Chapter 2

October 9

Busy day.  I finally managed to sleep in ... until 8:06!  Myara the pilates teacher was doing a class called GST (no idea what it stands for) at a studio on Santa Monica so I decided to go.  And it was AMAZING.  Springs and bars and crazy contortions, it was the best full body workout ever!  And she's really one of the most wonderful people ever.  

Then it was on to The Sports Club/LA where I met Matt cause he was taking me there to work out.  I thought I was gonna be obsessed with it (cause its super expensive and has schwinn spinning bikes) BUT it wasn't THAT great!  Like, not even as nice as the Cricket Club!  There weren't enough windows, the bikes were the crapster red handled ones that everyone avoids at the club - the handlebars kept loosening and the wheel was really loud!  So needless to say, i'm not that upset that i cant afford to join.  Matt however seems upset.

We then went to sprinkles to pick up our order of two dozen pumpkin cupcakes for Thanksgiving dinner!  And got a free vanilla with cream cheese icing that we split for lunch.  It was pretty plain.  Anddd we ran into none other than Kelly my hairdresser on the street!  It made me feel like I actually live here. 

Next on my list of adventures was a search for black and white M&M's - Leigh had seen them at some store, but they didn't have any left today.  I then had planned on going to get prescription lenses for my shades but didn't have time cause it was time for Kelly!  So as i'm driving along Rodeo, what do I see but a matte black M3 with Detroit license plates driving in front of me.  So I honked, he gave me the finger (cause he's an asshole), I waved, he waved, and then we just sat there for a really long red light.

Kelly Pace at Frederic Fekkai is one of the coolest people ever.  She's beautiful and just so entertaining!  She cut off an inch and a half of my precious locks and gave me Victoria's Secret Runway curls for no reason.  Victoria's Secret Runway curls always make me laugh.  We had good conversation about boys and her upcoming wedding and my LA life.  And after it was all over, I didn't even notice the 1.5 inches missing from my hair!

Post haircut I came home, and Leigh and I started in on the impossible task of creating a seating arrangement for tomorrow's dinner.  And then I started painting everyones names on pumpkin gourds... but... the paint started peeling off some of them!  So i'm not sure what were gonna do about that.

Dinner was at Katsuya, we all piled into the Xplorer - Dave said that we'll have to trade cars sometimes because he loves mine.  Xplorer for a Porsche?  Anytime Dave!  Dinner was delicious as usual, then we came home and had a cooking party in the kitchen.  Leigh made her stuffing with the help of Lauren & Dave and I made my Turnip/Apple crumble thing.  Apparently it takes over an hour to boil turnip... which is the reason why it is 12:40 and i'm still awake, waiting for the thing to bake.  So much for getting a decent sleep tonight.

Oh, and i'm also in a Craigslist bidding war for my drafting table... but I think I won... the guy asked me when I could come get it, but then he didnt respond after I told him Sunday.  i better not have to go get it tomorrow - it's half an hour away and we've got a party to throw!

Chapter 1

October 5

I felt stress today for the first time in probably over a year.  It was intense.  I didn't like it.  I vow not to let it happen again.

So it was orientation at school today, met up with Alex and Taylor my new friends and sat through lots and lots of people talking, had lunch, and sat through more and more people talking.  Oh, and got tote bags.  I tried to change my schedule but unfortunately couldn't.  This is where the stress began.  I had to change my Thursday afternoon class, since it conflicted with my 3:00 birthday hair appointment.  I really didn't want Thursday class at all since I really don't wanna have to go to school on my birthday.  I then got home and Dave was like "Roger says he's coming to the beach with us on Thursday."  "Roger?  Coming to the beach??"  I'll believe it when I see it.  But I also informed Dave that I could no longer go to the beach since I had class all day Thursday.  Now I was really getting frustrated.  I've never before let school get in the way of my life, and i'm not about to start now.  I had to figure out a way to change this schedule.  Obvious answer - ask my guardian angels!  And I did.  And what happened next is crazy.  As Leigh and I settle in to watch GG, I was the most stressed i'd been in years (even Leigh could tell I was so stressed).  I decide to check the FIDM portal one last time to see if something had magically become available.  And SOMETHING HAD MAGICALLY COME AVAILABLE!  There was one opening in one class that was previously closed, that made my schedule come together like clockwork!  Sayonara Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri schedule, bonjour Mon, Tues, Wed schedule!  My birthday will no longer be ruined!  I can keep my hair appointment!  I can go to the beach! ... as long as i get that one spot in that one class!  So i go upstairs and realize that i have to be at school at 8 to switch my schedule.  Horrible.  Another 6:00 wakeup call.  I've had just about enough of this waking up before 7, I seriously can't handle it.

