California Vacation: Part III - A hike, some sun, a rainbow and Harry Potter!

Aaaaand....I'm back.

So...more on the vacation shall we?

After the zoo and seeing Josh I crashed at Lauren's pad for the night. The next day we went on this amazing hike around Lake Hollywood! It's created by a dam. Here are a few pics!







As you can see, all around the lake are woods. As we hiked around the lake we got lucky enough to see a pair of deer...which sadly I didn't get a picture of. It's this quiet, beautiful, nature filled place surrounded by mountains...in the middle of LA. Just amazing!

After this day/evening I moved into Anna and Zach's guest room in Burbank, CA (a subdivision of LA) and we girls went out for dinner down at Burbank outdoor mall. On Wednesday Lauren picked me up and we headed to the beach! We packed a lunch and ate on the beach between Santa Monica and Venice. Just a beautiful day!


(psst...that's Lauren laying in her little black bikini on the beach!)



We laid out in the sun for a few hours, perused Venice Beach (bought a new ring), and then headed home. On the way home, just as we were nearing Burbank it started to rain just a bit (which is unusual for LA, btw) and low and behold we saw a rainbow form right in front of us! See:





Thursday EVERY-ONE had to work during the day so I slept in (not that my skin should've been seeing sun, to be honest), did some writing and downloaded pictures. Once everyone was home I'd orchestrated dinner with all my "NY to LA" friends. Josh picked Anna and I up and then Lauren...and we headed to The Cat & The Fiddle where we took these lovely pics of us all:

LAUREN AND ANNA


LAUREN AND ME


JOSH AND ME


AND FINALLY...ALL 4 OF US


Josh was such a sweetie to drive us around that night. Unlike NYC, there is NO drinking of even ONE beer or glass of wine if you're going to drive in LA. The legal limit is .08 there and one beer can sometimes do that to you...and there are check-points everywhere!

Friday held a special surprise. Lauren and I decided to go shopping. We went to the Burbank Mall (and I bought a kick ass pair of combat boots!) and then went to Universal Studio City and low and behold...my pal David (who unbeknownst to me had moved to LA from NYC the month previous) got in touch and was in the area. He met us for lunch. Here is is with Lauren and then with me:





That night Lauren had to work so Anna and I headed over to Josh and Sarah's for....HARRY POTTER NIGHT! Yep. Since the new HP movie is coming out in November Josh and Sarah (and friends of theirs) are doing one movie a week (watching movie #1-#6) until the new one comes out. This was the premier party...for movie #1. What was really cool was that his friend Debbie had just gotten back from going to the brand new Harry Potter Theme Park! (SO JEALOUS!) where she'd gotten this!!!!





While we were all still talking, waiting to start the movie, a friend of Sarah's (Josh's fiance) arrived and I was like, "I just saw your show for the first time". If you've never seen Pit Boss on Animal Planet you'd not recognize him...and I'd never seen the show until I was on the plane to be honest. But Sebastian was a cool dude.



After the movie we all wanted a pic with our "wands a-ready!"...but we only had one wand so...we...improvised...LOL! See for yourself (and yes I'm holding a curling iron...and no, I have NO idea WHAT Josh is holding!LOL!):



It was fun to do things that those who live in LA do...vs. touristy stuff! FYI. So if you're gonna go to LA...have someone you know show you around to the things THEY love about LA. It makes all the difference!

Anyhoo...I bring this entry to a close with a pic of Anna and I (and my new boots!) as we headed to Josh's HP shin-dig. More later...

Tamsin :) xo

Dear LGBT teens, heterosexual teens, parents and teachers:

I'll be honest, I don't normally talk about things going on in the media, but I want to take a short break here from my "Vacation Highway" of blogging to do so...primarily because this issue of bullying hits home for me.

As a kid in both Jr. High and High School I was picked on incessantly. If it wasn't for my weight (which is funny as I was actually tiny then...like, 105 lbs!) it was for my faith. If it wasn't that it was for being different or having a dad who was their teacher and disciplined them (obviously because they bloody well needed it!).

I got picked on for being STRAIGHT and not having a boyfriend. (There is no limit to what kids will select as their ammunition).

I was followed home from school by kids who threatened to kick my ass.

I was blamed for things I didn't do...being others scapegoat.

