Birthday Bash of the Year!

The much anticipated birthday bash of our favorite spa goddess was a HUUUUGE success!

It started out as an idea to have a little fiesta party, Mexican food....music. That was about it. Then it morphed into a much bigger animal, complete with Evites, fliers, and over 100 gorgeous, exotic balloons.

From the moment E and I got to her apartment to get everything started, it was nearly 3pm. The party started at 9pm, and frankly.....we needed more time. We had to finish the last few things as our guests were arriving. E was cooking up a storm, making the most delicious Mexican food you could dream of. Guacamole, taquitos, enchiladas, salsa, rice & beans...and I managed to make some yummy cookies and the birthday cake. I'm definitely a novice when it comes to decorating cakes, but how can you go wrong with chocolate cake and colorful sprinkles top to bottom?

While she was rockin' it in the kitchen, I was master decorator. I channeled my talented decorating mother as I strung streamers from every possible place, taping balloons to the walls, and tying the 100+ balloons to furniture to keep it from popping on the scratchy ceiling. It was gorgeous, if I do say so myself. How could it not with that many balloons?

Part of why I was so excited about these balloons is because it was the ONE request E had......balloons are her favorite. So my enterprising self managed to work out a deal with the balloon people, and for a delivery fee and two massages, had them brought straight to the house. I've never been so stoked. The look on E's face was priceless! She got so worked up, she managed to give herself a backache and forget what she was doing. (You'll understand when you look at this website! http://www.ballooncelebrations.com/)

Shockingly, people started showing up when the party was supposed to start....which doesn't happen in LA. Most folks are 1 to 1 1/2 hours late. Yeah, we had stragglers, too......but a LOT of people walked through the door at 9pm. Miraculously, the food was done, the ice was in the cooler....and we both managed to be showered and dressed.

That's when the alcohol began to flow.

I'm already a friendly person, but add a little alcohol (or a lot), and everyone becomes my best friend. I also become a superstar dancer (maybe in my mind, but I try anyway), and was rockin' AAAAALLL that my momma gave me, and then some! And I was not alone.....

I never used to believe people when they said they couldn't remember things when they'd been drinking. I get it now. A bazillion shots will do that to you. Apparently I fell and hit my head. From my position on the floor, I had presence of mind to take a picture to document the moment. I would imagine it was the last thing I saw that evening....

Fortunately, I disappeared from the party rather than causing a big scene and getting sick in front of the masses. People just started wondering where I was, and one by one, they found me passed out on E's bed next to a big pot. A big thanks to Vicki J and Angela for taking such good care of me..... :)

I was told the next day that my mock boyfriend Michael and I were dancing, fell over (yes, I fell more than once apparently), and his hand landed in the birthday cake. LOL. Fortunately, E had already blown out the candles. I remember being on a mission to find one of the only sober people at the entire party to carry the flaming cake. Candles, cake, and tequila don't exactly go hand in hand.

Everyone was dancing. Everyone was having an amazing time. Over 50 of our closest friends showed up. I didn't even know we KNEW that many people! It was incredible, and SO. MUCH. FUN!

When I woke in the morning, still in my party dress, next to a half naked co-worker that wasn't there when I went to sleep (no, it's not what you're thinking)....and I puzzled and puzzled, putting the rest of the story together. Folks have filled in the gaps, along with some of the funniest pictures I've ever seen. I was glad to discover I really didn't miss much of the party at all. I did, however, wake up with a bruised toe, a bruised forehead, and a minor headache. Shockingly....not much of a hangover. After 2hours of chillaxin...I was gooood.

I can't WAIT to do it again in December......when the big 3-0 comes along!! You're all invited! Happy Birthday to me! Tequila anyone?

High Maintenance

When did I become so high maintenance? One day, I opened my eyes, and suddenly....I was ridiculous. Let me break it down....

I used to be a tomboy to the tenth degree. Baggy pants, giant T-shirts, adidas or airwalks were my peddalers of choice. If it weren't for my giant boobies, you may have taken me for a dude.

