Heaven and Hell

The other day we featured a blog by photographer David LaChappelle. After reading his blog where he talked about his new book and the inspiration for the cover photo, I was nearly moved to tears. His photo is amazing, and the story behind it makes everything even more impressive than it already is. It's Courtney love holding Kurt Cobain in a scene similiar to Michaelangelo's "Pieta."

Here's my favorite quote from his blog. If anyone from my extended family continues to ask me why I'm not married yet, this will be my new answer:

"Talent likes talent, creative likes creative, and genius likes genius. And to settle for anything less is to set yourself up for boredom."

Goodnight.

Not So Teenage Fan Club Part Two

The long awaited part two.

My co-workers and I decide to venture off into the lobby to meet hot comedian in person. We were pretending to get coffee as an excuse to accidentally run into him. As we were walking to get coffee, I got nervous. When I get nervous I don't pay close attention to my surrondings. Case in point: I did not not notice that my cup of coffee was not empty. I started swinging my coffee cup up and down (again, nervous habit) and coffee starts flying everywhere all over the floor!

[insert 2-3 minutes of awkwardness over the coffee spillage here]

We finally get to the coffee room and I pour myself some coffee (mind you, I have a grande latte from Starbucks sitting on my desk un touched). We then decide to talk to Mr. Comedian. He is 100x hotter in person. I'm sorry to discuss his appearance again but I must for the sake of this story. It was awesome. I was so in awe of him I had twinkly eyes and I was totally speechless (a rarity).

After our encounter, I went on the site and wrote the comedian a message. I told him how we are a big fan of his work and it was great to meet him blah blah blah. He writes back saying he loved us, and he apologizes if he was acting strange, but he was super giddy because he couldn't believe he was actually at our building. He's been a fan for so long and to actually enter our building was truly exciting for him. This is funny for many reasons. Here he is super excited to be at myspace and we are excited to experience his hotness in person. The fan club lives on. Hilarious!

Not so Teenage Fan Club Part One

I am about to divulge a very entertaining yet embarassing story.

Part of my job is to work with people who can provide cool and exclusive material for the site. One of the comedians we've been working with is not only funny, but really really good looking. He's so good looking that I've started a fan club of some sorts in our office. And by fan club, I mean population "me."

I take that back. The other girls like him too. I am just the most vocal about it. I should also add that the guys we work with are extremely jealous of this infatuation to the point where they tease us about it during lunch. It's like high school all over again.

One day last week I was doing my morning updates when one of the boys comes up to us and goes "Did you see who's in the lobby? Why aren't you touching up your makeup?" The object of my infatuation was here, in our office, waiting for a meeting! I couldn't believe it..I just thought the boys were playing a mean joke!

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PART 2 COMING TOMORROW. TO BE CONTINUED
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Words to Live By

Life is precious. Find what makes you tick and go with it. Love what you do to the point where going to work is not a chore, but something you wake up and look forward to. Don't be afraid to blend the line between work and play, but always remember to work hard and play even harder. Travel and experience the world, open your eyes to different cultures and experience. Broaden your views and see the world from other's point of views. Being able to see life from both sides of a situation is empowering. Wear your heart on your sleeve and love passionately and deeply. Don't be afraid of getting hurt. Learn to let down your guard even if it is one of the hardest things in the world to do so.

Don't forget to tell others when you're proud of them, happy for them, or just that you love having them in your life. Don't let a day go by where people don't know where you stand. Smile a lot and share your thoughts with others. We are only here for a short time. Unfortunately some are taken away from us prematurely. Never forget who you are, who you love, and what you stand by.

Shed those pounds, LA style!

One of the noticeable diffferences I see in L.A. is advertising. My new route of choice to work is Ventura Blvd. As I cruise down the street for 45 minutes, I can't help but notice what is endorsed on the billboards above me. Instead of signs saying "Lose Weight, join X diet plan now" these signs say "Beverly Hills Lipo Center: For all your waistline needs." What happened to losing weight the good old fashioned way with diet and exercise? People here seem to think a scalpel can even cure weight gain.

I've decided to once again go against the grain. Instead of going to the BH Lipo Center, I'm waking up an hour earlier in the morning and joining a gym...in Beverly Hills.

Traffic, bah humbug!

This morning it took me nearly two hours to get to work. It sucked. I realized that part of the reason I get so damn tired during the day is because I start my two freshest hours in the car going 10-20mph (if I'm lucky).

