Apr 24–Apr 30, 2011

So I totally forgot to mention on my last post, my Saturday night activity!  I got to see my theater mentor and his wife, Kevin & Kathi Cook, in the OCHSA (Orange County High School of the Arts) Faculty Follies!  They were super fantastic!  My friend Gemma was also in the show.  To top it off, sitting next to me was Joseph Mulroy, whom I last worked with on his show Born to Ride the Waves.  It was a terrific night out and the show was pretty good too!

On to the current week, I can’t believe how busy I was over this 7 day stretch.  I began the week with Easter Sunday.  I got tickets for the Angels game – so I started my day at Angel Stadium.  Thankfully the rain quit just before the first pitch.  It was a great game – I even had a bordering-on-creepy old man ask me to dance during the 7th inning stretch.  I declined but he was a hoot (and a bit intoxicated)! 

After the game, I headed down to the family for a lovely Easter dinner.  It’s always nice to celebrate a holiday with the family and good food – nothing fancy but definitely tasty.  It was a relaxing afternoon and evening.

On Monday, Sarah and I finally found some time to hang out.  We decided to lunch at Rutabagorz in Old Town Orange.  I had a lovely Thai wrap but the best part was catching up with Sarah.  We talked and talked and talked.  I noticed the people around us were dissipating but I got quite the shock when I looked at my watch – we’d been talking for 4 hours!  Boy, time sure flies when in good company.  She and I really needed the afternoon to delve back into each other’s lives.  We just don’t get to see near enough of each other since we “work” in different parks.  Yes, we both work in the same department for the same company but ‘technically’ I am statused in Disneyland and she in Disney California Adventure.   She’s a fantastic friend!  This is one of my favorite photos of us (from a vacation in NYC that overlapped a few years ago – I suppose I need a new current favorite photo!).

Tuesday was Mom’s birthday!  The local family gathered at Ruby’s Diner at the Laguna Hills Mall for dinner.  It’s one of our family’s favorite places to eat out (Karen and I love the grilled cheese on parmesan sourdough – she adds the Cajon fries) and something for everyone!  The boys got to play with a cut out play neighborhood while the grown-ups enjoyed pleasant conversation. After dinner it was back to the house for cake & presents quickly before the boys went to bed. 

My visiting teachers stopped in for a visit this week as well.  I am really enjoying getting to know them.  And Stacie continues to ‘stalk’ me and make sure I have all the mid-singles information.  One of these days, I might actually have a day/night off when there is an activity.  Until then, I continue to hear about them but have to work.

Speaking of work, this week was quite varied for me.  I got to giggle the night away with my JJC pirates one night, cancel fireworks due to wind one night, spend two days prepping for Grad Nite Explosion, and spend one day & night working a special event at the Grand Californian Hotel.  The event was fun because I got to spend a little bit of time with my former roommate Marcie!  All in all, a week filled with life.  :)

Apr 17–Apr 23, 2011

I finally got to play my first softball game with Fantastical – the coed Disney team I play with in the spring!  It was four weeks in the making and it was epic.  We lost, but it was a close game.  I played second base & got beat up – took a couple of line drives/hard hit grounders off my body.  I made a couple of plays, even almost turned a double play!  I went 2 for 4 at the plate – not my best night but not my worst.  I just need to work on not hitting the ball right at the opposing players.  We don’t play again for two weeks, due to the Easter holiday, so I get a bit for my bruises to heal :)  I can’t wait for our next game. 

Monday was Shane’s actual 5th birthday.  I headed down to the house for dinner, gifts, and cake.  We enjoyed a lovely BBQ and conversation before Shane wanted to open his gifts and eat some cake.  I got the huge Batman fan a Batman action figure with some accessories.  Here are a couple of photos from his party on Saturday and the family celebration on his birthday.

The rest of the week was filled with work – all kinds of it.  I had a couple of fireworks shifts, a Pirate shift, and a Grad Nite prep shift.  I very much enjoyed my one day with my Join Jack’s Crew this week.  There is just something about the pirates and the shift that is just plain fun.  Yes, we have plenty of things to do and make sure happen, but we sure have a great time doing it!  I just wish I had more of these shifts.  After all, this is a temporary gig – only through Memorial Day – and after May 1st we are back to weekends only. 

