The Daily Snoop

Ah yes, the friend that would never leave Los Angeles has left Los Angeles. Well, I only thought that she would never leave because her family lives here! She never actually said she would stay in LA forever. She is from Newport Beach, just south of LA. It made sense to me!

Kari has moved onto bigger and better things – New York. She is attending a graduate program through NYU. I am so happy for her. BUT – I miss her dearly. I don’t know if it’s possible to get any closer to someone, but somehow we have. In the two weeks she’s been gone, we’ve gotten closer than ever! She is my rock.

My strategy for her move was this – AVOID. How I’ve handled this whole thing thus far:

• Honestly, I just avoided thoughts of the move in the weeks and months leading up to the actual departure day.
• Denial.
• During the week before she was leaving, I acted like she was going on an extended vacation. She did go to India and Spain for like three months last year. I figured this NY thing was like that.
• Day of – cried like a baby.
• Since the move – added Kari to my Fave Five, which she has been wanting me to do for months.
• Watching Eat Pray Love this weekend – cried at all the parts where Liz Gilbert reminded me of Kari. There were many scenes.
• Currently planning a trip to New York this Fall.

Here’s a few of pics we took just before Kari moved. The last pic being us walking out the door to take her to LAX for her flight to New York.

Road Tripping with The Tenth Amendment Center. Had to stop for Buffalo Jerky!

Picnic in Santa Monica. Look at our healthy stash of food!
That’s Kombucha on Tap in my hands. Ah, the good ole days.

On the way to LAX. My face – mix of smile and sadness. Kari – jazz hands!

Can’t wait to visit Kari in New York. I hope to go within the next two months! Till then, we have Facebook, Skype, email, IM, text, phone and snail mail!

Hung out with Angelus on Sunday. We tramped around Pasadena – Whole Foods, Zona Rosa, Old Town (car show), Bird Pick, the park. It was great!

Angelus is taking a drawing class, and is currently working on Sumi-e, an East Asian type of brush painting also known as wash painting. He had 21 sketches to draw so he could sumi-e them later. Michael and I made the cut!

Well it’s come and gone… and boy, was it hard to decide how to celebrate! I turned the reins over to M! He gets an A++ for one of the best birthdays I’ve ever had! (more…)

So yesterday there was a camera crew in our place. Michael had to lie to me so I would not go crazy cleaning for these people, and so that I would not freak out about having strangers in our home. He told me they would film him in downtown LA. Well, that meant downtown LA at our place!

Having said that, I am totally thrilled that he may be in a full on produced documentary about the tenth amendment. Bryce was filmed as well. Yay!

Front page and homepage of the New York Times, homepage of lewrockwell.com, sited on campainforliberty.com, filmed (and not used) footage for Fox News, and now this!

Story goes – Sam and Matt moved to Austin, TX for his new job in the music industry, in November 2008. Back then I knew that I had a huge line-up of trips for 2009, so I told Sam that I would come visit them in Spring of 2010. Boy, am I a planner or what?! April 2010, and where do I go? Austin, TX.

So Sam and Matt have a three year old girl named Austin. She is just adorable and so smart. They must really love Austin to name their kid Austin! Well, she was named while still living in Los Angeles. Both Sam and Matt had lived in Austin, TX in the past so it was fitting, that they name their first born child, Austin, and shortly thereafter move to Austin.

Okay, enough mentions of Austin. Here’s what we did while I was there! (more…)

My first days in Austin, TX visiting Sam and the Munoz fam over Easter 2010. What I’ve learned so far:

• People, other than TMZ camera guys, do see celebrities at LAX. I saw Ray Liotta at LAX on the way to Austin, TX. He cut in front of me to go through security without hassle. He was wearing black Nike’s with bright blue soles, carrying a brown leather bag, and looking 20 years older than I thought he would. I shied out on getting a photo. By the time I had the confidence to grab one, Ray could not be found. I do know that he did not fly to Austin that morning.
• (I had just told someone last weekend that you never see celebrities at LAX, like TMZ shows. What are the chances that I would finally see one a few days later?!)
• Out of Austin airport, Sam showed me all these places from her childhood which have now been demolished.
• People in Austin, TX are really nice, if you just make eye contact.
• Austin Munoz is scared of dogs, even little dogs! She is also scared of vacuums and hair dryers.
• Discovered the Hummingbird Moth on a walk in Sam’s neighborhood.
• Sam and Matt know how to make a good enchilada.
• Wine and sugar-free margarita mix tastes yummy together!