun group to do stuff like this... probably because we all know we're geeks... just not the extreme of those around us. It was like we were the cool kids.We had a game going of who could find the most geeked out person. Justin won.

Yes, that is Justin's nerd shirt.

Pop Culturally Correct

Man. A lot of people love the Olympics. I've kind of never really gotten into it. I think we watched some of the preliminary swim tournaments a couple months ago. That's about it.

But everyone's been talking about it, and I'm starting to feel a little culturally ignorant. Today the forty-something-year-old guy who works at our copy place was bubbling over with Chinese gymnasts this, American gymnasts that, and I was all, "Um, Germany's not playing in the soccer tournament. That's about the extent of my knowledge on the subject. Oh, and I heard that Phelps guy's doing pretty good."

So, in my attempt to know more things, and since the start of my 24th year marked the start of the 25th summer Olympics, I have set up camp in front of the TV tonight, tuned into NBC (I had to ask my copy guy what channel to check out), and ready to watch me some Olympians.

So far... water polo? Please.

Where are my cute futbol players?

The Haircut

So I have been a slacker blogger lately. I know.

In an attempt to redeem myself, I will now go back through the last two weeks or so and address anything I forgot to write about/didn't have time for/didn't have pictures to tell the story/glossed over. This will not all happen tonight. We'll call this more of a progressive project strung out over this week. Hey, I've got other things to do (read: finish my novel asap).

We kick off with one of the glossed over subjects: the haircut.

So I went in fully thinking I was NOT going to cut my hair. I wanted to hang on one last time. Then I was in the chair and I decided to let Jenafer decide. Her vote was snip, snip. Complete with scissors for embellishment. So I did it, and I'm glad I did it. It was the best choice and fortunately Jenafer was the one to realize that and tell me.

And since it's been nearly a month since the cut I actually have pictures of all the different ways I can now "style" my hair. Style, of course, being a loose term for the word... it's more like, I can manage it in a way to not look completely idiotic.

(Please dismiss the complete candid-nicity of all featured photos. No time to throw them in PS and make them awesome. (Did I mention I should be typing fiction right now? And not wasting time here?))

1) Down/slightly curly

2) The short ponytail! I've always wanted one of those!

3) The headband (that suprisingly stays on my head)

4) The pigtails

Hmmmm. I'm missing 'pulled back with bobby pins' and 'down, completely straight, no waves whatsoever' (also known as 'normal').

And that, my friends, is the story of the haircut. Browsing through my 'what I've done recently' list, I figured the next thing that I glossed over is the cam... then I realized from all the blogs posted about said subject, it probably wasn't so glossed over as I thought. (Then why do I feel like I've hardly begun to even tell you all about it's amazingness?... Oh, yes, because I'm IN LOVE WITH IT.)

Next up: Comic Con!

Twenty-three, for a moment

For my final hurrah to 23, I've listed some of the more fun/amazing/interesting experiences of the year.

We kick off the group with August 8, 2007: The Road Trip begins
Disneyland in August!

Disneyland in September!

Christmas Announcement Party: October

Fires got a little close to home this time

Halloween: We are too cool for school.

First time doing Black Friday shopping the way it was meant to be done-- at 4am.

Ultimate frisbee at good ol' SDCC

If you didn't see this at the church Christmas dinner, you really missed out.

A night downtown with the work friends

Marie Calendar's Pie Nights!

Pilot season = time on set in Ocean Beach

Tax day at Disneyland : I heart Disneyland.

I heart Disneyland again two weeks later.

First trip to the Wild Animal Park

I learn how to take cool pictures- woot!

Published!

Three weeks of Jeremy before he leaves for two years

Fair day; sight seeing competition

The American Idol season 7 obsession begins. (And only season seven)

It was a close call, but we made it to Coronado just in time.

Learning InDesign and creating books

And we wrap things up with some good ol' Comic Con.

Farewell, 23. It was a great year.

The Week Before

I remember exactly what I was doing thirteen years ago at this very moment: sitting in front of a keyboard typing my heart out.

I was days from turning eleven, and for some reason this was absolutely the age I'd been waiting to turn since birth. I was very excited to be eleven. Things happened when you were eleven.

I was so excited in fact, that I remember not being able to sleep for the entire week leading up to August 8. But who needs sleep when your ten and 358 days old? Instead, I was up to the wee hours of the morning, every night that week, working on one of the first stories that I remember. I'm not going to share the story with you. It was something an eleven-year-old would write, and probably pretty stupid.