Also this week, I finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire!  I am so loving re-reading the series.  There are so many details I’d forgotten about and it’s just plain fun sharing his adventures again.  I’ve jumped right in to Order of the Phoenix now.  It only gets better and better from here! 

Even though we still have several shows left in our season subscription for SCFTA (formerly OCPAC), it was time to renew for the 2011-2012 season.  Since my sister is moving out of state and her best friend is having a baby, I invited 2 new girlfriends the seats.  It’s not the best season ever but there are a couple of shows worth seeing – Les Miserables being the one I’m most looking forward to seeing.  I haven’t seen it in many, many years.  And keeping my seats through an okay season will allow me to renew again for a hopefully better season for 2012-2013!

My sister has been touting How I Met Your Mother as an amazing show for years and trying to get me to watch it.  She enjoys it so much I started buying the season DVDs for her on various holidays & birthdays.  Well, I finally borrowed season 1 from her and watched the first disc.  It is quite a funny show.  I’m going to have to catch up on all the seasons she has on DVD before she moves away now!

April 10–April 16, 2011

I began this week, surprisingly, with an office day!  But I wasn’t going in until late in the day (so I would be around for the newest Jack’s SM first solo day on the show!).  The big adventure for the day was really going to be my first softball game with Fantastical – the Disney coed team I play on.  It was freezing cold so I got all bundled up and headed to the field in the late afternoon.  I was putting on my cleats when one of my teammates parked nearby asked if I’d gotten our manager’s text.  I had been driving and didn’t think to look if I’d received anything, so I pulled out my phone – lo and behold, a text had been received explaining we’d forfeited due to lack of guys!  Boo!  How does that happen?  When are we short on softball playing boys?  It’s always the girls that cause the problem.  Super bummed was an understatement for me.  The first game had been rained out and I couldn’t make the second game.  So now my first game will be the 4th of the season – and there’s only something like 8 total.  Big Boo!  So I headed into work, put in my time, and got out of there before fireworks lockdown.

On Monday, I got paid to watch Disneyland shows all night!  I was the Entertainment Duty Manager (E1) for the evening.  It’s a great gig – you get to check in with the shows, cast, crew, etc.  However, if things go wrong or are in need of assistance, E1 is the go-to person.  You report up to Theme Park 1 as needed.  Which of course on my first solo day since training a couple of months ago, I got to do!  There was a delay in starting fireworks (phone call to TP1) and then a mid-show stop per DFD (another phone call to TP1).  Thankfully that was my only excitement (and the kind I know how to deal with) but the trick was finding the right words for the nightly voicemail distribution to the executives.  I got through it & am looking forward to my next shift (in a couple of months again!).

Tuesday was my 12 on 12 day – see my previous post for all details.  It was a great day.  Wednesday was a day off for me.  I did nothing.  Well, a little laundry at the house but that’s about it.  I watched some TV, read Harry Potter, played on the computer, and generally stayed low-key.  I had tentatively made plans for the evening but as I wasn’t feeling too well, I rescheduled them for Friday night.

I was back at work the next day on MMY/Remember.  Nothing out of the ordinary on those shifts.  Friday night, after my shift, I went out with Jen & Annalisa.  We headed over to ESPN Zone and had a late dinner and lovely conversation.  We closed the place and then ended up chatting in the parking lot for another hour or so.  It was a terrific night out with the girls.  And our varied conversations totally influenced my dreams.  I had such amazing dreams with really cute boys dancing with me and telling me I’m beautiful.  You can’t go wrong with those kind of dreams :)

Saturday was Shane’s day – it was his 5th birthday party!  And thankfully, I was able to attend before work at Jack’s that evening.  He had another Batman themed party (like last year) with his friends, a bounce house, and a piñata!  There was a minor meltdown over the piñata but all things worked out in the end – there were cupcakes and presents!  He got some great gifts – lots of cool toys ready for the almost (two more days) 5 year old to play with over and over again. 