It didn't matter the class...or the year I was in...or if I was even IN the classroom! I had a stint where a girl used to give me utter hell everytime I had to go to my locker. I would try and carry as much as I could so as to not have to go back to it during the day...but "lunch time" happens and there she'd be.

It started in 1st Grade and it continued until my senior year...slowing down in 9th grade when I finally stopped "taking it" and stood up verbally to one of my bullies. Obviously Jr. High was worse...but though it let up by high school it was still there...and by then let's be honest; the damage was done. I had low self esteem, thought I was ugly, always kept an eye out for trouble coming my way, said very little in school so as to not give them any amunition, and basically retreated into myself when I wasn't in theatre class or on stage.

Did I want to kill myself? No. I suppose I figured that would mean those assholes had "won" if I did that. But was I miserable? Yes. My mom would always know when I was dealing with the worst of it because, as she says, "You'd come home from school and sleep. You'd be awake just long enough for dinner and homework and then you'd be asleep again." I still sleep when stressed to be honest. But as weird as it sounds, its a much better option than sleeping permanently.

The fact that bullying has now jumped to ridicule LGBT teens...on top of all the other teasing...it breaks my heart and makes me quite angry. A person's sexual preference is something they're born with; like your nose or ears. To be teased for it is absolutely uncalled for!

I'm a certified Secondary Education Teacher and have taught both middle school and high school. As a teacher I watched kids go through this and I stepped in every chance I could. If you're a teacher don't sit by idly...pay attention...listen to the kids around you...watch their behavior. It can take one teacher who cares to make a difference.

I say the same to parents/adults. We all push through our lives often focused on ourselves and our issues...and the "teen problems" seem trite in comparison. Remember...they're not trite to those going through them for the first time. Take time to listen to your teen. It will make all the difference for them now...and later in life. My parent's were super supportive...and I knew I could always tell them things. I have no doubt that had a lot to do with my state of mind.

To fellow students I say this; these years are NOT the years to attack, but to bond...to help each other grow into the amazing adults you can be. To see kids pick on each other to make themselves feel better is wrong. Whether they do it to get attention or because they're lashing out to ease their own pain OR just because they're a ruthless, self-obsorbed, mean & bitter excuse for a human being does NOT give you the right to watch it happen and do nothing. Help your fellow students. If you all do that, the bullies will lose their power...giving it back to you, the one who deserves it.

I had a friend in college who was having problems at home. His family life was super rough. He was a extremely talented artist and had just gotten a full scholarship to a huge university for the following year...yet...he shot himself in the head one night. I have no idea how this made sense to him or how long I cried. What an unbelievable waste. He would've been out of that situation in six months! Or, better yet, he could've gone to live with a friend. But that wasn't his choice...and I desperately wish it hadn't been.

And though he wasn't gay, many of my friends are gay or lesbian. They are some of the most powerful, talented, giving, accepting and loving individuals I know. If you are LGBT and feel like you're flailing let me tell you something...you're not the only one...and it's not just LGBT's who are getting treated like this...its almost everyone in school. So hang on, remember that there is a rainbow called "college" that is waiting for you where you'll get to be yourself without ridicule and you'll know many people who've gone through the same things. Suicide isn't an answer, it's a cop out...it's giving in to the bullies and giving up...and you're better than that. You're better than them who pick on you, too.

Now, if you are a LGBT teen and need someone to talk to...and you can't talk to your parents or you don't have a friend who understands....you can call the Trevor Project. They are a 24/7 hotline for LGBT teens who need someone to talk to. The Trevor Lifeline number is 866-4-U-TREVOR.

For more information on them go here: http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

And remember...no one needs to love you but you! And if you can see the good in yourself and love yourself for your differences...others will too. Trust me, you're not alone. Plus, there are people who can help...just take a moment before you do something you can't take back. Most everyone, including that so called "in crowd", gets picked on. I know you don't believe that, but they all have someone who razzes the hell outta them too. Maybe it's not at school...maybe its at home...but trust me, they have it also.

So please, LGBT teens, let these string of suicides give you the courage to NOT follow in their footsteps...but to reach out to someone who accepts and loves you for who you are. With a world this size, trust me, there's many out there who do.

With much love, understanding, acceptance and support,

Tamsin xo :)

California Vacation: Part II - San Diego Zoo!