Fast forward to my moving to Los Angeles, the land of make-believe and beautiful people. LA is also about a decade ahead of the rest of the country in the fashion world. Soon, my baggy, boyish clothes that were meant to hide my buxom body, were no longer acceptable. Bye-bye to the days of wearing pajamas to school and not only getting away with it, but being cool because of it. It didn't take long for my lovely friend D to hook me up with her Lane Bryant employee discount and a $150 gift card to replace my entire frumpy wardrobe.

Even after filtering in skirts, boots, and pretty knit sweaters.....I tucked those over-sized overalls that would give wiggle room to a 300 pound man away for a rainy fat day. Some things I was just not ready to let go of.

As time marched on, and small changes were being made in the wardrobe department of my life.... nothing changed much with my hair or make-up. Who has time for all that girly and primpy crap? Right?

Then I experienced a manicure and pedicure for the first time....and I fell in love. Despite my love for this new form of pampering, they remained special treats. Even still, this was as high as I climbed on the high-maintenance ladder.

Enter the era of 5 star standards. Working in Beverly Hills can be trip sometimes.... and even though you know how pretentious and silly it can be, you still don't want to be the schmoe with the bad hair and secondhand clothes....unless the label says Gucci.

In a fancy spa, where aestheticians have free time and you have a face that breaks out more than it ever did in adolescence, it gives you incentive to hit them up for facials. Thats exactly what started this avalanche of maintenance that got me here today. Facials make your skin glow and you feel like a pampered superstar.

The next item of business?? Waxing. Uuuuuh......I've always felt nervous about that. But now..... I'm a believer. It just makes things look nicer. :)

THEN....I went to the Kim Vo salon in our hotel (he's the super nice guy on TV all the time), and I requested a haircut. The colorist was horrified at all my gray hair, and in a matter of minutes, I was getting my hair colored and cut with a glass of champagne in my hand. Addicting? Absolutely!

Now keep in mind, these are all services that would normally cost me HUNDREDS of dollars for each thing....but trading services makes my world go 'round.

So I guess that means I'm a big girl now? Instead of throwing on whatever, using whatever, and shoving all my hair under a doo-rag......I get facials, get waxed in unmentionable places, get my hair done by celebrities-and-posse, and daydream as I get pampered with pedicures and massages.

What happened to me?

I guess I'm all grown up.

And now I can't imagine life any other way. :)

Cinco De Mayo Chola Style

I think I was a chola in another life. A hardcore kick-your-ass-til-you-cry-for-your-momma kind of chola. See for yourself......

It was Cinco De Mayo. Imagine a bunch of "healers" and "feel good" people AKA massage therapists getting together to grub, dance, and act crazy.

Keep in mind, we were in the heart of Beverly Hills.

The neighbors were afraid, the guacomole that E made was freaking A-mazing, and a hula hoop contest happened on the front lawn for all passers-by to see. Unfortunately I was too hardcore to take a picture of the hula hooping.... :)

It was a freakin good time!

Funkytown

I have been through the emotional ringer, and now.... the rollercoaster ride has come to an end. I now have a few days to get my life back on track and in order. So what do I do?

Nothing.

I eat a million cookies I made to give away, and suffer from heat stroke inside my disturbingly filthy apartment.

*siiiiiiigh*

Perhaps you could say I'm in a funk.

Despite my anti-social funkiness, things are projected to get better. I'm stoked about this summer! I haven't been this excited for summer since I was a little kid. Now that these delicious cookies are gone (I HAD to throw the rest away....I couldn't stop GRUBBIN), I'm back on track for getting this bikini body I'm dying to have. I have a workout plan, a meal plan, and an accountability buddy.

Here I come Fun-in-the-sun! Here I come trips-to-San Diego-and-Arizona-to-kick-it-by-the-pool. I'll spend days at the beach....... and hopefully meet hot, rich men to spend money on me and treat me like a princess. That will be summer '09 baby. Gotta take advantage while I'm still young,single, and childless.....because I know these days are numbered.

So I fantasize about summer to pull me out of my funk as I spritz myself with water in front of the fan, veg in front of the tv..... and pretend I have a housekeeper to clean all this mess.

The power of positive thinking.......

Changing once again...

The tides of change have swept through my life and things are shifting once again.

