September 11, 2008: In which we have a party to choose Andy's new headshots (and remember)

The happy family, perusing the 250+ pictures of Andy's face. Somehow we managed to narrow it down to the top 15. (Why do my glasses look so huge in this picture?)

And the Andy man himself, looking exceptionally actor-ish

Someday we can say we knew him when... and picked the headshots that led to his fame and fortune. (Just remember that, 'kay, Andy?)

Dear September,

That time I confessed a deep, unknowing love for you? Let's call it yesterday. Remember it?

Let me clarify: We're going to get along just fine as long as you stick to your warm afternoons and bright sunshiney days.

Today my nose was cold as I walked out of Barnes and Noble at 6:30. And the breeze wrapping around my toes was at least 20 degrees south of my comfort level.

This should not be. Keep fall out of our relationship, September.

kplzthx.

From today's devotions:

"Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord."
~ the prophet Jeremiah,
Lamentations 3:40

Seems like a fitting verse to read on September 11th.

“We write to taste life twice. Once in the moment, and once in retrospection.”

That is a quote I want to remember.

And uphold. I'm kind of proud of myself for keeping up with my blog all year, with only a few lapses sometime around winter. Definitely better than last year, where all thoughts on life stopped abruptly in June. I forget in the moment how much I love going back and reading things that happened to me years before. Seriously, I can't even try organizing all my journals and memory boxes without devoting quite a number of hours to just sitting on the floor, pouring through old notebooks and albums.

In case you are wondering what a memory box looks like:

I just so happen to have this picture from my picture taking spree on Sunday. You can see the specially bought 2005 camp journal (courtesy of Justin #2), the light saber given to me by the support staff the dayI turned 21 (we can't drink at camp, obviously... so we play with Star Wars props), my Coast Guard cap (ah, the orange team), Mickey Mouse ears from the day we accidentally went on the exact 50th anniversary celebration day, and gads of other stuff to keep me entertained with my own life. Voila. Memory box.

So here's something I've been thinking about lately: I love September. Who knew, right? Certainly not me. I wave my summer flag proudly, and curse that blasted anti-daylight savings day that plunges my 4:30pm into utter darkness.

However. I have noticed when I leave work at 5pm each day, as the cool breeze ruffles my skirt and the sunshine warms my toes, there's just this feeling to it that makes me soooo happy. I've found that I associate feelings and smells with childhood experiences, and I knew right away I was feeling those just-let-out-of-school-and-hanging-out-on-the-playground kind of moments. Apparently, these were some happy times for me, probably because I love school, and I really loved spending time with my friends afterward, being so absolutely lazy and just sitting on the picnic tables or going down to the swings. Even in high school that's how it was.

So kudos to you, September. You've made me love you in ways I never would have thought of a fall month.

Today I...

1) Took random pictures of our room in the hopes of igniting creativity
2) Sprayed myself down with tanning oil and went to bake in the sun
3) Had cauliflower for the first time (and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't gross)
4) Hit 75,000 words in my book
5) Had "breakfast" and watched Sweet Home Alabama with my roommate... at 8pm

What can I say? I just bring people together.

From what I've been told, this is an actual event that happened sometime tonight, in a Best Buy in El Cajon:


My friend Sonia: (Seeing a familiar-looking boy perusing The Office DVDs) Excuse me, are you Ryan from Jordan's blog?

My friend Ryan: Yes.

My friend Sonia: Oh. You should buy that DVD. It's good.

My friend Ryan: Okay.

My friend Paul: (Rolls his eyes.)

Living proof that you can sleep only two hours and still be alive during the day

That is me.

For whatever reason (caffeine, stress, light pouring in from the blasted lamp outside my window) I was not sleeping well all weekend. Seeing as how I was able to sleep in Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, this did not much affect me until Tuesday. When I had to be up at 6am. And I didn't fall asleep until 4.

I was pretty much drifting off every few minutes in my little lawn chair all morning. Never enough to actually sleep, unfortunately. And, despite that, I still was unable to fall asleep easily later that night.

So Tuesday was a rotten set day. I think I mentioned before about Most Awesome Set Day Ever, how it is totally the people there who make or break a day on set. When the ratio of Sleezy Guys and Divas to Normals is unbalanced, havoc is reaked. I kept to myself all day, me and my chair staying nicely away in the slowly fading shadows of holding. Especially from Sleezy Guy #1 who had earlier regaled me and another girl with stories of... an impolite nature, as we sat reluctantly with him, having been set together at a table by Scott. We were a captive audience in a completely literal way.

It really does make me sad the way some people live. I don't mean to be judgmental or anything, but what is their purpose in life? To hook up with a new person every week? Really, I used to think the way things are depicted on TV was hyperbole, but the way people talk sometimes, it turns out TV and movies may actually downplay it all. It's heartbreaking.

Today was a much better day. The Normals totally outnumbered the SG &D's. And so there was polite conversation, games of dominoes and Uno, and much reading.

Fun randoms from today on set:
1) This pretend conversation happened around 8:45am at the bar:

Me: So what's that red drink?
Lawrence, who usually plays the bartender: I believe that's watered down gatorade.
Me: And what's this porcupine looking prop sitting here in front of me? What's his story?
Lawrence: That is the fake blowfish. He's not supposed to be there. (Takes blowfish and sets him in his proper place on a shelf)
Me: How interesting. I couldn't help but notice that over on that wall you have some Monopoly-looking money taped up. What's up with that?
Lawrence: That is the first money the restaurant ever received. We like to look at it every once in awhile to remember our humble beginnings.
Me: It's pink.
Lawrence (wistful voice): Yes, that was the only kind of dollar we accepted back then....

2) The actor playing this episode's "ex" held the door open as all the background filed through, earning him the label of 'sweetie' from most of the girls. I think what really happened was that he was holding the door for the few people who walked out behind him and ended up stuck as more and more of us came through, but you know, it was still very polite for one of the actors. But, then on the next round, the actor who was playing his friend purposely stepped up to open the door for us, and said hello and smiled at each of us as we walked by. That guy's a sweetie. He later confided in me and another girl that he'd done background work before and knew well what it was like.

3) The guy who plays Cyrus (who totally reminds of Jig, by the way) was getting his mike tested, and he stood in the middle of the bar saying, "Yes yes yes yes yes yes" in a monotone voice. Finally, the background guy set right in front of him, but facing away, turned around to see what the heck was going on, and "Cyrus" just smiled politely at him and said, "helloooooo."

4) Scott's answer when someone pointed out that they'd been on the opposite side of the bar for the same scene earlier: "Don't worry- you're just going to be a faceless blur here anyway."

Way to put it all into perspective, Scott.