Runnin' and Runnin'

Better late than never, eh?
Life is good, my darlings. Not as good as the UPs, mind you, but good enough. It's been a busy past few months and I thought my blogging days were over. But all that changed with a quick weekend trip to Utah. I was reminded how much I love the UPs and their blogging ways. And so here I am. Here's the latest and greatest:
March - missed out on Moab but made a trip to Vegas to see my auntie get hitched by Elvis. Good times, indeed.
April - scheduled a trip to Arizona, got stuck in the airport and ended up right back where I started withou actually going anywhere.
May - had a visit from my baby sister and her friend. Naturally, we hit DL and a few other prime SoCal locations. I tell you, this place never gets old.
June - headed to Washington for my sister's graduation and some family pictures. All the siblings were together for the first time in 6 or 7 years. Throw a game or two of RISK in the mix and you've got a recipe for a rip-roarin' good time.
July - headed up to the Hollywood Bowl in LA for an evening with Riders in the Sky. It was a tribute to Gene Autry and John Wayne. It's okay to be jealous - it was pretty much the best thing ever! Follow it up with a weekend trip to Salt Lake City and I'd say life is pretty close to perfect. Well, maybe not perfect, but good enough.
And here we are, mid-month and back to blogging.

stranger than fiction

i just got back from the theater. stranger than fiction was the order of the evening. i've just added another film to my top 10 list. it's fantastic. the writing is absolutely brillant and the cast is genius. it's not often that i absolutely love a film so this is very exciting for me. i can't believe i waited this long to see it.
the whole premise of the show really got me thinking about my desire to expand my writing abilities. i don't know if i've got it in me to write something good but more and more lately, i'm willing to try. honestly, i wouldn't even know where to start. i think part of my problem is that i think too systematically. writing is an art form and it's not something you can learn, per se, from taking a class. i mean, you might pick up a few technical hints but you've either got it or you don't, right? hmm, i'll have to look into that more. i've always been pigeonholed as opinionated but sometimes i wonder if i really do have an opinion.
that's all i'm going to say for now. i've been thinking about how much people share in blogs and i'm rethinking my stance on the whole blogging thing. i mean, it's convenient when people want to check in and all - but can't they shoot you an email? that gives you WAY more control over who knows what information and how much of it they're privvy to. not that i have so many dark secrets to hide, but you know what i mean. right?
i'm going crazy.
i just loaded office for mac onto my laptop (well, it's been a few weeks) and i keep getting errors on msn messenger. it's totally annoying! just thought you should know.

Birthday!

Angel's birthday is today. I made her a cake. I totally validate your feelings of envy with regard to my cake-making skills. It's pretty much the awesomest cake ever.
I love birthdays so much! Sometimes I get sad that people don't share my love of birthdays. Come on - cake, ice cream, presents - does it GET any better than that?! I think not, my friend. Yay for birthdays!

Patches O'Hoolihan

In the past few weeks, I've definitely earned the the right to claim a love of travel - Hawaii, San Francisco and the great state of Washington in a matter of weeks! Life just keeps getting better and better, my friends. Granted, I don't have any vacation time left (in fact, I'm in the negative) but it was worth every minute. Every minute. Life is so good. Not perfect, mind you, but good.
Hockey games, tap classes and Disneyland - does it get any better?! I don't think so.
I did get a flat tire today but I'm not gonna let it get me down. Granted, I'm surprised they lasted that long (Thanks, Richard!) but there comes a time in every person's life when they have to buy new tires, right? I can handle it.
I wish I could provide a more exciting account of my life's activities but the truth is, it's not really that exciting. Shocking, I know. I'll keep you posted, friends. Just in case something exciting does happen. Just a warning - don't hold your breath.

