Stop, Drop, and Roll!!!

We had a new neighbor move into the abandoned single-car garage just below our townhouse balcony 2 months ago. The homeless man was no longer homeless... good for him! Not so good for us. It really didn't bother me until he began sorting glass and aluminum bottles from 2:00am-5:30am practically every night! Courtney and Kami and I all have bedroom windows—large windows—that open up to his little oasis of noise. Uhh. It was annoying, but we dealt with it.

Fast forward to Monday, November 26th, at about 1:30pm. I was getting ready to go to school when I heard this strange noise. I looked for Meg (the cat), thinking she was playing with some type of crinkly-plastic stuff or something. I didn't see her. Then I realized it was coming from outside. I parted the blinds to find HUGE FLAMES about an arms-length away from me... and I was on the 4th floor!!! It took a few seconds to process. HOLY CRAP!

For the second time in less than a month, I was having a "NO WAY... THIS IS NOT HAPPENING MOMENT"!!! The nerd that I am, I have a "fire drawer" (where I keep my passport, journals, birth certificate, etc. all in one place). I literally hurled all of it (and my iPod and computer) into an empty laundry basket, ran down the stairs from my bedroom, forgot I wasn't wearing shoes, grabbed the first pair I saw (Kami's really comfy sandals from Kauai), screamed like bloody murder for Jenny (who I thought was downstairs, but wasn't), and looked under the couch for the cat (still didn't see her) all within about 20 seconds. Not kidding.

By the time I opened the front door to the hallway, my entire apartment was filled with light gray smoke. I opened the door to the fire escape staircase (I was on the third floor at this point) and it was even smokier and thick in there. AHH! I looked down the hallway and it was perfectly clear down by the elevator. So I did exactly what I've always been told NOT to do!

Yes, call me an idiot, but I took the elevator down to the lobby and ran outside! Just then the fire alarms in our building started going off. GREAT. Those are helpful!!! By the time I got outside, three large firetrucks were already putting out the blaze on my new neighbor's "house" (aka- abandoned garage). I leerily put my laundry basket of valuables down and walked over to the firemen. They assured me they'd put the fire out before it penetrated inside my apartment. By that point our two balconies on the 3rd and 4th floors were burned... not ruined, but definitely blackened.

As I walked back, I noticed someone familiar across the street. He was hiding behind some bushes, watching the flames burn down his "home". I was enraged. I ran over to the closest fireman and police officer and told them the situation. As soon as my nice little neighbor saw me talking with them, he bolted... roller-suitcase and all! The police officer turned and sprinted after him. Thank heavens. He was questioned, but eventually released.

My poor roommates. I called each of them, frantically telling them what was going on. Kami drove up about 15 minutes later, just in time to see the firemen climbing onto her bedroom balcony from their cool firetruck ladder and prying open her sliding door to make sure everything was ok inside our place. I told them to find the cat too... poor thing. (Thinking back on this experience, it's oo bad Max and Miles weren't around to see the firemen in real action! They would have LOVED it!)

After an hour of getting to know our actual neighbors VERY well, we were able to go back inside and begin the airing-out process. Yuck. I feel completely indebted to all the firemen who saved our apartment!!! Honestly... if they had been even 1-2 minutes later in arriving, apartment 304 would have been the first to go. Crazy, huh?

Fast forward again 5 days. It's 1:15am after an exhausting ward Christmas Party. The roar of fire engines grabs our attention as they get louder and louder. Oh yes... they've again stopped right out front. I cautiously walk out on the balcony to find the firemen investigating THE SAME GARAGE! Kami and I ran outside (in our hot pajamas) to see what all the commotion was about. A woman walking her dogs witnessed the same homeless man setting a fire underneath the charred (former) vintage car that was parked inside. The side of the garage was again on fire, but easily put-out. The police arrived and we had a nice little talk with them as they interrogated the guy. Oh yes folks... he was still standing there, sorting bottles and cans! UH!

To make this VERY long story shorter:

1. we are getting renter's insurance ASAP
2. chain-link fences have never looked more beautiful (just put-up yesterday!)
3. homeless man still comes by to sort bottles--on the sidewalk--
but now we call the police each time we see him (per the hot cop we chatted with)
4. the certified letter sent to our landlord made them quite nervous.
I have a feeling that things will be a little safer and look a little nicer
around here VERY soon...

Let's hope this is the end of our Fire Saga!






