Because I want it All, or Nothing at All

THIS JUST IN: Ashley Parker Angel, yes from the greatest band of all time, O-Town, lives in my apartment complex. I have yet to see him, but when I do...oh boy.

So it's been a few days and I've been busy busy busy! I shall go day by day!

Friday was my first day of work. I got the rundown on morning tasks and a tour of the building. The walls are covered with the movie posters of films they've produced: The Terminator, The Hulk, Punisher: War Zone, Dick, and the special five-disc Armageddon. I spent the day in the basement where they keep the interns reading scripts and just getting acquainted with the set-up. I read the script for Duplicity and yet-to-be-produced The Low Dweller. They're not films that the company is producing or has produced, but they're examples of good scripts.

In addition to scripts, I was given an important sheet to read. Variety's "Facts On Pacts" is a list of first look deals between the major studios and production companies. Basically it means that if a production company with a first look deal has a new project, they have to pitch it first to the studio they have the deal with. In exchange, the studio pays the production company's overhead. While I don't have to memorize all of the relationships (there are at least a hundred), I'm supposed to get a sense of the connections in Hollywood.

I was given other sheets to memorize, which was rather overwhelming (a ten page list of key terms instantly made me want to make notecards), but I know it's going to take some time to learn it all and that's just part of the whole experience. I'm excited to go back to work and really immerse myself in the big, bad biz.

After work, BU hosted an alumni panel with four grads from the last three years. Their jobs were all pretty low on the ladder, but they've already had some incredible experiences and they had great advice. One of them was the assistant script advisor on Steven Spielberg's upcoming The Adventures of Tintin, and he said that it's overwhelming at first, but if you work hard, it's extremely rewarding.

When the panel was over, we came back to our lovely apartment and watched Tower of Terror, starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirsten Dunst. It's really a fine film and I highly recommend it to all.

Yesterday was a BIG day. We hopped in the car at 9 to head north-west to the Getty Center, a museum and architectural landmark atop the Santa Monica Mountains. The buildings and gardens are design-happy and the views are incredible, with LA on one side and the Pacific on the other. Pictures to come.

Straight from the Getty, we drove south to Venice Beach. Wow. It's...umm...quite a sight. A sight I only need to see once. It was really fun at first: the beach, lots of people and things to look at. But after a while we all got cranky and just really creeped out. I can't wait to go to Malibu and Santa Monica.

Last night we did an evening workout and swim then made ourselves a lovely dinner while listening to the Ella and Louis Pandora station. Blissssss.

Cruisin'

Libby P. and I just got back from cupcakes at Crumbs in Larchmont, where we spotted Jason Alexander as our first celeb sighting. Libby got a pink lemonade cupcake and I got a Reece's one. And let me tell you, that was not an easy decision. They have everything: cosmo, cookies n' cream, oreo, half baked, peanut butter and jelly, s'mores. I drooled for twenty minutes before deciding which to get.

This morning I did a test drive of my way to work and went for a joy ride on Mulholland Drive. Holy moly. That twisty-turny road is one of the craziest things I have ever seen. At certain points they have parking areas that overlook LA and the San Fernando Valley and Universal City. The smog made downtown look like Cloud City from "The Empire Strikes Back" (that's for you, Ben) and it actually looked really cool. I can't wait to go hiking in Runyan Canyon Park.

But now it's time for a run around Park La Brea!

Poolside Yoga

Last night, the roomies and I went to Target to stock our apartment. Inside, the Target could be anywhere, but when we walked outside, we were looking at the Hollywood Hills and the Hollywood sign. I promise I will eventually stop being obsessed with that silly little sign, but for the time being I will continue to enjoy its magic.

On our way home from Target we got take-out sushi from this cute little place on Beverly Ave., and ate it while watching "Glee." For those of you who are not gleeks, I apologize, but I need to gush about "Dream On" and "Safety Dance." Matthew Morrison and Neil Patrick Harris' duet was amazing. They put Eminem's homage to the song to shame. And the "Safety Dance." Artie is the greatest and that song is the greatest, so how could it not be great? I'd love to see more dancing like that on the show.

