Hi gang!

Well, I just learned how to post images in my blogs.  So, when I say I'll post a photo, I truly will from now on.  The lovely and AWESOME Bon gave me the best, simpliest, quickest tutorial on how to post photos.  I practiced like a good girl and it worked.  What I was doing wrong was that I thought my photos could be on my hard drive, but apparently they need to be posted somewhere else like Flickr or something.  So, if I wanna post a photo, I gotta upload it first, then post to my hearts content. 

So, that's the update from now.

Kelly :)

Hi all,

I've been busy unpacking.  The move went well, I found out I have WAY more stuff than will fit in my tiny new place.  So, I've just been throwing or donating just about everything. Good time to purge, I guess.

My trip to Costa Rica was a blast!  I'll try to post some photos soon once I figure out how to post photos on here.  Haven't been real successful at that yet.

The writers strike is still going strong in LA.  It's rather sad, people have been laid off because productions have been shut down.  It's the holidays, man!  Have a heart!  Hopefully, they will all come to the table and finally see eye to eye and get this thing resolved.  The actors (and I believe directors) will possibly be striking next summer(which will be an ugly thing if that happens.) 

Here is a cute survey that I took from the lovely Bon, one of my myspace friends(and fantastic casting director here in town.)

9 Lasts
Last dollar spent: $3 on Christmas tree lights
Last cigarette: I don't smoke, but did puff once on a cigar in Costa Rica two weeks ago.
Last beverage: water
Last movie: Analyze This
Last phone call: The Los Angeles Public Library calling to say I have two books waaaaaay overdue.
Last song played: "Big Girls Don't Cry" by Fergie
Last bubble bath: last Friday night
Last time you cried: Yesterday I teared up watching "Enchanted"
Last thing you ate: bagel w/cream cheese

8 Have You Evers
Have you ever dated a best friend: yes
Have you ever skinny dipped: no
Have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it: yes
Have you ever lost someone you loved: yes
Have you ever been dumped: no
Have you ever been drunk and threw up: not really
Have you ever run away: no
Have you ever wanted someone you thought you couldn't have then found out they liked you: yes

7 States You've Been To
Florida, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Nevada, New York, Massachutes, Delaware

6 Things You've Done Today
Toasted a bagel
Checked my email
Fixed my waterfall
This survey
Researched some actors on IMDB
Review some photos for a case at work

5 Favorite Things
Chocolate
Baking
Christmas music
NASA
My new DVR

4 People You Can Tell Anything
Aud
ek
Buster
JAy

3 Things That Make You Smile
Kindness
Warm hug/cuddling
8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep

2 Things You Want To Do Before You Die
Visit Ireland
Be part of a great ensemble cast of actors/actresses on a film or tv project

1 Thing You Can't Live Without
Water

Hi all,

Yes, I'm still here.  Just been REAL busy lately. 

Had my friend's wedding to get through, I had to help finish planning, making favors, calling vendors, etc for her.  But she's hitched now and happy!  It was a lovely day and I looked pretty good in my dress!  Hoorah!

Next, there was the constant house/animal sitting for friends, which got a little overwhelming.  Had me running around a lot between houses.

Then, I FINALLY started painting my new place...only to find out some schmuck who lived there before me put contact paper on the kitchen walls and then painted over it!  So, that had to come down before I could prime and paint.  Ugh.  Big job.  In my opinion, contact paper is worse than wallpaper.  It's stickier with the self adhesive.  Contact paper is normally used for small areas like drawer liners or shelves....NOT WALLS.  Double ugh!

Lastly, this week I end up sick.  Yep, caught whatever was going around.  I'm on the mend, but it set my move back a week at least.  I'm anxious to get into my new place, unpack and get back to normal life.

Hope all is well in your world. 

Don't forget...the next shuttle launch is Oct. 23rd, 8:38am PST, (11:38am EST).  Go Discovery!

Kelly :)

Hi Gang,

Here's a project that you can all get behind. If it weren't for books, where would we all be? Kids need to read darn it! There are a bazillion reasons why kids should read on a daily basis. I can only think of a few, but I know there are a bazillion. You open up your imagination and creativity for starters. A child's mind is full of such wonderful things...before society and politics interefer.

KIDS NEED TO READ is a great organization that is helping kids everywhere read more. You can help. Visit their website and get involved. www.kidsneedtoread.org

Oh, and "The Softwire: Virus on Orbis 1" is an awesome book. Pick it up at your local library or bookstore. Then pass it on to a child. You'll be glad you did.

Thanks!
Kelly :)

Hi Gang,

Happy to promote something very special and important.  Take a look.

Hi gang,

Well, my friend JAy and I tried again to view the ISS and Shuttle in the night sky.  And guess what?  We did it! 

10:35pm

21 degrees NW

20-30 seconds of visibility

After our 1^st failed attempt Monday night, we asked some friends to use their backyard hillside in Sun Valley for a different vantage point.  It's one of the highest points there and since it's mostly horse country, there isn't a lot of light pollution.

