Author: sychela

Categories
Awesome Endings Exercise

I am the Harbor Master

It’s the weirdest thing – I was OBSESSED with Sarah and Vinnie (morning radio show) for a year and a half. I listened to all the podcasts, all four hours of the morning show, plus their 18-and-up “Secret Show” that you can only get through iTunes. That’s all I listened to, because I was constantly catching up on whatever I had missed. I listened in the car, at work, sometimes at home while doing dishes…

Then we got back from New York and I was like a week behind in podcasts, and I went to iTunes and went to download them…and I just stopped. So many hours! And suddenly it seemed kind of pointless – and it’s not like I was really gaining anything from this, except occasional knowledge of news stories. So I just didn’t download them.

Well, that’s not true. I thought to myself, I’ll just download the Secret Shows, and listen to those. But then I never put them on my iPod, and that was two weeks ago, and…?

I’ve been listening to the Sarah and Vinnie show in the car in the mornings, the live stuff – and then just listening to my iPod on shuffle the rest of the time.

It’s weird how cold turkey I went – I thought for sure there would be a gradual decline in my interest. But it went from completely ALL IN (and I’m talking, like – obsessed with listening, obsessed with the stories, obsessed with the people) to apathy. People who know how serious I was about my love for all things Sarah and Vinnie (mostly Sarah) will understand how weird this is.

But it’s okay! Because I have a new obsession: this iPhone game called Harbor Master.

This game freaking rocks. Basically, boats come into the screen and you direct them into the harbor where they drop off their cargo. Then you direct them out. And you can’t let them crash into other boats. It’s so awesome. It’s called a “chaos management” game. Sometimes you have 10 or more boats circling on your screen, and you have to figure out how to get them all where they need to be. Amazing!

We found the free version of this game (before I paid for the full version, with more maps) through another game I was obsessed with, called Temple Run. Temple Run is just a continuous chase game where you collect coins and jump over or duck under obstructions. It’s so fun, and I couldn’t stop playing it. Temple Run is the reason my phone kept dying in New York – even though I knew I wouldn’t have a charger for 8 more hours, I couldn’t stop playing. It’s ridiculous.

And that’s the story of how I exchanged one addiction for another one.

Categories
Awesome Drew Friends Love Sentiment

Disneyland Pictures

Oh yeah – we went to Disneyland this weekend. It was pretty awesome. Erin, Drew and I drove down Friday after work, and got there about 11pm. We stayed with our friend Travis in Santa Monica, and got up at like 5:45 Saturday morning to go to the parks. We were at the parks ALL DAY LONG – back and forth between Disneyland and California Adventure – and went back to Travis’ around 11pm. Then on Sunday we had brunch with some other SoCal friends, and then saw Travis’ show, Dracula at the Long Beach Playhouse. Then we drove back to the Bay Area, getting home shortly after midnight.

I stole some pictures from the album Erin posted on Facebook. Here are four of them.

At first, I thought it was charming...
...but seriously, I don't think I'm a "character" person.
Love this picture! and Tower of Terror!
Waiting for World of Color to start

There are more pictures on my camera (which I have to find) and on my phone (which I have to plug in). First world problems!

Also, this is my favorite tweet I’ve ever tweeted:

Categories
Books Drew Not awesome Writing

Where I criticize a published writer, but by what right?

So, this is the first time in 2011 that I went over 7 days without posting. It’s been busy here, y’all.

I’ve been reading, among other books, this book that I got at the Palo Alto Borders at like 90% off right before they closed. It’s a paperback thriller by an author that I have been reading for years. I have about half a dozen of his books that I adore, and have read over and over again. I would definitely admit to liking this author.

I bought this 90% off book because it’s from the early 90s (I like his late 80s-early 90s stuff the best), and I thought it sounded promising. But it’s like, in 1992, something weird happened in this guy’s head and everything just got super purple.

Here are a couple passages to make my point:

“When Redlow regained consciousness, his assorted pains were so bad, they took one hundred percent of his attention. He had a violent headache to which he could have testified with such feeling in a television commercial that they would have been forced to open new aspirin factories to meet the consumer response.” WTF.

“Later, on their way from the Haunted House to an attraction called Swamp Creature, they stopped at a stand sellling blocks of ice cream dipped in chocolate and rolled in crushed nuts.” You mean an ice cream bar? Why not just say “ice cream bars”?

“Well, if she did cry, her treacherous sinuses would kick in, and the old snot-faucet would start gushing, whcih would surely make her even more appealing. He’d give up the idea of a leisurely drive, and head for home at such tremendous speed that he’d have to stand on the brakes a mile from the house to avoid shooting straight through the back of the garage.” Puuuuurple!

I mean, what is going on here? This doesn’t even feel like the same guy. Maybe someone else did this one for him? Or maybe, as Drew suggested, he had a word quota to meet? Despite all that, I’m still reading it eagerly and I have no idea what’s going to happen in the end, so that’s fun.

