Finding Fabulous

Going down?

I suck at writing regularly.  I used to have this routine where I would wake up and write, while I drank my morning coffee.  It was good discipline for me.  But now, my lack of routine has led to a very sad state-of findingfabulous.

Part of me thinks it might be better to take this blog down. But the other part wants to strive to make it better.  I just don't know if I can make this blog a priority anymore... And it makes me sad.

The sound of settling

I'm pretty sure that I officially like San Francisco. Like anything, there is always an adjustment period. And mine was a little bit intense.

Not only did I move across the country to a new city. But I started a job that was so crazy I cried. And I think not having the time to explore and learn my city weighed down on me. Plus, I had no routine. No exercise schedule. No fabu Thursdays to look forward to. Nada.

But these things take time. And life is getting better. San Francisco is great. But I think what I love the most is the ability to explore. We can go sailing in the bay. Drive south and hit the beach. Drive north and hit the vineyards. A little further north to the ski slopes.  There is so much variety, you can literally do anything you can imagine.
So, as much as I miss my friends, and my New York habits, I think I've come to terms with life, and the lifestyle of San Francisco.

Official (wedding planning) Rant Session

I hate to do this, but planning a wedding is absolutely going to drive me to my wits end. And I have to bitch.

The last thing I want to take away from the fun of being engaged. And I want to TRY to avoid being that girl who is consumed with every plan and every detail. Things are going to go wrong. They always do. It is what it is.

But, I am already hitting road bumps at a very early stage... 13 months to go and I am already frustrated! Not good. Not good at all.

So, here's the deal. Brian and I found a sweet location to host our ceremony. He really wanted to book it, but I was hesitant because I wanted to make sure there was 'nothing better'. Guess what? It turns out this location is my favorite - and it has been booked by another couple. Boo!

Of course, Hawaii has a billion gorgeous places. But finding the perfect place is probably going to be tough. A beach would be fabulous, but you have to understand that there are no private beaches. I know it would be pretty, but having our wedding on a public beach defies my position about not having our wedding at a resort - we want privacy. Maybe I am asking too much here. I really have no idea. I am at the point of potentially changing our date. Stay tuned...

In other news, I have named my bff Daphne the official maid of honor. It feels good to at least have that part done. She is going to be the best MOH EVER! The rest of the wedding party is still TBD. I am struggling with size of the party, people's feelings, and general unsureness about it now. I have to have my sister and Brian's sister. We only want 5 people max on each side. So there are two spots left. Maybe we can host some relay races in Vegas. Top two contestants win a place in the party! LOL!

And lastly, I am in desperate timing constraints to send our 'save the date' cards. Or whatever they will be... Still haven't picked them out. But I have an appointment this Friday to review the full ensemble of beach-themed stationary.

Oi Vey!

What's up with Facebook?

What makes facebook cooler than MySpace? I mean, I get that there is something...but I haven't quite pin-pointed it yet. Maybe it is the lack of press highlighting internet stalkers and child molesters? Or, maybe the functionality is really that much cooler...

Can I kick it?

T-minus 1 hour until I walk out the door and start my weekend.  And can I just say I am sooooo ready for a break!  Not that this week hasn't been pretty fun, but I am on the verge of burn-out. I guess having all day meetings, that turn into a four-hour sailing trip, then into a late dinner and lots of drinks will do that to a person...

Anyway, this weekend is Holly's wedding, in the fabulous Breckenridge, Colorado.  I can't think of a better weekend retreat than hiking, biking, breathing fresh mountain air, and watching two of my good friends say their vows.

However, there is one nagging feeling I have that won't allow me to relax. A TOAST!! I completely forgot to prepare a toast for the reception - even though I have been warned on multiple occasions to prepare a funny story.  And unfortunately, this isn't something that can just 'get done' with ease.

So, as much as I am dying to relax, I cannot really chill out until I have a speech prepared... Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated. AND, if you want to go ahead and write the speech for me, I'll give you five bucks.

Giving in...or pretending like it

I finally got the iPhone. Yes, I realize it just came out not-too-long ago. But, I wasn't one of those Apple fanatics who slept in front of the store overnight just to get the proclaimed piece of metal. And I am glad I didn't. Because you can get an iPhone ANYWHERE nowadays.

Everyone in my office has one. (Keep that on the DL, since our biggest client is a competitor.) All I ever hear anyone talking about is how cool they are. It got to the point of being annoying, until Brian convinced me to go into the AT&T store and play with it yesterday.

Let me say - MAN, IT REALLY IS AWESOME!! We have macs at home, so this is like the one device that brings everything full circle. I have all of my music (goodbye iPod), all of my photos (iPhoto, what?), my email, the freekin weather, wifi access, etc, etc.