JAy and I get there a little late, around 10:25pm and quickly stumble up the hill carrying the gear.  Our friends have a clubhouse with a deck half way up the hillside.  Once we reach the deck, we realize that a big fat tree is obstructing our view.  So, we ditch the clubhouse (and telescope since it's not even out of the box yet), race further up the hillside, spin around and whip out the compass to find NW.  We look up and like magic the ISS and Shuttle appear above the horizon.  Perfect timing!  What a sight!  They look like two very bright non-twinkling stars chasing each other (now that the shuttle has undocked) and they're both zooming straight up at a rate of 18,000/mph.  JAy unpacks his binoculars and we can make out the faint shape of the ISS's solar panels.  The ISS looks like a brilliant white diamond and the shuttle has a slight yellow hue.  We both stand in awe taking turns with the binoculars.  20-30 seconds later, they slowly fade into the night sky as if they were never really there. 

If my telescope had worked, it would have looked like this(this is someone else's zoomed photo of the shuttle):

After standing there in amazement for about 10 minutes, we head back down the hill to the clubhouse and proceed to set up the telescope to view the moon's craters with different lenses.  Beautiful!  There are several theories on how the moon formed.  Hopefully, someday, scientists will come to a conclusion.  We watch as the moon slowly sets beyond the next hilltop.  Coyotes howl, dogs bark, crickets sing, birds chirp.  I'm just waiting for the director to yell "Cut!"  It's that perfect of a set up.

We turn our gaze upward one last time and suddenly, a satellite sails across the sky right in front of us.  Looks like an airplane without the blinking lights traveling at a high rate of speed.  BAM!  A shooting star streaks by.  Then a second one!  Wow!  You know, the longer you stare into the night sky, the more you eventually see.  I guess life can be like that, too.   Star gazing makes you do some deep soul searching I reckon.

So, that was my night.  Good star gazing (non-celeb kind), good company and good coffee (thanks JAy).

On to the next adventure!

Kelly J

Hi y'all,

Just checking with you to see how you all are doing.  I'm doing...fine.  Long story short, oh who am I kidding, it will be long.  This will be gross...

March 24- I hike in Malibu with some friends.  Come home, shower and find a tick has hitch hiked home on my back.  I pull him off. 

March 27-See the doctor for said tick bite.  Nothing can be done at this early stage, so I have to wait a month.

April 24-Revisit doctor. Bite looks good, not problems, no infection, tiny scab.  Doctor decides not to do blood work to check for Lyme Disease since I don't have any symptoms.  The scab is a reaction to the tick's saliva, no need to worry, it will go away.  Scab falls off later in the day.

April 25-New scab forms and starts to grow.

April 27-Scab leaks clear liquid.  Starts to get itchy.  I try not to worry because I figure it's just still from the tick's saliva and will go away.

May 9-Rash starts to appear on back, torso and leg and is REALLY itchy. 

May 15-Small hard lump size of a pea appears on neck/shoulder 4 inches from tick bite.  

May 21-See doctor about rash.  His reaction "Wow."  Let's put you on antibiotics (Tetracycline) and get some blood tests.  Lump is lymph node that swelled to indicate internal infection.  Another lymph node in bikini area swells later that night.

May 29-See doctor.  Test results are clean, no Lyme Disease or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  Referral to dermatologist.  Lymph nodes have gone down.

June 1-See dermatologist.  Determines that rash has caused allergic reaction and appeared in the form of eczema.  (After 2 months???)  Itching horrible.  Prescribes another antibiotic, Bactrim and stereoid Prednisone.  Bactrim for bacterial infection in rash and Prednisone to vanish rash and stop itching.

June 4-Itching finally subsides.

June 13-4am Red hive like bumps appear on face, neck and torso.  Face swollen, lips and nose swollen.  Can't sleep, chest pain and back pain.  Head straight to dermatologist.  He's slightly stumped, figures it's an allergic reaction to meds, orders more blood tests and refers back to general doctor.  See general doctor's co-worker(he was not in), figures probably reaction to medication, STOP taking Bactrim and ups my dosage of Prednisone to stop spreading rash, now covering 3/4 of my body, including my scalp.  Brings in 3rd opinion, another dermatologist in the practice.  He claims I'm having an allergic reaction to the Bactrim and the rash is a result of photosensitivity.  Rash continues to spread.  Stiffness in neck, back and joints sets in, upset stomach, tight chest pain.  Nurse draws my blood to fill 8-10 vials for testing.  Almost pass out.  Go home and sleep.

June 14-Red hive like rash has spread so much, the welts are touching each other to form one big red welt over the entire body.  It looks like I have sun burn.  By the end of the week, I will be completely red from scalp to toe.  At least I'm not slotchy anymore. 

So, I sit here at work in a turtle neck in 85-90 heat because it covers most of my rash.  At least my face is entirely red, so it just looks like I have a sunburn.  I didn't want to freak my co-workers out thinking I had TB or something.

So, that hike in March has been very expensive and has caused a lot of down time.  Next time, I'm wearing Deet!

I'll let you know of my progress!  I'll post photos when I download them from my camera.  It's pretty gross.

Kelly :(