So I was in bed promptly at 11, but woke up FOUR times from nightmares about not getting the schedule!  And then woke up at 5:30 and couldnt get back to sleep. 

October 6

So I was basically a zombie this morning.  Was at the registrars office by 7:30 (had to be the first in line, was not gonna risk letting my nightmares come true), responded to a wonderful email from caleigh, and walked outta there at 8:05 with a brand spankin' new sick schedule!  YES!  Then I sat through the most disorganized and boring international orientation presentation of my life.  Definitely unnecessary for Canadians.  Although I finally met this girl Sam who i'd been instructed by Cathy Langdon to find.  Then I decided to go introduce myself to Brandon's mom, since Roger had instructed me to do that.  She was awesome.  Said if i needed anything (with the exception of changing grades), she'd hook me up.  Sweet. 

Went home, Lauren was here, chilled out on the couches with her and chatted a bit, tried to have a nap and couldn't fall asleep so i then decided to hike.  Got horrible tan lines since it was full sunshine, but it was a perfect temperature and quite enjoyable!  Came home, saw leigh for the first time all day, called Vino re. training and set up a time for tomorrow at 9 (busiest day in the history of days), and went to Target to get Christmas lights and candles for the backyard for our Thanksgiving party on Saturday, and pumpkin spice hershey kisses to send home to Mom.

Got home, Matt was here, he told me about his fabulous sounding gym in Beverly Hills that has Schwinn spinning bikes, and said he'd take me on Friday.  I know it's gonna be disgustingly expensive but it's just so hard to go from the luxury of working out at the Cricket Club to working out somewhere less luxurious... I spend enough time at the gym that I deserve beautiful surroundings!  Right?  Right?  Oh and I also desperately want the $900 Restoration Hardware drafting table because i found out yesterday that i need a drafting table and can't downgrade from Dad's wooden beautiful drafting table to a crapster metal 4-legged monstrosity selling for $175 at school...  But maybe downgrading comes with the territory of starting a new life :(  No fair.  

Lauren, Dave & I later set up our Christmas lights in the backyard, had Thai for dinner, and Terrie, Lauren & I watched 90210 (Leigh was at acting class).  And the clock will soon strike 11, so I best get to bed since I have to get up at 6:30 tomorrow.  ONE MORE DAY until I can sleep in ... til 9 so we can go to the beach... 

Oh, and still no pictures.  My apologies.  Will try and take some soon.

Chapter 1

October 4

Today was a wonderfully relaxing Sunday.  I got up at 7:30, did the Hollywood sign hike (the 2 hours is seriously flying by these days), went to Crate & Barrel to get Round 1 of my birthday present from my Mom & Dad: my cupcake carrier - its seriously the coolest thing ever - 2 levels of muffin tins covered by a clear case.  Soooo perfect.  I also got a really cute cupcake stand (cause I couldn't bring mine from home) to use at my birthday party.  I wandered the streets of Beverly Hills a bit, checking out Lulu for another Jog Skirt (they don't have them anymore), and hitting up Sprinkles for a free red velvet (that went STRAIGHT into the freezer).  Leigh and I are gonna have quite the stockpile of cupcakes pretty soon!  I'm sure we'll have no problem eating them... 

