The End of 2009

Last year I started this Blog. Last year at Christmas (2008), I started this blog. I thought to myself, I am going to post something every week. It was supposed to be a year full of posts... Alas, I have not kept up with my promise.


The month of December 2009, was full of unexpected adventures. I spent an evening with Dexter fans and friends at the DEXTER Season 4 Finale Party.


And another full day at Disneyland. Most of the day at Disneyland involved me and my 3 friends trying on a variety of hats (occasionally we went on a ride, but we had fun).

I was unable to go home for Christmas, so I spent the holiday in Southern California by myself. I continued my Holiday Movie Marathon.

Today I watched reshoots of the new Nightmare on Elm Street movie starring Jackie Earl Haley as Freddy Krueger.

November 2009 had its highs and lows. My little sister got engaged on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco. And on that same day, my dad went through a surgery that had me on the edge of tears the entire day at work. (He's fine). But still a very emotional day.


I did, however, get to go home to Northern California for Thanksgiving and my birthday. I was able to visit with friends and spend time with my family (though I never got to visit with my niece and nephew). I went to a couple movies: The Blind Side and New Moon. I went to a couple of my favorite local restaurants (Shout out to: La Comida & Italian Cottage).

Also in November, WB Softball team: Wrath of Kahn. We started our games in November and they are supposed to go through February. It's something new to do outside of work and a great way to socialize with my coworkers.

October 31, 2009 was probably the most exciting day of the month. Dressed up like a waitress from Merlotte's and joined my friends, Mute and Crowe at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to watch "Halloween."

September is when the WB lot starts to pick up. During the summer, all the fall TV shows are on hiatus and not much is going on. But during this month, me and a couple of friends started to have dinner every Friday night. It was something to look forward to after a long work week.

August: Valentine's Day was filming on the lot. Saw Anne Hathaway riding a Vespa, Garry Marshall heading to set, Carter Jenkins outside of Stage 19 and a few background extras.

July: The big EVENT of the month was going to Grauman's Chinese Theater and seeing Harry Potter 6 with friends before the movie was released to the general public. The movie was free and we also got free soda and popcorn.

June: I got to go home to Chico for a week at the beginning of the month. I went home to see my niece graduate from Junior High School. I also went with my Grandma to have lunch in Corning with some cousins. And I got to hang out with my old Wise Owl coworkers, Char & Kier.
I also volunteered my time at the WB Lot Sale. Very cool event. The WB puts on a huge garage sale every couple of years and sells props, costumes, and furniture from their TV shows and movies. I bought a couple of plates and mugs (Legally Mad).


In May, I went to a Media Focus Group for The Mentalist. It was interesting, I got to put my 2 cents in on my thoughts and feelings about the characters and their back stories, etc. I also was supposed to go to the Ellen DeGeneres Back Lot bash, but unfortunately, my friends and I got turned away because they invited too many people to the event.

There were a lot of fun events in the month of April. To start the month off, I attended the unveiling of the new WB Animation Mural featuring DC Comics Superheroes & Villains (as well as some Looney Tunes characters & Scooby-Doo). Mario Lopez hosted it, America's Best Dance Crew danced at it and Julie Newmar posed for pictures at the event.

I also had a lot of car trouble during this month. Spent almost 2 weeks without a car, fortunately for me, I have great friends down here.

I happened to meet an Academy-Award winning editor by chance too. He is super nice and has allowed me to come into his office and watch him edit episodes of the TV show that he works on. Those have been some Awesome Days.
As well as, LA Times Book Fair at UCLA and "Mammia Mia" at the Pantages Theater.

March: It's PILOT SEASON on the WB Lot. Lots of sets being constructed and shows being cast, and filming being done. Watched a lot of the production of a David E. Kelley pilot called "Legally Mad," starring Kristin Chenoweth being done on the lot (sadly, it did not get picked up, so I don't know what the end result looked like).

The 15th and finale season of the NBC medical drama, "ER" comes to an end, complete with a Stage 11 Dedication. Almost every major leading star comes back to the show for the finale season, even that guy, what's his name, with the salt-n-pepper hair... oh, yeah, George Clooney.