From this view, you can see the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors of our townhouse... with the two burned balconies. Oh, and did you notice the blanket laid over the top of the charred car? These photos were taken just after the first big fire. The "resident" was already back and marking his territory. Craziness!!!

I'm back!

Although some of you think I've joined the picked lines of the Writer's Strike, I have not. Life just seems to be a bit busy lately and my blog fell by the wayside. Here's a little recap of life this past month...

LA 1st & SM 3rd Halloween Party
This party marks the first time I've dressed up for Halloween since I was 13 years old... when I 'dressed up' as Cousin Itt. Just imagine half of my really long hair pulled in front of my face with a pair of sun-glasses on. Oh yeah... the easiest costume EVER! Although it was the last time I went trick-or-treating, I made out (no, I didn't actually 'make-out') with an incredible stash of candy and items... yes, I said items. King size candy bars, tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, chapstick, decks of cards, and $1 bills were filling up my pillowcase. It's all true. I swear.

Ok, back to this year. Three hours before the start of the party, a small group of really hot girls got together and decided to be a RAINBOW! Each of us dressed from head to toe in our own color. We hit up American Apparel and the $3.99 store in Westwood (along with a hundred UCLA co-eds). It was perfect! I must say... we were pretty dang cute.

This Halloween party also marks the end of my dynasty as activities chair. It was a bitter-sweet moment leaving Jim to take the reigns. When I was released, there was an audible gasp in the congregation... which makes the 2nd "wow" moment this year in our ward. I won't mention the prior gasp here, but I'm sure ya'll know what I'm referring to. My new calling? Ward Historian. What does that entail? I have no idea. If you have any ideas as to what I can or should be doing... please share!









HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!
When Shaunathan turned 27 in September, I told him he was officially old. The first thing he said to me on on my birthday was, "Guess what? You're officially old!" Great, thanks. 27 has treated me well so far. It's only been a week, but so far so good!

To celebrate, I went out to dinner with some friends. I chose Frida Restaurant because I've been meaning to go for years and it was a little out of the ordinary. I made reservations for 20, and we ate to our hearts content! I LOVED IT! The atmosphere was perfect, my food was fabulous, and my best friends made pretty great company. Afterwards we had homemade cake and ice cream, thanks to my dental student roommate who slaved all day in the kitchen. Her efforts paid off. This may have been one of the best birthday's ever. [photos to come]


My website
Yes, a real website. An assignment this semester was to build a website to showcase my work. So here it is... for all the world to see... www.jessicabeandesign.com
This is my first real attempt to make a website, so be nice with your comments. Oh, and I need a job. I graduate in 3 weeks and I want to start making money! Anyone know of anything?!!




The toilet incident
Some of you may know that I help an elderly couple in Beverly Hills twice a month. I mainly just vacuum and dust their very large house. As I was going about my business, dusting away, I heard the toilet water running. I went in and jiggled the handle. Nothing happened. I carefully lifted the heavy porcelain lid and reattached the chain. Easy enough, right? Yeah, I thought so... until the lid slipped from my wet rubber-gloved grasp, hit the water tank, bounced onto the bowl of the toilet, and landed on the tile floor. I stood in horror as I watched the toilet shatter and water flood the bathroom! The only thing I could think of was, "Did that really just happen?!" Oh, it did.

I turned the water valve off and ran to the kitchen to find a paper cup and a bucket. The next 5 minutes were spent dipping what water remained in the tank and pouring it into the bathtub. Great. Now what? I cleaned everything up, left the bucket under the dripping tank, and prayed that I was still sleeping.

I was quickly reminded just how awake I was when I went to Home Depot to price that exact toilet. One Kohler special order and $496.35 later (without shipping and installation) would redeem me of my misfortune. I wanted to cry. I went out to the parking lot and sat in my car, postponing the inevitable. I dialed the number and held my breath. How was I suppose to tell this couple that I broke their toilet? And I didn't just break it... I shattered every piece of that thing! Of course I would replace it, but owning up to it took some real courage.


He answered the phone. I explained the situation and my prayers were answered. He laughed and said, "Oh don't worry about the toilet. It could have happened to anyone!" I wanted to yell, "But WHO shatters toilets? Yes it was an accident, but things like this 'just don't happen'!" After insisting that I would pay for it, he calmed me down and said it really wasn't a big deal—that he'd take care of it.

