MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas to you!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed a peaceful day with friends and family.

Originally, I was to spend Christmas in LA working. However, I was only scheduled 19 hours at Starbucks and decided that wasn't worth sticking around LA for. So at the last minute, I hopped in the car with Gracie, for a 15 hour drive, and headed up to Pocatello, Idaho to spend Christmas with Mom and Ron.

I arrived on Tuesday to at least 9 inches of snow and it hadn't stopped coming down since. I think at one point there was at least a foot of snow, with more expected to come. It's was great! It really was. It is a nice change from the never changing LA weather. It felt so much more like the Christmas holiday then LA. Plus, it's great to be with family.

We took the dogs for a nice Christmas Day walk on the country club behind the house, and with the snow so deep, Mom and I wore snow shoes out. The following video is for your enjoyment:

It was sad to have to head back to LA. Pocatello has a way of sucking me into the small town life. It's peaceful and relaxing. If I didn't have the drive to be a successful, hot-shot, powerhouse, then I'd probably move to Pocatello. However, I do have that drive, even if it's not entirely apparent at the moment, and I just don't feel Pocatello has room for a girl like me.

Anyways, I drove straight through and got back home around 2 am Tuesday morning. I woke up to a clear, sunny sky and 70 degree weather. Ahhh, I do love the weather here. I can't wait to head to work tomorrow and see the ocean again, get back in the grove of things. Only one more day of 2008. Haven't had any great accomplishments worth mentioning. Sad, yes. But that's okay. 2009 is going to be my year. I've got a lot of great things planned and goals to accomplish. This is the year Kara makes a name for herself here in La La Land. Goal #1: Getting up when my alarm goes off. (It's been quite a problem lately). Hold on, because the ride is just beginning!!

February 1, 2009

I've done it now. I finally signed up to run in my first ever 1/2 marathon. Working myself up to a full marathon, hopefully summer/fall 2009. So Super Bowl Sunday 2009, Hunting Beach, California, I will be running in the Surf City USA Half Marathon!! Bright and early at 7:45am. I'd love to have my friends and family here for the support, but I realize it's a long way to come for everyone. So encouragement from now till then would be awesome. I've been training, sort-of, I've really got to start training harder. It's a 1 month away! Aha!!! I'm excited though, I can't wait!! If you care to check out the website, go to: http://www.runsurfcity.com/.

If all goes well, this will be the catalyst for the full marathon I'd like to run this summer. Then eventually a triathlon!! GO ME!!

Why You Should Get to Know Me

" I frequently get referred to as 'amazing!' I think I need someone to substantiate that claim."

Thanksgiving.

It's been awhile since I last wrote and I've been a busy girl. Let's go back to Thanksgiving. My roommate, Eric, had his parents visit. It was an incredibly enjoyable time having family around. While they were here I had the opportunity to get out and enjoy parts of LA that I have yet to venture to on my own. It started with a tour of the Sony Studio. Unfortunately, pass the front gates, pictures weren't allowed. But I can say it was an amazing tour.

You'll have to take my word for it on what we saw. We were shown the Jeopardy studio, the Wheel of Fortune Studio, the original studio where Judy Garland filmed The Wizard of Oz and the drop floor where the Wicked Witch melted into it. So neat. The same studio was actually used for the filming of Cast Away. Who knew that a 3 hour beach scene was actually taped all indoors!?!? We got to walk through a set built like an old hotel where they had recently taped a shoot out. The walls were destroyed with bullet holes. We were shown into a building where the Studio's Academy Awards were showcased. Also very neat. It was in that building where we got a quick glimpse of Ron Howard!! Sunday, Monday Happy Day! Tuesday, Wednesday Happy Day! Thursday, Friday Happy Day! Saturday! What a Day! Spending all day with you! I loved Happy Days!! Our tour guide, who is an aspiring writer, said it was a slow day on the lot. A couple of movies had recently finished filming and the studio lot was pretty slow. Obviously, I would have loved to have seen more action. But the tour was really informative and a load of fun!!

I had to twist Eric's arm to take this photo with me!

Me giving Bernie Mac a kiss.

After the Sony Studio Tour we went to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the LACMA. I was really excited about this because they are currently exhibiting the Vanity Fair Portraits. An exhibit I was dying to see! There were so many amazing photos from the covers of Vanity Fair from when the magazine was first being published to the the present. It was interesting to see the changes from year to year. Many of the photos were done by the very well known Anne Lebowitz, a fashion photographer whom I admire immensely.

The Steps leading up to the Museum.

Right next door to the museum is the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits. It's one of the world’s most famous fossil localities, recognized for having the largest and most diverse assemblage of extinct Ice Age plants and animals in the world. It's interesting to see because it's so out of place in this city. And no, these aren't real mammoths. Just replicas.

This photo I took is actually a reflection in the tar-y murk. I personally think it's quite cool looking.

On Thanksgiving day, I had to work at Starbucks. We were surprisingly very busy. Sadly, many stores in the shopping area where I worked, were open and people were out shopping. The holidays always get me missing my family and wishing I were with them. Like I mentioned, it was great to have Eric's parents here. It helped to ease the homesickness a bit. Eric's parents also cooked us quite a feast. We had fresh crab legs, shrimp, lots of wine and all the delicious sides to go with them. Yummy!

Mrs. Ries, Eric, Mr. Ries and Joe

Little Red String on Your Finger

"Every day is a gift - even if it sucks."