A month old
Well, time flies. My beautiful niece Ever is already one month old yesterday. Amazing. My sister has put up some beyond cutie patootie photos on
her blog. They're driving up to Vegas tomorrow for the Telethon weekend and David's (BIL) 50th birthday. I'll be working so I know I won't have time to celebrate. Hopefully, I'll be able to have a little cuddle. I know Cousin Carly is looking forward to seeing Ever.
Anyway, 2 weeks ago, before we all trekked to Vegas, we got together for brunch since my cousin Steffi was in town. Carly got to *hold* her cousin for the first time. She was so excited. She keeps saying "she's so little" and holding up her fingers really close together. But she was also a little wiggly. Carly also was checking out her belly button. Here are a few photos. I love the ones where Ever is looking at Carly.
Okay, back to work. I've got a Telethon in 3 days. YIKES!
Are you sitting down???
We (me, Gregg, Carly, Debbie and Susan) went to dinner last night figuring it was probably our last night to actually get out of the hotel for a real meal. We went to the yummy Burger Bar at Mandalay. 5 or 6 different kinds of beef and about a hundred toppings for you to mix and match. Everything from guacamole to foix gras to lobster to a fried egg. I got the Kobe Beef burger with mozzarella cheese and guac. It was incredible. The beef practically melted in my mouth and I wasn't even stuffed when I finished the whole thing. It must be the less fat content from your normal burger but oh my it was incredible. Worth every penny.
Anyway, for Carly they had the choice of grilled cheese or a burger. She chose the burger. We figured with the ketchup and mustard, she'd just kind of eat the bread but much to our surprise, she took about 6 bites of the burger. Shocking, I know!! My child who doesn't eat meat took bites of the actual burger. Thank goodness we were there to witness it. I wouldn't have believed it.
Here are a couple of shots, a little blurry since she was sitting right next to me and no flash, but proof that actual meat went into her system.
Other than the big burger news, the Telethon is going, well, pretty much as normal with 5 days to go. JL has been in the office. He's feeling pretty good it seems so hopefully his energy will be good starting on Sunday night. I'm just hoping that I can get through all my performance stuff by the time I leave for LA tomorrow night. I'm in pretty good shape but I've got a lot to do today. Maybe I should get off the computer.
Okay, I'll get to work after I go to the coffee place to get a caffeine push to maybe help get rid of this headache. It could be a long noisy day here at the Telethon. Help Jerry's Kids, fill the boot (if you pass a firefighter), do what you feel is right for you. Oh, and tune in in the 8AM hour west coast time (7AM east coast time) to see Carly and Bear on TV.
Viva Las Vegas
Well, here we are in Viva Las Vegas. When we last left our blog, we were on our way to Palm Springs for the Miss Teen USA Pageant. At least that was a nice, normal easy going pageant. The lovely Miss Teen Montana won the title for those who really care (anyone? anyone?). Then 3 days of Big Brother. 2 days off to pack and now we're in Vegas. Of course, I'll be leaving for the airport in about an hour to fly home for 22 hours so I can do BB tomorrow. Who will be leaving the All-Star house? Will it be James or George? If I could put money down here in Vegas, I would put my money on James going bye bye.
Anyway, on Tuesday early AM, we did a shoot for the opening of the Telethon. We shut down Las Vegas Blvd. right in front of Caesar's Palace and Barbary Coast and shot Jerry Lewis conducting the Las Vegas Philharmonic performing Leonard Bernstein's "Overture to Candide". It's the first time the city has ever shut down LV Blvd. for a shoot. It was really cool. We closed it down at 2AM and we wrapped at about 4:30A. It was still about 95 degrees at that time so it was warm.
Here's a shot of my Dad (the Telethon Producer) talking to the orchestra. Sorry I couldn't get a shot of Jerry Lewis. I was actually working at that moment.
When we drove back to the hotel, they were doing some power testing crossing over to their new generators. So as we were driving up, we saw the lights of the entire hotel shut off like a light switch. At 5AM, it was a really eerie sight. We took a photo and even though it's a little blurry, you get the idea. When will you see an (almost) entirely dark Vegas hotel. Okay, they're doing the test 2 more times this week but I won't be up at 5AM to photograph is.
And another little lame thing I had to share. At the bar, they have these changing color coasters that make your drinks look really cool. Again, another thing to entertain me at 5AM coming back from the shoot. (I didn't have a drink - thus the water bottle - but a few people were at the bar when we walked in)
Carly and her cousin
I just realized that I never posted photos of Carly meeting her baby cousin Ever. So here's Carly meeting Ever last week. She was very excited to see Ever and kept saying "She's so cute". Carly gave her the giraffe and has since, shopping in Palm Springs, bought her a little lion to match. Carly wanted one too so that they both could have the same one and she hasn't let that lion out of her sight.