I Like Life

Martha and I are watching "Scrooge" right now and Ebenezer is currently with The Ghost of Christmas Present. The Ghost is teaching Ebbie about all of the wonderful things that life has to offer for those who are willing to reach out to their brothers in loving kindness. Lucky for me, this version of "Scrooge" is a musical, so Mr. S and his supernatural friend are singing a delightful ditty entitled "I Like Life." In between getting the fire roaring in our fireplace and creating the masterpieces that are my s'mores, I managed to tune into their song. I caught enough of the song to start thinking about how much I like my own life. You know, I could probably find a million things "wrong" with my life, but the reality is that my life is most delightful. I really do like life. It's as simple as that.
This weekend, Martha and I got a Christmas tree. It's a delightful bit of four-footed (as in 4' tall, not as in it has four feet) beauty. It's been a few years since I've had a real tree in my home and having it here now, I can't believe I went so long without one. What a delight! Somehow, having a tree brings in the Christmas spirit faster than hot cocoa and caroling. Okay, maybe not faster than either of those things, but having a tree really is great. The end.
Tonight was the First Presidency Christmas Devotional and, I must say, I'm always surprised by the overwhelming love that I feel for the Brethren of the Church. They really are the sweetest, most Christ-like men who have a fantastic ability to motivate the members of the Church to be and do better. Elder Faust told a particularly sweet story about a single mother who was the beneficiary of several anonymous acts of kindness. I felt very inspired to reach out to my brethren and sisters in anonymous service. When we reach our to serve simply for the sake of serving, the rewards are much greater than the accolades of men could ever be.
Isn't it amazing how the Holiday season has such a power to instill goodwill among all? I think it is fascinating. I think I've been a bit Scrooge-y in my old age. I'd like to change that this year. This Holiday season, I want to focus more on the Savior and his example in reaching out to all those who are in need. I know that reaching out in love and service will bring a greater closeness to my Heavenly Father. I really am looking forward to it.
Happy Holidays, my friends. And it's only the beginning.

The Be-Dazzler

Okay, so I didn't get a be-dazzler for Christmas but I did get a new sewing machine from the Moms and Pops team. Man, it's a beauty! Luckily, Tall Mouse was having a huge sale on fabric so I traipsed right over there and bought some fabric to get started on my Christmas gifts. I'm making quilts for nieces and nephew - they're so cute! I'm so proud of myself and so excited about my little lap quilts. I'm the best auntie EVER!

Hakuna Matata

La Vie en Rose

Lately, I feel like I always spend the first bit of my blogs berating myself for my lack of blogging. And, while I may deserve to be slapped around once in awhile, I've determined that my lack of blogging isn't because I'm lazin' about with nothin' to do - it's because I'm delightfully busy with millions of things going on. Yep, it's true - millions, I say. Life is good, my friends.
It's been a month since my last blog and I was comin' up out of a funk when I wrote that last tidbit. I'm happy to report that life is so good right now. I had to laugh as I read last month's blog - I sound like a crazy woman! I promise I'm not bipolar (no offense)! I think I just allow myself to feel emotional highs and lows freely and openly. Se la vie. Anyway, life's great and, while it's not perfect, I really can't complain.
Oh, man - I don't even know where to start amidst the array of festivities that have occured over the past month. For starters, I spent the first week of November with my beloved Utah Peeps. We cruised the Mexican Riviera like only the UPs could - seriously, if it was possible to bottle up a "good time" and sell it, we'd corner the market. Good times, good times.
The Holidays are here, friends! Can you believe it?! Get ready to kiss 2006 goodbye 'cause she's out the door! Oh, man - time flies when you're havin' fun! Thanksgiving was lots o' fun - I hung out with my new roomie, Martha, and all her family. The day after that, I went up to LA for a private screening of The Lion King. Okay, okay, it wasn't a private screening but it was overwhelmingly incredible! I've wanted to see the show since I was in high school and it was totally worth the wait! The costumes were incredible and some of the dances were absolutely breathtaking. Now, it's no Les Mis or Phantom but, if you have the chance to see it, you won't be disappointed!
All in all, my friends, I'm livin' the good life. I feel so blessed to be who and where I am right now. I hate that sometimes I forget how blessed I am but that's the way of the natural man, right?