Went with friends down to San Diego to see "Rent" on stage. And went with Mute to a book signing in North Hollywood.


February: Watched A LOT of filming of 2 of my favorite WB shows: CHUCK and The Mentalist. Also my roommate got a Wii for his birthday, so there were a lot of Wii tournaments in the house during this month.



To start of the 2009 New Year, in the month of January, I got my first up close look at The Mentalist filming one Friday evening, when they were filming outside of Central Perk on the WB lot. I spent approximately 2 hours watching them film a scene that ended up being only a few minutes in the episode "Scarlett Fever." It was fascinating to watch Simon Baker go from an American accent while doing scenes to his own Australian accent in between takes.



I also attended my first LA Clippers Basketball game with coworkers after a long and intensive day of inventory at work. They won!


On the 20th of January, Barack Obama was sworn in as the President of the United States. And I attended my first live taping of a TV show: The Big Bang Theory.

And that is a little of what I experienced this past year, what I saw this past year, etc.

Trailer Review: Movies for 2010

Here I am on Christmas Eve, alone in my room, alone in my house... and what am I doing?

First I was listening to Christmas music while surfing the Internet. Then I reminded myself that I wanted to watch some Movie Trailers for upcoming films. So here are my reviews of the trailers and kind of what I hope to expect from the films.

The new Garry Marshall film, VALENTINE'S DAY has an all-star cast and looks like it could be a 'Love Actually' film for the February holiday. "A day in the life of love." It looks absolutely cute and I am hoping it is more like 'Love Actually' and less like 'He's Just Not That Into You.' I have always loved intertwining stories and how they get woven together to form a whole story. I am excited to see this film, one reason is because they filmed on the WB lot and I got to see Mr. Marshall walking around outside Stage 19 where most of their scenes were filmed. I also saw Hector Elizondo heading to set in a golf cart and Anne Hathaway heading to set on a pink Vespa. I hope it's good, but then again I do like pretty much all Garry Marshall films.
In theaters February 12, 2010


The new Tim Burton film, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, starring Johnny Depp looks dark, disturbing and very Entertaining. From the trailer, it looks like what I expect from a Tim Burton film: the music and the cast are very familiar. Along with the askew look of things: the bright colors, the big heads, the cinematography. I look forward to see this adaptation of such a classic Disney film.
In theaters March 5, 2010


I am definitely excited to see THE BACK-UP Plan starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin. The trailer makes the movie look very cute. I want to see the movie for O'Loughlin and for the fact that part of the movie was filmed on the WB lot this past summer (I work on the lot). I also hear that O'Loughlin is an extremely nice guy and I want to support him as an actor. And he's pretty cute and Australian. So I have some good reasons to go see this film.
In theaters April 16, 2010


Might I say, IRON MAN 2 looks pretty AWESOME. It looks just as entertaining as the first one. Robert Downey Jr. makes playing the role of Tony Stark look like a lot of fun. I am, however, very bummed that Terrence Howard will not be reprising his role of Rhodes. He played the concerned, annoyed friend very well and I will miss him in the new film.
In theaters May 7, 2010


The new ROBIN HOOD film starring Russell Crowe, I am not so sure about. It is directed by Ridley Scott (whom directed Crowe in Gladiator) and to me the 2 films look very similar. But I might have to see it to support Scott Grimes, whom was very nice when he was on ER. But on another note, I am also very fond of Kevin Costner as Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. It was one of my favorite movies when I was little.
In theaters May 14, 2010

SEX & THE CITY 2, I am not so sure about this sequel. Let me first admit, I saw the last film after I had only seen 1 episode of the TV series. I was lost. So I went back and watch all 6 seasons and then re-watched the movie. I liked it much better the second time around. But as for the sequel, even when watching the trailer, I felt like I had no idea what the plot was for the film. I will probably see the sequel because I know the basic background stories for all the characters involved and I'd like to see how Big and Carrie end up, but I am a little nervous for fear of the film bombing miserably.
In theaters May 28, 2010

DEXTER Season 4 Finale Party

On Sunday, December 13th, 2009, I attended an exclusive DEXTER Season Finale Party at the W Hotel in Westwood. AH-MAZ-ING!!!!