Now I will use my blog as a personal cry for help: If anyone knows of quicker routes to get from the san fernando valley to Beverly Hills, don't be selfish. Please share them with me! If I like your route, I'll hook you up with Myspace swag.

Tomorrow I am going to experiment with leaving later in the morning in an effort to shorten my commute time. If my plan works, this might even allow me to have the mornings free to work out. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

LA traffic gurus: In addition to routes, if you can recommend good times to leave or side streets to take, I will be very happy with you.

Thank you for your time.

Tom Watch, Day 4

Houston, we have a lift off. It's been confirmed by me, with my own two eyes. He does exist.

It all happened yesterday. I was sitting in my cube rocking out to my co-workers 130 gig iTunes library when i peeped over my cubicle and saw a tall man with brown hair walk by. I stood up. I saw his face. It was Tom himself, in the flesh!

However, Mr. Tom was simply walking down the hall to the reception area. He was not looking around or turning his head towards "the new girl's" cube. He was actually staring at the ground. It must be weird walking around a building with 300 people who work for you and thinking to yourself, "Wow, I created all this." He has influenced so many. It's gotta be cool, but weird.

Today I was walking to get my lunch (my free catered lunch I might add) and there he was again walking the opposite direction in the hallway. It was confirmed: we were going to walk past each other. I got nervous and turned red. Yet I stayed confident and told myself I'd look him in the eye and say hello as we passed. I did it. I smiled, and said hello. He smiled back and said, "Hi." Mission accomplished!

Maybe one of these days we'll be formally introduced.

Tom Watch, Day 2

I've now officially been at The Space for two full days. Still, no sight of Tom. His name was mentioned in a meeting yesterday and my ears perked up. No Tom. Today I was given a tour of the second floor and Tom's area pretty much has its own receptionist and bodyguard. He also has like, four assistants. I have seen them, but not him. I have also been secretly hoping to brush elbows with him by the water cooler. Still no luck.

I told my supervisor and some colleagues today that I thought Tom was fictional. They all gasped and were silent. Ten minutes later, my boss pulls me aside and says "Can you come with me for a second?" He said it kind of quietly, so here I am thinking he's either reprimanding me or he's taking me to meet the man himself, Mr. Tom. Since it's only my second day and there's not much to screw up, I figured it was the latter. I was so excited my face turned red. Tom Tom. The founder himself in the flesh. Like, whoa.

Instead, I was taken into a supply room. This room was filled with swag. T-shirts, hats, posters. You name it, it was in there. I was allowed to take whatever I wanted. Normally this awesome act of kindness would have thrilled me. And the thought of doing all my christmass shopping in this room was ever so tempting. However, I couldn't help but feel a slight bit of disappointment. I thought I was meeting Tom, and all I got was a lousy sweatshirt.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day after that.

To Be Continued...

A guitar strikes a chord..

I've written a series of thoughts over the past month that I'm going to most likely compile into a short non-fiction story. Here is one piece of the puzzle:

"Where's the passion gone in our hearts?
Lost somewhere in the grind
It's time to bring it back
It's time to unwind
Find what we lost
It's time
It's time to bring it back"

I've done a lot of unwinding in my life over the past month. I never felt like I lost my passion, but the flame in my heart that once burned so bright was down to only a flicker. I was tired. Jaded. Spent. I took some time getting to know myself again and you know what? I liked what I found. I realized who I am outside of my work. I spent a lot of quality time with friends whom I hadn't been around much because I had been so busy. I rekindled my love for surfing. I became obsessed with riding waves all over again. Now I appreciate my days at the beach more than ever because I will be restricted to weekend warrior status for the next few months. I started to actually enjoy the game of football. I even began to blog almost daily.

When I think about not snowboarding as much this winter, I get sad. But then I remember Mammoth is only a four hour drive away and I will always have people to drive up with and a place to stay. That makes me happy. I want to go to Whistler in March. I know that no matter what direction my career goes in, I will always continue to make time to do the things I love to do and what have made me who I am.

That's right. I'm bringing awesome back.

Downsizing Part Two

I thought I was serious about downsizing before, but now I'm getting super serious.

I started reading this book:



In true minimalistic fashion, once I am done reading this book I will be giving it away to someone who may find it useful in his or her own life. Any takers?