NaNoWriMo starts next week, and I am getting a little anxious. I knew that Oct 1 – Nov 15 was going to be a crazy busy time. I’m just glad that we’re nearing the end of it.

Categories
Awesome Beauty Beginnings Being a girl Endings Fashion Food Friends Love Memoir Self improvement Sentiment Work

Megan’s Bachelorette!

Megan wanted to go into New York City for her bachelorette party. So 2 days before the wedding, 9 girls piled into a limo and prepared to take the Big Apple.

2 Ms of Honor, 5 bridesmaids, 1 friend, and 1 bride!

It was about a two hour drive into the city, with one stop for orange juice (to mix with the champagne we’d brought) and another bathroom/snack stop (the first of many of the day).

The limo dropped us at Astor Place, where everyone grabbed some pizza to get us through until dinnertime. Then we walked down to our East Village nail salon, called Blush – a place I would highly recommend (I really need to write them a Yelp review).

I love this picture!

I originally wanted a French manicure, but ended up just getting a regular one with a super pearly pale white color. I really liked it – and the whole thing was worth it for the cuticle cleaning up and the hangnail clipping. Man, I love that.

A success!

After our salon time, we walked back to Astor Place to catch an N train to Times Square. A couple of the girls had never seen New York City, so we checked out Times Square, including the M&M store and the Hershey store.

Then we walked over a block to Megan’s favorite New York restaurant, La Masseria.

After that we wandered through Times Square, and down to 42nd Street. We went into Dave & Busters to find a bathroom, then we heard from the limo driver that he was trying to get back into the city but was stuck in traffic. So we decided to walk back up to Toys ‘R’ Us to ride on the ferris wheel. But we all got separated, so 6 of them went on the ferris wheel and 3 of us ended up watching.

Then, Megan realized she was missing her phone, so her cousin Emily called it about 20 times until someone answered. Turned out it was back at Dave & Busters. Then the limo driver called and was going to meet us at 42nd and Broadway. So I grabbed Megan and said, Let’s run back to Dave & Busters, the two of us can go really quickly. So we dashed back and got her phone, then back to the limo.

He drove us downtown past the Freedom Tower (I’m still not totally sure why) and then back to Connecticut. We got back to Mindi’s house and drank and talked and ate Cheez-its and played with her kitten. Then around 1:30 we divvied up the sleeping places (I got the couch!) and passed out.

The next morning it was back to the hotel via Dunkin Donuts breakfast, and then lots more to do before the rehearsal dinner Friday night!

A muy successful bachelorette party: a great salon, a great dinner, NYC fun, and Megan even got her lost phone back!

Categories
Awesome Celebrities Drew Theatre

Glamorous!

List of celebrities we spotted in NYC:

First: Samuel L. Jackson

We actually stood across the street from the stage door of the show he’s currently in, The Mountaintop, and waited for like 20 minutes in this massive group of people. We didn’t actually know who would come out first – him or Angela Bassett. So I’m not sure this really counts as “spotting.” This felt touristy, but you know…Samuel L. Jackson!

That's him, in the green. This was supposed to just be a picture of the mob scene, but I'm happy he stands out.

Second: Bobby Moynihan, from SNL.

Drew and I were having a snack at Pret a Manger in the concourse of Rockefeller Center, and Drew said, “That guy is from SNL.” And I said, “Which guy? That guy?” And he said, “No, the guy in the blue hoodie. Bobby Moynihan.” He had just gone into this little convenience store type place, and so I made us go over there and kind of stalk him in the aisles. He was debating over types of peanuts to buy. I wanted to say something (but what?) but then he came out of an aisle and we sort of did that “oops, excuse me” dance, and I sort of smiled but he didn’t really give me an opening.

But still…he did give us this sketch gold.

And third: Norbert Leo Butz!

It was our last day and we were at Penn Station, going to get salads before going to the airport. So we had all our stuff and looked like total tourists. I have a strong dislike for being mistaken for a tourist. Everyone had umbrellas, but Drew recognized NLB and said, “Norbert Leo Butz. Norbert Leo Butz.” over and over again so I would see him. Yay! I definitely would have liked to say something to him, but again…what would I say? Maybe something like, “I saw you in Is He Dead in like 2008, you’re the greatest!” I don’t know. Or, I know! If I had an opening I’d bring up the fact that he performed in a Samuel French festival play that I worked on!

DREAMY.

Anyway. Thank God Drew is good at recognizing celebs. Almost all of the celebs I’ve seen are because he’s grabbed my arm and said, “That’s Mel Brooks,” or whatever. It’s just not one of my strong suits.