I still keep thinking, "Did I really shatter their toilet? Did I really do that?!" Unfortunately, yes.

THE Gators 2007

The LA 1st ward decided to be nice and let the SM 3rd ward win again this year. It was the neighborly thing to do or maybe it had to do with that Golden Rule thing, I dunno. Either way, the GATORS were amazing!

Go Gators!

The Los Angeles 1st ward and Santa Monica 3rd ward HOMECOMING flag-football game has been an ongoing tradition for the past 4 years. I was on the activities committee for two of them, and after this weekend, co-chair for 3. My fondest memories include the very first game. It was held in January, in the middle of a down-pour. By the time it was over, everyone (whether playing or not) was soaked to the bone and caked in a muddy mess. It made for a fabulous ward photo.

Friday evening, we again take the field to regain the prized Honey Jar Trophy we lost to the SM Silver Monkey's a year ago. Coaches Rider (yes, Josh and Jason) have been feverishly teaching, throwing, and running their hearts out in preparation for this match. We are ready to rumble!

The GATORS are back and BETTER THAN EVER!

Watch out little Monkey's... the Gators' bite is a lethal one.

Craft Night

The first of many monthly craft nights kicked-off tonight at my apartment. I taught the art of Scherenschnitte and Calligraphy. I must say, LA 1st ward girls are mighty talented with tiny pairs of scissors and x-acto knives! Of all the designs, I think the dragons were the favorites. Allana's butterfly was a massive, but beautiful undertaking, and Julia's snowflake was pretty dang cool. Maggie created a Halloween card I'll never forget... complete with a skeleton and floating skull.

I must give credit where credit is due. I was completely inspired by Cindy's blog that I found through a common friend. She's incredibly talented at the art of paper cutting, what she creates is amazing. Check it out.

These are a sample of our first attempts. We did not draw these. I found these images on Scherenschnitte websites and photocopied them for the girls to create their own papercuttings from. As you can see... we rock.

Short Quiz

1. Have you ever heard of Andy Warhol?
2. Have you ever heard of Michelangelo?
3. Have you ever heard of Picasso?

If you answered YES to all three of these questions, then you're doing better than half the kids in one of my art classes at a UNIVERSITY. Be proud people. Be proud that you didn't attend the LA School District. I'm appalled... again.

Facebook (and my dog)

Like millions of others, I 'subscribe' to a couple networking websites (ie. facebook, ldslinkup, myspace). I rarely log-on to these sites anymore, but this morning (during class, of course) I got an email on my facebook account to add a friend. He was my brother's best friend growing up in NJ and I also use to babysit him (which he probably doesn't like to remember). BTW- I'm trying to use as many parentheses in this posting as possible (just FYI). Anyways, back to my story. It was fun to read up on everything he (and subsequently—his sister) have been up to. Then I found my brother and sister on there, added them as friends, and began photo-stalking (a favorite past-time).

And now my dog.

Cody is our little cocker spaniel. It seems Courtney and Clayton both had photos of our 'little chicken' (or in this cas, Dragon) on facebook. Maybe I didn't get the family memo. I don't want to be left out, so here are some of my photos of Cody (and 2 from my siblings' facebook accounts).

Church Activities

I've been the activities co-chair in my YSA ward since March 2005. Yes, it does seem like forever, but I love it nonetheless. From time to time I like to click on the church website and just see what's happening. Today I discovered a new link under 'Serving in the Church' — Activities!!! I was thrilled! It's been a long time in the coming, and it still needs a little more depth/resources, but it's a fabulous start. I finally feel slightly validated that my calling is 'offically recognized' on the church website! You may think this sounds ridiculous, but I've occasionally wondered why a calling that is so time- and labor-intensive never had any sort of online resources. Suffice it to say, I am very pleased with the web developers at church headquarters today.

Just as a reminder to us all...

Purpose of Church Activities
The purpose of Church activities is to bring members closer to Christ through worthwhile events that unite them as “fellowcitizens [in] the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). Activities can:

• Fortify and support the [ward] family.
• Strengthen testimonies and foster personal growth.
• Provide opportunities to apply gospel principles.
• Create unity and a sense of belonging.

In addition, Church activities can provide opportunities to reach out to less-active members, recent converts, and those of other faiths. Activities can also help participants develop talents, gain new skills, and give service to others.