A Change Will Do You Good

Aside from my friends whom I will miss dearly, here are the top 5 things I will miss about living in San Diego:

1. Waking up at 7 and being in the water by 7:10
2. People who look up, smile, and say hello when they walk by you in passing.
3. My entire life being enclosed in a 2 mile radius
4. Flip flops as the norm
5. Sunsets

*Note: These might change as I get used to life in LA and start noticing more differences


Now here are the top 5 things I am looking forward to about living in LA:

1. Only 4 hours to Mammoth instead of 7
2. A city with tons of energy, culture, and a vibrant nightlife
3. Working for an amazing company and learning tons
4. A queen bed.
5. Bailey!

and last but not least...Traffic ..pause... NOT!

Go Buckeyes!

I just learned how to watch the game of football 3 weeks ago. If only I had begun watching when I was a small child. Then I would have appreciated the OSU shirts and sweatshirts my relatives have given me EVERY year for Christmas since I've existed. At least now I can partake in the fun. Better late than never, right? Yesterday was fun.

Downsizing

Unclutter Your Life

In the process of moving I've taken a strong stance about what items will continue on with me in my next journey and what will not. I originally thought it'd be hard to part with certain things, but now I'm finding that there are very few material possessions in my life that I truly care about. Memories and people are the most important things. Okay, maybe even my surf and snowboards. Seriously though, it feels good to rid my life of clutter. I'm nowhere near being done, but I'm starting to see empty space in my room where possesions once lay. Emptiness in this sense means progress. And it feels damn good.

Leaving the Diego...

And joining my friends Kelly and Brandon from Beverly Hills 90210!

*cue theme song here*

Is that alright?

I've been listening to some great albums lately. In true High Fidelity fashion, here are my top five at the moment and why:

1. Muse "Black Holes and Revelations"
This band truly knocks me out of my chair everytime I listen to them. I really feel like they are reincarnated from the 70's. Heavy guitars with smooth, unique transitions creating a larger than life sound. In the words of my brother, "Matt Bellamy is a musical genius." There is no other band that sounds like Muse right now. I'm a fan.

2. Rise Against "The Sufferer and the Witness"
I haven't been able to stop listening to this record since I got it. It's the perfect length for running or just when I feel the need to burn energy. It's inspiring, thought provoking, and makes me want to fricking punch the crap out of something. Rock.



3. Damien Rice "9"
Only listed at number three because I haven't had the chance to fully digest the beauty of this album yet. But wow. Holy shit. I'm not kidding when I say I get goosebumps when I listen to the opening track. It's that good. Not released yet but check out my Myspace page to hear some of the songs.

4. Bouncing Souls "The Gold Record"
Straight up punk rock with an anthem twist is what you'll get here. I love the Souls because they are one of the few punk bands still around whose lyrics I can relate to word for word. If you listen to the Souls and you know me, you get it. I mean shit, they dedicated the last song on their record to all the songs that haven't been written or heard by others yet. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is. Young hearts ARE made of gold, and this album will remind you of that.

5. The Bronx "The Bronx II"
Aside from the fact that the members of this band drip hotness, they also rock so hard they might rip your face off. LA lady, you always look so uninspired! Favorite tracks: Shitty Future, White Guilt.

Everything is Everything

"I've seen the future it changes before my eyes
And I know that there is something that's going to change in my life
I know something in my life will change again"

One of the best feelings in the world is when someone sees in you what yourself and others have seen all along. Yesterday I made a big decision, and my life is going to change significantly as a result. But I'm ready for it. I think change is best when it happens suddenly. Otherwise you have too much time to think things through and that makes the transition more difficult.

LA here I come!

Dogs are awesome

I'm in love with golden retrievers. I've lived with one all my life until I moved away from home at 18, so I know very little about a life without goldens. Bailey is the newest addition to our family. She is so awesome. I love her. I get to see her today. Eeeeeeee!

Go Vote

Today is Election Day. Regardless of your political affiliation, I encourage everyone to go out and vote. The polls close at 8pm tonight, so there's still time. I'm not one to openly share my stance on specific issues, but if you would like to hear more information on the propositions and candidates, I will be glad to inform you.

Now go out and vote. NO EXCUSES!

Road Trips

Other than going to live shows, I never feel more connected to music than while I'm on the road. You learn so much about yourself and others while traveling. I associate each song I hear with people and experiences. Driving on an empty highway in the dark night. Lost in thoughts. Best friends by your side. Listening to whatever the shuffle mix on your ipod will bring next. You're quiet as the lyrics to the music suddenly strike a chord in your own personal life, and you are overwhelmed with emotion.