Next I went to check out the West Hollywood Book Fair.  It sucked.  There were barely any books, it was grossly crowded with book loving weirdos, I got outta there pretty fast.  Came home, soaked up some rays in the backyard for an hour, made plans with Lauren Zelikovitz (flew in today) to hang out during my 3 hour break on Wednesday, did laundry (how exciting!), organized my shoes and makeup (more excitement), painted my nails, and read.  

Desperate Housewives will NOT be the same without Momsie.  I miss her.  Mom, you should probably fly in every sunday to watch it with me okay? 

Chapter 1

October 1

Gotta love ROCKtober!  Definitely the best month on the calendar for the following reasons:

1. My birthday. 

2. Fall.  Leaves.  Cool weather.  Things that smell like pumpkin pie.

3. Thanksgiving.  Chudleigh's Pumpkin & Apple Crumble pies.

4. Breast cancer month so everything is pink

5. Pink M&Ms

6. Halloween

7. Honeycrisp Apples

8. Libras are so badass

Woke up.  Hollywood sign hike.  Driving test.  Passed with flying colours (obviously)!  Came home.  Got calls from Terrie detailing Dave's car breakdown on the highway en route to the airport.  He missed his flight.  Scoped out Dave's Ralph Lauren purchases (included the SICKEST oil jacket). Pizza for dinner. Grey's Anatomy.  Sorry for the lack of details, it was too many days ago and i dont remember them.

October 2nd

SUCH a productive day.  Got up.  Had green cereal breakfast.  Dave then got a phone call saying that he could catch a private jet to Aspen!  Sweet deal!  So I offered to be his driver for the morning.  First we had to go shopping, which was amazing, cause as i've blogged about before, I LOVE shopping with Dave.  He has good taste in clothes.  So we hit up Beverly & Rodeo but we were SO early, so we sat outside The Coffee Bean and sipped on beverages (japanese cherry tea for me, pomegranate smoothie something for Dave), while bbm-ing Roger, who took every chance he got to make fun of me.  But it's only cause he has a crush on me, so it's okay.  Wanna make out? At 10 we went to Planet Blue to get Rehearsal Dinner Outfit #791 for Leigh "This Western theme is giving me nightmares!" - the cute sales girl (with the most beautiful surfer-mermaid hair ever... makes me want to be blonde again).  Then we went to Ralph Lauren to get Dave another pair of smokin' hot jeans, horseshoe cufflinks and a tie.  He told me that his parents interior designer also designed the RL store, which I think is pretty damn cool.  We then got back into the Xplorer and headed for the private airport in Van Nuys.  I felt so totally like Blair Waldorf as I stood with him on the tarmac.  So cool.  Oh, but first we went to Whole Foods to kill time - I made Dave try his first Honeycrisp apple and he fell in love!  Because how can you not be in love with Honeycrisps?  They're the perfect blend of sweet & sour with the most perfect crispy texture!  Anyways, back to the day.  After dropping Dave i swung by Sprinkles to pick up a free pumpkin cupcake to freeze for Leigh cause they're her favourite.  Then I dropped off a cd of pictures to be printed, discovered "pumpkin spice" hershey kisses - insanely delicious, and went to LA Fitness to scope out the spinning bike situation.  The situation is unfathomably bleak.  I didnt even know what to make of their bikes.  The wheel is in the BACK.  WTF?  The resistance knob is a lever (real bike gear shifter style).  I had to have the seat at the highest and most far back settings in order to have proper form!  It was all so depressing.  While I pedalled I wondered if I could seriously handle this dismal situation for an entire year.  I'm not so sure that I can.  Damn you LA Fitness!  Why do you have to be so much cheaper than all other gyms and why can't you just have Schwinn bikes!?  Terrie and I made chicken and asparagus and carrots for dinner, I put my newly developed pictures in a photo album, tried to go to bed early cause i had to wake up at 6:30 to get my act together and get to school by 8, but then couldn't fall asleep.