March 13–March 19, 2011

My week started early in the morning for the first time in weeks…but I got to work Disney Channel Rocks! and Disney Dance Crew for the first time in over two months so it was worth it!  I loved working with the cast & crew again.  I just hope I don’t have to go another 2 months before I get to work the shift again.  Afterward, I headed down to Karen’s for the family celebration of her birthday!  We had a lovely dinner with cake for dessert.  There was just time left after dinner for Karen to open her gifts before shuffling the kids off to bed.  Well, we tried to get them off to bed but there was too much going on with the grownups for them to settle down.  Especially because Brandon had a star or the week project (posterboard with photos of his life) to turn in the next day and he wanted to do it – not just leave it to Mom and Aunt Shannon.  I would’ve taken pictures of the birthday girl and her gifts but she was sunburned from her day in the snow.  So we decided, the pictures from Wicked on Thursday would be her birthday pictures for this year!  All in all, a very nice day for me!

Monday before work, I headed down to Linder’s Furniture to purchase the sofa I’d finally decided was right for me.  Unfortunately, as expected, my poor credit (due to my bankruptcy) did not allow me to finance the loveseat.  So it was a cash purchase of the sofa only for me.  But that’s just fine.  One less piece of furniture to move when I finally have to leave this place, right?  I can’t wait for my new purchase to arrive. 

Wednesday was the first rehearsal of the new pirate show at Disneyland – we’re calling it Join Jack’s Crew internally but it’s official title is “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – exclusive 3D Sneak Peek”.  Much easier to say Join Jack’s Crew!  It’s a great, funny new little event happening weekends through Memorial Day.  I’m really excited to work with these great guys (some of them for the second time – they are former Pirate’s Lair cast members!). 

Thursday and Friday I worked fireworks and MMY.  I looked to the skies to keep the rain and wind away.  Thankfully we got in wonderful shows each night.  Friday I also started the day with rehearsal & a meeting for Join Jack’s Crew.  It was the first of many long days at work to come!   

Mar 6–Mar 12, 2011

Another week in the books – I can’t believe it’s already mid-March.  I could swear I was just celebrating Christmas and the New Year!  As I grow older, time seems to move faster and faster.  Time slips away from me – living, working, playing.  And this week I experienced a very nice balance of work and life.

As always, work was busy this week.  I originally had taken an overdue holiday so I could have 3 days off but that was not to be for me.  Due to extenuating circumstances, I had to “bank” my holiday again (for use at a later time) and work the entire 5 day work week.  However, it was a lovely and varied week of work.  On Tuesday, I made sure James made a ‘guest’ appearance in my new show.  Several of his friends came out to see it.  It was a really moving moment and a lovely tribute to our friend.  I will always carry that memory with me.

In addition to MMY this week, I also got to ‘refresh’ on Disney Channel Rocks and Disney Dance Crew in preparation for my scheduled shift on Sunday.  I loved being back on the Pier and in the Backlot!  As much as I love my current Disneyland status, I miss my DCA shows – the cast, the crew, the shows themselves.  Hopefully I won’t have to go another 2 months before getting to make another guest appearance.  Speaking of being away – I also miss my Jedi cast & crew.  But this week, I had the opportunity to lead a meeting with half of the cast.  It was just a couple of hours but they are a great bunch too!  Starting at the end of the month, I will see a few of them on a more regular basis because I’ll be playing on the Jedi softball team again! Super excited!!!

For the life portion of my week… it was my little sister Karen’s birthday week!  One of the reason we bought the season tickets for OCPAC was because of Wicked.  And the fact it was playing the day  before her birthday was icing on the cake.  We made it a girl’s night out event.  Mom, Karen, Jamie (Karen’s BFF), and myself met for dinner at the Olive Garden before the show – Sarah joined us straight from work for the show.  After I got off work, I drove over & picked up Mom from her job.  Since we were early for dinner, we stopped at Costco and did a bit of shopping before heading to the restaurant.  Karen and Jamie got stuck in a bit of traffic but eventually made it to dinner.  We ate way to many breadsticks and had enough meal leftover for lunch the next day – yum!  And no matter how we plan to have enough time, we always seem to get the waiter who just disappears as we are ready to wrap things up and pay our check.  Ah well…best laid plans and all…

Then it was on to the show.  We made it with just enough time to purchase the requisite magnet and hit the ladies room before taking our seats.  This was the first show in the two years I’ve been a season ticket holder, in which there were no empty seats.  We usually sneak forward a few rows but we actually had to sit in our assigned seats for a change.  We enjoyed a lovely production of Wicked and Sarah & I knew two people in the company from their days at Disney!  Mom & Karen had never seen it and it was joy to share this experience with them.  Overall, it was a lovely celebration for the ‘small child’ :)

Saturday was also a very fun filled day – in short (because you’ll get to read all about it in my 12 on 12 post) I got hang with family, including cousin Barbara, shop a bit more for a sofa, and play at the Park in the afternoon/evening.  Needless to say, I was exhausted when I arrived home that night.  But before bed there was one last task to complete – changing all the clocks ahead 1 hour for Daylight Savings.  I am not a fan of ‘spring forward’ and losing that hour.  Alas, I got all but two clocks changed and hit the hay because the new week was going to start with a bang early the next morning!

