OH MY GODS! THEY KILLED CALLY!

You know those ideas that buzz around your brain like an annoying mosquito in the middle of the night? Well I finally swatted one of those pesky lil' buggers and made some cool t-shirts. I'm bringing the first batch to New York Comic-Con this weekend, then I'll have them available to order on my site. Thanks to my friend Adrienne for making the graphic and to the handful of friends who actually laughed when I shared the idea. Pay no mind to the unimpressed expressions on the models' faces, these shirts are guaranteed to make you smile like a mentos commercial :)

 

 

the hazards of riding a yoshi

Every time I think of I-CON 28 (a convention I attended exactly two years ago, and am revisiting this weekend), I literally laugh out loud. This is because one particular event sticks in my mind and, kinda like farting in public, the joke just never gets old. Doesn't matter if I'm by myself or reminded by someone who witnessed it, I just can't get over the absurdity and hilarity that ensued the night of the costume contest. Let me set the stage... There was a kid who had been walking around the convention carrying a sign saying "Free Yoshi Rides." Appropriately, he was dressed like the friendly dinosaur from Mario Bros. Being the adventurer I am, I decided to take him up on his offer. As soon as I got on his back, I realized we had not discussed the rules of engagement and I had no idea where he was taking me nor for how long. I suddenly felt very vulnerable, but figured, what's the worst that can happen? After a few awkward minutes of skipping around a school gymnasium, he dropped me back off at my table and we all had a good laugh. He proceeded to make a mark on the back of his sign, apparently tallying his Yoshi ride totals. (Should I have felt used? Nevermind.)

So that night, as he would, Yoshi entered the costume contest. Each contestant did a little presentation or routine in the middle of the circle and some of the other guests and I were there to judge the best costumes. Simple right? Well, it was all fun and games until Yoshi backed right into me, not-so-subtly gesturing for me to enjoy and encore presentation of my Yoshi ride. What's a girl to do? I couldn't say no in front of everyone. So I hopped on and this is what happened... (Make sure you scroll to the end for the best part.)

Okay, wanna know what the best part was? After he dusted himself off and asked me if I was okay, he looked me square in the eyes, shrugged his shoulders and innocently proclaimed, "Game Over!"

Classic.

(Special thanks to Tory Belleci from Myth Busters for the ongoing moral support and spontaneous laugh attacks.)

the war of art

Speaking of productivity and tackling those projects that turn from light bulbs to dark clouds over your head over time, I'm reminded of an amazing book I read a couple years ago. In fact, I'm going to take it off my bookshelf and re-read it 'cause it's just that good. A friend recommended it to me and then actually bought it for me when he was visiting NYC. He's a screenwriter and he swears it changed his life. When I lived in LA, I used to have lunch or coffee with him and was always impressed when he said he had to go "work." I was like, what work? To him, this meant spending hours on end in a coffee shop on Beverly and typing away on his laptop. This was, of course, long before he was nominated for several Emmys and a Golden Globe, when he was merely a bit-part actor struggling to get by. It just goes to show how persistence and hard work can go a long way. I'm telling you, this book well help light that fire under your bottom and blow any excuse you come up with to stop out of the water. As if that's not testimony enough, it's divided into short, digestable chapters that are entertaining and highly relatable. Okay, I'm going to stop writing and pick up the book now.

Merry Christmas to the Ground!!!

Christmas shopping is pretty low on the totem pole of priorities for me, but this year I had a hilarious experience as I attempted to avoid complete Scrooge status. It unfolded like an after-school-special: too good, and too absurd, to be true. It started when I heard some guy talking on the radio about the Stanley Cup. I just happened on it after all the usual channels were playing garbage (and I don’t mean the band). The guy was the author of a new book detailing the adventures and exploits of hockey’s coveted prize, along with its faithful handlers. Apparently every player of the winning team gets to spend twenty-four hours with the cup, no matter where they are in the world, and no matter what they want to do with it. All I can say is, if that thing could talk... But anyway, I immediately thought of a good friend of mine who I would endearingly label a “sports junkie.” I met up with him at a sports bar once and when we left, we got into his car only to listen to the game on the radio all the way home... Where he proceeded to turn on the television... Well, you get the idea. So naturally, I thought the book would be perfect! And it was just a few days before Christmas! Score! Needless to say, I was disheartened to learn it was completely sold out at both Barnes & Noble AND Borders--it was even out of stock on Amazon! I didn’t know that was even possible! Cut to December 23rd, I was driving past a little local bookstore. On a whim, I decided to go in and check. You never know, right? Stranger things have happened. So I ran in. It was five minutes before they closed. They didn’t have the book. The guy informed me that even the distributors were out, so he didn’t know when they’d be getting them in. Then he asked if I’d tried their other store. I told him I hadn’t. So he gave them a call and, to my joy and disbelief, they had it! To be more specific, they had one copy. So I gave him my name and went on my merry way. I had it all planned out. The next day was Christmas Eve and I would stop by a couple stores to get some goodies for friends, pick up some food for dinner that night, then get to the bookstore before it closed and pick up the holy grail of gifts. I got to the store in plenty of time. I gave the guy behind the counter my name and he dipped under the counter to grab the book. It was to good to be true. Everything was working out perfectly. I proceeded to tell the guy how hard it was to find and how I couldn’t believe my luck. He shrugged a little and raised his eye-brows in rapport. I told him I would just grab it because I wanted to look around for a bit. He said they had a special place behind the counter and I could just pick it up when I was ready. Seemed logical enough, so I looked around for about ten minutes. Nothing jumped out at me, so I headed to the counter and asked for my book. That’s when the slow motion kicked in. He looked on the counter then under, his eyes getting wider with each glance, until his eyes finally met mine. He didn’t know where it was. He looked horrified, like a kid who came home from the playground, only to find his mom saying, “Where’s your little sister?” It was pretty entertaining actually. I don’t even think there was one moment where I felt angry or upset, I was laughing too hard on the inside. Murphy’s law was at it again. He went all over the place looking for it, but ultimately gave up and deduced he had mixed it with another pile of books and put it in the previous customer’s bag-which only sweetens the story really. It’s not like someone came along and bought it. Someone was going to open their bag and find a book they didn’t buy and didn’t even want. I tried to convince myself they might see the mistake and bring it back to the store, but no such luck. So to that customer: Merry Christmas!!! As for my friend the sports fan, he got a hilarious story instead. Oh, and an empty amazon box containing a picture of the book.

Please note, the clerk was incredibly apologetic and kind. He gave me a gift certificate and phoned me as soon as the book came in. And my friend says it’s a great read! Highly recommended!!!

just stop it!

despite my commitment to helping people and my obsession with understanding human behavior, i am a strong believer in personal responsibility - whether it's emotional, physical, or mental.  yes, we all have our patterns, some good, some not, but ultimately all we have is this very moment and every moment poses the opportunity to choose differently.  which is why i absolutely love this video.  it really gives you a good head on collision with reality, like it or not.  hope you enjoy. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYLMTvxOaeE[/youtube]