A couple months ago, I took a leap of faith. I made a career change and went from the land of candlelight and soft music to calculators and copy machines. I loved it. I was beginning to become good at it. My clients were convinced I knew more than I do.....I'm sure that's thanks to all those years as a thespian. I was helping people save their homes, and I managed to learn a thing or two about myself along the way.

I learned that there is such a thing as being too "nice". I discovered that by creating clear boundaries for myself, I will avoid drama and pain, and demand the respect from those around me. I learned that I need to stand up for myself no matter what, because who else is going to? I learned that it's OK to put your whole heart into something because its not important if you succeed or fail, so long as you gave it your all. And I learned to "man-up", grow a pair, and to stop taking any shit. I still have room for growth, but there's always a starting point.

I also received the most impressive and intensive training I could ever ask for. I learned a LOT about sales and how people think, how to handle difficult situations, difficult personalities, and how to stay in control of any given situation. Again, I have much room for improvement....but practice makes perfect.

I'm grateful they took a chance on me. I'm grateful for the people I was able to help, the fabulous people I worked with and everything in between.

Sadly, I made the difficult decision to let it go for now.... the time just isn't right.

Back to being a Free Bird. Back to the land of candlelight and soft music. Back to the gym, and hopefully back to having a clean house. But once I get my bearings, watch out. I'm sure I'll go back for more.....

Skinny jeans and high heels

In many ways, I feel my life has fallen spectacularly apart. Really.

But yesterday, I was able to experience joy that women the world over can relate to. I was able to squeeze into my skinny jeans. Barely......but those bad boys were zipped and ON. I also spent the morning shopping for clothes that I DESPERATELY need. I have been waiting about a YEAR to buy anything because I was waiting to lose weight that has never come off. So I broke down and shopped anyway with money I don't have (thank you Mastercard).

When I can come home with cute new clothes, a couple pair of high heels that I can actually WALK in, and to put on my skinny jeans....... despite the rest of my life being in shambles....I truly shed tears of joy.

The chaos that is my life....

I haven't had a day off in over 4 weeks. I've spent countless hours driving, sitting, and driving some more. Just when I feel like I'm about to collapse, its time for me to bust out a half dozen massages. Stacks of unopened mail are forming columns on my kitchen table, and piles of laundry are strewn about the house. I'm exhausted....and apparently it shows. I was just told how tired and stressed I look by a man that used to find me attractive. Yeah..... that's exactly what I needed to hear. Thanks dude.

I committed to focusing on doing the things I love this year....and when I feel like this, I really have to ask myself 'where is the love in this'? What's the silver lining? So let me try to answer that....

1. I haven't been able to work out consistently in about 4 weeks and its been driving me insane. I've worked too hard to build these muscles up, lift my booty, and get to where I don't feel tortured by going to the gym. My 7 day work week has prevented me from getting to the gym and I feel like a blob. Silver lining?.... my thigh muscles have shrunk so my work pants are not bursting at the seams anymore. Yes, you read that correctly. I stopped working out and my pants fit better. Such cruel irony.

2. I've spent a few weeks working a bajillion hours a day learning sales and 'closing deals', spent HOURS and HOURS commuting to and from work, I've taped my mentors on a recording device and constantly study it, I practice in the mirror, I play Zig Ziglar cd's when I go to sleep at night to train my subconscious mind how to sell, I dream about sales, and I have YET to close a deal. Even with this absolute immersion, I still don't make a DIME until I close. And each day that goes by with no money coming in, I'm starting to explore the possibility of a career in the phone sex industry. Silver lining?......I'm getting the best sales training I could ever hope to find. The trainers are willing to work with me one on one to help me become successful. I have found a good outlet to exercise my male energy so when it comes to relationships I'll be very happy to be oh-so-feminine. AND....I have two deals pending that look like they might close....so I can daydream about a paycheck coming my way.

3. I don't have time to do ANYTHING. NOTHING. NADA! It's even difficult to eeek out 30 minutes to sprint through the grocery store. My house is wrecked, my plants are dying, people are getting mad that I don't call or don't have time to go see them, bills are late, and I still haven't filed my taxes. *sigh* Silver lining?.......I eat less, so I haven't gained 300 pounds from the lost workouts. My wrecked house inspires me to have a full-time housekeeper someday, and maybe, just maybe I'll get money back from taxes since I was a first time home buyer last year. Maybe?