October 3

So I was way ahead of schedule and totally didn't need to get up at 6:30, but I do love to be punctual.  And I couldn't sleep at ALL so getting up at 6:30 was easy.  I actually woke up at 5:45 and couldn't fall back to sleep.  I was having a nightmare about something that I don't remember... I do remember that crackers were involved though.  And perhaps a dog.  So yeah, school at 8 to register.  My schedule blows.  I need to rearrange it.  I will rearrange it and get a sick 2 day/week schedule.  Went home for a 3 hour gap in between stuff, went back to school for 1:00 when I saw Brandon - he was giving a presentation on drug/alcohol abuse (Roger had told me he'd be there).  So I felt kinda cool knowing the guest speaker, and realized that Brandon's really a very wonderful person.  I love him.  I also made 3 cool friends.  YES! 

Then i came home, talked to Momsie "tell me what you want for your birthday so I can send it!  Or do you just want to buy your own present?", read a fabulous email from Leigh and Robyn that for some reason made me really happy, did some reading (The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder is going pretty slow...) and then got ready for dinner with Terrie and Lauren at Ago.  Lauren and I had the most amazing pasta EVER.  Gotta love excuses to get pasta!  Spinach & ricotta ravioli in a butter sage sauce.  Dinner was wonderful and cute and girly and now i'm exhausted and ready to chill out with the inside of my eyelids.  Later punks.  Oh - let's not forget to wish Mrs. Stefani a Happy Birthday.  Happy Birthday Gwen!  12 days til my birthdayyyyyyy!

Chapter 1

September 29

Well here I am.  LA life has begun.  My last morning at home consisted of finishing packing my 2 huge suitcases and 1 big suitcase (impossible!), going to Gryfe's to get some quality Jewish bagels to bring with me, and that was it.  Berkley was supposed to have to wait at home while my parents drove me to the airport, but he decided to run outside and jump in the car while we were loading in my suitcases, so we figured we better bring him.  At the airport I bid farewell to him & my parents, paid excessive overweight baggage fees, and got my F1 Visa no problem!  While sitting at the gate drinking a ginger green tea and ginger molasses cookie from Starbucks I noticed a girl with a Bichon sticking his head out of a bag!  I went over and said hi and saw that this dog was totally Berkley's twin!  Usually bichons all look pretty different but this one totally couldve been berkley 5 years ago!  (Quincy was only 4).  So strangely enough Quincy and his owner Kristen sat beside me on the plane and it was so fun!  I couldn't believe how good he was in his little bag - Berkley would NEVER sit in a bag for that long!  He'd unzip himself and march up to business class (and demand that a blanket be put on the seat before he jumped up on it). 

Anyways, so I hop off the plane at LAX with a dream and my cardigan.  Oh wait, that's Miley Cyrus.  I hopped off the plane at LAX with a dream and a dozen bagels.  While waiting for my bags I caught the eye of a guy walking past me.  We made eye contact for a second too long, he gets the attention of his porter (he had a porter) and tells him to wait a second.  Mystery man then walks over to me and conversation goes like this:

"You were just in Toronto" 

"Yup... and I assume you were too?" 

"Yeah, I saw you going through security" 

He then started saying something about airports and I interrupted with "stop staring at me so intently!" while laughing.... cause his bright blue eyes were burning holes in my retinas.  

"Am I making you nervous?"

"Kind of" 

"What's wrong?  Do you not usually get spoken to by strangers?"

"Nope" 

And then he made some comment about how I must only talk to people that my parents introduce me to, I told him to stop making fun of me, he asked me my name, said it was very nice to meet me, and walked off.  Bizarre.  I thought he'd at least try to ask for my phone number or something.

Leigh was waiting for me outside, and we went straight to Beverly Hills to find her an outfit at Planet Blue for Ashley's rehearsal dinner.  She bought a cute skirt for the dinner and wickedddd ripped black jeans.  We then went home, I lugged all my suitcases inside and started the horrendous task of unpacking.  We had dinner, Leigh went to acting class, and I watched prime time tv (90210 is totally my fave show, fell asleep during melrose place).  

