Distractions

LJ has finally added an application for use on my iPhone! The other sites - Facebook, MySpace - had apps and now so does LJ.

Maybe I will start getting back into posting on LJ since I can now do it from my phone, especially since I now spend a lot of time using my phone - Twitter is addictve! : )

Posted via LiveJournal.app.

I went and saw "Monsters vs. Aliens"  in IMAX 3D this afternoon.  I really enjoyed the movie and would definitely recommend it - especially if you can see it in IMAX 3D!

Last week was a hectic week with work, several appointments, and then finally getting my Invisalign braces.  It was stressful for the first couple of days with the braces learning to take them out correctly (putting them back in was easy) but I think that I finally have got the hang of it!!!!
Bernie and her family are headed to Yellowstone today.  Sasha is going with them.  They are planning on driving through to Salt Lake City today and then heading to Yellowstone tomorrow.  I thought about meeting them at Yellowstone but since I am planning on heading back out to LA sometime before years end I probably should not spend anymore vacation time and money on traveling right now.  I hope that they have a good time.
I broke down and bought a Wii.  I am planning on setting it up later today.

Clint Eastwod is in town filming his new movie "Gran Torino".  They filmed in Grosse Pointe Shores yesterday and are due in my city sometime in the near future. 
The movie's storyline supposedly revolves around a Hmong teenager who steals Clint's Gran Torino.  My city has a large Hmong community and there is a Hmong church just around the corner from me.  It would be very interesting if they do any filming near my house.

It has been quite awhile (again) since I posted anything.  Basically it has been because between caring for the family-assisting my dad during his recovery from bypass surgery, caring for my animals, and of course my job, I am just too tired to write anything.  I have no problem reading and enjoying what others post, I just do not have enough brain power left to think of anything that I feel is worthwhile to say here. So I am forcing myself to write this for whatever it is worth (probably not much).

I have not seen very much of Krystal and Jessica this summer.  Jess is working and taking summer classes. Krystal is working pretty much non-stop either at the water park, the casino or baby-sitting for Janice.  They are trying to save up spending money for their return to school in August.  They will finally be done with classes in December.

Jo invited me down to Kentucky next weekend but with the high gas prices a round trip to Lexington with my truck would cost more than a round trip plane ticket back out to LA....and I would rather go back to LA.  I missed Sasha's ballet performance by one week last month.  I told her that I would definitely come out for her next perfomance which will be this winter so I will skip going to Lexington and head back to LA later in the year. 

Dave called over the weekend.  He will be coming in from Wichita in September and wants to get a group together to go up to Indian River and Traverse City.  That sounds like fun and we can split the cost of the gas......

And finally, I thought that I would include some pictures of my two Quarter Horse mares - Stormy#2 and April.  Stormy is the black mare. She is 14 and descended from War Admiral.  April is the old lady at 28.

There has been so much happening since I got back from LA that I have not had time to really post anything until now. 
My dad was in the hospital for four days.  He had bypass surgery, is now home and doing very well. 
My cousin Larry is back home from Iraq!!!!
My niece got engaged over the weekend - congrats to Mimi - Steve is a great guy!
My co worker Janine also got engaged - congrats to Janine!
I was supposed to get my Invisalign braces but there has been a delay so I will not get them for another 4 weeks : (

And on a very sad note my sister Cissy's dog Shadow died today. Shadow was a Border Collie that Cissy got from a Border Collie rescue group quite a few years ago.  He was old and suffering from kidney disease among other senior ailments.  He was a very good dog and he will be missed.

 Here are 2 photos that Bernie took with her cell of the signs used at College of the Canyons when they were filming part of a House episode there in May.  They are not the best photos but what can you expect when you accidently leave your cell phone in your pants pocket and then put them in the washing machine : )  at least the phone still works...


 

I am back from LA where I attended the LA Times/Envelope Screening Series for House.  It was a very exciting, fun, and interesting evening.  I meet some very wonderful people while waiting in line to check-in.  We each received the House pin - actually a magnet - that I think a lot of people are trying to get.  Sasha also had a House sticker on her seat which she gave to me.  Thank you Sasha!