Scheduled to appear were Michael C. Hall, John Lithgow, Julie Benz, James Remar and CS Lee. Unfortunately for me and my friend, NK, Michael C. Hall did not make an appearance and if he did it was very, very low key. We did however, get pictures taken with Masuka, and we spotted Julie Benz giving interviews in her lovely dress, as well as exiting the party right before the episode aired. John Lithgow attended and might I add that he is tall.


It was an Awesome event and thanks to me, my friends and I were able to attend. After every DEXTER episode, I head over to the SHOwtime website and check out any videos that might be available or any info I might find about upcoming episodes. It was at this website that I found out about the exclusive finale viewing parties around LA and NYC.


I mentioned it to a couple of friends and BAM!!! We had a group. 5 of us in total went. It was a rainy night, not down pouring but raining just enough to bring out the jackets. Mac, Nirv and I carpooled over to Westwood and arrived around 7 PM, about 2 hours before the event was supposed to start. Two of my friends, Mute and Crowe were already there holding our places in line (for we had the RSVP confirmations under my name).


As soon as we got there, we were let in. Unfortunately for us, we got there a little to late for the fun door prizes (which included Dexter DVDs, Blu-rays and Action figures).


As soon as we got our bearings set and figured out where everything was, we took over an "L" shaped couch, right in front of a nice big flat screen TV, close to a bar, underneath heaters, and well within range of seeing who might be arriving and leaving. We lounged in this area for a little bit, getting up every so often to scope out the surrounding areas. You know, see what we could see.


Free DEXTER themed cocktails were going to be given out starting at 8 PM, so most of us waited until then to start drinking. The themed cocktails included: the Blood Drop, Harry's Code and the Dexter-rita.


C.S. Lee aka Vince Masuka arrived first and was nice enough to take pictures with us. At first, it kind of seemed like he didn't want to be there but he ended up staying until after the show was over. And he was still mingling with other DEXTER enthusiasts when we left the party.



Nirv and I made our way around the restaurant and bar many times. Scoping out the sights, making sure we didn't miss Michael C. Hall. We heard that John Lithgow had arrived and we could see him making his way back to the VIP Lounge area. We tried to snap a pic, but he was moving to fast. Never got a pic of him, they all came out too blurry, so we settled with spotting him from time to time. Next on the arrival list, was Julie Benz aka Rita. She looked lovely in her dress (really filled it out). We got some pics of her. Nirv and I saw her leave before the show officially started. She signed a few autographs. Took a few pictures and told her fans: "Hope you enjoy the show."




Our little "L" shaped couch became a target of many people. The five of us completely lounged over the area. We didn't want to give up an inch, however, when the show finally started we allowed people to join us in our area, because we didn't want them standing in our way. We wanted to be able to enjoy the show without people standing in front of the big screen TV.



The DEXTER finale began promptly at 9pm to the shouts and cheers of all the DEXTER enthusiasts, me included. We all sat there on the edge of our seats throughout the entire broadcast. It was fun to be in an all-around collective audience. To experience the nail-biting season finale as a whole. To listen to the cheers, the gasps, and the sudden quiet as the show's Season 4 finale came to a breath-taking stop. To glance around and realize that NO ONE saw that coming. To see all the tear-stained faces and the sadness of what happened.




But I must admit, it was by far my favorite season of the show yet. John Lithgow did an amazing job creeping out America for a couple months. He was superb as the Trinity Killer. And Michael C. Hall put in one of his most intense performances. It was a KILLER finale and I look forward to what's to come in the next season of DEXTER.

An Interesting way to spend Halloween

Here's an interesting way to spend your Halloween... Go to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery and watch the movie "Halloween" starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Sound a little sacrilegious?


I hadn't planned on going. I felt like I couldn't afford the $10 fee to get into the cemetery. But, my friend finally convinced me to go.