Feb 13 - Feb 19, 2011

I began this week by celebrating my birthday with friends at the local mini-golf location.  Well, really, I began the week by picking up and tinkering around my apartment.  I got the kitchen clean, hung a few remaining frames on the wall, etc.  In the afternoon, I met up with Leilani & Holly for some mini-golf!  I hadn't played in years!  It was a blast.  We had a fantastic time - beautiful weather, good conversation, and silly shots on the course. 

This is one of the 4 hole in one's I made throughout the course! :)  Really 3 of the 4 were just making it onto the right ramp - not actually getting the ball into the hole skillfully with one stroke. 

This is me taking a shot towards the cup on a relatively easy hole.  We never did find the course par but we think we were close - it seems I always took about 3 strokes to sink the ball regardless of the obstacle. 

Here's Leilani with the dragons!  On the hole previous, she found her nemesis - the windmill.  She could not get the ball into the windmill for the life of her.  The first stroke she launched onto the lower course.  The next was too soft and so on and so on.  She much preferred this dragon!

Holly managed to somehow launch her ball over and out of the course area.  Thankfully it was still within reach and she didn't have to climb the rail to fetch the ball.

There was no standing room for my right handed shot on this particular hole so I just hopped up on the wall.  Surprisingly, I sank the ball on this shot!  Nobody - least of all me - was expecting that outcome!

Holly became the queen of the rim shot - her ball would look like it was going in but then roll along the rim and off the other side.  I love her expression in this particular photo as it shows her utter frustration at this phenomenon.  Seriously, this happened to her too many times to count.  Seriously. 

This photo, on a different hole, shows the rim shot the best - the ball did not go in - it just rolled off the rim and back out onto the course. 

Of course, she did eventually get a hole in one, and on one of the harder holes.  It had a water element that if you weren't careful, your ball would easily veer into the pond.  She was so focused on staying out of the water that she didn't realize she sank the ball in the cup at the other end.





After mini-golf Leilani had a previous engagement and had to jet, but Holly and I headed over to a local pizza joint to meet up with a few others for dinner.  Neither of us had been to Oggi's before even though it was fairly close to both of us.  Our service was awful but since we weren't in a hurry it wasn't so bad.  Sandy, Gemma, Marcie & Sammy, and Kate eventually joined us.  The pizza was actually quite tasty.  And we got a bonus in a round about way - remember that bad service... well, our server brought out a pizza that looked similar to what we ordered but wasn't quite it.  We, of course, didn't figure it out until we'd already had a slice.  Turns out that pizza was one that had been built incorrectly and was going to no one.  A few minutes later the manager came out with our correctly ordered pizza and apologized for the mix up.  So we got 2 pizzas for the price on 1!  Not too shabby since the incorrect pizza was pretty close to our order.  All in all, I had a lovely birthday celebration with my friends.

The next day was Valentine's Day - not too awesome for this singleton.  So I took the opportunity to run some errands.  I stopped by Company D for some last minute V-day shopping, picked up my completed taxes (refund - woo hoo!), supported my friend's daughter's Girl Scout troop by buying some cookies, and dropped by and gave my nephews some Star Wars toys for the holiday.  Then I headed to the local dollar theater (actually $2) to see Harry Potter 7 part 1 again.  It was quite enjoyable the second time!  In fact, I think I'm going to start reading the books again from the beginning in preparation for the final movie later this year.  After the movie, I met Chris and Sandy for dinner at Alcatraz in Orange.  It was a lovely dinner and good to chat with my friends again.