"It's the hottest day in the history of Los Angeles...113 degrees!" - 9/27/10

San Diego was 108 but that didn't stop Lauren (my old roommate in NYC) and I from hitting the BEST Zoo I've ever been too...The San Diego Zoo!

As you arrive you walk thru these two elephants:



First thing we did was take the guided tour bus around. We saw these folks on that:





The tour was smart because it helped us really narrow down what we "had" to make sure we saw that day. We started by taking the sky tran...here we are!

ME:

LAUREN:

We headed off to see the polar bears first. But on the way we ran into this "little" guy (a Chacoan Peccary)...don't you think he looks like PUMBA from "Lion King"?:



Anyhoo, I don't know about you, but I love watching polar bears. I must've watched the one who was under water for ages! He kept popping his head up top, getting something and then putting it in this little cave area. Here, he is:





They had this statue of the "true size" of a full grown polar bear...so of course I had to have a picture of me by it! LOL! I thought I looked short next to Lauren! Ha! Check this out! (insert short jokes here)



Lauren and I then were able to find some someone to take our picture IN the Sea Lion ice statue...let me say now, this was NOT easy to get into as it's made for kids! (No short jokes here, you already had your chance)



On our way back to the sky tram we saw this guy, a Siberian Reindeer:



Then we were off to the Sea Lion Show! These guys are my favorite...I can't lie. I can sit at the children's zoo in Central Park and watch them swim round and round and not get bored. Just LOVE them! So when I heard they had their own show?! HAD. TO. GO.! Here are a few pics of the show...which also had some great birds and a WOLF! :) We sat in the front row...and you know what that means...we got wet! On a 108 degree day? That was fine by me!

HERE HE IS WAVING AT US:

BEING FED:

TRYING TO GET INTO THE FISH BUCKET:

THE TIMBER WOLF!:




After the show we headed off to find food (which proved to be rather difficult as most of the places were closed...probably due to the heat AND the fact that there weren't many of us at the park).

We headed off to see some big cats! But on the way we saw these guys; Merecats and Koala Bears and Camels, oh my!

These are Lauren's favorite! Look at them dig!



We learned that Koala's sleep so much because the eucalyptus they eat doesn't supply them with enough energy to do much but sleep and eat. We got lucky though and they started to wake up to eat just as we got to them!

Look how cute he is!



Then we saw the camels!

Both ONE hump...



And TWO humps...



Next we saw some people in a little cave-like area (open on both sides) and thought they were just getting out of the sun but then saw there was something to "see". I wandered in first...thinking it was probably nothing major. I wandered up to the glass and BAM! I was in awe.

There, sleeping up against the glass in their air conditioned room, were a pair of lions; one male, one female. Just amazing...beautiful creatures. If you'd not seen them breathing you'd have thought they weren't real!

But though there were a male and female, my true love with this big guy:



Sleeping peacefully:



Opened his eyes to look at me for a brief moment:



Back to sleep...paw on glass...look at the size of that!:



We left my lion...heading towards Panda Canyon to run into Zebras! They were playing and it was really fun to watch! THey would bite at each other and chase each other around. I was able to get a few cute pics of that:





Then came the Pandas! Marc and Lynda went to the zoo on Saturday and said that the dad came out for the first time in years when they were there...but alas, we just saw the little one...eating bamboo...which, according to the guard, "its all he does".

But he's cute doing it huh?


On our way back towards the entrance/exit we went looking for this lovely lady:


She has a huge area to roam but due to the heat, she was sleeping in the shade. I'm guessing this area has some cool air blowing into it...she slept through everyone coming up to the glass and staring at her.


Last, but not least, we saw the one large Hippo they have (actually, I think there are two but this one is the only one we saw.




Our big "learning moment" of the day had to do with these guys...



Did you know that Flamingos get their color from the shrimp they eat? In this pic you can see baby Flamingos (they're about the same size as the adults) which are gray/white in appearance as the shrimp haven't colored them yet! Cool huh?

We left, got dinner and headed back to LA...it was a long drive but the sun was down and there was little humidity so the drive was nice. We headed to the bar/restaurant Lauren works at for a drink and Josh joined us!

Over all, it was an amazingly fun day! Even the heat couldn't ruin it for us! Definitely one of the highlights of my trip! I highly recommend you go if you get out that way OR if you live near enough to make a day trip out of it!

