Tuesday, August 18, 2009

A New Chapter

We have officially entered a new chapter in all of our lives. While it sounds somewhat dramatic to state it like that, it sort of snuck up on us in a quiet sort of way and now that it is here, I am not quite sure that we have all fully accepted it.

The day went well. We loaded up the car, hit the road and were parked at the dorms by 9:45 am. Holly checked in, got her keys and we had her things up in her room in no time. Met the new roommates and their respective family members, set up the big things like bed and clothes, then walked around the campus to grab some lunch.

David had to say goodbye after lunch, so after a few final photos (check them all out here), Holly and I set out for a variety of errands, partly to pick up some items she still needed and partly to get her oriented to her new surroundings. This isn't Thousand Oaks, that is for sure. The San Fernando Valley is bigger, louder and far more congested on many different levels than my little lamb is accustomed to, but I said nothing.

I attended a parent orientation (during which they repeatedly assured the parents that many safety precautions are built into campus life...not helping my concern for the little suburb girl in the big bustling city!), then went out for dinner instead of the BBQ on campus. We decided that we were more in the mood for a salad.

One more trip into the store for a few more items, hanging the corkboard on the wall, and then I declared the fact that it was time for me to go. No big fanfare, no symbolic or emotional send-off, just a big hug and promise to see her in two weeks.

She's coming back soon enough, I see that she left some of her favorite clothes in her room. Maybe we all need to ease into this new arrangement in our own way.

Monday, August 17, 2009

30 Miles

Extra long twin sheets have been purchased (why do dorms make that weird bed size standard, while so few retailers carry those sheets?). Fees have been paid. Forms have been filled out. Suitcases and boxes are packed. The car is loaded. The time has come.

We set out on the 30-mile journey to Northridge today. I actually drive further than that to and from work each day, but it still feels like we are taking a huge trip. A different city, a different county and a whole new and exciting chapter of life for the Schnoogs...it is college move-in day!

Originally thought to just be a few hours for David and I, we realized after going through the orientation packet yesterday that there are things going on all day, until the "ceremonial send-off on the lawn" where the administration forces the clingy parents to leave and officially let their kid live their life.

I originally was going to go into work at about 2 because I didn't think I was going to be that clingy parent that just hung around, but as we went through the activities and realized that there were some activities for the families to learn more about the campus and life there, Holly phrased it in such a way that I couldn't leave early. "I wouldn't be bothered if you wanted to stay for the family picnic and send off."

Since she put it that way...I am sure that the next few postings will include a fair share of pictures and details of the move-in excitement!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Red Sky at Night

There is a fire burning up north and while it is (thankfully) not putting any homes at risk, it is burning its fair share of brush. The result for those of us south is a spectacular sunset show each night.

I noticed how orange the sun was yesterday as Holly and I were returning from the movies (500 Days of Summer, an entertaining and somewhat different approach to telling a story and one that doesn't take the easy-out ending route either), so as soon as we were in the house I grabbed my camera and trotted out to the back yard to see if I could catch the orange glow before it dipped too low on the horizon.

I caught most of it and certainly plenty of the glow that went along with it, pretty cool in my book!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Go Matadors

The colors around the house have quickly switched from green to red...not because we are getting ready for Christmas (yet), but because Holly and her school spirit have moved from Lancer green to Matador red!

The final preparations are in motion, ranging from bedding to a microwave and final decisions on the meal plan. The roommates (there will be 4 of them together in a 2 bedroom apartment, complete with kitchen) have all chatted on the phone and across their various MySpace and Facebook pages.

Shopping at Target will likely be an all-weekend event to make sure that we set the new place up right.

Thank goodness she is only going 30 miles away!

Friday, August 14, 2009

Empty Nest


It's coming.

Very soon.

This weekend.

I think that I should have started blogging about this earlier to prep for it, much like we did for graduation.

Not feeling too ready for the big move.

Schnoogs is naturally excited beyond belief.

As she certainly should be!

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Office

As a fan of the TV show The Office, I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to do a catering event on set last week for the cast and crew as they kicked off their season by filming a webisode and treating the group to some chilly bliss...a perfect treat given the 95 degree heat in the Valley.

I have had the opportunity to see my fair share of celebs and notables during the course of my career between working at Universal for 7 years and just being based in Southern California. I was a bit surprised at my excitement around the prospect of seeing some of the cast for The Office, but given how the off-beat humor of that show makes me laugh, it makes sense.

It is funny to see the exterior shot of Scranton Business Park right in the middle of the San Fernando Valley, but sure enough, there it is! The set for filming is right next door, so we rolled through the guard at the gate, set up our table and chillers, and set about to the business of sharing the swirly goodness!

Everyone there was incredibly nice and gracious AND rather happy to enjoy a cup (or two!) of tart frozen yogurt. The Office declared their love for PB and Brenna and I (on behalf of PB) declared our love for The Office!

My grand plan is to get a weekly gig there and THEN maneuver my way on for the small screen debut, can't you just see it??

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Happy (part III)

This is a quickie...just to post something and keep my streak going, and a little something for my friends Elizabeth and Kris.

SHEEP!

The short story is, we were very obsessed with the sheep of the English countryside, always shouting out, "SHEEP" on the bus each time we saw one.

The group would tell you that they thought it was funny...at first.  Holly admitted to putting her iPod earphones in as an attempt to ignore us after a few days of the tomfoolery.

That kid needs to learn the fine art of comedy!

Saturday, August 1, 2009

One Milkshake

I have had the LA/Celebrity phenom, "Millions of Milkshakes" on my list of cool places to visit for the past 6 months or so. Super trendy, popular AND featuring a favorite treat of mine, ice cream, it seemed like something that I needed to be able to say that I have done, especially given how close it is located to my office.

Eric and I took some out-of-towners over to check out the hype last Monday. Reading the description on the website, I was expecting a super cool, club-like atmosphere. We rolled up at about 9:30 pm and there was a line out the door, we later learned that it was due more to under-staffing than anything else, but at first glance, the hype was justified.

Once we got into the slow-crawling line and started looking around, I have to admit that much of the luster was lost for me. It was very similar to the visit that I made years ago to participate in a taping of "The Price is Right", disappointment to see the decor is rather cheesy with Styrofoam and paint and not much else.

While the decor and service were not what I was hoping for, the milkshake was really what I had come for. I modified one of the celebrity shakes (the Beckham) by adding cookie dough. Eric agreed that sounded good so we ordered two of them together. I watched the kid behind the counter make what looked like one shake, then when the guy pouring the shakes got to ours, he gave it back to the first kid and told him that it was supposed to be two. All they did was add more frozen yogurt, no toppings and then hand it over. Predictably, it was a little bland and not really what we were expecting.

As we walked back to the car, Eric summed it up best: we can say that we have been, but we certainly do not need to worry about ever going back again!