I was lucky enough to get seats in Row B for myself and Bernie.  Sasha and Panda were seated in Row N.  Although we were told that cameras were not allowed in people were using cell phones and digital camcorders to record the evenings events.  Panda used Sasha's cell to take a few photos. Here is the best one of the lot:

 

The program started about 10 minutes late as we waited for the stars to arrive.  It does not suprise me that they were late as traffic was awful that evening, especially on Sunset.  A representative from the LA Times then announced that "House was in the house" and the program began with the showing of "Wilson's Heart" on the big screen where it looked fantastic!

After that Robert Sean Leonard, Katie Jacobs, David Shore, Omar Epps, Gale Tattersall, and Hugh Laurie came down and took their seats.  The moderator asked quite a few questions and then opened up the floor for several questions from the audience.

During the discussions we learned the Hugh Laurie likes the character of Greg House - he would say that the loved him but Hugh thought that did not sound right : ) He said that he never tires of the character but that he does get tired from working (but then we all do).

Robert Sean Leonard said that the show had great guest stars.

Katie Jacobs said that she did not see any of Hugh's previous film roles prior to seeing his audition tape. She said that they told Hugh's agent to tell Hugh not to shave when he met with them for an audition.

David Shore stated that Fox wanted a younger character in the role of Greg House  - someone in his mid-30's  - so that was how it was written in the script but they were in actuality looking for someone in his 40's.

Omar Epps was upset that he was missing the Lakers game :) and joked about it. He also said that doing the show in 8 days and keeping in character was them just putting their heads down and doing it.

Gale Tattersall said that he did not know why he was there - he felt like the plumber : )

Hugh also said that he felt apprehensive for Lisa Edelstein when she had to do the strip scene but that she had the courage of a lion and did a remarkable job.

The program ended about 9:30pm.  Hugh left rather quickly to avoid a mob scene (I do not blame him at all).

When Bernie and I were leaving the parking structure we had to wait in line to pay at the ticket booth.  I looked in my rearview mirror and saw that Robert Sean Leonard was in his car right behind us. He had his car window rolled down.  I stopped myself from yelling "Hey, Wilson" out the window.  He was driving a very conservative car - exactly the type of car Wilson would probably drive.  So I think that he shares some of Wilson's characteristics : )
 

I am packing my bags for another trip to LA!  I leave tomorrow morning and will be attending the Emmy Screening Series for "House" on Thursday, June 12th.  I had e-mailed the LA Times when the announcement for the series was made and I was lucky enough to receive a response stating that my name had been added to the guest list!

Now the response also states that there is no guarantee of a seat and the seats are first-come/first-served.  I hope to get there early enough to ensure that I do get in. Bernie was also lucky enough to get a response and get on the guest list so we will be there together although she has to stop at UCLA first so she will get there later than I do. 

I contacted Maret at the LA Times and was informed that cameras are not allowed at the Screening.  No pictures can be taken except by the photographer hired by the LA Times. It would have been nice to be able to take my camera in to the Screening but I can understand their position. 

I will be staying at Bernie's for most of the weekend but I will also be visiting with Sasha in West Hollywood on Friday night - staying over until Saturday or maybe even Sunday.  Sasha's place is closer to the airport than Bernie's but Bernie and her family want me back at their place for Saturday night... hmm...decisions.....decisions, but a pleasant one to make : )

I fly back home on Sunday. 

Tomorrow is Hugh Laurie's birthday - StoLat and Happy Birthday to Mr. Hugh Laurie!!!

WOOHOO!!!!!  The Detroit Red Wings have won the Stanley Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

 
I have finally heard from Larry in Iraq!!  What a relief!  Almost six weeks had gone by with no word from him and yesterday on Memorial Day I received an e-mail from him!!!!!  He is doing well, getting ready to leave Iraq, and will be stateside by June 25th!!!!! 

