The Life of Liz

Keeping Your Composure

2010-03-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Life can throw a lot of curve balls your way. Life can be beautiful, hard, frustrating, and enchanting. But I feel it's how we handle ourselves in the not-so-pleasant moments that determines what kind of people we are. Some people say they are so annoyed with their lives, so much so that when something fun or positive does come their way they say things like, "Ha! Take that, life!" as if they have outsmarted life or something. I simply don't see the need for that. When wonderful, fun things come your way, that is part of life! Tests will come your way too, but working hard and making sacrifices are just some of the things you have to do. Life never gets any easier. There is always work to be done, tasks to complete and eggs in the basket.

When you are having one of those day when you are "annoyed with life" just sit back and look at a few things: In this moment, in the here and the now, you have a roof over your head, you have food in your kitchen, and you have friends who love you. In this moment, this single, solitary moment, you are safe. That is all that matters. You will cause yourself so much hurt, heartache and stress if you keep reminding yourself of all the impending tasks, of all the things that didn't go your way today. Instead think of the things that did go your way, and remind yourself that right now, you're safe and you're loved.

Living your life mindfully, day by day, is so freeing. You should try it sometime.

Finale Fantasy came out today...

2010-03-09T01:14:00.000-08:00

Don't be fooled, this is not a post about Final Fantasy. I don't play the game, though my roommate does. Naturally, a bunch of his friends are here to witness him playing the game. I don't mind his friends, however there are quite a few of them here and it's fairly late. I also have to teach in the morning. Not only do I have to teach in the morning, I have to figure out how on earth to get over to Redondo Beach to Civic Light Opera Co. at noon, when I teach in the valley at 11am and have to be at work in WeHo at 1:30pm. I can't afford to be late for work, literally. Every penny counts. However, this show pays really well so missing the audition is a major loss as well. I will just have to figure something out.

In other news, I met with a potential manager at the end of last week. I should be hearing from him on Friday. I hope it's good news. I really, really hope it's good news. I felt the meeting went really well and that we would be a great match. Let's hope good things happen!

So many of my friends are out of commission this week. Joshua and Stevie are in Oz until the 16th, Carly is quite busy with class, Jason will be locked up with FF for at least a week, and Simone is having her wisdom teeth removed tomorrow. I guess this is a sigh that I should spend this week on myself, if I can handle that. I don't normally take time for me, so I suppose I should do so when I have ample time.

I have so many things in the works right now that I am running out of things to cross! Everybody start crossing stuff for me, please!

Anyway, it's time for bed, regardless of the battle sounds coming from the other room.

Life and Love

2010-02-22T16:01:00.001-08:00

Love is a very tricky thing. You may think you feel it at one time, but then when you truly do have it you realize how nothing else can possible compare. It's the most amazing feeling, to love and be loved. But some people feel as though they have to reserve this feeling, this precious four letter word. They can't just go around loving lovers all willy nilly. While this is true in some regard, it seems as though it holds back one's life a bit. I hate to say that Kelly Clarkson and her song writers got it just right...but they really did. "This may not last but this is now...love the one your with." It's so very true. And I realized today that I'm not looking for a serious relationship, or a boyfriend or a casual lover or even a potential husband. I'm just searching for love, whatever that may mean in the here and the now. Whether or not that love becomes anything, only time will tell. But my feeling is, if you're with someone you should allow yourself to love them, no matter what label the two of you sport. There is something about loving another person, with no boundaries, no worries, just loving them, that makes life a thousand times more beautiful. At the same time, doing so leaves you open to the worst pain a person can experience in life. I know, I've been there. But you always crawl out and rise to your feet again. And when you look back you realize that it was worth all the pain, hurt and anguish just to have that feeling even once.

So please, allow yourself to love him or her. Just let go, and do it. I know, it's scary. But it's the most amazing feeling in the entire world.

Just love.

The latest...

2010-02-05T00:20:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have blogged about much of anything. But recently I have been getting a lot of Facebook messages from people back home asking about the things I am currently doing. (I blame a combination of my parent's bragging and new photo tags.) So, allow me to fill you all in!

