Not all who wander are lost...

...but I'm a little lost in my new apartment right now, buried under boxes and trying to figure out exactly why I thought the sofa would fit in that one spot.

As a result I'm behind on a lot of things, including changing my address for all my bills, figuring out exactly where all my underwear got packed, eating a real meal that doesn't come with Fire Sauce or french fries, and of course, reading all of your blogs. So this post is just me taking a breather before I dive back into my to-do list and I'll be back and in better shape next week.

The always lovely Robin over at Your Daily Dose tagged me to answer eight questions about myself and because there's too much going on for me to sit down and actually blog about it I thought to myself, Hey, why not? Answering eight questions can't be too hard. So thank you Robin for tagging me - you are always so consistently thoughtful and such a great blogger friend :)

Robin thought these questions up herself and now I have an extra homework assignment to think of eight different questions to tag others with. I'll do that later too.

Here we go!


1. We all dance with the seven sins from time to time. Which of the seven sins do you dance with most frequently, and why? They are wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony.

I think I probably dabble in all of these in some minor form or another during my day. Except pride. I'm really, really good at not showing pride.*

2. If you could live for a week in the body of someone famous, who would it be? You would still be you, but you could access their need to know info as you needed to know it. Of course, the kicker is that they would live in your body and have the same privileges.

I would live for a week in Stephen Hawking's body. That way, I'd be brilliant for a week in his body, he'd be able to move and speak clearly in my body, and we'd both be richer for the experience.

3. Do you believe that angels walk among us? That there are true psychics, mediums, or anyone who is more connected to God than the average person?

This is tricky. I don't believe angels walk among us physically but rather come to us as inspired thoughts (maybe it's that little voice inside all of us) and I don't think anyone is more connected than anyone else to God. I just think there are people who are better listeners than others. I'm working on becoming a good listener.

4) Have you ever dreamed about a future event that happened, a past event that happened when you were but a very young child, or anything that was just so real, but otherworldly, that you felt its truth in your soul? If so, I'm listening.

I've never dreamed about the future... my dreams are usually very obvious though, so I almost always feel their truth. I don't usually get too much otherworldly activity in my life...for which I'm very grateful. Once upon a time I took two weeks away from everyone and everything in my life and just prayed and meditated in a hotel room by myself. I grew so much spiritually that one morning I heard what the sunrise sounds like...but that's another blog post for another time. That's about the closest I've come to otherworldly (except for that time I was in the same room as a very cranky ghost...but that's ANOTHER blog post for another time.)

5) Do you feel like you have a gift that you aren't using? It could be for anything. Design, writing, art, photography, decoration. The list is endless.

I think I'd be a really good suicide counselor. I don't think I'm strong enough to use this gift to its full potential though.

6) Is there someone that you are unwilling to forgive? Is it weighing on your heart? Eating you up on the inside? This is a yes or no. If it is yes, I hope you make the choice today to want to forgive and then let it go. Throw out your desire into the universe.

I have forgiven everyone who needs forgiving - not for them, but for me. Forgiveness is a two-way road. It blesses both people and allows movement and freedom on both sides - and if one side isn't moving, the other side isn't either.

7) If we were able to take away or add one element into the heart of each and every man, which one would be the one that would make the most difference in making this world a better place to live?

I wasn't sure if this question meant "man" as in "mankind" or as in "males." So I'll answer both. If I were able to take away or add one element into the heart of each and every person (mankind) I would take judgment away. How many times do we needlessly judge others? And for what? To build ourselves up? To tear others down? Our judgmentalism keeps us from reaching to those in need, to realizing that everyone is doing their best, to letting ourselves lead guilt-free lives full of unconditional love for ourselves and others. What does it matter how the person next to you is living their life? It doesn't affect you any. Let it go, get over it, live your own life and stop telling people what to do with their lives.

If I were able to take away or add one element into the heart of each and every male, I would take away the need to dominate women physically, emotionally, sexually, and spiritually. If someone sat me down and explained to me for a thousand years why men need to keep women from having power over their own lives, jobs, bodies, sexuality, and happiness, I still wouldn't get it. What is it that drives so many men to want to control women?

8) What is the last movie you saw at the movie theater? Using the five star system, how would you rate it?

Scott Pilgrim vs The World. I'd give it 6 stars out of 5. It's one of the smartest movies about relationships that I've ever seen. Don't let the 8-Bit video game fighting montages scare you away. Go with your loved one, giggle and laugh out loud, and then get over the past.


That's all, folks! Also, just to let you know - my girl Lira over at The Struggling Actress is away at Burning Man (that dirty hippie!) so she asked me to guest post for her. She's putting up my post Sept. 1st so go check it out!