  I have decided to rename my journal in honor of Shaman's Storm - the first horse that I ever owned. He was an Appaloosa gelding - bay with just a few white spots over his rump.  Never a world beater, although we did end up with a few National points,  he was the one that taught me about riding, showing, winning and losing.  
   My parents purchased him for me when I was a teen after many years of my begging them for a horse.  I owned him for 23 wonderful years. He was 30 years old when he died and this marks the 11th anniversary of his death.
   The last year that I owned him was tough as he has suffered a leg injury that kept him on Bute and prevented me from riding him but he was happy being turned out daily, just enjoying being a horse.  I was happy just grooming him and walking him on the leadrope through the fields so that he could graze.  I would sit in the grass while he munched on the grass - both of us content to just watch the world go by.  We spent a lot of time together that last year in this way.
    Then one day I got a phone call at work from the owner of the barn where he was stabled.  She told me that he did not eat any of his hay or grain and was acting rather listless.  I immediately left for the barn stopping only to buy some carrots to see if he would eat those.  I got to the barn and entered his stall - he immediately perked up and began to eat the carrots that I brought.  I felt a little bit of relief and began to stroke his neck and talk to him. But then as I was talking to him, he dropped his head down and stopped eating.  It was at that point that I felt that he was saying goodbye to me, that he was ready to go and that he had waited for me to arrive to give me a chance to say goodbye to him. I called the vet and made arrangements for him to come early the next morning to put Storm down. 
     The next morning arrived and as I was getting ready to go out to the barn I got a call from the barn telling me that they had found him dead in the stall.  I went out there and entered his stall for the last time.  It appears that he went peacefully as there were no thrash marks in the sawdust.  I clipped off some of his mane which I have encased in a locket with a picture of the two of us, and we took him out to bury. 

While at work yesterday I was struck by the Muse of Silliness in Poetry and was thus inspired to write these poems after I saw the pictures taken of Hugh sailing last year in Marina Del Rey.  My apologies to Mr. Laurie.......... 

I have been hearing from Bernie and Angie all day about the crew from "House" filming scenes today at the College of the Canyons - the Canyon Country campus.  Bernie and Angie live in Canyon Country.  Angie is a student at COC and alerted us this morning about the filming.  Bernie was able to go over there after work.  They both reported seeing the trailers for Kal Penn and Olivia Wilde as well as one for the director and make-up staff.  Angie said that they are scheduled to film in the Aliso Lab building, Boykin Hall, and Pico Canyon Hall.  

Bernie just called me and said that she thought that they were currently fimling in Pico Canyon Hall as no one was allowed to park in the area and she saw lights set up.  One of Angie's friends has taken some pictures and hopefully I will eventually be able to see them.  If I get copies of the pictures and if there show anything interesting I will post them here.

All in all it sounds like a very interesting and exciting way to spend the day.  I only wish that I was still out there.  Unfortunately right now I am not planning on returning to LA until October.    

     
     
     The two-part finale of House was fantastic!!!!  I personally have only heard one negative comment about the show, although, I have read some negative comments on a few of the message boards. 
     The funny thing is that most of the negativity is due to the fact that there was a political bumper sticker stuck to the wall of the bathroom stall behind Olivia Wilde in a scene.  I saw it, thought it was a little amusing and then never gave it another thought until reading about it on the message boards.  The placement of the bumper sticker in the scene certainly did not take away from my enjoyment of the final episode of the season.  It was amusing though.
     I am happy to report that co workers of mine that had drifted away from watching House this season decided to watch the finale and are again hooked on the show!!
      Hugh Laurie, Robert Sean Leonard and Ann Dudek were wonderful in their roles.  I must say that I really enjoyed watching all of the characters in the finale. The finale definitely pulled at the heart strings.  Katie Jacobs directed the finale and she was right on with the way that she orchestrated the episode.   
     I am definitely looking forward to the start of Season Five!!   I am also looking forward to buying the Season 4 DVD's this summer.  I enjoyed this past season even if some did not.
      The Red Wings are in the Stanley Cup finals!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go RED WINGS!!!!!! It should be a good series no matter the outcome - better if the Wings win the Cup though.  I read that Hugh Laurie had his picture taken with the Stanley Cup when it made a visit to the set of House.  David Shore was quoted as saying that since neither Toronto nor LA were in the playoffs that he hoped that the finals would be Detroit versus Philadelphia.  Well he got part of his wish as Detroit is in there...................Go RED WINGS!!!! 