We got dressed up (you could wear costumes). My friends Mute* and Crowe* went as slashing victims from a horror movie and I dressed in black sneakers, jeans and a white tee with a little green Merlotte's logo on my left breast and I had 2 fang marks on my neck (all those Vampire fans out there know who I was).

We went to the store to get snacks (you could bring snacks). We also went into a Subway and got sandwiches (you could eat and drink there).

It felt a little odd.

We pulled into the cemetery in our costumes with our bags of food and our blankets to sit on and we each paid the $10 fee and Mute paid the $5 parking few. And then we made our way in the car to a parking spot alongside the rows of headstones. We were very lucky to park near an exit gate.

We got out of the car with all our things and then headed towards the sounds of music and the lights and the palm trees (only in LA). As we were making our way over to the grassy area, the DJ (yes, they had a DJ for about an hour and a half), he put on the song "Thriller." Now how fitting is that... to be walking through a cemetery on HALLOWEEN and to hear the song "Thriller." I sort of felt in place, like I belonged where I was on this Halloween. That song got me in the mood and I kind of hoped that Zombies would start to appear and make their ways down the paths and start to dance in unison (No Such Luck).

It really was a thrilling experience. We walked down a dirt path towards the sounds of music and towards the spotlights, shining up into the air. As we approached the grassy knoll, we found a spot just on the outside edge. With tombstones behind us, we laid out a blanket and sat down, and ate as we waited for the show to begin.

Only in Los Angeles could people get away with hanging out in a cemetery on Halloween. Everyone was in the full spirit of the night, all dressed up in costume. The movie started at 7 PM. It was entertaining to watch a movie outdoors with hundreds of people and watch and listen to the crowd as the corny and cheesy lines were said. And the with "why are you doing this" statement being said aloud by many. And the cheers and the gasps at the triumph or the stupidity of the lead characters were being shown.

All I can say, is only in LA...

**Names have been changed to protect the 'undead.'

One year of SoCal Living...

It's been one year since I've moved down to Southern California. A year of living outside the City of Angels. Some people didn't believe I'd be able to last a month down here. But I surprised them. I surprised many by my decision to move to Southern California. "Why?" They kept asking me, why there?

Well, it was simple in my mind. For as long as I can remember I have had a fascination with movies and television. I have always loved to go to the movies. I have always loved the behind-the scenes aspect of filmmaking. And now I am working at one of the world's largest television and movie studios. Sure, I haven't actually made the move into the business of the TV/film industry but I am one step closer than most and one step closer than I was last year.

I have survived being evacuated twice because of fire. And now 1 year after my move, there is yet another 85,000 acre fire. Luckily, I didn't get evacuated.

Besides the job interviews I had right after I moved down here last year, I did experience a little adventure the second week living down here. September 2008...



I went with my then roommate, Cole* to a bar called the Bridge because he had a gig there. After my other roommate, Giff*, got off work, he joined us. We drank a little and after we realized Cole would not be playing and I was sober enough to drive; Giff and I headed home in his car. When I was pulling out of the parking lot, I noticed that Giff's fuel light came on and he assured me that he could drive 40 miles with the light on. When we were almost to the 5 freeway, his car started to slow and all the lights went on, on the dashboard. His car had run out of gas!!!



Luckily we were near an off-ramp and I coasted the car down the ramp and came to a stop at the stoplight. Within moments of stopping there, we had red & blue lights behind us. Just my luck! The one night I actually drink, I was sober but fearful. A Highway Patrol car had pulled up behind us. Two officers got out, one came to my window (the driver's side) and one to Giff's (the passenger side). The guy on Giff's side asked if we had been drinking. Giff told them he had and I hadn't (I had one drink over 3 hours before). They asked me if everything was all right. I told them we had run out of gas and that Giff was calling a friend to come get us. They informed us that they were going to push us off the ramp. And sure enough they did. Talk about having a freaking heart attack!


I volunteered last year for AIDS Walk Los Angeles. I made friends and it gave me something to do while I was unemployed. It got me out of the house, a couple nights a week and kept me socializing with the outside world.