Right now this song for me is 'Warning Sign' by Coldplay. Every time I hear it, I feel something. I get sappy. I think about things. It's not a sad thing really, but more like being filled with a longing. It's amazing music has the power to make you feel this way.

I am friends with an incredible group of people. We are all doing great things with our lives. I'm so lucky.

LT

A little soul searching

This week one of my best friends Michelle came down to San Diego to stay with me. We're both in the midst of big life changes right now so it felt good to connect. This morning it was a gorgeous day, but there was no surf. We decided to go to the Meditation Gardens at the Self Realization Fellowship in Encinitas. The land there is beautiful: lush green plants, ponds with koi fish the size of baby seals, and lots of shaded areas. I felt like I was in Hawaii. I've now decided that I'm going to go there every day I'm in need of inspiration. It's simply beautiful.

On Sunday I plan to join the "Walk to De'Feet ALS" in honor of Michelle's father, who passed away two years ago from ALS. When Michelle's fathe r passed away she started a 'Never Give Up' wristband campaign in his honor. To this date she has raised over $100,000 for the ALS foundation. Michelle took something terrible that happened to her, and made something good out of it. She is one of my heroes.

If you never Try, you'll never know...

***Note: I came across this blog and realized I wrote it one year ago today.Enjoy. -LT**

This morning I pulled up to the beach and looked at the waves. I was a bit disappointed at how small it was. I sat in my car for 20 minutes debating whether or not I wanted to mentally muster the strength to put on my damp wetsuit and paddle out. I asked the old longboarder dudes in the truck next to me if it’s worth paddling out and they look at me like I’m some kind of wimpy freak. “Of course it’s worth going out,” one of the guys says. “Everyday is worth paddling out.”

The wisdom of the old men stuck with me. I put on my wetsuit, met up with my friend, and jumped in the water. The waves were much better than they looked—fairly small but perfect shape that was great for practicing some moves on a longboard.

As snowboarders, we are faced with decisions like this all the time. Some days it might be snowing so hard you can’t even see your arms as you place them out in front of you. But you know what, that day might be the day you score the best snow you’ve ever felt under your feet. My point is this—if you’re debating whether or not something’s worth doing, just do it and see what happens. Better to regret something you did than something you didn’t do.

I like people who say yes. Be a yes person.

2006 Orange County, CA Race for the Cure

*Taken from http://www.syrentha.org/events/index.php

Members of Thrice and SSE joined 40,000 people in the Orange County Race for the Cure (OC RFTC) 5K co-ed walk on September 24th, 2006 at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Ca. Now in their third year of participation, team "ThriSSE" brought more than 90 people together on a sunny Sunday morning, including members of Thrice, their friends, family, fans, and SSE supporters.

Due to a glitch with UPS, the signature Thrice and SSE team shirts were unable to be delivered in time for the event. Everyone involved pulled together quickly and each team member was given a plain black tee to wear for the walk. Team "ThriSSE" had no problem getting noticed as the only group rocking black filled the streets of Orange County with SSE banners and signs. Team members will later receive their shirts in the mail.

Once the sun went down, everyone reconvened at The District Lounge in Old Towne Orange. As a special thank you to the team, Ashua, The Cold War Kids, Chuck Ragan, and Dustin Kensrue played a passion filled, acoustic only set for their fans. Thank you to all who participated and volunteered to help, you are what make SSE fly.

-LT

Let there be Internet!

After four months of dealing with major problems with COX communications, we finally have internet at our house again. In addition to this personal blog, I am going to start another blog focused on ideas that were brought to my attention while reading an article in Business 2.0 magazine. Now that I have night times to blog, I plan to be posting every other day at the very least. Blogging is so hot right now...I'm all about it!

Holy iTunes 7.0

Apple does it again. I'm so impressed with this new interface, and I'm jumping in my chair thinking about the release of iTV. More on this subject to come.

Congratulations Lukas Rossi!

Congratulations to Lukas Rossi, the new lead singer for Supernova.

Reality TV has never been my cup of tea. This summer I got hooked on a show I never thought I'd ever be interested in: Rockstar Supernova. The show is like American Idol (another program I'm not even slightly fond of), but with rock music. Fourteen finalists were chosen to compete on the show where each week the contestant is given a cover song to perform with the house band. Let me tell you about the house band: simply amazing. These guys are the epitome of true musicians. Versatile, dynamic, and can play anything and everything under the sun. It's hard to mess up a song when you've got a strong foundation like that behind you.