4. I haven't had time to practice my choir music when I'm supposed to be off-book soon, and I've been sketchy at best when it comes to attending MMA (mixed martial arts). It bothers me that these two things I love are getting sacrificed in the madness. Silver lining?......If I suck and really don't know my music, I can sing quieter and follow the group, or drop out entirely....lip synch through the whole damn thing, and enjoy the phenomenal talent around me. Silver lining for MMA?.....I bruised my foot, my hand, and my calves were on fire the other day, so skipping a couple days allowed me to heal.

5. I have dealt with one too many lame-ass dudes who say one thing and do another. My feelings have been hurt, I feel disrespected....and I'm way too freakin cool and way too old to deal with this crap. If these dudes can't see whats right in front of their face, then thats too bad for them. I try not to take it personally, but I do. I've past my tolerance for hurt feelings and bullshit.....and this last episode officially destroyed my mojo. It's kind of depressing because I've always had double doses of mojo magic. Now I've got NADA. Call me Asexual Amanda. Silver lining?...........hm. Gimme a minute...........................................................................................................
........................................................................................................................................................................
........ok. 100% of my focus can be on my money right now. Now my tolerance for bullshit is so low that I should be able to spot the losers and frauds waaaaaay before they weasle their way into my affection. Aaaaaaand I'm that much more clear on what I want and what I deserve.

So. To conclude......this chaos that is my life is oddly serving me, even if its in a sick and twisted way. I believe that what I'm doing will eventually lead down the road to success. From financial freedom to a bikini body, amazing choir performances to prince charming...... I believe this will all somehow be worth it in the end.

Just a quick note....

My first day of training for the new job was AWESOME. I'm in LOVE! I'm feeling very confident that I'll do well in this industry. Yeeees, I knooooow its only been one day. But the trainer is solid and really knows his stuff, the information is concise and interesting....and I nailed my very first sales presentation in front of the group today. YESSSSSSSS!

And another quick note......

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is the best workout in the WOOOOORLD and I've never had such a great time. And I'm saying this after I got elbowed in the face tonight and my body is so sore I can hardly move. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Sing For The Cure

Wow.

That's all I can say about the 'Sing For The Cure' concert I just performed in. It was incredible! I couldn't BE more proud. Talent POURS out of each person....from the most talented director I've ever worked with, to the musicians that sound like they were hand picked by John Williams himself, to each singer who gave their voice..... I was blown away! I WISH everyone I've ever met could have been there.

For your viewing pleasure....

It was a powerful, emotional performance dedicated to those who have won or lost their battles with breast cancer. Many tears were shed, many stories were told, and I'm grateful to have contributed to the message of hope that evening. Again, WOW.

Winds of change

The tides are ever changing in my life. Its scary, but exciting....always. I might be crazy, but I am looking at a career change starting...um.......Monday. To accomodate this new endeavor, I slashed my hours at the spa to weekends only. The good news about that is they were willing to keep me on for weekends at all.....the other good part of that weekends are the busiest spa days. If there is money to be made, its on the weekend.

I start my new job Monday morning. I will be sitting. I will be on the phone. I will be dressed in business casual. OMG....can I DO this?? :) Guess I'm growing up? I'll never give up massage entirely.....I love it too much. But real estate and business ventures drive my ambition through the roof, and with this change, I'll be working with loans....learning real estate from the inside out. Its a sales driven career and I've never really done sales.....but I know customer service, I know people......so I think I'll do well anyway. I'm ready. Bring it!

Five Hundred, Twenty-Five Thousand, Six Hundred Minutes....How do you measure a Year??

When life gets hard, its easy to get caught up in the day to day dramas. When the bills are rolling in, money is hard to come by, and relationships are in the toilet....its even easier to get distracted. Enter ME....queen of the easily distracted.