The rest of the week I focused on work.  It was a busy week dealing with possible rain, high winds, and more rain.  I ended up cancelling the big show (Remember) on Fri/Sat but got the MMY show in every night!  Thursday afternoon, I had a work lunch with some fellow stage managers at El Torito (boy I sure ate out a lot this week!).  They are proposing some possible changes and wanted to get our opinions - more to come on that later. 

It was a very full week.  The coming week may be just as full.  I guess I need to be careful of what I wish for - I wanted more social time, I got more social time :)  It's all about balance - I'll find it eventually =D 

Feb 6 - Feb 12, 2011

I started this week with two days off - Super Bowl Sunday & my birthday!  Can't go wrong with that... not one bit.  Even though I was spending Super Bowl Sunday by myself (on purpose) I still had all the lovely fixins - homemade Chex mix, finger foods, and caffeine free beverages.  I settled in my favorite chair and very much enjoyed the game between Green Bay & Pittsburgh.  That is until about halfway through the 2nd quarter - all of sudden I got restless and seeing some of my still unpacked Christmas decorations, I got to work putting it all away while continuing to watch the game.  I was packed and totes put away by halftime :)  The halftime show was so-so... not my favorite but by no means the worst I've ever seen.  Technically they needed to fire whoever was running audio but the performance wasn't half bad.  Green Bay won and the commercials kept me entertained - again not the best but not the worst I've ever seen.  Not a bad way to start my "weekend".   

The next day, I celebrated my 36th birthday.  I never imagined being this age and where I am in life.  But that's a topic for another blog at another time.  The day began with me turning back the clock in regards to my hair color - I was overdue to cover up the gray.  Afterward, I was off for my day's activities.  First stop - Segerstrom Center for the Arts (formerly OCPAC - I still don't want to let go of this acronym - much better than SCFTA... you can't even pronounce that one!) to pick up tickets for Mom and I - Rock of Ages in a couple of weeks.  Can't wait - it's going to be our stand in for the Styx concerts that have gotten too pricey for us these days.  Next stop was No Strings Attached at the Tustin AMC theater - I enjoyed the 'chick flick'.  It didn't try to be anything more than it was and I like Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman - their chemistry seemed to work most of the time ;)

After the movie, I headed down to the family house where dinner and cake awaited me!  I got my first present from Shane when I walked in the door - a hug!  Best first gift!  

While we waited for Mom/Grandma to finish up dinner, Brandon suggested we play Cootie.  He's finally at the age where he'll play by the rules and still have fun; Shane still tries to get the dice to fall the way he wants.  Karen, Brandon, and I started playing first - Shane joined a bit into the game.  Brandon won!  I barely stayed in the game - even Shane, who joined the game late, was doing better than me.

 

This is as far I got in the game - I finally got most of the pieces, just missing 5 legs.  But at least the one leg I had was equipped with a rollerblade!

Mom made her fantastic enchiladas with extra sauce with sides of corn and chips!  Yum... delicious - I even got to take some leftovers with me to enjoy throughout the week.  Karen made & decorated the cake - chocolate with vanilla icing.  However, it cracked and she wouldn't let me take a picture.  Dinner/dessert conversation was enjoyable - it's always nice to talk with the family.  All in all, it was a great day. 

The rest of the week was pretty standard - work, work work.  

Because I worked an extra day last week, I got an extra day off on Friday.  I went down to the family house and picked up a bunch of my childhood storage totes.  Since the folks are selling the childhood home, it's time for me to store my own stuff.  :)  I think I probably got at least 1/3 to 1/2 of my stuff moved up to my place.  What a trip to go through all my old things.  I even found my 'lost kitchen' (from my move from UT back to CA) that I knew I had but couldn't find for the life of me - silverware, tupperware and a few other things.  Also found my official ACT scores - discovered I was better in math and science than I was in English - I totally remembered differently.  I still have much to go through and downsize again but it's fun to remember the past. 

Saturday was the 12th so I did the 12 for 12 project.  I'll post that blog tomorrow as this one is getting quite long and is taking longer than anticipated and I have to get ready for my birthday celebration with my friends in a couple of hours.   

Birthday Celebration Photos

Here is the link to the kodak gallery where I have posted the photos from Karen's 30th Birthday extravaganza! It was a 3 day celebration - two days at Disneyland... one for the girls only, the other with the entire family; and a day of shopping & movies & dinner & presents. The photos encompass all 3 days. It was a lot of fun to ring in the 30's for Karen! Enjoy!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=2re720l3.c0qldbl7&x=0&h=1&y=-k1x254&localeid=en_US

It's My Birthday!