Enough about Glee. This morning, we woke up early, went to the gym and then went to a yoga class at the pool. The pool is beautiful and makes the most peaceful "wushing" noise as it overflows into the drains that surround it. It really was like being at the beach. I could most definitely get used to this lifestyle.

I Love Mountains Part II

The view from our apartment! The Hollywood sign is the tiny white thing on the left side of the hills.

I Love Mountains

My camerawork may need a bit of help, but here's the view from the grove and in the last few seconds you can see my apartment complex--all of those towers that look exactly the same. Also fun fact: they were playing "It Had to Be You" from When Harry Met Sally at the Grove. Parfait.

From One Coast to the Next...

After five glorious days in Florida, I have arrived in the City of Angels. When we landed it looked more like Boston (60 and cloudy), but the palm trees let me know I was in fact in California. But first, let me rewind.

Florida was packed with fun-filled adventures and Chick-fil-A. In Tampa, we went to duh beach, and unlike in Massachusetts, we were able to swim without getting hypothermia. 'Twas delightful. Plus, cruisin' with the windows down and "Hey Soul Sister" blasting was the perfect way to kick off the summer.

In Orlando, Kyle, Ben and I hit up Downtown Disney at night and Universal Studios during the day. Downtown Disney was quite a sight. Disney store after Disney store, and prosti-tot after prosti-tot. At Universal, we efficiently did almost every ride at Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios between the hours of 9 and 7. The new RockIt Rollercoaster is definitely worth the wait, but if you want a shortcut, ask me and I'll give you the down low. And Hogwarts and Hogsmeade look so damn fine. I can't wait to return when the Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter is actually open and they don't yell at you when you try to sneak a peek.

At the end of the long and tiresome day (yeah, I just want you to feel bad for us) at Universal, we went to Olive Garden to carbo-load for the big 5K road race for ovarian cancer. While the food was delicious (is there another way to describe those breadsticks?), I was genuinely concerned that my stomach was going to burst.

Next mornin', we awoke at 5:30 to RACE. Even though we were running early in the day, the heat and humidity were brutal. Nonetheless, Linda's Lovelies did very well. K Kraft came in second overall, Master Benjamin came in second in Men 20-29, and Syd the Kid (who was entered as a 22 year old male) came in eighth in the division. Bravo to us! The ride home was a bit sweaty and gross, but in the end it was rewarded with a dip in the pool and ice cream cake for Master Benjamin's birthday.

The last two days have felt like two years, so now I'm relaxing in my nice new apartment listening to the "Devil's Rejects" soundtrack and getting ready for dinner with all of the BU peeps. Grove tomorrow! Santa Monica later this week! Internship starts Friday! TOOTIE FRUITY!

In the wise words of Alice Cooper...

School's out for summer. No more pencils. No more books. No more teachers' dirty looks. How am I celebrating you ask? Why, a weekend on the Cape of course! It's definitely not beach weather, but a quiet weekend in Chatham is the perfect end to a semester. Trips to Chatham Candy Manor, the Squire, and Ocean State Job Lot will need to tide me over for the next three months.

My adventure kicks off in four days, with a five day stop in Florida then off to Californ-i-a. And of course, I have yet to pack. I haven't even entirely moved out of my apartment. But of course, where would the fun be if there was no time crunch?

Anywho, I leave in a matter of days for a summer internship at Valhalla Motion Pictures in Hollywood, CA. I'll be doing script coverage, research projects, and menial labor for the company that produced Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon, The Abyss, and of course AeonFlux, as well as many others. Homebase will be BU housing (aka luxury apartments), smack dab in the middle of LA, and across the street from The Grove and The Farmers Market. I'm pretty psyched, to say the least.

But for now, Betty White on SNL! Never thought I would ever hear a Golden Girl say, "Jay-Z." Peace, yo.