The past few months have been a bit of a roller coaster, that is certain. Those of you you who know me well know that I HATE roller coasters. Seriously, I do. They make me want to pee my pants. I'm of course now talking about literal roller coasters. This past week I went to California Adventure with some friends, and I happily held everyone's sweatshirt and cell phones while they flung themselves around on "California Screamin'" and I waited by the gate. I'm such a mom. Anyway! To give a quick recap of the goings on since Christmas; I lost my representation, which is quite a devastating blow personally. Professionally, it happens everyday. And with the economy and the industry the way it is, I wasn't too surprised. I took it as an opportunity to seek something better, and have since been doing just that. I'm submitting to and meeting with as many new people as possible in hopes that I can put together a new and better team.

Aside from assembling a new dream team, I'm also involving myself in as many independent projects as possible. The one everyone back home has heard the most about is "Fantasy World." This is a mixed media series, both live action and animation. I am, as our director/creator Stephen Leonard calls me, "ear candy" as the voice of Vanessa Starlet. Vanessa is a young star who is the animated eye candy for a live guy. She has a Jessica Rabbit quality to her, but with a bit of a younger touch. Needless to say I have my fun. Hopefully the teaser will be up soon, once animation and editing are finished. I will post more when I know more. The second project I have been working on in another live action + animation project called "Friends with Fins." It is an educational project about how humans effect and can better protect the lives of our sea creatures. I'm honored and excited to be working on both of these projects with dear friends. Who better to work with than people you love!?

And last but not least, my newest adventure is proving to be one that I love more than I imagined I could. I have started coaching voice and harmony technique for a 5 member, girl pop group called NMD (No More Drama). Each girl is more talented than I could possibly explain and they range in age from 13-18.The group has been put together by manager and Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough. I wont lie, the fact that I'm working for a Backstreet Boy has me just tickled pink. :) I'm am so honored to be working with these very talented girls and their totally dedicated team. They just had their first big gig on Tuesday at Key Club on the Sunset Strip and now we are preparing to shop them to the various record labels once Backstreet returns from their tour. Again, I can't express how excited I am!

Anyway, so that's the latest news from Hollywood! I will post more info on the projects as they come out, and be sure to check on NMD on youtube, twitter, facebook and Myspace!

xo!

P.S. and yes...I'm auditioning for Glee. Be excited.

I've cleaned my slate with waterless slate sanitizer...

2009-10-29T16:35:00.001-07:00

Okay, so my slate is not completely clean. But what slate ever is? I am, however, beginning a new part of my journey. This part of the journey is not nearly as fresh as the one I began just over a year ago. It has to it a hint of established freshness. I have already been here a year, I know the city and I am surrounded by wonderful friends. I have a job which I enjoy and pays me enough to keep the lights on and food in the kitchen. For all these established things, I am very grateful. But there are two new things approaching that have me very excited. The first is a new apartment. It's a very cute little place, and I will be sharing it with a very cool friend. After the stress caused by one of my current roommates, I'm ready to switch him out for Jason and move to a new place that smells of fresh paint and carpet glue. We came into a bit of good fortune in the way of furniture and refrigeration, so I am feeling confident that all will be well.

I am also excited about my return to school. I start back up at LAVC in January. California's educational budget cuts make it impossible for me to transfer to a 4 year university until I am nearly halfway through my junior year. So I will spend some time getting to know the lovely people at LAVC, use them for their low tuition and then leave them once my minimum credits are complete. Getting back into the classroom is something I have been wanting to do for quite some time, and I'm totally ready for it. I cannot wait.

With all these things waiting for me, I am beyond eager to jump in head first. However, my calendar tells me I have to wait until the dates approach. I will just sit on my hands and wait excitedly for everything I've planned to unfold.