So to lift my spirits, I took my melancholy self on a date to see my favorite musical of all time....RENT. The reason I love it so much is the message..... measure your time in LOVE, treat each moment as if it's your last because there is no day but today. Most of us are plotting and planning for the future, or miserable or lamenting about our past rather than committing to this moment RIGHT NOW.

I'm not saying kick back and forget your responsibilities, or that your past doesn't matter......but what happens to us isn't who we are, and at the end of the day, the LOVE we have and share is really what matters. So be present in everything you do..... measure your time in LOVE because there is NO DAY BUT TODAY!

A belated Birthday Bash

Birthday sentiments from the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel are quite elaborate, indeed. Every employee gets a complimentary one night stay as a Birthday gift, and you have a year to cash in. This Sunday, I did just that.....and had the time of my life!!

I took my BFF whom we will call E. We started the day with a kick ass workout with Zammers who has been training E for the last month or so. He killed us, but it was really fun to have a workout buddy and someone to whine with as our muscles were giving out. We went directly to the Korean spa after that and got scrubbed and soaked for a few hours. Getting ourselves together at E's house, we finally jaunted over to the hotel to finish getting ready.

E was an absolute knockout, and my knee high boots and hair extentions were rockin the house. I gave E a little tour of the hotel as she hadn't seen much of it yet, and we made our way to dinner.

Dinner. It was an experience to remember. With four men attending to our table alone, we were served a bevy of appetizers, entrees, desserts, and FIVE different and amazing wines. Needless to say......we were having a GOOOOOOOD time! We passed through the kitchen to give our thanks to the chefs who took care of us all night, and we stumbled our way back to the hotel room. The room was amazing, and I would live in that bathroom if I could. Gorgeous. We slept in, had a delicious breakfast, and I spent the rest of the day playing in the hotel. Fitness room, spa.....showers with 10 nozzles pointed at you..... I was pretty blissed out. I didn't even check out of the hotel until 9pm....procrastinating leaving as long as I could.

In the end, we laughed nonstop, we lived it up.....and THAT is what a Birthday is all about!!

Never Normal

So I'm shaking things up these days. I'm never satisfied to do normal, mellow things. Normal is far too mundane for me. I have not been acclimating to the single life very well, so I make my life as busy and complicated as possible. Naturally. I've hussled up new clients, work is getting a little busier....and I enrolled my happy behind in school. School has never been high on my priority list as I already have a career I love.....but why not collect careers just as I've collected jobs all my life?? So I'm going to chip away at a degree in nutrition. I study about it on my own anyway.....may as well make it official. I'll have a while before I can even dream about graduating. Maybe by the time I hit 40. :)

Another shocking addition to my regime is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) class I'm taking three times a week. My schedule doesn't allow me to attend the beginning classes, so I'm having to crash the intermediate/advanced class. Tonight was the first one.....and I'm ALREADY sore!!! It hasn't even been an hour! Daaaaaaang. I'm so far over my head on this....and I LOVE it! I've never had this much fun working out in my LIFE. Working out and kicking ass all at the same time!!!??? Who knew?? I can't wait to see all my pudge go away for good. Six pack, you ask? Yes please. Tina Turner arms? Absolutely. Kick some bad guy booty? Mmmm. Ok. Just call me Kung Fu Panda.

So juggling work, clients, school, martial arts classes, and choir is an interesting challenge. My choir Vox Femina has a performance in three weeks on March 14th. We are Singing For A Cure, with the Susan G Komen breast cancer musical arrangement. We are singing with an amazingly talented group of men who rock my world. I am soooo excited about this concert! I get chills in rehearsals from this music! If you can make it.....please please do. I didn't get a solo this time around, but I was selected for a small ensemble. So excited.

So stay tuned for MMA updates (maybe I'll land myself in a size 6 haha), choir news, and stories of college life for late bloomers. :)

More holiday cheer

Here are a bunch more pictures from my birthday and Christmas. For some reason the last entry wouldn't let me post more than two pictures. Enjoy....

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Let me update the past month or so before I delve into the land of blogging 2009 style. I will tell you the play was a success. Glad it's over. Glad I'm no longer pretending to be a dude. The play was "Pirates of Penzance" and I was a pirate in Act 1 and a policeman in Act 2. Johnny Depp, eat your heart out!