September 30

Woke up at 6:30, lied in bed til 7.  Ate breakfast with Leigh, hiked to the Hollywood Sign (to the top and back in 2 hours - definitely a personal record)!  It was SUCH a nice hike.  Hardly anyone on the trail, hardly any horse poo on the trail, saw a bunny, saw 2 pretty black horses and the weather was just so beautifully crisp.  After getting ready for the day and organizing my room a bit more Leigh came home from errand running and I drove her to the airport to catch her flight to Aspen.  After LAX I went to AT&T and was pleasantly surprised to find out that i could switch to a plan and still keep my pay as you go phone number!  But since I don't have a social security number, I had to give them a stupid $500 deposit that I don't get back for a year.  That sucked.  Stepping out of AT&T I realized that since I was feeling homesick, I deserved a cupcake.  So I got a vanilla hazelnut (limited edition).  I then went to get my blackberry unlocked at the unlock shop on Melrose, and noticed 2/3 OFF SALE signs all over Fred Segal!  The sale had started! I missed the first day!  So I dropped off my phone and kicked it on back to Freddy's.  Unfortunately most of the stuff was pretty picked over, however I did get my mom and I some free city longsleeve shirts.

Picked up my phone, went to Studio City (insert loving *sigh* here) to get 2 curling irons that leigh had ordered to give to dave to bring to the wedding tomorrow... I really love studio city.  Not as much as I love Beverly Hills, but I just love neighborhoods where everything you need is in walking distance.  Obviously.  That's what i'm used to.  Ummmm came home, went to Gelson's & got dinner, ate it in the backyard,came inside only to hear "Go Pax go! Go Pax Go!" being chanted outside the kitchen window!!!  So I scurried over and peeked out from behind the blinds only to see Pax Jolie-Pitt on a bike going off a tiny little jump (we're talking a 10cm jump made from a board of wood and a log).  Ohhhhh how I love living across from Brangelina!  I couldn't spy long enough to see if the man with him was Brad or a bodyguard because I didn't want to be seen.  I then organized my room more, watched Top Model and ate my cupcake (not so great - the icing wasn't very hazelnutty).  Now i'm researching California speed limits.  Driving test tomorrow.  Wish me luck!!

*I apologize for no pictures... been too busy to take them. 

Gone - Carl Sandburg

Everybody loved Chick Lorimer in our town.

Far off

Everybody loved her.

So we all love a wild girl keeping a hold 

On a dream she wants.

Nobody knows now where Chick Lorimer went.

Nobody knows why she packed her trunk. . a few old things

And is gone, 

Gone with her little chin

Thrust ahead of her

And her soft hair blowing careless

From under a wide hat, 

Dancer, singer, a laughing passionate lover.

Were there ten men or a hundred hunting Chick?

Were there five men or fifty with aching hearts?

Everybody loved Chick Lorimer.

Nobody knows where she's gone.

The Prologue: Days 8, 9, 10

Day 8
I woke up and tried to figure out if I could order my Frye's in time to be delivered the next day. The answer was yes, if I called in the order RIGHTNOW. But the customer service lady told me that the smallest they make is a mens 7 and if i'm a women's 8.5, the 7 might be too big. I didn't wanna risk paying $60 shipping to not have them fit. So while walking to Gelsons, Leigh and I decided to pool our wardrobes and figure out new outfit ideas. I would wear her red plaid shirt with shiny leggings and my black boots, she would wear the Abercrombie long plaid shirt-dress that she intended to buy with leggings and my Frye harness boots. Perfection! We then went to the bank where I opened up an American account, and also where I received several bbm messages from Roger, pretending to be mad at me for not letting him know I was in town. Our next stop was The Grove to get Leigh's shirt.

