A New Opportunity, A New Cable-Clip-Comedy Show

So - excuse the nebulous and Disneylicious sunflower metaphor below, I'll explain the personal motivation behind it. And the reason I haven't been blogging in ages.

My life recently got turned upside-down when I was offered a writing job on "The Dish" - a spinoff of The Soup (see: Spaghetti Cat), where I used to work, that will air on the Style Network. It premieres this Saturday, Aug. 23 at 10pm ET! Please tivo, my four loyal readers. The show is truly great - I am not embarrassed to plug it at all. And I think I'd actually watch it if I didn't work here. It's a more girly take on the Soup, but it really celebrates the fact that women too appreciate comedy. It's genuinely funny and very quirky - in that it grabs more from the home- and self-improvement genre which involves a lot of insane hosts and public access and fashion victims that you don't see on the mainstream/reality conveyer belt. And it's hosted by Danielle Fishel, who is a nostalgic dream and completely delightful.

Anyway, the job has been very fun, but I've been completely wrapped up in trying to get this new show off the ground and being so invested in its success. Where I used to have some time during the day to write for side projects, I am now completely creatively spent by the time I get home from a long day. (Which is unfortunate when we have a 2nd season of the critically-acclaimed Dorm Life web series in the pipeline! But regardless I can say with certainty that this will be the best season ever.)

Please do check out the show, and I promise to come back when I get my life under control. I am basically working two fulltime creative jobs (although one only pays in hugs and semi-offensive internet comments) but this is the time to do it and I am doing it and I am surviving. I think good things will come of this!

But, I'll leave you with this cautionary note. To remind me of my mortality and/or impending demise, I received in the mail this card...

...To remind me of dreams unfulfilled. Go for it! Tomorrow you could be old!

Cheer up, sunshine!

This sunflower popped up by our front walkway. Out of nowhere! A sunflower! That area doesn't even get watered and a sunflower grew to full flower (with lots of flower buds that keep flowering one after another).

I think it may have come from the birdfeeder; there are sunflower seeds in the birdfeed mix. But he had to plant himself and endure a hostile soil environment, just to make me happy.

I think it's a good reminder that opportunities can arise anywhere. And we need to be present enough to take advantage of them!

Cute Overload, Small Human Edition

It would be selfish to keep this picture to myself.

Context: A friend's nephew who I don't know at all, driving his grandpa's Hummer

Caption: When he finds out he's only getting 6 MPG, he'll shit his pants again

A Historic Moment in Sports History!

There's something with me getting caught up in sports history when I'm at the gym. Not making it - but watching it. A few weeks ago it was the incredible men's Wimbledon final where Rafael Nadal historically unseated world reigning champ Roger Federer. The match lasted 4 hours and 48 minutes, during which I was on the treadmill until my legs literally fell off.* THEN recently I was gymming again when I started absent-mindedly watching the high school track and field California state championships. I know, how could you not! But in an effort to distract myself from the physical exertion I actually started getting into the story that was playing out. And I ended up watching one of the most inspiring races of my life!

German Fernandez, a senior from Riverbank High, had just won the state title for the mile run - in less than 4:01 - when he lined up to run the 3200 (a 2 mile run). He had just run a grueling mile, and the conditions that day were less than ideal: hot, with a strong cross-wind. But immediately he pulled ahead of the pack and by the 4th lap, he was literally 100 meters ahead of the other runners. For him to set the record, he would have to pace himself, completely alone, for more than a mile. Which he did! He ran perfectly, and all the announcers kept saying was that this was one of the most impressive performances by an athlete at this level in any sport, in history! I was completely spellbound. The last two laps, he was lapping people (get out of his f-ing way!) and still ran negative splits - meaning he was running faster by the end than he had at the beginning.

I'm a sucker for all hero/sports stories. But this was a good one. He broke the record with a time of 8:34:23, beating the 1979 record of 8:36. This is fast, people. And by the end, the crowd of 10,000 were all on their feet. I was trying not to fall off the treadmill. He finished the race in perfect form, and honestly didn't look that tired afterward.

German later went on to break the record for the 2-mile at the Nike Nationals with a time of 8:34:40. He may be slow, but at least he's consistent! I look forward to seeing this kid at the Olympics in 4 years. I'm already looking forward to it.

*Another misuse of the word "literally."

Subconscious Profundity

I came home last night and found this post-it note - my roommate's To-Do List for the day.  I pointed out to her that everything on the list was crossed off except the first, most pressing priority: "Apply 4 Job."  I found this very very funny.  Who hasn't been there?  We're always at our most productive when we have a big elephant waiting to be hauled out of the room.  It's why I clean the kitchen and rearrange furniture when I have lots of writing to do.

I love little things like this that inadvertently illuminate life's quirks.

P.S. As of this writing, said job has still not been "applied 4."

Ladies Love Cake!

What a lovely, lovely cake!! I was surprised by this cake at our staff meeting today, after I joked all week about my coworkers getting me one, assuming they wouldn't, because I didn't get one for my birthday this year. Unforgiveable. But I didn't actually expect one and this one far exceeded my wildest cake dreams!

It's from Lark Silverlake Cake Shop, evidently the most delightful bakery imaginable. The exterior of the cake is lovely, clearly, but the inside is such a delicious red velvet cake (my favorite!) and cream cheese frosting (my favorite!) There is about 1/4 left and I am taking it home to eat out of the box on my couch this weekend.

Oh! You're probably wondering what the occasion for the cake was. It's my last day at my current job (producing wildly funny tv series The Soup) - which is really sad! Except that next week I'll start as a writer on a spin-off show for the Style network called "The Dish" - which is really exciting. Many more updates on that situation to come, I'm sure.

Either way, I couldn't have asked for a better send-off cake! I mean, considering they forgot my birthday.

"Light Metal"

Another delicious treat from Sensible Snack:

Ever wondered what would happen if Heavy Metal got lighter? I'll wonder no longer, thanks to the latest Time Life infomercial.

In the late 80s, a jazz musician and a heavy metal frontman joined together in the U.K. to form "Hard Breeze," the first ever Light Metal band. Today, you can order their Best Of collection from Time Life Records!

Watch this video to experience the magic and mystery, the bumping and humping of "Hard Breeze." Includes 4 (four) original songs and music videos!! Unrivaled in the world of Youtube!