Categories
Beginnings Being a girl Dreams Drew Friends Love Memoir Writing

To Megan and Dennis and Their Nuptials

Think of this as the toast I meant to write for Megan’s wedding, but then I double-checked the division of labor between me (the matron) and the maid of honor, and saw that she was meant to give a speech about Megan, and I was meant to give a speech about marriage.

I debated just writing a speech about whatever I wanted – after all, what bride even remembers anything from her own wedding? – but Drew was adament that I shouldn’t talk about myself AT ALL. No one wanted to listen to me ramble on about in-jokes and cliche platitudes.

So I listened to him, because he’s always right (right?), and I’m very happy with the way my 45-second toast ended up.

But think of this as the toast I would have written, if I didn’t have someone around to direct me straight (and tell me I wasn’t allowed to talk for 10 minutes).

Hi, I’m Syche, Megan’s matron of honor, and I want to talk about Facebook.

Megan and I were college roommates in our freshman year at UC Davis. This was actually before Facebook. We did have AIM though. I have a million great memories from the dorms: Riding our bikes to the Great Wall of China with our 2 guy friends for every single birthday or “special” dinner (we always got the same family meal). Hanging out with just the Christmas lights on. Trying to make cookies in the sparse dorm kitchen. A road trip to San Francisco. Megan’s taping up vocab words all over the walls (this was back when she was still an English major, before she abandoned me for a real career). The Merry Wives of Windsor. Biking to Baskin-Robbins to buy ice cream cakes for people’s birthdays. Megan’s weird butterfly chair, and the blanket with the stars all over it. How annoying it must have been for her when I insisted on completely changing the layout of my half of the room for every quarter.

We accomplished a lot without Facebook to distract us.

We sort of drifted apart for the next three years, and would only run into each other sometimes on campus and say hi. Then we graduated and I moved to New York and she started law school, and we really lost touch. At some point, we became Facebook friends though. And this is where it gets really romantic.

In late fall/early winter of 2008, I was moonlighting as a “room monitor” at an NYC theatre company near Union Square. “Room monitoring” basically meant unlocking the room, turning on the lights, and then reading or messing around on the internet while whatever outside group used the awesome rehearsal space, then turning off the lights and locking the room. I’m pretty sure one time, I actually took a nap. (Shh)

It was during one such shift that I was Facebook stalking Megan, and saw that she had written this huge FB note called “Musings of a Christian “No on 8″ Voter.” It was (is) super long, and I read the entire thing. She talked about people calling themselves Christians but doing un-Christian things, and how difficult it was for her that the people who raised her and with whom she had already aligned herself – were on the other side of the “Prop 8” debate. And she talked about how it was breaking her heart.

I couldn’t believe the things she was saying – they were so much like the things I thought, and so different from what I would have expected from my old roomie. I emailed her immediately telling her that I agreed, and talking some more about some different interpretations of those good old Bible passages.

She didn’t get back to me right away, but a few weeks later she emailed me a massive email (I have since gotten used to Megan’s massive emails!). From then on it was a downhill slide into one of the best friendships that I’ve ever had. She moved to New York that spring and we spent a glorious few months together until I moved back to California – walking and shopping and eating and talking and commiserating and drinking and cementing our friendship. And that brings me back to my main point, which is that we have Facebook (and, I suppose, Prop 8, in a weird way) to thank for all this.

It’s funny, because I believe – unless I am remembering this wrong – Facebook is the way Megan got in touch with Dennis in 2009, years after they interned together in DC, to ask if she could crash on his couch for a couple days – and then she just never left. So they also have Facebook to thank for this entire thing. And we all have Facebook to thank for the incredible wedding and party that they threw.

Megan, I adore you, and I hope you know that. Remember when we met Julia across the hall from us, and we both thought, “Um, it’s not fair that she’s super pretty AND super smart”?  Well, that’s you too – you’re brilliant and beautiful, and I am so happy that we’re friends. I was completely honored to stand next to you at your wedding. Love you!!

Ooh! This happens to be my 250th post ever! A very special post indeed!

Categories
Awesome Beginnings Being a girl Dreams Drew Exercise Food Friends Love Memoir Nonfiction Sentiment Theatre

Connecticut & New York City, October 2011

So, Drew and I are back from our East Coast extravaganza. We had a great time, and I’m so happy we went, but I was also totally ready to come home. Which is just about the perfect balance, I guess.

I’m going to start with a Dear Diary overview of the whole thing, then fill in specifics after. I just can’t bring myself to start one, long, DD post of the entire week.

So: last Tuesday night I flew out of SFO on the red-eye to JFK. I got in Wednesday morning, and dropped by my old work to say hi to the people I know who are still working there (there aren’t many left!).

Wednesday afternoon I took a Metro North train to Waterbury, CT, where Megan (the bride), Dawn (the maid of honor) and Toni (the mother of the groom) picked me (the matron of honor) up. We did wedding party things, checked into our hotel, and then Toni and Ken (the father of the groom) took us girls out for dinner.