I've also decided to take a new approach to...dating, and that would be not doing it. I need and want to get myself all straightened first. I want to settle into school first, adjust to the new living situation and make sure I am firmly planted on my own two feet. As much as I enjoy being in a relationship, I cannot force one to happen or magic one out of thin air and fairy dust. I have to wait for the right person to happen into my life. And that can't happen until I have everything else settled. He also has to be the right person; someone who challenges me intellectually, is passionate and driven, has a love for music, wants the same things out of life, all the stuff you find in a generic Katherine Heigl chick flick. (I have excellent standards...HA!) And he must love dogs. Good heavens, I once planned to spend the rest of my life with a man who HATED animals, and I wont make that mistake again. Also, he has to want to be in a relationship. I can't make a guy commit to a relationship if he doesn't want one. That is just going to end is disappointment for everyone involved. He gets stuck in a relationship he doesn't really want, and I would be constantly wanting just a little bit more. Nobody's happy there. The moral of this part of the story is that, I'm not in a hurry and I really don't feel like dating. So, if you were planning to ask me out to dinner anytime soon, sorry. Check back in 4-6 months.

I'll close this here. I'm at work, and I really shouldn't be writing a blog. After all, there are urgent things that need my attention, such as the programming of my boss' iPhone.

I went shopping today and bought myself some cancer!

2009-10-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

Ok. So this is a rant. I will not use any names. Some people may know who I am talking about. If you do, good, you can join in on the laugh. If you don't, you can still laugh, just not directly at the expense of the unnamed person.

Smoking is viciously unattractive. It's a disgusting habit to maintain. If you happen to have a social cigarette now and then, I don't judge you quite as much. Just don't expect me to let you talk at me, breathe near me or kiss me for at least 12 hours. Hookah, while the habit does not seem as disgusting, is actually far worse for you. For some reason people refuse to believe that, but it's true. A one hour hookah session is the equal to smoking 100-200 cigarettes, depending on how deeply you inhale. Harvard did a health study, and here is the intro. If you are not a subscriber, you may not be able to view the full study. http://www.health.harvard.edu/press_releases/dangers-of-hookah-smoking

Anyway, I am allowing my train to derail. My main focus here is smoking. Having grown up in rural Ohio, where the neighbors considered my family first class because we had all our teeth, I view smoking as a red neck habit. Sure, some classy people have smoked in their day. A cigarette was never more appealing to me than the day I saw my idol Audrey Hepburn smoking, holding the long, slender cigarette holder in her delicate fingers. Of course back then no one knew the harmful affects of smoking. It was just viewed as the classy thing to do. However, we have the health studies, we have done the research. The fact is that smoking is one of the biggest killers to date. Which brings me to a certain girl I know. We will call her....what will we call her?Now kiddies, be nice. No, "whore" is not a name we can use here...no, we can't say "white trash" either...We will call her Lisa.

I want to write Lisa a letter, because her behavior has reached the point where I had to remove her from my facebook feed because I disapproved so much. I know, harsher things have been done in the world. But I'm 3,000 miles away, I haven't many more options. I'm going to be kind here, and leave out as many personal details as I can...but I can only hold back so much.

Dear Lisa,

I hope you're well, and that you are enjoying married life, however shotgunned the first ceremony was. You're dress was pretty. Though, I must say, you laced it far to tight in an effort of show off your little waste. It resulted in your boobs spilling too far over the top of your dress, like two over-filled muffin cups. Not classy, sweety. Again, the dress was beautiful though. The Wal*Mart sheet cake was a nice touch too. *ahem* Moving on....

You posted some new photos the other day. With Facebook's new news feed set up, I had no choice but to see them. (That is, until I removed you from me feed.) So, you smoke now? How delightfully tacky of you. Not only do you smoke, you smoke inside your home: a cigarette in one hand and a bud light in the other. Wow, you are just Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" classy, aren't you? (That was sarcasm, I don't know if they taught you what that means in your GED classes. Basically, it means I'm suggesting you are the farthest thing from classy.) You smoke inside you own home while your 3 year old daughter sits across the room. For this, you are a terrible person. Not to mention the irresponsibility of having a child at 17, and don't give me any bull about how she wasn't planned. I watch you try time and time again to get knocked up and blame it on whoever was your flavor of the week. That pregnancy was no accident, sorry, you don't get to play that card. I sat and watched as you ruined the life of one boy, and tried to take another one down after that. Then I watched you whore around town while baby was at home with grandma. You are the epitome of irresponsible, white trash. I seldom judge people, but I judge you. I judge you harshly. You try and act like you are a wonderful person and a caring mother and friend. If you were any of these things you would give yourself and your child a fair shot at a good life. If you're going to smoke, smoke outside. And at least whiten your damn teeth before your next wedding. They looked orange next to your cancer coffin tanned skin and your white dress.