Rather than the New Year, my birthday is more of a time of reflection, reviewing my life, setting goals, etc. This year is no exception... though my time has been short due to the extreme busy-ness of my time with the show. And turning 34 is a not a big deal really - I'm past 30 and still enough years from 40 to not feel too terribly old. But that biological clock of mine IS ticking, and a little too quickly for my taste, running out. I always thought I'd be enjoying my family by this time. Not to say I haven't enjoyed my life - the travels, adventures, etc... I just thought I'd get to experience them now with my own family.

However, since I have not yet been blessed with a husband & kids, 2009 will be a year of sharing with my extended family and friends. I'm going to try and not work so darn much & spend quality time with my loved ones. Starting with my birthday celebration on Feb 14th (it's not Valentine's day to me!).

Then in late February, I'm going to travel with my Mom to Vegas - I'll visit with Jordan and my Aunt Bonnie & her family. Afterwards, we're headed north - first to Ogden where we'll see my Aunt Beverly & her kids & their kids. I'm excited to meet Aspen & see Jack again. After Ogden, we're off to Idaho to see Grandpa! It's been TOO long since I've gotten to visit with Grandpa and this is the part of the trip I'm most excited about. Then we'll reverse & head back to California.

Karen turns 30 in March so Sarah & Julia are flying in & we'll get to spend some time together as sisters. And we're going to play at Disneyland - first just the grownups, then with the kids. It's going to be awesome.

I'm hoping this will continue on throughout the year, turning my 34th year into a magical year with my family & friends!

Life Side

Thought I should also post about that life side of my life. So last Tuesday was the stage management summer soiree. It was held at a park down the road from the Resort. Holly did an amazing job putting it all together. Good food, fun games, and just a chance to be together in a relaxed, social atmosphere.

On Thursday, I went to the parking lot of the Fox Theater in Fullerton to see Back to the Future. They project it onto the side of the theater as a fund raiser to help restore the Fox Theater. Also, as it was Sept. 11th, they held a special flag raising ceremony in conjunction with a National Guard unit and the city's fire department. It was really quite well done. Holly, Chris, Sandy, Scott, and I enjoyed candy & beverages under the stars watching a classic (well, a new classic). Amazingly (or not) a group of youth next to us had never seen it. It was really strange hearing people laugh for the first time at the movie. Overall, good fun - and they're showing Ghostbusters in Oct - you bet I'll be there!

Friday was a busy one for me. First after work was Concert Under the Stars at Cal State Fullerton. My friends Adam Saucedo & Alyssa Marie Webb were both performing and I was super excited to support them. Ironically, the show was a tribute to Walt Disney's contribution to popular music. So Sandy, Chris, Sarah and I (all Disney folk) spent the evening listening to Disney songs. Adam & Alyssa Marie were fantastic - even if they didn't have as many solos as I'd have liked. Next up was a birthday celebration for Annalisa at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point. We dropped Sarah off and headed south to join Annalisa and company. We spent the next 2 hours talking, laughing, and having a hoot.

Saturday was spent around the bathroom as I was recovering from a bout of food poisoning (I started not feeling well on the way to Dana Point). It was not pleasant. All plans went out the window - including work. But thankfully, it passed and by Sunday I was my jovial self again.

Sunday was nice - I attended church with Ashna & Preston followed by a late lunch at their home. They were so gracious to let me share their Sunday. Preston made a great pasta which we ate while watching Nim's Island - a cute movie I thoroughly enjoyed. After the movie I headed down to Karen & the boys. I picked up some dinner on the way and got to spend some time with the family. I also helped Karen baby proof the back door to the garage that Shane recently learned how to open. Then while Karen went to get dessert at Golden Spoon, Brandon played while Shane (who wasn't feeling well) and I watched Caillou, the holiday movie. I am a total Caillou convert - I can't wait to have kids so they can watch it. I wanted to finish watching the movie.

And tonight Chris & Sandy are coming over for dinner & a movie. The movie is still up for a decision - currently I think our choices are The Great Race, Xanadu, or something else entirely. It'll be nice to hang out just the three of us, we haven't gotten to in a while.

So there it is... the life side ;-)