Sunday, June 20, 2021

"Shopping is our greatest skill!" *facepalm*

Pic of the Week


  
My friend Rob and I took advantage of this gorgeous weather we've been having and took a walk up to the observatory.  It's not open, but the grounds still are, and it's one of the best views in the entire city.


What's going on?

I survived my week of 2 working hours!  I also got an audition in there, that I did not book, but felt very good about regardless.  It's always nice when the person running the audition says, "I don't have any specific direction for you because you got everything we needed on the first take, so just do something different." *hair toss*

Recently a friend and I had a discussion about getting into audiobook narrating.  It's something she's been doing for years now, and something I've looked into before, but I think I'm gonna really give it a go.  I think it's something I'd enjoy and be good at.  So, I spent some time this week doing some work on that - learning some recording and editing software, getting some samples together, etc.  It feels like a good direction to take.  Plus it's a VERY portable job - which is a nice thing to have in the long run.

Now.  How about this heat wave we're having?!  It actually hasn't been too bad in Culver City as we're close enough to the ocean to mitigate the worst of it, but I've still had to run my fan the last few nights.  

What I'm listening to



One of the things everyone in the audiobook industry tells you if you want to be a narrator is that you should be listening to audiobooks.  So, I'm shifting away from my podcasts a bit in favor of audibooks.  This one was narrated by none other that Utah's favorite son - Kirby Heyborne.  I knew that he narrated audiobooks, but what I didn't realize is that he's an award-winning narrator, and justifiably so.  He's very good.  Heads up that this particular title has some language, and is about people digging up graves, so it gets dark.  But it is a YA novel, so not too dark.


What I'm reading


Got a little curious after watching Cruella recently, so decided to check out the book.  It's...not great.  I mean, it was written in the 50's, so it was a different time, I guess, but it's just got me wondering why ol' Walt picked this particular, probably pretty obscure story to turn into a film.  However, I will say it's kind of interesting to read and see how it compares to the movie adaptation.  For example, the half-black, half-white hairdo IS in the book!  BUT! Perdita is not Pongo's wife!  Pongo is married to a dog named Missis, and Perdy is another dog that they bring in to help feed the 15 original puppies.  WILD!

What I'm puzzling


Television History.  1,000 pieces by White Mountain. I love puzzles like this.  There's so much going on and it's great.  There are a lot of things happening in this puzzle, though, that I have no reference for!  Some old TV shows that I've never seen, or moments I never witnessed.  It's kind of fun.

What I'm watching


What a delightful romp, that does not hold up well. 😂 My friend Rob up in that picture at the top has a
pretty big collection of movies and a podcast where he's reviewing them all.  This was one of them, and since I'd never seen it, he brought it over.  Shelly Long is actually pretty great, and there are some genuinely funny moments, but overall it's a pretty out-dated movie.  Still had a good time watching it.

What I'm playing


Azul.  In this game you own a Portuguese tile factory and draw tiles from the showroom floor to build up your display and earn points.  As my friend, who introduced me to the game, says, "If you're getting discouraged, or having a bad game, just remember - you own a Portuguese tile factory!"

Sunday, June 13, 2021

Why do I have earrings though?

Pic of the Week


A portrait of me from the kid I nanny.  Complete with bags under my eyes, "Because you don't get enough sleep."  

What's going on?

Not a lot, honestly.  Since basically everything I do to earn money is related to either entertainment or education, things slow WAY down in the summer.  In fact, in the next 10 days or so, I think I have 2 hours of work on the books.  Luckily, we have some GORGEOUS weather coming up as well, so I'll be spending quite a bit of time outdoors - hiking, cycling, paddle boarding - it's gonna be great. 

I have a new friend here in LA that does audiobook narration for a living, which is something I've been interested in looking into for a while, and she basically told me, "You'd be perfect for this, you should absolutely do it!" so I'm gonna spend some time getting together some samples and starting on that journey.  Should be fun!


What I'm reading


What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera.  Just a little adorable YA LGBT romance situation.  Missed connections and young love.  A little bit of language and tastefully dealt-with teenage sex to watch out for, but overall pretty wholesome.

What I'm watching


This is a post-apocalyptic, dystopian situation with some light fantasy elements.  It's kind of gritty and quirky and thought-provoking and beautiful.  Language warning here as well.  Also, the premise of the show revolves around a world-wide viral pandemic, so if you're not ready for that, maybe steer clear.

What I'm cooking


Some good old caramel brownies.  My aunt Lisa sent me a little care package with all of the ingredients.  I'm not even sure she knows that these are my absolute favorite brownies. I used this recipe because I can't remember where I put the one my mom used to use.  They taste the same, but I don't recall eggs being part of the recipe I grew up on, so this batch was a bit cakier than the brownies I'm used to.  Still.  SUPER rich and indulgent and delicious.  Highly recommend giving them a try, but I'm pretty sure you shouldn't use eggs.

Sunday, June 6, 2021

Hello friends, my old friends.

Pic of the Week


Mom loved her some carrot cake, so I got some of the best in town to celebrate her birthday.  If you're ever in LA and need a good slice of cake - carrot or otherwise - can't recommend Susiecakes enough.

What's going on?

Happy Birthday Mom!  I probably celebrated too much in her honor cuz I ate WAY too many treats.  But whatever.  You only live once, and as we say - Go big, or go home!

Also, Happy Pride month 🌈🌈🌈!!!  It's lovely to have family and friends and community that all say, "Hey!  We love you!" and don't have any caveats or asterisks or pre-requisites.  Thanks for being my people.  :)

This week it feels like the end of the pandemic has finally arrived - at least socially.  I went to four different social gatherings in the last 7 days.  Memorial Day BBQ, movie night, birthday party, and a back yard get-together.  I'm thrilled to be seeing all of the people I love and hugging them and sharing food and laughter again, but after 4 different events, I'm a bit exhausted.  😂😂😂 Turns out socializing a lot after you haven't really socialized in a while takes a toll on you.  Happy to be getting back in the groove though.

Also I bought a BUNCH of tickets to concerts at the Hollywood Bowl this summer.  Bring on the events!


What I'm reading


Reading this one with one of my tutoring students.  It's a cute story.  My student thought it should have ended differently, so I assigned him to write the ending he would have liked to see.  Like the evil genius I am.

What I'm puzzling


1,000 Colours.  This is easier than it looks.   And also it's beautiful.