*irony alert

the big reveal...in more ways than one

Ready for the truthiness? Yeah you are!

1) Even though I'm definitely a tomboy, I still put a lot of care into my appearance by doing my hair and makeup every day and making sure I always look my cutest. Hey, being a tomboy doesn't mean you have to dress like a guy :)

Lie. Total lie. Most of you called me on it too. Is it that obvious? Gah. At any rate, I'm not sure if it's laziness or having my priorities set straight, but I only wear makeup and do my hair for auditions. Life is too short to spend thirty seconds on some pokey-wand thing for my eyelashes and don't even get me started on curling or flat-ironing my hair. My daily wardrobe is a lot like this: tank top or t-shirt, sweatshirt, jeans, sneakers or flip-flops, and a pony-tail to finish it off. On Sundays when I go to church I take extra special care not to wear any clothing with holes in it, which is in itself exhausting to find in my closet. Holes in the clothing is like free air-conditioning. Plus I am more apt to get free coffee when my jeans have holes in them, not because my cute factor suddenly got upped to twelve but because I honestly think the Starbucks people think I'm homeless.

2) I went to modeling school when I was in junior high school, competed in modeling contests and shows, and even landed myself a modeling agent at one point. I also took professional acting classes as a kid at a renowned professional theater company in Southern California.

True! My parents, in a desperate attempt to teach me how to be a girl (it only backfired), enrolled me in a modeling school and I even had an agent at some point, who probably hoped (silly agent!) that one day I would be taller than 5'4". Not so. At any rate, as these things happen in the industry, my modeling agent stole money from her clients and skipped town back to New Zealand, but not before my mother tracked her down two hours before the flight and demanded our money back. My agent gave the money back to my mother, terrified. (This is why my mother is a bad-ass.) And I took professional acting classes at South Coast Repertory, a wonderful theater down in Orange County.

3) I worked retail once in LA and had Drew Carey as a customer. I asked him for his autograph - on his credit card slip. I had no idea who he was, but I did make him laugh really hard. I only found out it was him after he left the store.

True! Lemme explain this one - TV Drew Carey does not look like Real Life Drew Carey, nor had I ever watched a single episode of whatever show he was on. So this tall guy with NO glasses comes in and buys some books, I ask for his autograph on his credit card receipt, he laughs like it's the funniest thing he's heard all day, then meanders out the store. Another employee bee-lines for me and says, "Is he the first celebrity you've seen here?" And I say, "Oh, that wasn't a celebrity, I ask all the customers for their 'autograph' on their credit card receipts." She gives me a funny look and says, "No, that was Drew Carey." At which point my forehead wrinkles and I say, "I think I've heard of him. Doesn't he have his own TV show?"

4) I was a theater technician at my college, both during the school year and the summertime. I worked in the shop building sets, painting scenery, hanging lights from thirty feet above the stage, and did running crew as well for most of the productions.

True! I wandered into the theater tech shop the first semester in college and they didn't get rid of me for four years. They even started paying me.

5) I consider myself fairly fearless, but I hate roller-coasters. They scare the crap out of me!

Lie. I love roller-coasters! They're fun :)

6) I hate snakes. I can deal with spiders, cockroaches, bees, hornets, lizards, whatever...but snakes are gross.

Lie. I'm fine with snakes (my mother is terrified). I still remember 10th grade Chem class where someone brought in a beautiful boa constrictor and I volunteered to hold it and let it wrap itself around my entire body. It was gorgeous. I am, however, not a fan of cockroaches. At ALL. And bees make me a little nervous.

So there you have it. Three truths, three lies, no hard feelings. Everyone had great guesses and I loved all the comments.

But one comment in particular got my attention, from my blogger-friend Bathwater, who noted, quite correctly, "And the other adventure you are making us wait about.......hmmmmm?"

Which is that I haven't yet shown you guys the design for the tattoo I'm getting on Saturday!

Thanks, Bathwater, for the reminder :)

So without further ado, here's the tattoo I'm getting:

My friend Robert, who is a professional calligrapher, scripted the word for me. Entheos has three meanings, all of which I am absolutely in love with:

a) The Greek word entheos literally means "God within."

b) Entheos is the root word for our English word "enthusiasm," which I have in spades.

c) The American mythologist Joseph Campbell wrote that entheos is the suppositional opposite of entropy. Entropy is the theory that everything is moving towards chaos; entheos is the theory that everything is moving towards God.

How could I NOT get this word on my body??