Also in September of last year, I went to a Movie Premiere. Though let me be the first to admit that all I did was stand across the street from Grauman's Chinese Theater and take pictures of the cast arriving for the event. I was so excited to be able to just stand there. I found out that it was going to happen and I drove myself to Hollywood & Highland just to watch it. It was very cool and fascinating to me.

I pursued the job that I now have. From the first interview to the day I got the job, it took about 6 weeks. I think I might have been a little bit of a pain in the butt to the recruiter but I wanted the job and I constantly kept in touch with him and now look where I am.



I have gotten to experience so many cool things from working at Warner Brothers. I have gotten to stand behind the camera and watch the filming of some of TV shows that film on the lot. I have made friends with editors, caterers, drivers and crew.



By working at the WB, I was invited to my first professional Basketball game, now granted it was the LA Clippers, but I still got to experience it and it was from the WB box seats. I also got invited to my first Dodger Game, again in Box Seats.



I have been fortunate enough to watch some of the WB's major films before they were released to the general public (Harry Potter 6, Watchmen, My Sister's Keeper).

In the past year, I have met a lot of interesting people and a lot of them I can call friends. I have been very fortunate with the friends I have made. Friends that have been kind enough to drive me to and from work when I was having car trouble. Friends that have been good to me. Friends that share a lot of the interests that I have. Friends who have introduced to me the wonderful events and experiences that I have gotten to do in the past year.



I think I have done very well within the past year. I think I have managed to survive on my own, and I think that the year to come will be full of new and exciting things.

My First Dodger Game!

I went to my First Dodger Game on Monday, August 17th. It was Game 59 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Unfortunately the Dodgers lost 3 to 2.

But I had a wonderful time. And that is probably due a lot to the fact that I was in good company, I had GREAT seats and all I had to pay for was my Dodger Dog. My first game, and I was a bit spoiled. I don't know if I am going to be able to top that experience. I got tickets from my work, Warner Bros. The seats were in a box, overlooking the first base side.

We had nachos and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Unfortunately the nachos ran out about a third of the way into the game and we never got refill chips until the 9th inning when all the toppings were bad. But I can't complain, I went over to the other side of the floor and got my first Dodger Dog, which was very good.

The experience was amazing and I was glad I got to experience it. Hopefully, I will be able to go again.

The Perks...

I love where I work. I love the perks of where I work. I love being able to walk around the Warner Bros. lot. I love being able to watch a scene being filmed over and over again. I love just being there.

If I am having a bad day or if I just want to clear my head; I will walk down New York Street which was used as Metropolis in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, or has been the city of Chicago for ER. Or walk through Embassy Court which houses the building that was used as the morgue in Pushing Daisies. I LOVE being allowed to walk between the sound stages of The Mentalist and Chuck. Yesterday, during my lunch I sat in the grass of the fictional town of Eastwick. It's a new show for fall based on the movie, The Witches of Eastwick. I think the tag line is "Desperate Housewives meets Charmed."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Oh, how I love the perks of being a Warner Brothers Employee. My most recent perk included receiving a free Family Screening Pass to see Harry Potter 6 on Saturday, July 11th, 2009. Four days ahead of the worldwide release of the movie. And one even better, was that fact that my screening was held at the world renown Grauman's Chinese Theater situated in Hollywood. We were also given a free soda and a bag of popcorn.

I was fortunate enough to find true Harry Potter fans to go with me. We all wore red and gold to show our support for Gryffindor. They were just as excited as me to be seeing the movie early. Unfortunately for me, I had to use the restroom during the middle of the movie and for some reason the bathrooms in Grauman's feel very far away, so it seemed like forever before I made my way back to my seat. I missed the kiss between Harry & Ginny. I knew the moment I stepped behind the curtain that I had missed it.


****MAY INCLUDE SPOILERS****
I enjoyed the movie, especially if I separate it from the book. If it had not been based on a book, then it was a very good film, but because it was based on a book, there were some let downs. I was bummed that certain things were taken out of it. But I know they can't put everything in the movie. I just wish, I just wish they had left the battle at Hogwarts in the film. And the invisibility cloak in the end of the film.

