the artichoke is steamed

I can't spend a lot of time on this entry, as I'm at work... but there's a lot of recapping to do! The past week has been crazy at work as we jammed the usual beginning of the month/end of the quarter insanity into a four day week (which also means double up on getting everything ready... because even when we have days off, the programming runs 24/7). So the mood around here gets interesting. It's as if the excitement of a holiday weekend pulls the stress of pending deadlines and work overload into a very tense but even balance.

And we started a nifty new wellness program. You get points for various good health decisions, like eating fruits and veggies and getting ample sleep. At the end of the month, if you have enough points you get a Target gift card (v. useful), and if you do that four months in a row, you get a $50 Visa card (even more useful). i'm excited about a) the possibility of such useful bonuses and b) the extra motivation to do things i've been trying to do in the first place.

So this weekend was very awesome. Friday morning we woke up early and drove up the mountain to Big Bear. It was pretty.... lots of pine trees (i love that smell!), rocks and mountains, and the lake. It's popular in the winter for skiing and snowboarding, but i think i appreciate the warm weather much better.

Sophia and I hung out with our friends Lauren, Bill, and Leah, and stayed the night in a cabin. After walking around and checking out the little shops in the village, we caught a movie at the theater... "Wall-E". Now, i wasn't planning on seeing it, due to my less-than-enthusiastic attitude toward Disney/Pixar films and residual animosity towards robots from my childhood fear. However, I was there for quality time with friends, and that's what everyone wanted to do...

Mal's mini-review of Wall-E: Sad, slightly depressing, with a few cute chuckles. The kid next to me got bored, and so did Daylene when she saw it yesterday. Slightly political with a few good points, but you don't go to see a Disney cartoon for an artistic philosophical moment. That's six dollars and fifty cents spent on a movie ticket that could've purchased a gallon of earth-killing gasoline.

The best part about Big Bear (besides good times with friends) was being able to sit on the back porch of the cabin with a book and hear birds and breeze- not the sound of traffic. The sky was blue - not smoggy. And at night you could see the stars. On a different trip, one not balanced with lots of people- I would spend lots of time outdoors.... kayaking, hiking, horseback riding... and maybe one weekend i'll save up my money and go back. It could be a great mini-cation, since i lack the vacation time and resources for a real trip....

Haha, oh, and we tried to see the fireworks that night. We followed the recommendation of the rental folks and found a spot on the lake not far from the cabin, with about fifty other cars parked waiting for the show. When the first firework hit the sky, we saw one itty-bitty flash of color over the trees. Suddenly, it was a mad dash as everyone ran to their cars, hoping to beat the rush out of the one narrow driveway leading to the road. I'm proud to say we were quick on our feet and in the head of the pack out of there... we saw some of fireworks from the road until we pulled into a parking lot with an ok view of the rest....

We were back home on Saturday night, in time for me to babysit for SIX kids. However, it was really more child-minding during a party, so the parents weren't far away. And when kids know their parents are near, they behave quite nicely. Five hours later, I was on my way home, and my Big Bear trip was paid for. :-D

And if THAT wasn't enough for a weekend, there was still yesterday! After church, Sophia and I headed for Hollywood to pick up our will-call tickets at the Pantages theater for WICKED!!! :-D
In honor of Sophia's mom's birthday, we had a girls night in Hollywood with dinner and Wicked. Many thanks to goldstar.com for making the evening possible with their rock star discount tickets. And seeing it a second time was phenomenal.... and made me madly miss theater.
See, here's me being a nerd with less-than-glamorous (and why i think I like it) Hollywood in the reflection.

Sigh.... Wicked....

So i think that covers it. Here I am, back in the same-old desk with many of the same-old tasks, dreaming of a more bohemian life of art and nature... and how I can possibly make that dream a reality.