Sincerely,

Liz

Things I Have Learned

2009-08-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a year since some very life changing events and decisions occurred. In that time, I have learned a few things that I feel like putting into words.

Ukulele is the ultimate anti-depressant. Seriously.
You can promise that growing up and moving on wont change who you really are, but that is a promise you will never keep.
Young men don't know what they are doing.
Older men don't have much of a clue either.
Therefore, all men are lost in the fog.
You can't change people or their minds.
Friends are a key part of both sanity and insanity.
When getting into a car accident in California, the likelihood of the other party speaking English is about 20%.
Not everyone is as nice as you are, and you explaining their behavior to them doesn't always make a difference.
It isn't until you live on your own that you realize how crazy the cycle of life is, but it's then that you realize its beauty.

Theses are just some of the things I have learned. Perhaps I will add more to this list later.

The GOP

2009-05-24T13:56:00.000-07:00

The other day, the GOP released a video regarding Pelosi's denial that she was completely informed about the tortures taking place. (I have linked the video below.) Whether she was informed or not does not matter her. What matters is that the GOP just made a horrifically low, bastardly low, UNBELIEVABLY LOW blow. It is one of the most classless political acts I have seen in a long time, second only to anything Illinois could come up with. Why is this video so low, you may ask? The video is a James Bond-esq spoof, with Pelosi's head in the middle of the barrel sight, complete with the sound of a gunshot and dripping blood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcNQuHsrxXY

*Being a Bond fan, I'm going to avoid going off about how the GOP should do their research and at least spoof Bond correctly. As any Bond fan would know it is Bond, the hero, who stands in the gun sight. The person behind it is the one who is shot dead. But again, I will avoid criticizing the GOP for lack of Bond research and general coolness. It would take far too long.*

A few days before that they released a video criticizing Obama's "reckless spending." The video is currently unviewable unless you are a "friend" of the GOP on youtube, which I am not and do not plan to be. I was, however, able to find the script. The video is a Mastercard spoof, which the GOP has decided to use for the homepage of their website, RNC.org. "Obama Card" "Something your tax dollars shouldn't buy." "Expires: Soon." Below is the short, plagiarized, uncreative, unoriginal and just plain ridiculous script:

SCRIPT

Time: 00:33

Chyron: Political Satire

Voice/Chyron: A new best friend: $2,000

Voice/Chyron: A court side seat: $500

Voice/Chyron: Payback to your political cronies: $787,000,000,000

Voice/Chyron: A cool new photo for your website: $328,000

Voice/Chyron: Drowning your country in debt: Priceless

Voice/Chyron: There are some things your money shouldn’t buy but that’s not gonna stop him from trying

The "new best friend" bit refers to his new dog. Yes, everybody knows that dogs cost money. And yes, the GOP is correct is saying that the cost is about $2,000 per year. Although I don't seem to recall any of the stimulus bill including "presidential dog care." I'm pretty sure he pays for that one. But speaking of expensive, if we are complaining about his dog, what about his wife and kids!? I mean, one kid costs about $11,000 per year! Does he really need TWO? Better yet, does he need them at all? He really should just get rid of them and stop wasting the nation's money. Gosh!

*For those of you who don't get humor, I'm kidding. Kid's a great, better than dogs and Obama should keep his no matter how expensive.

The courtside seats? Really? Jesus, GOP, come one! A. Is $500 effing bucks. Get a grip. And B. If you are going to give Obama a hard time about seeing a game now and then, then why don't we blame Jack Nicholson for the downfall of the economy, since NEVER misses a Lakers game, not even for the Oscars.

Cool New Photo? NOT OBAMA FAULT AT ALL! He was FURIOUS about that! What the fucking hell, GOP!? Again, do you fucking research!!!!

