LA Lady

Some people hate LA, but I happen to love it. I love the energy, the entertainment, the beautiful homes, the beaches, the shopping, and the overall vibe of Los Angeles. My cousin just started his second year at UCLA so two weeks ago I met up with my mom and aunt Cathy for a tour of Westwood, Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, downtown, Santa Monica, and all over creation. My mom grew up around LA and spent most of her youth wandering around the various neighborhoods getting into trouble. They showed me pictures of the houses they grew up in and the cemetery where my grandma lives. We attempted a trip to Oliveria Street, a place where my mom and aunt would go to get the best taquitos around. Apparently, they must be good because we couldn't even get to them - the $13 parking and hoards of people thwarted our chance at tasting this nostalgic treat.

I asked to take a tour of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood where all of the celebrities get their stars. I was pretty disapointed. We walked about 10 blocks down a mucky sidewalk filled with lingerie shops, cheesy souvenier stores, and lots of gross looking people. I figured the front of the Chinese Theatre would be immaculate and stunning. But, the sidewalks were cracked and dirty, there were too many people, vendors trying to get you to take a tour, and stars I've never even heard of. We spent about 5 minutes in front of the theatre before heading back to the car.

We went from greasy to gorgeous in a matter of miles when we toured Rodeo Drive. I've only seen it on tv and wanted to experience it for myself. We shopped one block away from Rodeo Drive, where the stores are a little bit more affordable (Crate & Barrell!!), but strolled down Rodeo Drive just to peek into the fancy stores and gawk at the million dollar cars. The sidewalks were clean, the people smelled nice, and the stores were radiant! This was my kind of place.

I think it's pretty cool that my mom and aunt grew up in such a wild place. It's hard to picture them roaming around the city trying to hang out with boys, going to concerts, and doing who-knows-what, but it's neat to think that my mom was pretty damn cool back in the day and lived life to the fullest.  Mom, you are still super cool, but better than that, you're a loving, responsible mom, and you and Cathy are the most fun and hilarious women I've ever been around. Thanks for the wonderful weekend. Let's do it again! And this time, we'll avoid the ghetto.

Dexter Lawn

Walking along Dexter Lawn at Cal Poly brought back so many memories. Oh, how I envy you youngsters, with hours to kill lying around on the grass, basking in the sunlight.

Back to School

Today is my 25th first day of school! I am taking an Industrial Pollution Prevention class at Cal Poly which will help me start the masters program in Environmental Engineering. I even went back-to-school shopping over the weekend. ;)  On my way to success! Wish me luck!

Jaime, Meghan, Kevin, and Ryan - Mom do you know what grade this was?

Helya

I miss my Chem Twin. A lot.

I don't even know these people, and I cried...

You must go watch this wedding video. Even if you don't like weddings, but you love LOVE, watch. It is one of the sweetest things. I can't wait to get my hands on my dad's footage of our wedding so I can play around and make something beautiful, too.

Helya, since you're next, you should definately watch!

For complete blog post from Ryan Marshall's blog, Pacing the Panic Room, click here: Love Stories: Ashley & Ryan

or enjoy here:

Love Stories: Ashley & Ryan from The Panic Room Videos on Vimeo.

Phil the Pill

Me: "It's a great blog, she writes something pretty witty every day."

Phil: "Well that will be a nice change from your blog"

Falling in Love

No one understands me quite like you do
Through all of the shadowy corners of me
I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down, I want to come too
If I didn't know you, I'd rather not know
If I couldn't have you, I'd rather be alone

excerpt from Landon Piggs, "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop"

Red, Swollen, and BUMPY!

I had a horrible experience at the dermatologist this morning. I made an appointment over a month ago because I had a rash on my cheek. Well, since then, the rash went away because I changed some of my lotions and face wash. But, I decided to keep the appointment since it was so hard to get and I figured I could just get a general consult on my skin and what types of products would be good for it. 

The doctor walks in and the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, "Woah, you're all red, swollen, and bumpy!!!" with this look of complete disgust, as if I was the ugliest thing to ever walk into his office. I was caught off guard a little by his reaction to my face (I wasn't wearing any make-up, but come on, I didn't think I looked that bad). So I told him that originally, yes, I was very bumpy because I HAD a rash, but now its gone and I just wanted to discuss other issues with him such as SLIGHT redness, and occasional breakouts, etc. But immediately he started blabbering about how I most definitely have Rosacea, oh boy do I ever!! And how I should take 30 days of this special pill and apply a gel to my entire face every night and how I should come back in a month to check on the progress...meanwhile handing me all of these samples and pamphlets.

The medical assistant came in and the doctor says, "This girl has ROSAAAACEA at such a tender age!!!!" Then he asks if I have a boyfriend. I said, "no, but I do have a husband." And he says, "well I hope your husband still loves you even though you have all that redness!!" WTF?! So I said, "actually my husband prefers my pink cheeks!" And he laughed and said, "well, I'm sure he doesn't like all those bumps!!!" Oh my gosh what a dick!!!!! 

Anyway, long story short, I think this guy just really enjoys making other people feel ugly because he is insecure - he was MY height and BALD. But he really made me feel bad about myself and all I could think about was how I need to rush into the bathroom to put on makeup before anyone else sees me like this!! I told Steve immediately and he was so mad and said that my skin is just fine and that the doctor is insane. My mom told me that I probably don't have rosacea at all but he just wants me to come back to give him more business. I'm pretty sure she is right. My face is pink sometimes, but I think there are ways to control it besides pills!!! ARRGH!

Isn't that a sad, sad story?!

Happy Birthday to You!

Steve's birthday was Saturday and we spent the entire day celebrating! We went on a lovely drive exploring back country roads and found a whole new world in the hills of the central valley. We enjoyed a yummy lunch at our new favorite spot Roastin' Rooster in AG and soaked in some sun! I spent the afternoon baking Steve a cake and snapped some shots of the birthday boy opening his gifts. Then we settled into a cheesy movie and hoped and prayed that the day would never end! Happy 37th birthday to my true love!!