Wednesday, September 24, 2008

My Favorite!

Too much douchery for one picture!

HOPE Over 3 Years

Ilya and I's awesome photo shoot for HOPE

At the Bankers Bus Tour with Ana Cabral (she signs all the money in the U.S.)

Serving as the Mistress of Ceremonies (I know I did not chose the title) at the Bankers Bus Tour in Los Angeles

Our early morning safari in South Africa

Rachael, Ilya, John and I with Ambassador Young in South Africa

Famous sculptor, Tina Allen (sitting to my right) who sadly passed recently from complications of a heart attack. Tina has sculpted tremendous bronze scuptures of famous African American leaders.

A picture I took in New Orleans one month after Katrina

The HOPE group after the Silver Rights Breakfast in Atlanta

Reverend Cecil "Chip" Murray's visit to the corporate office

2006 Holiday Christmas Party with Ilya, Rachael, John and Sheila

Woman-ing the registration table in Anacostia

At the Private Bank and Trust board meeting in Chicago

On the rooftop in Washington D.C. with Leslie and Wendy after the Anacostia Economic Summit

Some of the ladies at HOPE
CRA Luncheon Event at the Federal Reserve Bank of LA

John, Rachael and I

The HOPE Banking Center Staff on a community street day in LA


Monday, September 22, 2008

The End of the Road

It is official, last week I accepted a job offer with Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach and will soon be moving back to Orange County. I thought this would bring only good feelings but it has put me in a moment of reflection and has made me take a good look at the tremendous amount of things I have to be thankful for that my stay in LA has blessed me with.

What I am thankful about from my LA stay:

1. I was part of something amazing - I worked at a tremendously stressful but nonetheless amazing place while in LA. Operation HOPE has a strong mission, a visionary founder and is changing lives throughout the world. Because I was blessed to be part of Operation HOPE I have been to amazing places and I have witnessed amazing things.

I have been to South Africa and went on a safari. Also while I was there had a chance to sit with former Civil Rights leader, Ambassador Andrew Young and listen as he told me stories about he and Martin Luther King's work during the movement. I have been on the trading floor of Wall Street and was part of the opening bell ceremonies at the NASDAQ. I have sat in President Clinton's foundation office in Harlem. I have met amazing people like famous sculptor, Tina Allen who sadly passed away recently. I have sat with Reverend Cecil "Chip" Murray the Chair of the Tansy School at USC and famed leader in Los Angeles while he talked to me about life and love. I have flown to and explored great cities like New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Atlanta and Philadelphia. I have salsa danced with the Mayor of Los Angeles in Washington D.C. and I have met many other people who are a celebrity in their own right and doing their part to change the world for the good.

2. Entering the Comedy World - Had I not lived in the Pasadena area I don't know if I would ever of gone to the Ice House and auditioned to be a part of their stand up comedy show line up. One fateful Saturday afternoon almost 2 years ago, I went to the Ice House and joined 100 others as we auditioned to be in the show. I was armed with 3 minutes of funny and a whole lot of ignorance. I was lucky to have made the cut along with 7 others and began the fun and often times intimidating world of stand up. Had I never done stand up I wouldn't have signed up at Second City and started doing improv, something which I have grown to enjoy a tremendous amount.

3. My New Friends - I have made some great friends through my work that I will miss seeing every day but I look forward to making the trek past the orange curtain to visit them. Friends like Ilya, who makes me laugh and gives some of the best advice in the world, even though she prefaces it with, "Now although I have no personal experience in this area here's what I think..." And Rachael who is a great mother, a great listener and an overall amazing person and Emily who is so very fun, smart and great to talk to. She just moved here from SF and I am sad that I haven't had the chance to spend a lot of time with her now that she lives in LA.

4. Relationship Wisdom - Probably the most painful part of moving to Los Angeles was what it brought on the relationship front. For the first time in my life I went on dates with guys I barely knew (in the past I only dated people I worked with or was friends with before hand) which was so depressing. After casually dating a couple of guys I was left thinking, "If this is all that's left then I should just get to it and get my ovaries removed and get busy with adopting cats." Okay maybe a little over-dramatic but it was greatly depressing thinking that the dating pool was only filled with douchebags.

I began two relationships both which ended terribly. One with a guy who lied to me and had a fiancee on the side and the other who seemed like a great catch only to turn out to be an asshole and a coward. But in the end it forced me to face two of my greatest relationship fears; being betrayed and lied to and being left. Facing those two things has really taught me a lot about myself and about what I deserve from the person I am in a relationship with. I am better because of the pain I faced in those relationships and I have stumbled upon a great new relationship chapter that I am looking forward to growing.

I am excited and nervous as I begin to transition back to OC and out of Operation HOPE. But I can say whatever tomorrow brings, I welcome it with open arms.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Pictures Freed From the Vault

It feels good to be able to look at certain pictures again. Here are a couple that have been freed from the vault and so very happy to see daylight! Starting with this one which is cropped to perfection...if you catch my drift!
The Beauty and Deliciousness that is Magnolia Bakery - New York

Mary showing off her purchase of yummy

Even more delicious....Sushi Samba SoHo
And Scene!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Jack's Cute Nose

Best Part of My Day

The best part of my day today is that I have met a great guy...and he seems to like so many things about me and not just my french toast and it feels wonderful and amazing to have someone feel that way about me. It's been too long! And the kicker is....he's pretty awesome too.

The publisher would like to make a public apology and clarify that while this story implied that the mystery person had just been met that day, he was in fact met much earlier than that day. He was actually met weeks before this post. We apologize for any confusion and blame it on the misinterpretation of the reader more so than the publisher. - Good Day

Monday, September 15, 2008

Second City

Here are some of the scenes from Sunday's Show





Me and the Reigning Champion of the "Favorite Person of the Week" Title

and yes, if you are wondering that picture in the background is indeed a picture of Ilya's forehead.

Favorite Person (People of the Week!)

World, meet two of the coolest people to ever grace the planet. One has been here for some time (Ilya) and the other has recently joined this world and has since made a huge splash. I swear that isn't a chunky joke although Aaron Franklin Doff is the cutest most roly polliest of all babies. Aaron is the baby of Rachael, who is my co-worker and more importantly, my friend.

Aaron was born in April and since then has been the newest employee of Operation HOPE, and I may add it's cutest and probably it's hardest working. Seriously people, this kid spends most of his waking hours at the office and he never cries or complains (which is far more than the rest of us to manage to do). He is passed around from person to person and goes from office to office spreading his baby love and cheer. Aaron joins an already large clan and has two older brothers and one older sister all of which are amazing kids so he has a high bar set for him.

And the next awesome person is Ilya!!! Ilya is the loudest talking, funniest, and greatest person. She is awesome at listening to my incessant complaining about various topics, laughing at all of my jokes, going on daily Starbucks trips with me and loudly telling random strangers on the street that I like them and want to make sexy times with them (which as inappropriate as it is....it is equal in hilarity!) If ever I want to laugh or be picked up out of a bad mood I go directly so see Ilya and she fixes me every time! And to add to the amazing things about Ilya, she also does magic and can balance a baby on her lap with no hands!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Gammie and Baba's Millionth Wedding Anniversary

This weekend was my grandmother and grandfather's wedding anniversary. I am not quite sure which one it was but I am inclined to say it was somewhere around 60th-ish. I love spending as much time as I can with my grandmother so it was great that she felt well enough to go out to lunch and enjoy her anniversary. She was a little banged up and recovering from a fall but she's quite the trooper. I also think her hand brace gives her some street cred.