And for the love of God, the stimulus bill is in now way, shape or form used to pay off his campaign debts. Again, just like I didn't seen a dog car clause in their, I'm pretty sure I didn't see an "Obama campaign bailout" clause in there either.

Now that I have finished writing this, I look back and realizes that it is not as organized or well written as I would have hoped. But it's hard to write in an organized way when you are infuriated.

I close with this:

Dear GOP:

You are being the most immature bunch of saps this nation has ever seen. You are throwing a world class temper tantrum, and we are all fucking sick of it. Grow up, wipe the snot from under your nose and just shut up! I am ashamed, Yes downright ASHAMED to say I ever supported you, voted for members of your party or wasted 100+ hours of my life I will never get back volunteering for you. You are lower than I ever thought it was possible for you to sink, and it's a shame, because I know you are just going to keep sinking.

Let's Talk About Swine Flu!

2009-05-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, swine flu.

Never has a disease caused such wide spread panic since SARS....wait, wasn't that one supposed to kill everyone too? And what's that you say? It didn't? Hm. Interesting.

I love how the media along with certain politicians are causing such a hype about Swine Flu when a) it has hit us before, under the Ford Administration, not Carter as some misinformed/uneducated conservatives would have you believe. b) there are worse things out there right now that have been killing people since the 80s and they STILL don't get the media attention they deserve. and c) is the effing flu!

I'm going to skip going into detail about A, since it is pretty self explanatory. For more details, just google Michelle Bachman and Swine Flu. It's quite interesting....her stupidity, that is.

Moving on! Lets just lay down some swiney numbers for a second:

279 "confirmed" cases in the US (New York Times)
1 death (by the way, the one boy who died was FROM Mexico, visiting Texas...so technically no US citizens have died yet.) (NY Times)
659 "confirmed" cases worldwide (CNN)
25 deaths in Mexico (NY Times)
That's it.

Now that we are all straight about the numbers, we can move on.

For starters, what about the FLU flu!? You know, the human kind? The one that grubby little kids pass through their classrooms because their parents send them to school anyway? Yea, that's the one. Since no one is panicking about that strain of flu, think about this for a second: 36 thousand, yes THOUSAND, people died each year from general, human influenza. And Lord only knows how many little kindergartners have it right now. You know what kills more people that the flu? Obesity. Yes, obesity is more deadly that almost any illness. It is estimated that last year there were 112,000 obesity related deaths. See, this is why I don't eat fast food, I walk to the grocery store, and so help me God I will NEVER go around Wal*Mart on a scooter because it too hard to walk. SO HELP ME GOD! The US is the fattest country in the world. But you know what...if we let Texas leave, I bet we would drop a hefty number of those extra pounds. But that is a side story. *See previous blog*

But you know what kills more people that obesity, any kind of flu and murder combined? AIDS! Nobody mentions AIDS anymore! Let's visit those numbers!

33 million CONFIRMED cases of HIV/AIDS
2 million of those cases are Children
2.7 million of those cases are NEW
2 million deaths per year

*www.avert.org*

Someone today made the mistake of trying to tell me that Swine flu was as bad as/potentially worse than AIDS. Let me tell you, I went off! How DARE anyone say such a thing! Until you know someone who has been infected with and DIED from AIDS, don't you dare say some pig flu is worse, in numbers or in suffering.

Realistically, although this particular strain of Swine Flu is currently worse than the general flu strain, it isn't in the long run. Once the strain and point of mutation have been isolated, a vaccine is not far. That much is certain. And again, let me remind you; we had SARS and we lived through it. We had the Bird Flu, we lived through that too. We had the Swine Flu once already, and we are still here. So let's stop panicing, take off the masks, and remember to wash our hands, and not to put our fingers up our noses or in our mouths.

I would like to close with this:
"200 people get Swine Flu and everyone wants to wear a mask. Millions of people die from AIDS and nobody wants to wear a condom."