Pond Scum update
Well, I was offered for someone to go out and get me a Starbucks but I said no. I'm not playing the martyr (okay, except for here) but seriously, I don't want anyone going on a personal Frappacino run. I'm so not high maintenance that way with work. (I could tell stories...) Meanwhile, my babysitter calls saying that she and Carly were going to Jamba and there's a Starbucks next door, do I want anything? I told her to which Carly pipes in the background "I know what Mommy likes". So cool, I'm getting my sugar fix. So I come back into the edit room and there's a Frap on the desk. Yum. Thanks Susan. THEN Susan and Carly come in with another Frap. So someone *did* go out and get me one. I thanked everyone because, seriously, it wasn't necessary for someone to make a special trip. So now I'm all sugared up drinking my 2nd Caramel Frappacino for the day. I'm still low on the communication food chain around here, but I'm sugared up and alert now.
Why am I the last to know everything?
I'm feeling sorry for myself at the moment. I'm here in Palm Springs on the Miss Teen USA Pageant and it's been like this the whole time I've been here. I get here and my online editor was here a day ahead of me. That's NOT supposed to happen. We're supposed to travel on the same day so that we start at the same time. It used to be that I'd be here at day ahead of him but that went away years ago. There's paperwork from the Post Super about the status of things, calendar, etc and it's cc'd to "all concerned". I don't have a copy so I'm apparently not supposed to be concerned with it. And now, final shame, they did a Starbucks run and didn't ask me. Apparently, I walked in the room when the runner was asking what people wanted but didn't hear and he didn't know to ask me. I'm feeling somewhere around pond scum and it's getting really annoying. I've been on these pageants for years longer than any of them and I'm tired of being thought of as "the new kid" just coming in.
Sigh.
The insanity is about to begin
Starting Tuesday, I'll most like be buried for the next month. Work will be insane. I have 3 days off between August 8 and September 8th. What am I thinking? Carly and I drive to Palm Springs on Tuesday for the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Gregg drives tomorrow. Palm Springs in August? Oh, it gets better, just wait. We're there until the show on the 15th and we'll drive home right after the show because Gregg and I both have work on Wednesday the 16th. I work Wednesday thru Friday of that week on "Big Brother". Have the weekend off (missing a crop at Wendy's because I can't justify the time) and then we go off on Monday the 21st to Vegas for 2 weeks for the Telethon. Vegas in August? Again, what are we thinking but it's also for work. Oh, and I have to come home both Thursdays for "Big Brother". I'll be flying to LA for less than 24 hours both week. The first week was planned. The second week was not until about 2 days ago. They were having trouble finding a replacement, then it's a special all live show and me and the TD were both not going to be there. So a case of the guilts got to me, called Dad and I'll miss the big 7 hour MDA Production meeting. Hardly ideal, but it is what it is.
But wait, it gets better. THEN on Thursday, BB changes their end of season schedule and we have a LIVE show the Tuesday after Labor Day. So after being up for 30+ hours, I'll be getting in the car as soon as possible and Susan (our Godsend babysitter) will drive me and Carly home that night. I'll be a complete zombie but darn it, I'll be there. That day actually scares me more than missing the Thursday at the Telethon. And then there's another BB on Thursday, which I'll have to show up for meetings on Wednesday. Ay yi yi. I won't be seeing straight but with enough Frappacinos and Coca Cola, I should be able to stay awake. I hope.
So I figure, Friday the 8th will be spent sleeping, hard. Where's Gregg? Well, starting tomorrow, he goes with zero days off until September 8th. Pageant, Teen Choice Awards, Telethon, NFL Kickoff. He'll crash and burn too. Okay, I can't really complain because it is a lot of money and after BB ends on the 12th, my next job is in November but I just hope I can physically get through it all. I know I will but it'll be tough.
On other topics, Ever is home and doing well. Finally breastfeeding well. She's a cutie girl. Carly met her cousin yesterday and was so good with her. She's been around little babies so she knows to be gentle. I'll add a photo later. I know she can't wait until she's a little older so she can play. They'll be good friends which will be fun in the future.
Okay, gotta go pack. If I get it all together, I might try to scrap again tonight. I've had some good serious mojo lately and I'm going to be really bummed and frustrated that I won't be scrapping for a month. I've got a million ideas swimming in my head. I hope I can get a few more of them out on paper. Wish me luck.
Okay, back to work. I've got a Telethon in 3 days. YIKES!
