TV Break

A fabulous weekend lands me on national television.

From celebrating with a sorority sister on winning a happy hour party at a pub in Newport, to watching a brainless movie on materialistics girls, then an elegant wine and cheese birthday party, to a relaxing spa treatment-- I didn’t think my weekend could get any better!

Boy, was I wrong!

I drove up to Hollywood with two of my closest friends for the premier taping of NBC’s newest show, Thank God You Are Here! It is an improvisational comedy showcasing the comedic skills and styles of four celebrities as they compete to outdo each other’s performance in various unexpected situations.

Right before the first skit, the woman sitting next to me was replaced by a cast member. Cameras suddenly surrounded us, as the cast members instructed the cameramen to “make sure she’s in it” pointing to me. Fran Drescher played a ruthless park developer sabotaging the pristine ocean front while my “friend” was the community member and an environmentalist questioning her plans. All the while, I had a stupid smile on my face thinking this was going to be on national television-- I need to be on my best behavior, while trying to appear natural. Unfortunately, the camera did not capture my good side (left). I could not look at the camera, nor the screen, but I felt the hot lights and the stares. Good God, it was weird!

I was one of the few people who received a free shirt from the emcee-- I think it was for lending the network my wonderful tv face. :-)

Thank God You Are Here! premiers in the Spring on NBC.

A first time

Last night, I joyfully baby-sat for my mentor’s children as she and her husband attended a wine-tasting event for work. This was an exciting and rare opportunity! I definitely found it worth giving up a Friday night to spend time with two of my favorite kids.

There was a slight challenge though. I have no baby-sitting experience. I am a 24 year old woman with no baby-sitting experience. Never had I changed a diaper, washed a child, nor put a child to bed... prior to last night.

Due to my sheer excitement, I rushed out of work at 4:55 and arrived at the family’s home 15 minutes prior to my desired arrival time. The parents were just getting ready. The younger of the two, a one-year old, looked suddenly nervous upon my arrival. He carefully watched me for a good half an hour. After awhile, he warmed up and showed me books and stuffed animals. He happily waved goodbye to his parents as they left and the two’s evening were now dependent on me.

We watched a Winnie the Pooh movie, which they apparently loved and sang along to. The four-year old knew all the words. The little one just followed along, his tone expressive, but words were slurred. Then it was time to warm up the milk and put him to bed.

I was nervous. So was he.

His night attire, fresh diaper, and baby wipes were all layed out on the counter. I looked at all the items briefly. Looks easy enough, I thought. So we proceeded with the evening ritual. My hands started to shake. He must have sensed my novice approach because he started to whimper. I struggled with the diaper for a couple minutes, and then decided to call my roommate for a demonstration. (She arrived after dinner and was playing with the four-year old). She told me I had it backwards. Poor thing. I thanked her. Then I was alone once again with the toddler as we tried to figure out the onesie. I was shocked to see that he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew to fit his arms through the holes. He knew to raise his feet for the pants. He knew to stay still as I buttoned up the shirt. It was wonderful.

Then he finished his milk and started to rub his eyes. I held him for awhile, soothing him to sleep. Then I layed him on his crib as he fell asleep to the sound of lullabies.

Thrifty living

Finances used to never be a problem... until I started living on my own. Rent, utilities, car payments, insurance, and food are manageable. Then there are those unexpected expenses such as wisdom teeth removal plus anesthesia, car maintenance, and high interest rates on credit cards. Additionally, there are those frequent trips to the hair salon, nail spa, and personal enrichment meetings. At the end of the month, I cringe at the accumulated costs. Welcome to my world...

Holiday overspending and an upcoming trip to the Big Apple compels me to manage my finances better. It’s been challenging, but it has also been very fun.

I am approaching an entire month devoid of shopping. Despite this, I still managed to put together new sets of outfits. It’s interesting how resourceful I become when forced to be. I also found a large amount of “new” clothes, with tags still attached. It was also surprising to find many similar clothes. At least my taste has been consistent.

Expenditure for outings is also controlled. I like to equate “thrifty living” with “becoming aware”. One begins to look for fun, yet affordable activities. This then leads to becoming cultured. Who would have thought entrance to the Getty Museum was free? What a great way to appreciate art, spend the day with others who are just as mesmerized, and come home truly inspired. There are also plenty of independent films that are not only good, but intellectually stimulating. The DVD place near my apartment rents movies for only $1. The choices are a bit limited, thus compelling me to look outside my usual movie genre.

Then there’s community. I have been inviting friends over for dinner instead of eating out. This works out perfectly because I enjoy hosting, and I get to cook.