I hope that everyone had a nice Mother's Day!
I did - except for the weather as it has rained here all day.
The Red Wings won last night and are up 2 games to none against the Stars...and we have a new episode of "House" tomorrow night which is supposed to be an excellent start to the two-part finale for the season.  Hopefully it will be as good as the hype.
Hugh is scheduled to be on Ellen tomorrow so I will tape that as I will be at work during the day. She comes on at 10am here.




 

I have been very busy, and there has been so much going on, since I got back from LA that I really have not had a chance to write much in this journal. 
I have been extremely busy at work; I had to rush my dog to the vet last week (she is OK now); we had the vet out for my two horses - Stormy and April - for their annual check-ups, shots and wormings; we brought Krystal and Jessica home for the summer from CMU; my dad will be having surgery next week; and it has been several weeks since I have heard anything from Larry in Iraq (and I am starting to get worried). 
At least the weather yesterday and today has been great.  Yesterday I went for a five mile walk, today I only went two miles. 
House is on tonight and Hugh is on Craig Ferguson's show which I will try to stay up for but will tape it just in case.

I am back home from an awesome California vacation. 
It started off great and ended fantastically with Bernie, Sasha and I sighting Hugh Laurie! 
My first day there, as I was leaving the Alamo car rental lot, I decided to stop in West Hollywood first before heading up to Canyon Country, so instead of taking the 405 I headed up Sepulveda.  I was traveling in the right lane when a limo passed by me in the left lane.  I noticed that the license plate read Music 29 and it suddenly dawned on me that this was the same limo that was in one of the paparazzi pictures taken of Hugh and his wife. 

Please note: From this point on I will not give out street names to protect a certain star's privacy, nor will I publish any photos...yes, we did take some but none of Hugh as I would not feel right doing that without his permission. I feel bad enough having taken a couple of his place and Bernie taking a few of his car.

Later in the week Bernie and I headed down from her place in Canyon Country to stay a few days at her friend Sasha's place in West Hollywood.  Sasha was not home from work yet so Bernie and I went for a walk around Sasha's neighborhood.  We went up and down a few of the side streets and then turned another corner from the main street to continue our walk down another side street when we found ourselves smack dab in front of Hugh's place.  The same place that was seen in the paparazzi photos (I know I should not be looking at those photos but sometimes curiosity gets the better of me).  Needless to say we walked past it a few times during our stay there.
The best part of our stay in West Hollywood was yet to come and it occured on our last day there before we headed back up to Canyon Country.  We were driving down Hugh's street heading on our way to have lunch with one of Sasha's friend's when we saw Hugh's car pulling out - seeing his car was exciting (same car seen in yet again another paparazzi photo).  He made a left turn and we figured that we would not see him again as we got stopped at the light.  
The light changed and we turned left also and headed down the street in the right lane when we could see his car up ahead in the left lane.  I stayed in the right as our turn was coming up when he moved into our lane.  There were two cars in between us.  Just as I put my turn signal on Bernie yelled that he was also turning right as did the two cars in between us.  We travelled down the street - a residential street - a short distance when he pulled off to the right side and parked. I slowed down as we passed the car. He turned towards us as he had to wait for us to pass so that he could get out of his car.  It was definitely Hugh!!!!  We continued on down the street and parked at Sasha's friend's house.  Bernie walked over to where Hugh had parked and took some very nice pictures of the car.  It's a Porsche and it is gorgeous!!!!   

 We just got back from seeing Street Kings - excellent movie! 
I would give it a 9 out of 10!  Hugh did an excellent job in his role and was in it more than I thought that he would be.

Hello from sunny, beautiful, warm - 90 degrees -  California!
I had a good flight in yesterday - arrived on time and spent part of yesterday in West Hollywood - a lot of people were out enjoying the day with me.
Today I am at Bernie's and we are going later to see Street Kings and then just relax.........