I was almost annoyed with all the iPhone praise. But now I totally get it... You should buy one too.

I'm a freak

Well, maybe 'freak' is extreme. But I am definitely more than paranoid these days. In the span of three days I heard about a violent mugging to a coworker, a gun point mugging to a neighbor, and I actually witnessed two dudes on bikes break a car window and grab a purse - in broad daylight! Then, I had my first visit to the Tenderloin. Which is what I picture NYC's Meatpacking District to be about 10 years ago. The trendy bars are starting to be built, and the swank restaurants are also coming up. But is it still creepy and over-run with, well, a 'not-so-good' crowd.

What I am trying to say is, with all this scary-ness happening, I keep thinking I am next. Of course, I know I am partially ridiculous. I have so many friends who have lived here for several years and never even heard of a crime. But, I feel like I am surrounded by it. And as much as I hate to dwell on the negatives, today I really can't help it.

As I walked to work this morning, I was admiring my bling. All of the sudden, out of the corner of my eye I caught this man running towards me. He didn't look too good. Scary, in fact. So, in broad daylight, I started running to catch-up to some random guy on the street. Of course, I realized the guy I was running from was just avoiding a car. As I worked to catch my breath, the guy who I had caught up to, gave me a awkward look. All I could say is, "I'm a freak." He looked scared. And I was too busy to avoid being mugged to make any further effort to explain why I was in a full sprint on Polk Street.

I can only end this blog post with the following:
I vote Giuliani for mayor of San Francisco. Because, as good as Gavin is to look at, he clearly is oblivious to what is happening here.

Woo, wee

I just got home from shooting one of the soon-to-be funniest commercials. Or, at least that is what I am hoping for... The theme is all about being a billionaire. But the goal is to sell a phone. Interesting concept for sure. As soon as it posts to YouTube, I will place it here.

We shot in a mansion in Westlake Village, just outside of LA. From the infinity pool, to the helicopter pad, to the exotic car collection, I was pretty much in awe the whole day. The other half lives quite well.

Aside from the amazing scenery, I was really excited to be a part of the production. It has been a long time since I have been on a shoot. I am always amazed about the hundreds of crew members doing a variety of things, from scene set-up, to filming, to wardrobe... Of course, my main job on the set of a production is to manage the clients as they run rampant, make comments, and create havoc. The most difficult of all jobs. ;-)

So, needless to say, I am completely exhausted today. I even elected to miss a work party. I know! Me, passing up free drinks. It is crazy. But, a good nights sleep these days is almost as loved as a platinum diamond ring...

Culture shock

In a lot of ways, I am in culture shock and in some ways I am just getting over it. Most of it is the good shock, where you freak out and have to deal a lot of emotional baggage, then you come out the other side, take a deep breath, and think - that wasn't so bad. But seriously!? Who are you kidding? It was terrible!

I'll elaborate. First, we'll start with the most intense shock. Work. Holy Toledo! I've never worked a 75-hour week before, or a consistent month full of 60-75 hours of work-weeks. I barely see daylight! It started out moderate. But, as I got immersed, it turned into torture. In my third week, I was covering for two people while they traveled on a 16-day shoot. This was when things took a turn for the worst. I stopped sleeping, and became so overwhelmed that I may have even shed a tear during a very late night at work. Luckily, no one was around to see that. Fortunately, my team is back and I now have 2 assistants pitching in. So, the work load has become manageable. And the regular 60-hour weeks are becoming second nature. I get to go on a shoot next week for a VERY fun campaign I am working on. And feel like I am slowly making my way to the side of feeling a bit of love for my job. Now we just need to work on the hours...

Next shock is fun. Engagement shock. Commons symptoms are: being blinded by your ring finger, feeling surprised when you look down and see the rock, hyper-ventilating when you think about all the planning and organization necessary to have a wedding.

I am also in a bit of the following shocks, but will save them for another blog-worthy day:

Public transportation (a.k.a. 30X) Shock
Earthquake-alarm-drill-testing-every-Tuesday-at-noon shock
No-screens-on-windows shock
Impossibility-to-get-a-cab-on-Friday-night shock
50-degrees-in-the-summer shock
I guess those are the big ones right now... :-)

Well hello!

This has probably been the longest I have gone without writing since the inception of my blog. It has nothing to do with blog-boredom. But a long list of higher priorities. So I apologize to my friends and family who visit this blog for some good JC humor. And I love you guys for bugging me about writing again.

We all know how it goes. New city. New house. New job. New friends. New life. That's a lot. All of which should have been covered here... but I plan to recommit.

I am now also building another site for an upcoming wedding, which would be MINE! Once it is up and fabulous, I will share more details.

So stay tuned!! I shall return with my ridiculous antics and commentary about all things fabulous. And there may even be a redesign in the future. ;-)