Responsibility for Activities
Church activities are planned under the direction of stake presidencies and bishoprics. These leaders assign responsibility for each activity to the leaders of the auxiliary or priesthood organization involved. Stake and ward activities committees, called and directed by the stake presidency or bishopric, are generally responsible for activities that involve multiple organizations or are planned for entire families.

42+ hours Sleep Deprivation

I took a 40 minute nap this morning from 5:55am — 6:35am when my alarm went off for me to get in the shower and get ready for 14 hours of class today. It's now 12:17am. My lips and feet feel a little numb, my body is slow to react, and I'm hungry, but other than that, I'm doing pretty well.

Snortney bought an amazing camera last month and I just looked through the photos that she downloaded to my computer yesterday. Here's a sampling of my summer––in no particular order...

Courtney & Unsuspecting Car Salesman

She was so excited, she asked the salesman to take pose in a photo with her. Talk about doing anything for a little commission. haha.

Flat Tire

Speaking of cars, here's a photo in commemmoration of my 4th flat tire in one year. We had a fabulous time with our tatooed, pierced, and mohawked AAA [triple A] man from Brentwood. He had us laughing like crazy! I'm going to request him next time I'm stranded with a flat tire (or dead battery—which seems to be the case lately). Two thumbs up for AAA!

Don't Ask

For those of you who know JRide well, know that he has an obsession with holding my hands and cuddling with me whenever possible (I hate the word 'cuddle', but that's for another day's blog). I can't blame him for his advances. If I were him, I'd want to touch me too. But that's not the point. For those who know me well, know that I shun his advances like the plague. This photo is another failed attempt of JRide trying to get close [and maybe flipping him off]. Feel the love.

Tres Frijoles

A Night of Shakespeare

Hollywood Bowl—Pink Martini & Fireworks!

Many thanks to Ms. La Dolce Vespa for her INCREDIBLE box tickets to the closing show at the Hollywood Bowl! Not only did we have the BEST seats in the house, but the tickets came with 'gold' valet parking! The only problem was remembering to turn off our incriminating music as we got out of the car. Let's just say the valet-man received a "Toxic" earful of "Lucky", if you know what I mean! Thankfully KrisGirl was able to come at the last minute, otherwise we wouldn't have noticed we were sitting right behind Rebecca Romijn and her hubby Jerry O'Connell.

The Night My Phone Disappeared

Just after Jeremy Coon's UNFORGETABLE Roast, I met up with some friends at the "Movie on the Green" after-party. Silliness ensued and I lost my phone... only to have it turn up, right where I left it, 3 weeks later. I'm such an idiot.

Shoes

Sparklers & Birthdays

Thankfully Lindsey had a birthday so we had an excuse to act like seven-year-olds in the middle of the street with sparklers! I think we should celebrate Lindsey's birthday every day.



I think it's time for bed.

Fall 2007 @ CSUN

I've decided to write a couple positive things about this semester at CSUN, just to remind myself that life isn't so bad.

1. This is my LAST* semester
2. Twenty-One credits isn't really all that bad
3. Fourteen hours of class Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday is
sometimes enjoyable
4. Great eye-candy from 8-10am, two days a week
5. Parking is only $5/day, as opposed to UCLA's $8/day
6. I'm learning about Chicano Art from an interesting Chicano Artist
7. My Government teacher likes to draw boxes around everything
he writes on the board
8. Modern Art History... who knew Jacques-Louis David was such a
CRAZY guy? (read about The Death of Marat if you have a chance!)
9. I gave a presentation about Celiac Disease in my
Packaging Design class. It's true.
10. I found one of my night classes to be the perfect time to
download Neurology journal articles
11. I'm loving the $2 soft taco and free student drink at Chipotle
12. Only 3 months until I'm finished!!!

The Death of Marat, 1793


*subject to change without notice, depending upon the day, the mood I'm in, and my thoughts regarding grad school.

Waldo?

"Where's Waldo" was super cool back in the day. It was a guaranteed sardine pack around one of those little books during library time. And now I get to relive searching for Waldo all over again!

Our YSA activity tonight is a real-life "Where's Waldo" game! I invited a couple people from my ward to disguise themselves and walk around Century City mall. The rest of the participants are divided into teams and search for these Waldo's. They must get all their signatures--the first team back to the church building wins. We played it about 3 years ago and it was a huge success.

There are only a couple things I'm worried about:
1. The rain.
2. The USC game
3. Getting kicked out of the mall

Other than that... it should be pretty fun!!!

Dear Diary