Life in the last few months.....

There is so much that has happened in my life since my first few blogs..... I have so much to say and I want to say it all. However, I have not made the time to sit down each day like I promised myself and write on this blog site. So much has happened since the beginning of the year. Since my first blog....


I started the New Year off, at my house in Southern California, with friends and the new cat, 'Bosco' that we acquired right after Christmas. At work I went through the stresses of dealing with inventory. A thorn in my side, but I made new friends over those weeks leading up to inventory. I even went to a Clippers Basketball game. They won! I don't remember much else about that night other than that.

I made more friends.... friends through friends. I was fortunate enough to make friends with many of the Transportation Guys that were working on a new pilot episode called "Legally Mad."

I am still enjoying the wonderful aspects of my job and all my coworkers. I am also enjoying the interesting people I get to meet.

I know this sounds ridiculous, but my New's Years Resolution was to actually speak to one of the many people that I happen to run into while wondering around on the Warner Bros. lot. And I succeeded. Not long after I made this promise to myself, so to speak (pun intended), I actually said words, instead of my usual head nod or weak smile. I said a word, one word, but I was so excited that I actually made words, that I didn't stop there. I spoke to the next person I ran into on the lot. I said "Hi." That's it..... Yes, it is ridiculous, but after spending so many of my years blushing and turning bright red, when I either ran into a crush or ran into a celebrity, this was a big step for me.

I have also become much more confident and definitely less shy since I've been living down here; since I got the job. I start up conversations with people I meet on the lot. I want to know what they do.

I "network" while on the lot. I've met many interesting people. Most recently, I met an Academy Award-winning Editor. How cool is that? He is such a nice man. He even invited me to come watch him edit. I would love to be an editor. The editing classes I took in college really fascinated me. I went so far as to buy Final Cut Pro (which, unfortunately I still have not really used because I don't have anything to play with).

President Obama

Today President Obama went to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at NBC Studios, which is about a block away from where I work. The President of the United States was a block away from my work. And I didn't see him. I tried to get a glimpse after work, with a few of my fellow workers but alas, he had already left the building.

ER's final day of shooting

It was a sad day on the Warner Bros. lot on March 18. The end of an era. A medical drama era that in the beginning, no one was sure if a show called "ER" would survive past its first season.

Fifteen years later, it is over.

There seemed to be a somber presence throughout the lot, as many stars of the cast sat outside their trailers and appeared to be reminiscing about the show. Crew members walked outside the stage, extras in their hospital gowns paced outside, anticpating their call. And many WB workers made their ways over to Stage 11, in hopes of a glimpse of a Scrub-clad doctor or a white-coat actor.

A show that brought George Clooney into the spotlight, turned him into a leading man and into a movie star. A rough around the edges Emergency Room pediatrician with salt-n-pepper hair by the name of Dr. Doug Ross. A womanizer. The ladies man, whom eventually would settle down and have a couple of kids with Nurse Carol Hathaway.

A show that introduced us to a young Noah Wyle a.k.a Dr. John Carter, whom started as a surgical med student under Dr. Peter Benton and went onto become a fantastic TV doctor. One that went through many ups & downs including being stabbed by a psychotic patient, that lead to drug addiction. Noah Wyle left the show after 10 seasons, but he reappeared once or twice before coming back for ER's finale 15th season.

Audiences watched as many beloved doctors exited the show in many ways. From death by helicopter (Dr. Romano) to death by brain tumor (Dr. Greene), to quitting and moving to Washington (Dr. Ross & Nurse Hathaway), to trying something new. I was teary eyed by the end of the episode when Dr. Greene passed away. Though I wasn't to upset to see Dr. Romano bite the dust. What can I say, I didn't care for the doctor too much.

I was fortunate enough to get a job at Warner Bros. Studios before the end of ER's run. I began working in October and I was lucky enough to be able to see some of the shows' final episodes being filmed over at the famed "Ambulance Bay." On a sad note, not long after the show finished wrapping, the "Ambulance Bay" started to get torn down.