On Thursday, we had Megan’s bachelorette party in NYC. That deserves, and will get, an entire post.

On Friday, Drew drove up from NYC, where he had arrived late the night before. That afternoon, I had to call in to work for 90 minutes for an interview that I was missing, being out of the office. Friday night – rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Saturday was the wedding! Yay for the happy couple!

On Sunday, Drew and I drove back to NYC. We saw an off-Broadway show at Roundabout called Sons of the Prophet, and hung out with Joe and his bf. We had dinner at 5 Napkin Burger, which is always good. We stayed at their Hell’s Kitchen apartment, a luxury and VERY convenient!, and watched Bridesmaids.

On Monday we did some touristy stuff – Wall Street and the protestors, walked along the Hudson, saw the bull at Bowling Green, etc. Then we took our luggage and checked into our Queens hotel, which was in the same neighborhood where we used to live. We had lunch with Jared, our old roommate, and saw our old apartment. That might have been the weirdest part of the whole trip for me. Then in the evening we went to see Sleep No More in the meatpacking district (?).

On Tuesday, we went into Chelsea and I had lunch with Sara, an old coworker who promises me she’s going to come visit San Francisco next summer. I saw the people I didn’t see in the office on my first pass. Then Drew and I did Union Square, The Strand (18 miles of books!), etc, and walked up 5th Avenue. We intended to walk all the way to Central Park (40ish blocks) but couldn’t handle it, so we took the train. We did more 5th Ave, then Rockefeller Center, back through Times Square to the Marquis Theatre to see Follies. Then a late dinner with Kaitlin and Joe on 9th Avenue (at Whym).

Today we checked out of the hotel and took the train to Penn Station, where we got chopped salads for lunch (I miss them so!) and then took the train to JFK, where we were hideously early for our flight. Drew read The Hunger Games, and I called in for a second interview at work. Then a 6 1/2 hour flight and we’re home!

Our apartment is bigger than I remember. And I missed it. It’s really nice to be back.

Okay. I promise to be more interesting in the details. A whirlwind week! But everything went as well as can be hoped, thank God.

I miss things about new York. Other things I don’t miss at all. Bad smells, crazy crowds, the humidity. I definitely am happy that my home is in California. But I hope we can visit NYC again soon!

Categories
Beginnings Dreams Drew Memoir Sentiment

First of many (?) vacation posts

So I’ve basically been stressing for the last two days over this trip, which has been in the planning for really over a year. Mostly I’ve been worried about getting through security with my very large carry-on and tons of travel-sized bottles of liquids. (I can hear Drew telling me NOT to WORRY. You were right! I know, you’re always right.)

Speaking of Drew, he dropped me off at the terminal at about 9:35. We embraced tearfully, being that we’re never apart for more than a day. (I’m totally kidding. But I do miss him already.)

I walk up to security and there are 5 people in line. So I demand that they open a new line just for me, which they do, because that’s how I roll.

After some tense changes (lol), and about 8 minutes later, I found myself through security, with 45 minutes till boarding began. So I got me a pomegranate pinkberry, and found a place to plug in my phone because it’s gonna have to make it through tomorrow.

This is my first blog post from my phone. My first plane trip by myself in about 20 years, my first trip without Drew forever, and my first trip back to New York since moving back to California. I expect this to be emotional.

Oh, also, I deliberately left my childhood security blanket behind (because, really…) so that’s kind of weird.

Onward! I know to take advantage of some prime reading time when I’ve got it.

Categories
Being a girl Dreams Sentiment Theatre Writing

gambling debt / running from

I found this in some stuff from college. My sophomore year, I think? I’m not sure what it is. Maybe some kind of half-dreamed idea for a play? I like that my handwriting hasn’t really changed though.

Categories
Nonfiction Self improvement

Dilation, then candy

Eye doctor appointment this morning. I still call it that, “eye doctor,” even though it makes me sound like a 5-year-old. Eyes are fine, although left is slightly more near-sighted, while right remains the same. I like having vision insurance. It’s going to get me a new pair of glasses – the pair I have now is literally from high school, and one of the lenses has a crack running almost all the way through it. Yikes! I also have vision insurance through Drew, so his insurance will buy me new contact lenses. That’s how I roll!

They dilated my eyes. It’s kind of awful. Then the doctor is all up in them, looking with lights and penlights and vertical lights, and I’m embarrassed because I can’t keep my eyes from blinking. Then I had to drive to work. I didn’t have any problems with focusing, but because of the dilation, the world was OMG SO BRIGHT, and so I had to drive with 2 pairs of sunglasses on. I knew there was a reason I had three pairs of sunglasses in the car. (The third was backup.)

I feel like such a grown-up. So responsible.

Until I took one of the Jolly Ranchers on the receptionist’s counter. But who can resist Jolly Ranchers?