So as I sit here now (not exactly excited to turn 24, but with still another story on my fingertips), as the clock pushes 1am, on August 7, I am reminded of how things don't really change that much.

Well, except for the typewriter I had back then.

Twilight, Part... well, who really cares anymore?

It is August 3.

One day after the relase of the much-anticipated fourth book of the Twilight series.

Let the blood bath begin. (Yes, pun completely and totally intended. Please laugh.)

Book four left much to be desired. I'll probably just leave it at that. I was going to write up my thoughts on it, my disappointment with certain plot choices, the utilization of deus ex machina literary devices, and many, many dangling clues that were left unaddressed. But I just had to see what everyone else thought of it. Maybe it was just me. I was hesitant about the series anyway. Maybe the die hard fans loved it and I'm the weird one.

And maybe not. I read through the reviews on Amazon, and ouch. I think there were about 140 who had given it 5 stars. And 157 who had given it 1 star. Stars 2, 3, and 4 made up approximately 30 other people. Those are some pretty harsh reviews.

So now I just feel really ridiculously bad for the author, because this can't be a good day for her. The release of your last book in a series should be amazing... and I have a feeling it's just turning out very, very sad.

I think one reviewer put it best by saying that you should really just stop at book three and make up your own ending. I kind of whole heartedly agree.

It could have been so great. Oh well.

Twilight, Part Four

What happened to parts two and three, you ask? Well. Part two's theories would have been posted on Tuesday night, and Part three's guesses would have come early Thursday afternoon... if I could have put either of those books down long enough to boot up my laptop. But I couldn't, so I didn't, and so nothing of the past week of my life has been recorded yet, even though it's actually some good stuff (being on set, the Cheesecake Factory fiasco, and seeing Ryan Hansen LIVE! ON STAGE!). Meh. It'll all have to wait until I'm done with book four...

Which fortunately came out today. I really planned this well. Not even enough downtime in between book three and four to really start itching for it. I finished three around 11:30 last night, picked up book four at 1pm today. Why can't it always be this easy?

So, my thoughts on the series so far: I'm still not sure how I feel about it. I'm not in love with it yet. My roommates might try to contradict that, as they've been the ones who've watched me read for about four days straight, but really I just need to know the end of the story. Even if I don't like something, if it intrigues me enough, I have to know how it ends. Jenna's solution for that was to just thumb through to the end, but that's because Jenna is the very essence of what book-ruiners are made of. (Did you hear that, Jenna?) But I need to know the whole story, how we get to the climax, how they escape from certain death, all that good stuff. So here I am, hostage to the vampire love story that has taken over our nation today, August 2. Just think, there are millions of people reading this very book right now. Some started at midnight and were finished hours ago. The whole plot is probably detailed out on hundreds of livejournals. I need to stay off the internet.

Anyway, my thoughts on it (for real this time): Great plot. Excellent characterization. I mean, really, really good. Alice and Emmett are totally in the top of my favorite fictional characters. Everything moves the book forward, in a pace that doesn't let you stop to take a breath. I think the thing that's probably holding me back is that I'm just not much of a horror story kind of person, and these books are somewhere between suspense and horror. But then you throw in all the teenage drama and it seems pretty normal.

My predictions (in smaller lighter reading-- I just can't spoil it for anyone else either):

I don't think Bella will become a vampire. The only options we really have are 1) Bella becomes a vampire, 2) Bella decides against it, 3) Edward dies, 4) Bella dies, 5) Edward becomes human again. So far Bella's been on board for joining up for three books, so it's going to take something big for her to change her mind (her aversion to blood has yet to be addressed by any of them...). I don't think the author would kill off either of the main characters, though I think Jacob's definitely in jeapordy. My gut reaction, ever since the Romeo/Juliet/Paris line was brought up, is that Jacob will be taken out of the picture. And since there hasn't been anything said about any possible way for vampires to change back to humans, unless they stumble across something in this book, I don't see Edward's human chances being very good. My prediction now: Bella will not become a vampire. Not sure how or why yet. I still hold to my theory that there's something more to her, she's got some power about her, and I think it comes down through her mother's side somehow. Maybe Charlie isn't her real father?

And now off to read. Be back later.