The afternoon was filled with birthday present shopping with Dave! We hit up Barney's, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Lululemon, the cute stationary shop in BH, Kitson & Burton. We ended up with black Uggs, Lulu crops, a Burton Feelgood snowboard, and a burton tshirt with a plaid logo - very fitting for the theme. We got home at dinner time, Morgan came over, Leigh went to a play with Christina, so Dave, Morgan, Terrie and I ordered Thai for dinner. It was a lovely dinner, and there was just something about having Terrie there that made it SO cozy. It feels like a real family house and all her candles keep it smelling wonderful (and add nice ambience)! Dinner was followed by 4 intense hours of cupcake making! Lemon Coconut, Vanilla with lemon icing, Chocolate with cream cheese icing and chocolate coconut. During the middle of my cupcake baking Dave & Morgan disappeared, arriving an hour later with Leigh and Christina who had been in a car accident! Someone had turned left right into Christina's rental car! It was sooo scary! Thank goodness they were okay - just a little shaken up. I didn't get to bed until 2 am, they all stayed up even later.

Day 9
I woke up at 6:30 and couldnt for the life of me get back to sleep. 4.5 hours of sleep is not good when you have a fabulous party that night! After lying in bed wide awake for half an hour I decided that i should just get up and do the full hollywood sign 8 mile hike because maybe that would tire me out and I could have a little nap. Did the hike, couldn't fall asleep because the sun outside my window kept calling me to get rid of the tan lines that i'd acquired on that morning's walk. So I went outside to tan for half an hour and maybe fell asleep for 5 mins. Then it was time for errands. I needed wrapping paper and a box for leigh's present (the LB anthropologie pillow that she'd been wanting since May), and had to get her Sweetheart OPI nail polish cause she'd been marvelling over my toes for the past week. I also needed to hit up Sprinkles becaues it was the first day of chocolate almond and my mom was desperate to try it! So I did those errands, gassed up my car for the first time (only cost $55! not bad)! and then met Leigh at Frederic Fekkai at 3 (she was fresh off the massage table)! We had a wonderful couple of hours with Kelly at FF, I wanted Barbie hair, Leigh wanted Shirley Temple curls, and did we ever get them! She also tipped us off that when the Melrose Salon opens they'll be gift bags with $1000 of free stuff in them! Amazingly the opening coincides with my birthday, so we booked blowouts and cuts for October 15th!

After hair we went home and started getting ready for the party. Oh but first! We dined on Birthday Sprinkles! But since I figured I better ease myself back into sugar eating (it had been 21 days) Leigh and I just split one. Pumpkin. Delicious. I wrapped presents and tied fancy bows, while dave played with stamps and wrote the cutest card ever. Dave and I also ran down to Gelsons to get beer & mojito supplies.

The dinner party was fabulous, Birds - not so much. I made mojitos, we ate Terrie's awesome spaghetti, posed for rad plaid pictures, got high in the backyard, and ate cupcakes. This was my downfall. After not eating sugar for 3 weeks, 4 cupcakes was NOT a good idea. As soon as we got to Birds i started feeling SO nauseous (and I know I wasn't drunk because I only had 2 drinks) and had to leave after like, and hour. Sugar is Satan.

Day 10
The next morning I woke up at 7 as usual and was zombie tired. But I had packing and organizing of my room to do so it was alright. Leigh, Dave, Terrie, Jordan and I went to Toast for breakfast, and it was soooo wonderful cause I hadn't been there in 2 years! Then it was time to hit the airport - so I could catch a flight to YYZ and so Dave & Jordan could hop on over to Germany. My flight was delayed by two horrible hours... I spent them uploading pictures, finishing Skinny Bitch (which makes me NEVER want to eat meat again) and eating my chocolate almond cupcake - sooooooo unbeleivably delicious! On the way home the middle seat of the 3 was empty and it was soooo fabulous. I landed at 1 am and was in bed by 2:30 - with a wakeup call of 7 the next morning in order to make it to the cottage in time for Waketivis...

The Prologue: Day 5

I haven't been good with taking pictures.  I haven't taken any at all!  Except the ones at the car dealership!  But i've just been too busy to even think about pictures!

This morning started off with half of a hike, but then I got to the altitude where the smoke was hovering, so I had to turn around.  So instead I went for a jog around the neighbourhood.  Got home an hour later and Leigh was about to go to the gym so I went along to check out LA Fitness! Unfortunately they didn't have Schwinn spin bikes which pretty much breaks the deal of me joining.  But, I'm gonna to to a class there on Friday to see what the bikes they have are like.  We did abs, arms, and treadmill and then came back home.