My birthday was also a lot of fun. I ended up having a couple birthday parties, 3 cakes, and too much alcohol. One of the girls at the spa gave me my first facial and it was a little bit of heaven. I got my hair colored and cut in the salon at the 5 star hotel I work at for FREE while enjoying a glass of champagne. VIP all the way baby! I also went to dinner at my favorite restaraunt with a few of my favorite people. The night of my actual birthday, I took myself on a date with myself....heels and makeup included. I went to see 'Wicked' which was absolutely phenomenal.

Here is my brother and I at my birthday dinner...

I was able to go home for 3 days for Christmas. There's nothing that really recharges you like going home to be with family! We played, ate, and played some more. I managed to see a few of my closest friends, spent time with Gramma, and managed to get caught in one of the worst snow storms of my life.

Between holiday parties and birthday cakes, its a marvel that I didn't pack on 20 pounds. However, as I'm a bit of a health nut, I decided THIS would be the year to really push it and undergo total transformation. I'm going to start getting regular massages, facials, and my hair colored on the regular. (Have I been in LA too long?) I've also been working out like a madwoman. Eventually the fat will melt away.....at least thats the rumor. Before you know it, I'll have Tina Turner arms and a JLo booty. You just WAIT!

LOVE

By Emmet Fox

LOVE is by far the most important thing of all. It is the Golden Gate of Paradise. Pray for the understanding of love, and meditate upon it daily. It casts out fear. It is the fulfilling of the Law. It covers a multitude of sins. Love is absolutely invincible.

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer; no disease that enough love will not heal; no door that enough love will not open; no gulf that enough love will not bridge; no wall that enough love will not throw down; no sin that enough love will not redeem.

It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble, how hopeless the outlook, how muddled the tangle, how great the mistake; a sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all. If only you could love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.

"God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him."

My LOVE Mission

The other night, I had an epiphane. In a moment of absolute frustration, I forced myself to remember that EVERY moment is a gift, an opportunity. SO. I took some deep breaths and decided to write down what I wanted to manifest next year. My list was looking very materialistic, but I realized its not about the stuff, its about improving the quality of my life. Do I NEED to drive a black Mercedes Benz E350? No....but it will happen because I sure would LOOOOOVE to drive one!

Then I remembered a story my dear friend (whom I will call H&M) told me. She's an artist, and decided to study light for an entire year. That took her on a journey where she discovered bodywork, became a Reiki Master and a massage therapist. This was powerful stuff!

So taking her lead.... I decided I will spend this year studying LOVE. Sounds a bit silly, maybe even trite. But if you really think about all that could mean...its pretty major. I will spend this year falling in LOVE with myself, with my career, with the relationships and people I surround myself with. I won't eat something unless I LOVE it, which should help my waistline significantly! No more mediocre!

My friend E's dad imparted these words of wisdom when talking about relationships, "If it ain't magic, it ain't shit!" I dare say that's true across the board, not just in relationships. Secretly, I love that this compelling and inspiring message uses the word "ain't". LOL

I'm already experiencing huge changes from my LOVE mission. Things have already begun to shift, and even though I'm a little nervous about whats ahead, you can't go wrong on the path of LOVE.

Hula Hooping

Hula hooping. Probably not something you've thought about since you were 7. In fact, you were probably a rock star hula hooper when you were 7, but didn't care in the least.

Fast forward a couple decades and try picking up a hula hoop. You may find that not only are you no longer in the rock star category, but you're in the heart of the sucks-so-bad-I-don't-know-why-I'm-even-trying category.

Pan over to E, the hula hooping goddess. Big hula hoops, little hula hoops, around her arm, neck, middle, and knees.....I'm convinced she's in the running for a gold medal. I spent an hour at her house trying to get the technique down, and eventually I was able to keep the thing from hitting the ground every 4 seconds.

I will give you an insider secret though.......the bigger and heavier the hula hoop, the easier it is to do. Sounds backwards, I know, but I'm telling you the truth. E actually MADE me my own hula hoop. She went to the hardware store, bought the stuff, and later that night I was trying to fit the gargantuan hoop in my car. What a good friend.