Happily Ever After

Generally speaking, I like to keep my blogs cheery and light. And since you never really know who's reading these things, I don't like to unload too much when I'm feelin' blue. But I have been in the serious dumps lately. And there it is, my excuse (in a nutshell) for my blogging suckiness, of late. The thing about feelin' blue is that you're trying so hard to be strong and funny and optimistic on the outside that by the time you get alone with yourself, you become so overwhelmed with all the negative thoughts you're not sharing, venting, or working out that they triple their efforts to make you deal with them and they haunt you at inopportune moments. Say, when you're trying to get that beauty sleep so you don't walk around like a cranky biatch (pardon my french) all the time. The thing about realizing your life is wonderful (and mine very much is), is you feel incredibly guilty when you're in the dumps anyway. So, I think I've hit bottom, and it's time to come up again. It's so funny - I'm beginning to realize that there's no happily ever after, where you get your dream and then, POOF!, you're happy forever and ever. I think that once you get your dream, you enjoy it for a bit, and then it's crucial to find another dream or build on the first one and grow it. But without something to work towards and look forward to, and dream about, life gets very, very stale - no matter how good you know it is. I hope that's not an ungrateful, compulsive need for more, more, more, but rather, a human desire to constantly grow and reach and envision something, to move ever closer and closer to our outwardly achieving what our inner potential deems possible.
I feel like I've been at a party for a year, where I've had a wonderful, wonderful time, and been giddy with the excitement and newness and thrill of it all. And then, for a few reasons, some valid, others not-so-valid, sadness crept in, and only now, have I started thinking about what I want to achieve next. I've decided that it's not the lack of ability to achieve our wants that keeps us back, it's the lack of knowing what we want.
And in thinking about it, the giddiness is creeping back, and I'm smiling just typing here. I want to be a better daughter, a better sister and a better friend. I want to get good at tap dancing so I can pick up choreography after the first or second try. I want to serve a mission. I want to be the kind of person that people are dying to know. What else? I want to inspire and be inspired. I want to go to sleep at night knowing that I was successful that day in something that was very hard for me. It turns out, I have big wants, and little wants, and once I started thinking about those, my brain started coming up with and figuring out ways to get started attaining them.
Viva le blog vomit.

Frenzy!

I can't believe I've gone so long without posting. I know all my peeps have been anxiously awaiting their next glimpse into the exciting life of Miss Paula. Well, wait no longer, my friends.
Okay, it's been a month so I'll just run you through the past few weeks. Hold on, I have to look at my calendar - it's all a big blur of trips and tapping and drawing and guitar playing. Yep, it's true. I'm a busy girl these days.
It all started on September 19 - "International Talk Like A Pirate" day. After spending a great day with me mateys watchin' the damsels in distress walk the plank, I went to a G. Love concert with my partner in crime, Miss Angel "Sing Like a Diva" Westover. Those good times were followed by a glorious trip to the Big Apple. That's right, folks, New York City. My dad, grandma and aunt all live on the Upper West Side in Manhattan so it was a family reunion, of sorts. I be-bopped from Yankee Stadium to Chinatown with a few stops at the Empire State Building, The Rockefeller Center and the Polish Day Parade. Polska! It was good times. I caught up with a good friend of mine who is currently performing in The Fantastiks on Broadway. Bright lights and knock-off designers - it was a dream. Let's see, my beloved Rashawnduh turned the big 3-0, I renewed my Disneyland Annual pass and found a new place to live. All in all, it's been a productive, if somewhat frenzied, month. But wait, there's more! The Utah Peeps are rollin' in at the beginning of November for round two of the joys of Royal Carribean cruiselines. 'Cept, this time, we're trading in the Carribean for Mexico's Pacific coastline. There's a few new peeps joinin' up so I hope they can handle it!
Alrighty then, now that we're all caught up - here's to a few more weeks of friends, fun and furious tappin'!