I then called good old Felippe (there should be a spanish accent on that last e) to see if he'd venture from the Valley to Hollywood to meet me at the car rental place with my new ride.  "For you Jennifer, I'd drive to China" (I told him my name was jennifer b/c i didnt wanna have to deal with the "i'm christine but i go by my middle name so to buy this car it'll have to be under jennifer blah blah blah").  So promptly at noon I returned my pickup and stepped into my new Explorer!  It's sooooo badass.  I've decided I totally need black rims.  Maybe by my birthday i'll be dating Zac Efron and he can buy me them.  

I took my new ride to Robertson, where I bought Momsie her silver Tory Burch shoes, and got a cake-scented candle at Kitson to give my truck a signature scent.  Next stop was Whole Foods for Cranberry juice, curcumin vitamins, two of my nature's path cereals, lemon & a banana bread Larabar.  They're pretty much the only things getting me through this no sugar deal.

In the early evening Leigh and I sat around watching Mad Men, ate dinner, and then decided to go to Target to get some important items - for me: audio auxilary ipod plug for my car, wooden hangers, a 10 pound weight (one b/c Tracey's workout calls for alternating arms), Skinny Bitch and the photo album that kinda matches my duvet, for leigh: pink wrapping paper for Terrie's present, plaid birthday decorations.  I was THISCLOSE to buying sugar free red vines licorice - becuase it was sugar free!!!  But Leigh wouldn't allow it.  I LOVE having her as my conscience.  We're driving pedal to the metal on the road to being in the best shape of our lives!

Must go to bed now so I can get up for Palazzo pilates with Vino!

The Prologue: Day 4

There she is ladies and gentlemen... my new ride!  X-tine's drivin' an Xplorer!  Today was grueling to say the least.  I spent 5 hours at the car dealership, negotiating my face off (I got $3000 knocked off), waiting for various papers, insurance forms, and then in the end I find out that the finance manager says that it's not possible for me to put it all on Visa and that I need to get a cashier's cheque from a bank.  I was smoke-coming-out-of-my-ears mad!  So they found me a bank that was open on Sundays - thank God it was only a few blocks away, but the finance manager warned me that they might not be able to give me a cheque for such a large amount of money.  But I had to try.  While waiting in the longest bank line i've EVER seen, I asked my guardian angel and spirit guide to PLEASE let it be possible to get my money!  And of course it worked.  I got my money.  I got my car.  I was a happy camper!

When I got home, Leigh and I decided to go to Beverly Hills to scope out some Lulu crops for her and the jog skirt for me.  They didn't have my skirt, Leigh didn't get her crops.  But while she was trying them on, a strange wave of intense heat washed over me, and I felt like I was going to faint.  I started sweating like CRAZY (it was disgusting) and my body felt like jello.  We couldnt figure out what it was from - perhaps the intense heat (90something degrees outside), the smoke-filled air (fires in the hills), not eating enough (apple for lunch), or just a straight up fever.  We never figured out what it was, but after I got home and ate applesauce & blueberries, drank lots of water and had a shower, I felt fine.  Thank goodness that didn't happen during this morning's events!

Leigh, Dave & I went to Kabuki for dinner and then to Borders cause I needed some new reading material.  I finished The Help by Katherine Stockett last night - it was absolutely AMAZING, until I got to the last page.  It was a shockingly abrupt ending - so unsatisfying!  But the rest of the book was amazing.  Get it.  The new book I got is The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells (of YaYa Sisterhood fame).  It looks SO good - I don't understand why it's not getting more press... 

I was tempted WAY too many times today with sugary goodness.  Red Vines licorice at the car dealership (my FAVE licorice), Dave suggesting we get Coldstone apres dinner, Dave buying Ferrero Rochers & Sour Patch Kids after dinner... But I was strong!  18 days down, 4 more to go.  I can do this.