I leave you with a pic of Josh posing with our banana split...it was awesome!



Part III will be about my hike at Lake Hollywood, my trip to Santa Monica, and my unexpected lunch with David Holt!

Peace!

Tamsin :)

California Vacation: Part I - The Wedding

SIDE VIEW FROM MY HOTEL BALCONY IN LAJOLLA, CA

I've been MIA, I know. But I have a good reason!!! I was on VACATION! :) Yep, I went away for ten days to sunny California and other than being a wee bit jet-lagged...I'm feeling quite amazing (minus the part where I look out my window here at work and see gray skies, buildings, and gloom and wanna run back to the beach)!

To document my entire vacation I'll need mutiple blog entries...so this is Part I. I will break down my trip into a few parts to keep the blogs at a decent length AND so as to give you tons of photos!. Part I will be about the primary reason I traveled from one coast to the other; one of my best friend's wedding!

Michael was getting married to his long time girlfriend Sarah and as her family is from San Diego, CA that's where we all headed for one of the most beautiful and fun weddings I've ever been at!

First hour I was there I ran down to the beach. THIS is what I saw...



I must've walked the beach for a hour before I dragged my tired self back up to my room to rest...seeing as I didn't sleep the night before I left (I always worry I'll not hear the alarm and miss my early morning flight) and had slept little on the plane. After a needed nap I got dressed up and headed on down to meet up with everyone in the lobby to head to the rehearsal dinner. :) It was at a little mexican restaurant (whose name escapes me). We basically had comendeered the fenced in back area (lit by many white Christmas lights and other soft lighting) for pitchers of margaritas and good mexican food...oh, and a funny video show by Sarah's dad with pictures and video of Michael and Sarah's relationship as well as their childhood. Very adorable!

After which, Michael and his closest pals, went out to find a place to have drinks in LaJolla, CA (a small but beautiful beach town that is part of San Diego). We wandered here and there...even wandered into a very large hookha joint...very interesting, to say the least.

We settled on the bar of one of the nicer hotels and sat outside where we talked and laughed...and witnessed a domestic dispute in the middle of the road! No kidding! In little LaJolla! I've not even seen that in NYC! LOL! Some girl was fighting with her boyfriend (physically fighting) and she finally got away by jumping in a cab. He dove into the back seat after her and the next thing we know he's catapulted out of the cab (nice foot work there lady!), face planting himself into the pavement (ouch!)as the cab peels off as the light turns green. Crazy!

We all finally called it a night and got rest for the BIG DAY! They got married on part of the UCSD campus...This here is where they got married:



Here they are saying their vows:



A pic of the bridesmaids and groomsmen:



Ah...the first dance as husband and wife:



The reception was fantastic! A DJ who honestly had a clue to what fun music is and I had a GREAT group of people to dance with! Honestly the highlight of the weekend (besides my best friend's happiness) for me was three people; Lynda, Marc and James. I've known James for a few years but this was my first chance to really hang out with him w/o hanging lights for a show (and let me say, that boy can dance!), which was great! Marc was Michael's Best Man and Lynda is his wife...just absolutely LOVED them both! So happy to have met them and gotten to know them. We had the most fun shopping, hanging at the pool, and partying together! Marc is hilarious...and a lot like Mike, if I do say so myself. ;)

Here's a silly pic of Lynda...drinking one of the mojito's we drank all night long (this was her first):



Here's a pic of me and Lynda at the wedding:



Marc giving the toast:



Silhouette shot of the bride and groom at the sweetheart table:



Here's a pic of (L to R) Marc, Lynda, me, James and Ryan:



I wish I had a scanner that scanned photos as JPEG's and not PDF's so I could show you the really funny stuff; PHOTO-BOOTH PHOTOS!!! That's right, they had a photo-booth there with props and it was really fun (and even more fun the more the night and mojito's progressed).

The night ended and we all hopped a bus back to the hotel. I did a little writing on my balcony and went to bed. Woke up at 4:30am for no reason...was still awake at 5:45am so I bopped on down to say goodbye to Lynda and James as they were headed off to their flight...then went back up to my room at got more sleep (thank goodness).

The next morning I had breakfast with Marc and then Lauren showed up and we went to the San Diego Zoo! (which will be trip blog Part II).

For now, I leave you with my favorite pic of the whole wedding...the sunset that happened just as the reception was beginning...