Auntie La-La

Home

For most of my life, I've considered myself a pretty independent person. I pretty much had it all figured out and was capable of functioning independent of anyone else. One of the things I dislike the most about myself is my tendency to push people out of life when I feel like my emotional security is threatened. I'm pretty much a heartless biatch. Yep, it's true. It's one of my less redeeming qualities, to say the least.
Here comes the good news: The older I get, the more my perspective changes on this issue. I just spent the weekend in my hometown playin' with my family, kissing my nieces and hugging friends I hadn't seen in a long while and it was fantastic. Every bloomin' minute of it! There is something about being around people that allow you to completely be yourself that brings an enormous amount of contentment. That contentment always leads me right down the path of self-reflection. Usually, and this time is no different, the first bout of self-reflection reminds me that I have so many great people in my life that I totally take for granted. This weekend was no different. The more people I saw and the more love I was recieved with, the more I realized that there are so many people in my life that love me, I mean, REALLY love me, that I totally take for granted. I have hurt a lot of people in my life simply because I was too much of a diva (it's a stretch, I know) to treat them with the same love and lack of selfishness they treated me with. Make sense? I didn't think so.
Anyhoo, chalk it up to one more blog vomit but it all boils down to this: I am going to do what I can to rebuild the bridges I have burned in my life. There are a few that I can think off right off the bat, and they're doozies, but I am determined to fix them.
That said, I just want to take this opportunity to thank all the peeps that love me despite my less redeeming qualities. I know that I'm not always the best friend I should be but I am going to work on being better. Really, I am. I don't always show it, but I do love each of you and appreciate the love you bring into my life.

Orphanage Benefit

I've become really involved with a foundation that supports orphanages in northern Mexico - Corazon de Vida. The foundation held a benefit to raise funds via auctions and various other events. All in all, it was a really good time but I realized a few things.
One, "do-gooders" do include women that dress like hookers and men that really can't hold their liquor.
Two, people who do good things don't necessarily do good things.
And, finally, in all of my service experience, there is something I've realized - when doing charitable work, it is almost always beneficial and appreciated but, generally speaking, it only tends to the temporal needs of the people. The most effective way to TRULY help people is to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ. As you know, the gopel teaches people to be self-sufficient not only spritually but temporally, as well. So, the best service we can give is to teach someone the gospel as we are seeing to their temporal needs. That way, when you leave them, you know that you've not only succeeded in feeding them, you've given them tools to feed themselves spiritually for the rest of thier lives. And a benefit of being a member of the Church is that you are able to learn how to become self-sufficient in every way. That said, it's hard for me to really throw myself into this work because I start to feel like I'm just spinning my wheels - doing good, mind you, but spinning my wheels, nonetheless.
Okay, now that you've witnessed my blog vomit, I will say that I do believe that CDV does great things. They are most adept at seeing that the most basic temporal needs, that we take for granted everyday, are seen to for these children and the home mothers.
Now the pitch, I'm trying to raise $1,000 to help offset the cost of school uniforms, supplies, etc. at one of the orphanages I'm visiting. I'm not quite halfway there but I think we'll get there soon. Anyway, any amount helps - small or large - so feel free to check out my Pledge Page.

Los Huerfanos

Hola, amigos!
I just went down to visit the orphanages in Mexico this weekend and had a most glorious time! I hadn't been in awhile and had forgotten how great it is. The 5 o'clock (yes, in the morning) wake up call is always a bit of a struggle but that is quickly forgotten once the kids see us coming down the hill and their little faces light up. It is truly a thing of beauty. This week, I visited El Faro, an orphanage built on top of a landfill. That's right, a landfill. I had so much fun! We colored, played football, blew bubbles and laughed our head off - it was good times all around.
The group I go down with, Corazon de Vida, organizes monthly trips to the 14 different orphanages they currently support. CDV is a non-profit organization that provides for the most basic needs of the children in these orphanages (food, water, utilities, etc.). It's great to work with a group that allows you to see the fruits of your labors. We raise money and then we get to go to the homes and see how that money has been put to use. It's a beautiful thing.
In all honesty, working with the children in the orphanages has changed my life. It is more fulfulling than I have words to express. I have always had opportunities to serve others but participating in this cause goes above and beyone anything I've experienced before.