So have a great weekend everyone...and think of me squirming in my chair, getting a tattoo and trying to be a tough girl. Once it's all healed on my body I will definitely be showing you guys pictures :)

survey says...

So the always awesome Jenn over at Jeans Friday tagged ALL of her followers with a cute little questionnaire to help everyone get through their half-way-through-the-week mark, so I'll do the same. Fill it out if you want, don't if you got something better to do, enjoy the randomness. :)

I've come to realize that my chest-size...changes based on how many push-ups I can do. This makes it very frustrating to buy bras in my size, because I technically waver between two sizes. Yay for working out.

I've come to realize that when I'm driving…I am very polite and courteous...until you do something dick-wadish and I take it personally.

I've come to realize that I need...to spend a little bit more energy taking care of myself and a little less taking care of everyone else.

I've come to realize that I have lost...many hours of my life being way too hard on myself. And I can't promise I'm going to knock it off anytime soon.

I've come to realize that I hate it when...people try to tell me what to do with my life. Not gonna happen, kids...

I've come to realize that if I'm drunk.... lol then I am probably someone else. I don't drink alcohol.

I've come to realize that I'll always ... look for the best in other people.

I've come to realize that my sibling(s)...are amazing guys. I wish I knew them better.

I've come to realize that my mom...is one of the strongest and most amazing women I've ever met.

I've come to realize that my cell phone...will probably always cut off my phone calls when I drive in the canyons. Le sigh.

I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning... I'd already missed a phone call from a friend in Oklahoma and a text message that my best guy friend accidentally sent to me instead of his fiancee! To his credit, he apologized and then texted me, "Good thing it wasn't something dirty!" To which I can replied: "Yes, Eric. I am VERY grateful."

I've come to realize that before I go to sleep....I need to talk to that boy I adore.

I've come to realize that right now I am thinking...I should probably be writing another post for the Examiner already!

I've come to realize that my dad...probably did the best he could.

I've come to realize that when I get on Facebook...sometimes I wish people couldn't see me on there and start chat conversations with me...it always happens at the worst time and I look like I'm avoiding people.

I've come to realize that life...has its own built-in little sick sense of humor. So I try to have one too.

I've come to realize that this weekend...I am working! Ugh.

I've come to realize that the best music to listen to when I am upset...is quite honestly, ABBA. Particularly Take a Chance on Me, Dancing Queen, and Chiquitita. Don't judge, I still like Metallica and Alice in Chains.

I've come to realize that my friends...are the best people I've ever met.

I've come to realize that I love...quite a lot of things about life right now.

I've come to realize that I'm totally terrified... of fear getting in the way of me doing something great in my life. Well, that and the great white shark that lives in the deep end of my swimming pool.

tag, you're it...

So before I go into how my print ad shoot went on Friday, I was playing catch up with all the blogs I missed reading over the weekend and was meandering through the always-awesome Jenn's blog when I noticed that I was tagged by her to tell you 7 things about myself.

I've never been tagged before, as I think of myself as a fairly low-key blogger, and I am super-excited. And although I don't think I can compete with how freakin' cool Jenn's 7 facts are, I'll give it my best.

Thanks Jenn! You're the nicest! :)

1) In addition to once talking a man down from attacking myself and a friend in a dark alley, I also once talked a guy on the train out of knifing a girl. That remains one of the scariest experiences in my life.

2) By the time I graduated from college, I'd traveled to fifteen and a half different countries: England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Lichtenstein, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Belgium, Mexico, Canada, Japan and Bermuda counting as the half (technically Bermuda is still part of the United Kingdom. Whatever).

Because of all my traveling, I've learned two important survival skills: a) roll with it, and b) eat whatever is put down in front of you.

3) When I was in high school I was interviewed by the LA Times, as I was in a professional children's theater group at the time, but I told the interviewer that I had no interest in becoming an actress, as I wanted to become a marine biologist. Which leads me to:

4) One of the goals I'm determined to achieve in life is to cage-dive with great white sharks. But alas, I should probably learn how to swim first, which leads me to:

5) I can't swim. I almost drowned when I was little so water on my face really freaks me out. I can barely dip my face into running shower water.

6) I was born at home, not in a hospital, on purpose. My mom wanted a home birth...she got one.

7) I love learning languages... I studied German for five years, Latin for two, I was in a French class for six months that I finally had to quit because it was at 7 in the morning, and now I'm trying to find a place that will teach me ASL (American Sign Language) that fits with my work schedule.

and now for the tagging part, mwah hah hah... I'd love to learn seven facts about Lira, drollgirl, Iva, and Shanna Suburbia.

Go get 'em, girls...