Texas

2009-04-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

So...the lone star state wants to leave the union. Wow. If that isn't the political equivalent of throwing a temper tantrum I don't know what it. Here is my thinking on it all:

First of all, Texas walks around with a blindfold on pretending it's its own country anyway. I mean, personally, I think if the blue states could put up with 8 years of the Bush Administration, then Texas can fucking suck it up and deal with it. They claim Obama and his administration aren't "listening to the American people." The American people elected him you crackers! Last time I checked, Obama not only wont the electoral vote, but overwhelmingly won the popular vote! He also has the highest foreign approval rating in recent years. So Texas, if you leave, you can join the 2 other countries who dislike him.

All I can say is let them stomp their feet and stick out their lower lip. They can fuss and cry and storm around all they want. If they want to leave, let them leave! But they can have fun trying to figure out how to protect their boarder from illegals, which is a government funded project. Take away their access to US banks and their bail out funding, force them to create their own currency, and build a functioning economy from almost scratch. It's like sending a pouty 3 year old out into the real world with a pat on the rear and saying "Go to it, Pumpkin!"

Texas, I would like to see you try. In fact, I dare you. No red state is going to follow you. They are republican, not stupid. And by the time you fail and want to come back, we will have already filled your spot by incorporating Puerto Rico.

Good Luck!

Morality. Religion. Politics.

2009-04-08T23:59:00.000-07:00

When I moved from Mount Vernon, I promise myself, my family and my friends that I wouldn't let the "big city" change me. I would let it loosen my morals, change my political views, or demolish my faith. Well, six month have past and I can honestly say that is a promise I failed to keep. It is good in some ways, and bad in others. Now that I am on my own completely, I find my relationship with God to be stronger. I have needed him more in the past 9 months than I think I ever have. He has seen me through and continues to help me move forward. But I haven't held up my part of the bargain. I go to church dutifully, and I love my parish. I have, however, let my morals slide in a way I hoped I never would. It wasn't so much the city that did it, rather a person who changed my life before I even came here. He left me so utterly lost, I literally ran in circles of which I couldn't break free. I don't want to be promiscuous, and I don't consider myself to be. But I am terrified by the thought of becoming that way. I have once again come to the conclusion that I am stepping away from that kind of behavior until I come to a relationship where I feel completely comfortable, safe, supported and loved. I don't want to devalue the connection that kind of relationship has.

Politically, I have changed. But this is the area where it is certainly not a bad thing. About 3 weeks after moving here, I made a new friend. I didn't realize it at the time, but I think he and I have formed quite a friendship, and I have really come to appreciate him. He is addicted to US politics. (Did I mention he is from Australia?) It was his major in college...in Australia. I know, he's special. Anyway, he really got me back into political conversation. I'm sure the fact that a historic election was going on helped too, but he was a big part of it. Being brought up in a small, conservative town, your views come to be pretty set in one of two ways: (1) those of your parents and what they see or (2) those of your friends and what they see. Either way, what one sees from the top of "Tidy Mount Idy" is VERY limited. Having moved to a large city with an immensely diverse culture, I am exposed to so much more. And I didn't even spend all my time locked up in the Vern! I traveled, I interned in DC, saw parts of Europe, almost spent a summer in Africa (which to this day I regret not doing, and have intensely been reconsidering...but all the shots scare me). I am no stranger to the world outside of Main Street Mt. Vernon. However, I see so many different view points here and come to appreciate so many different ideas, I cannot help but become more of an independent....and dare I say it...boarder line liberal. This does not mean I have lost my conservative side. I am just opening my mind a little bit more than before, and I rather enjoy it.

Long story short, the city has changed me. Be it for better or worse, overall I don't really mind. I am doing my best to regain what I feel I have lost and strengthen the great things I have gained. I think I will emerge from it all a wonderful but slightly altered version of...well, myself! And I like that idea. I like it a lot.

Curtain Up!

2009-04-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

Watch, enjoy, comment, question, anything and everything!!!!

:]

The Opening Blog!

2009-04-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Welcome! This is [clearly] the first blog here! :) Later today I will actually post a real blog about things that happened the past few days. But for now, this little one will be a place holder. I hope everyone is finishing up an amazing weekend, and I will post more soon!

--Liz