Fabric Junkie

Sometimes I like to pretend that I'm domestic and can actually make stuff that is useful in everyday life. One time, I bought a dress pattern and fabric to make the dress. I think I got through the bodice and it was all downhill after that. The fabric is still wadded up in a bag by my roommate's sewing machine. Good times, good times. My one claim to success is this super easy bag pattern that Angel found. I've made a gamillion (okay, okay...maybe only 5) of the bags and I love giving them as gifts. And, I daresay, people love recieving them!
This weekend Angel, Martha and I went to the Fabric District in LA. It was my second experience but it was just as completely overwhelming as it was the first time. I mean, we're talkin' bolts and bolts of every kind of fabric you could possibly think of...all in one ginormous room. Craziness. Anyway, I found some super cute stuff for a new bag pattern that I'm pretty psyched about. We'll see how it goes. The same day, Tall Mouse (a hoity-toity crafts store near my apartment) was having a 40% off sale on everything in the store so I bought, you guessed it, more fabric and some sewing scissors. But it gets worse, I went to Joann's Fabric the other day at lunch armed with a 40% off coupon and a picture of the world's most fabulous sewing scissors in my head. They didn't have the scissors but they DID have bolts and bolts of the most awesome clearance fabric. Naturally, I bought some and now I've got three more sewing projects! Bring 'em on! If this doesn't domesticate me (what am I, a wild animal?) then I don't know what will. Wish me luck!

Paintball!

On Friday, the whole office went out for an activity day and we played paintball at Camp Pendleton. It was totally crazy but so much fun! It was my first time but I'm happy to report that I held my own. Sort of. I've got some knees that are lookin' a little scraped up and bruised but each day gets a little easier. I can't believe how much fun it was. The head honcho had all his own gear and he gave me the best paintball gun in the world. Everyone was super jealous and tried to say it was the reason for my success in the battlefield but I wasn't havin' it. I've got skills, man. Skills. After the first round, the adrenaline was totally pumpin'! I was crackin' up at myself because I was getting so worked up. I just kept thinkin', "I'd never make it as a real soldier." Overall, besides the hit in the face and the leg, it was some seriously good times. I can see while people get so pumped up about it.

Rejects Fair

Who doesn't love pop concerts? That's what I want to know. I mean, screaming teens, overpriced souvenirs and ridiculously loud music...what's not to love?!
Angel and I went to the All-American Rejects concert last week and, believe you me, it was more fun than a weekend with Batman. Good times all around. The best part was that the Pacific Amphitheater is connected to the Orange County Fairgrounds so we got all hopped up on fair food before we experience the joys of Tyson Ritter. Corn on the Cob, Brisket Sandwiches, Funnel Cakes...you name it, the OC Fair's got it! Okay, okay, back to AAR - they were fantastic. On the 10 scale, I was probably at a 4 before the show started. And they were only that high because I thought the lead singer was smokin' hot. By the end of the show, they were up (WAY up) to 8 or 9 status. They put on a great show. The lead singer, Tyson Ritter, had a great sense of humor and was really good about playin' to the crowd. And the best part was that their set wasn't too long. They played really well for an hour and then left you wanting more but still satisfied. Makes perfect sense, right? Okay, bottom line - The All American Rejects are far from being rejects. In fact, if Tyson wants to knock on my door, he can be confident that he'll be received with open arms.
Cheers.

Getty Goddesses

A Passion For the Arts

You know what I love the most about living in Southern California? There is always SOME great experience just waiting around the corner. I mean, not to rub it in or anything but life is so great!
Angel and I went to Pageant of the Masters this weekend. It's kind of hard to explain but I'll do my best. Okay, here goes. Basically, it's a HUGE undertaking but the artists take real people and paint them to look like 2-dimensional paintings or sculptures (obviously 3-D). It's really amazing. For example, they recreated the Trevi Fountain this year. It was incredible! They also did a few John Singer Sargent paintings. Oh, and the tradition is to do DaVinci's "The Last Supper" as the finale. It's truly amazing. I know I'm totally NOT doing it justice so go to their website - www.foapom.com. Even the website can't really do it justice but it's the best that can be done short of experiencing it yourself. So, if you're ever in Laguna Beach while Pageant of the Masters is going on, you need to make sure and get to the show.

Summer Lovin'