California Love: The Prologue

Welcome to Fantasyland!  If my LA life were a novel, this would be the prologue.  I'm here for 9 days to take care of some administrative garbage before I move here for good!

Day 1

I arrived at LAX with 3 huge overweight suitcases and was welcomed by the great and wonderful Leigh!  We went straight to the rental place to pickup my trusty old pickup truck (the same one I drove in May). Unpacking was intense.  3 suitcases plus 2 fedex boxes that I had shipped.  Everything in the fedex boxes was horribly wrinkly and had to be ironed.  For dinner we met Julia & Jess at Leaf - Leigh and Robyn - apparently Live/Eat/Green/Raw/Whatever is actually called LEAF!!!  There's a sign and everything... I'm convinced it must be a new name change, Leigh says it's not...  We got delicious smoothies and then went to Gelsons so I could stock up on breakfast foods.  I went to bed at 10 because I was exhausted.

Day 2

6:30 am wakeup call.  Awesome for me since I was still on Toronto time, early for Leigh, but it had to be done so we could go for a 7am hike so she could make her 12:00 audition.  'Twas quite the eventful hike.  The whole way we kept feeling weird intense waves of heat, then started smelling smoke.  As we rounded the second last turn, we were met with blazing flames breaking through the trees!  FIRE!  We freaked out and started running down, warned everyone we crossed paths with, and may or may not have called 911...  As we get to the bottom, we turn to look at the fire... and notice the blazing SUNRISE coming up over the trees.  We were MORTIFIED!  As if we thought the sunrise was fire!  But what about the heat?  What about the smoke!  ... we later realized that part of Griffith was in fact on fire, but not within our sight.  

After showering and getting ready for the day, I embarked on a shopping mission at The Grove.  Crate & Barrel for wicker storage baskets, Abercrombie for a plaid shirt for Leigh's plaid themed birthday, Anthropologie for a C mug to match the rest of them at the house (I didn't want to bring mine from home in fear that it would make my mom sad), J Crew for Daddykins' birthday present (blue distressed Jack Purcell Converse) and to an unidentifiable store for Leigh's birthday present.

At 2:00 I went for my appointment at the DMV to take my written test for my California license.  The DMV really is as bad as everyone says.  Thank GOD I made an appointment.  Obviously I failed the test the first time since I didnt study and American things like feet and miles per hour threw me off.  Thankfully I passed the second time.  

Our evening was filled with grilled vegetables, Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes, and gossiping with Christina.

Day 3

7:30 am wakeup call.  8:00 hike to the peak.  Came home, made a list of all the car dealerships with black 2007 Ford Explorers.  The first dealership I went to didn't even have any 2007's, just Eddie Bauer 2008s (which i dont like because they have grey/brown trim over the wheel wells), but I went anyways since Black Explorer pickings are slim.  Everything TOTALLY happens for a reason because they had just got in a 2007 that they had yet to list on autotrader and it was exactly what i was looking for (minus bluetooth and black leather unfortunately - but black leather apparently doesnt even exist becuase its always tan in explorers)!  After driving around for 4 hours to various parts of southern california, the first one was the best deal (and not to mention the prettiest).  I shall go back and buy it tomorrow or Monday.

Leigh and I grocery shopped once again (dinner was salmon and delicious grilled broccoli, zucchini & sweet potato).  We have HUGE plans of eating SO healthy and getting in the best shape of our lives come fall time.  Now i'm fueling my Zac Efron obsession and watching Hairspray.  He will be my boyfriend.  Someday.  Soon.

ps I have YET to get Sprinkles.  Even though there are free code words posted on Twitter every day.  My 21 days of no sugar continues!

Operation: Get My Stuff to LA

I just booked a flight to LA for a week at the end of August.  Purpose: start the process of getting my stuff to LA (going to be quite difficult), buy a car (Jeep Liberty or Ford Explorer? New or used?), random errands like finding a trainer (Vino?), gym, insurance etc. and celebrating Leigh's birthday!