Now that I have finally joined the ranks of the "cool kids" with my hooping skills, its time to move the furniture out of the way and reclaim rockstar status.

One more warning. Tequila and hula hooping is not advisable to do together. Just in case you were wondering.....

Rockin the MOJO

MOJO. It's a popular topic of conversations these days. What's your MOJO? Do you have that twinkle in your eye that drives the men crazy? Do you have that sexy swagger that makes the girls scream?

Word has been goin around that I have MOJO. Of course I'm flattered, who wouldn't be? But it begs the question....what IS my MOJO? I don't have a cute little chuckle. No. I have a deep, Santa Clause-ish belly laugh. I'm a little roley poley, so there goes my Hollywood Chic theory. Whatever my MOJO is, I decided it was worth taking a look around to see what kind of MOJO other folks are rockin.

I recently went out with a couple girlfriends of mine. After a little coaching and a few drinks, my friend E still was too shy to work it. E has very long hair, and one of our friends said, "E, all you have to do is flip that hair of yours and you'll have every guy in this room after you." In a moment of sarcasm and humor, E flipped her hair around like she was on an Herbal Essence commercial and smacked the guy behind her in the face! He whirled around half blind, eyes watering, wondering what the F#%@ was that??!

I don't remember the last time I laughed that hard!

E couldn't peel this man off her the rest of the night.

When it comes right down to it, MOJO is nothing more than knowing you are the coolest, sexiest person alive, and you'd have a rockin good time whether anyone was there with you or not. So forget overused tactics, pointers, or whatever your friends want you to do. We each have our own style of MOJO, and what works for some won't necessarily work for others.

Sheer Chaos

Today is the first day I've felt human in over a month, despite my messy house, messy bank account, and the cold I feel coming on.

This past weekend was my first performance with the Vox Femina choir. It was an incredible success! There was dancing, shuffling around, costumes....all sorts of exciting moments. We had a guest star singing with us, Broadway singer Rachel York. She was a last minute replacement for Tony Award nominee Susan Egan, but she rocked it and took the house DOWN. Gloria Allred attended the performance....a fierce attorney who takes on high profile cases. Just turn on CNN and you'll know exactly who she is. I'm happy to say she filed a lawsuit against the state of California due to the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 (law nullifying same sex marriage). Rock on sister! Here I am with the choir....... (I'm on the left side)




I'm also rehearsing for Pirates of Penzance. STILL. I feel like I've been rehearsing for five years! The show is the first weekend of December, and even though its been fun....I can't wait for it to be done. I'm over it. Only women can attend the show...I'm not sure why, but that's the story.


I also started a new job four weeks ago. I work at a hotel that is still under construction and our opening date is next week. We are learning body treatments in a meeting room with fire alarms going off for maybe 10+ minutes at a time, maybe 20 times a day....drills, saws, paint fumes, boxes everywhere, construction guys always trying to catch a peek as we lie naked on massage tables. Yeah, its a ZOO. I'm inclined to believe I'm getting a cold after the stress I've been going through....but it could just as easily be construction dust, paint fumes....all that fun stuff to give me congestion and free radical damage. As annoying as these things can be, once this place is up and running and more gorgeous than any place I've ever been, I'll be proud to say I've been through all this.

I haven't even seen the entire spa yet, but based on what I HAVE seen, it's the most beautiful spa I've ever been to. We offer stuff no one in town offers, and we'll be rockin busy. Award season....bring it on. (translation of award season = Oscar, Emmy, Grammy awards)

Here are some shots from training......






I work with some amazing, talented therapists! And it's great to make some friends along the way.

So all of this has been going on simultaneously, as well as some personal hardships that I'm working through. Now that the concert is over and the hotel is about to open, I'm expecting life to regain some kind of normalcy. I haven't worked out more than a handful of times in the past two MONTHS. It's only by the grace of God I haven't gained 400 pounds. I'll get to clean my house, return some calls. When I was doing a lot of nothing before all this started, I felt bad about being so lazy. Now I know it was making up for NOW.

Balance will be a beautiful thing!!

PS........YAY OBAMA!!!!!