There were a couple performers on the show who I enjoyed watching each week, but when it came down to who was best for the band, I knew all along it'd be Lukas. He was the only one on the show to change his songs up from week to week and show the band diversity in his performances. To top it off, he was willing to play without the house band making him sound amazing. None of the other rockers were really able to do that. If he didn't win, I believed it would compromise the entire show's integrity. Luckily, I didn't have to do that and I would have been really upset and pissed off.

While I'm not jumping on the Reality TV boat (it's a sinking ship in my mind), I think Rock Star is really great for rock music and music in general. Why? Most kids these days are completely sheltered from the wonders of classic rock and roll. Unless they are influenced by their parents, most teens are listening to crap like Fall Out Boy and Angels and Airwaves. There is a lot of great new music out, but throwing classic rock in the public's eye for a change is very healthy for the music industry. Plus Jason Newsted, Tommy Lee, and Gilby Clarke are all rock icons who have now been exposed to the younger generation. I still can't believe I had a crush on Jason Newsted when i was 14. Now he looks so bony and haggard to me. Eww.

Anyway, congrats to Lukas and I wish this band the best. I might even try to catch their performance in San Diego if I'm in town. If any other singer would have won, I would be staying as far away from that band as possible.

The Way of the Peaceful Warrior

I've been lucky in life. Whenever I feel I am in need of inspiration, I've been fortunate enough to find it. It could be through anything: a walk on the beach, a phone call with a good friend, sitting at a coffee shop observing others, paddling out on a surfboard, hiking in the mountains, or even reading a book.

Two years ago I found inspiration in a book by Dan Millman called The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Recommended by my mom who devours books, I knew this had to be a good pick. I read this book at a time of uncertainty in my life and found a lot of answers by the time I turned the last page.

Last night I saw the movie adaptation of this book. I have to admit, I never thought this book would EVER be turned into a movie. However, seeing that it was playing at a small independent movie theater gave me higher hopes. I saw the movie and it was like reading the book all over again. I left the theater so inspired. My mind was clear from bullshit. I really think if people could apply the tactics of this book into their daily lives and learn to live in the moment like this book teaches, the world would be a better place.

"The past is history, the future's a mystery, and this moment is a 'gift.' That's why it's called the present."

Enough spiritual talk. Either go read this book, or have a beer in honor of LT. Either way you'll make me happy.

Half Marathon? Check.

Current mood: sore

Yesterday I completed my second half marathon. It's weird to think I've now been crazy enough on not one, but TWO separate occasions to go out and pay an organization to wake up at four o'clock in the morning to run 13.1 miles. What the hell is wrong with me?

I got to thinking about it and I realized it's not about the running-- it's about setting a goal for myself and then accomplishing it. My whole life I've always had a running list (no pun intended) of intentions in my mind I set out to do-- whether it was to get straight A's in school (yes I'm a big nerd), learn how to surf, or get a black belt in karate. I've always set the bar and made sure I finished whatever crazy mess I started.

I remember thinking my senior year of college how it would be cool to complete a half marathon. I started training, but not seriously. Getting to the gym two times a week was a big enough achievement at that time. When I signed up to train for USA Fit last summer, my main motivation was to lose weight. Staying home and not drinking every Friday night for 6 months was a pain in the ass and I hated it. Looking back now, it was all worth it. I admit I wasn't nearly as trained for this half as I was the last, but the discipline I learned in the running program last summer is what helped me get through yesterday. I even shaved off 10 minutes off my time. Not too shabby.

So what's next? Well, the half has been a big enough life check mark for now. I think I'll soak in that one for awhile, or at least until my ankles have recovered. I like telling stories, and when I'm old and gray sitting in my rocking chair, I want to have a ton of them to tell.

Now that I think about it, next on the list is learning how to Scuba Dive. I like fish.

First Blog

Hi. I'm new to this whole blogging interface deal. I have a blog on Myspace that I occasionally use, but I feel a bit overwhelmed typing my personal thoughts and leaving them accessible to my 361 friends. Yes I know them all in person and they wouldn't be my friend if I didn't think they were cool, but some stuff is just meant for that inner circle of friends. Hence this blog. I am really excited about posting pictures and learning how to use this blog as a cool way to convey my thoughts. Plus, it'll get me into good writing shape because we're in production right now and I'm taking on three feature stories for the next issue of Snowboard Trade News. I'm excited to take on this responsibility. Now it's time to get some frozen yogurt. More to come.