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New Jib Jab Video About the News

What We Call the News | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Have you seen it yet?  Jib Jab's latest bit "What We Call The News" is out and just as openly brash as the rest of their shorts. When I went to JibJab.com I was thrilled to find an expanded website with more originals than I knew existed. I still need to register for their free membership so I can check out their behind the scenes feature. There's even info from the founders of Jib Jab and what they're trying to do between elections. Gotta a funny video? Upload it and share with other JibJab fans.

Do you Twitter?

As if the occasional blog update is not enough to keep the friends and fam at bay -- now there is Twitter. 24 hour updates, accessible by text and IM. This just might be the next coolest social networking tool.

Twitter

I'm just signed up and will spend a few days getting the feel of it. Not sure if I'll make it public or not. I remember seeing a tool a few years ago, at least I think it was a few years ago, where you could register and have fans sign in their phone code and then you'd be able to text all your fans whenever you wanted. There was some kind of revenue share involved. I thought it sounded cool but doubted that I had the fanbase to make it worthwhile. Look, now I can do it for free. Ha.

We're moving to Las Vegas

Jason is about to come pick me up for another afternoon of organizing at my Grandma's house. I don't have time to express how meaningful it is to be with the Livingston side of our family and to reconnect through past stories and memories—but I can give you an update on our lives from a distance.

John and I are moving to Las Vegas for the short term. At least through the World Series of Poker.

I don't think either of us are thrilled about it. But it's what makes the most sense for the spring. I get home on Sunday, and we'll try and shlep our stuff over on Wednesday. Susan is coming to help me with wedding plans Thursday-Tuesday and I couldn't be more grateful. I can't wait till we pull this rabbit out of the hat.

CURRENT: Grants Pass, OR
NEXT: Pasadena, CA

Brother-sister road trip

I miss the blog! But life is one big cram session right now. Jason picked me up on Monday to drive up to Oregon and meet the Livingston side of our family. I think I already mentioned that my Grandma passed and we were all meeting to go up and help organize the property.

Jason and I have driven long distance together once. From San Francisco to San Diego. It must've been about ten years ago and lets just say it didn't go so well. It seemed like we had nothing in common and were on opposing sides of conversations for at least five hours of the trip. We hardly got a long while we were growing up, and during my early twenties it only seemed to get worse. Then Sand in My Bra came out. I blogged about my cross-country book tour and Jason followed along. He got to know me through the blog, and the past five years have been a completely different relationship to the one we knew when we were younger. The night before we left, I was still wondered if we could hack a 12+ hour trip in the car together but John assured me we got a long now and it wouldn't be a repeat of the 90s.

What Jason didn't know, was that I snore. Apparently badly. After the first night, Jason said,  "I woke up in the middle of the night and said Is this really happening?" I started laughing and he  kept going, "I had pillows over my ears and everything!"

Wedding planning meltdown

I had a mini-meltdown yesterday about the lack of wedding plans accomplished. All I want to do is throw a nice party at a house in Vegas on 7-7-7. We don't need a chapel, we already have an officiant, and I'm reluctant to have it at a golf course because of the weather. And the best country clubs and golf courses are already taken anyway, I've looked. I'm going with John to Vegas tonight and maybe I can find some information tomorrow, but we also have to look for a place to live from now through the World Series of Poker (ends July 17) so that has to be ticked off, too. And I'm moving house by myself as John will be in Monte Carlo.

There's my vent. My friend Cotie, who has a location and dress and save the date cards for her August wedding was real sweet the other night. After replying "No, I didn't have this or that" to many wedding questions she asked me, she finally said, "You have a city, that's something." It was too cute, and provided about three seconds of comfort.

All this said, Last Minute Leo is a master at making things happen. I can do this. I know I can. Dan's dad was a bit concerned yesterday when I had little to reply to his questions about booking reservations when we didn't have anything secured, "There's no beach for you to just fall back on." I guess that's the thing about being older. I can make do. Can't I? John and I have pretty drastic tastes when it comes to this wedding and we're both doing a fairly acceptable job of compromising. It won't be a traditional wedding. And everything  one would take for granted about a wedding like  having a bridal party, or a first dance song, or dancing at all—is on the bargaining table.

The good news is that we will be able to afford to have a wedding. My whole life I thought I wouldn't be able to afford a wedding at all because of the tradition of the bride's family paying for it. And that it would be a $5,000 jobbie in a park as a potluck picnic at best.  John and I made a reasonable budget for the wedding, small but not spartan. And having the new job means that I will be able to pay my half of it. This is something that I am very thankful for. That we can afford to throw  a decent party as soon as we find the place...

Just wish me luck this weekend and next week. We've got our group room sales nearly worked out and I'll at least try and send that out this weekend so people can start booking their rooms. Good grief.

CURRENT: Pasadena, CA
NEXT: Las Vegas in five hours.

This week's news

WORK: Sorry I've been off the grid lately. Just trying to find my rhythm at the Daily Deal Blog. Man am I finding some travel worthy deals. Though not nearly as exciting as an all-inclusive resort break in Cozumel, I'm hoping to cash in on a less than $300RT ticket to New York City next month to spend some pre-wedding time with my cousins.

WEDDING: I have no wedding updates and haven't been able to update that site either. John got us some hotel group rooms so I have to send out my Save the Date cards asap. I have two friends planning get togethers in the Bay Area and San Diego, but I'm the bottleneck there, too. I think I'll be going to Vegas this weekend so hopefully I can do some planning there. Last night we had dinner with John's dad and he graciously asked if he could help. So, we gave him the task of being the invite coordinator, when that stage happens, and I also asked him if he'd put together a list of caterers for me. Ones that are still available on 7-7-7. I have a feeling this will be a daunting task, but he seemed eager and up for it. Yay!

FAMILY: My grandma Livingston passed a way a few weeks ago. Jason and I will be driving up to Oregon together next week to help my Uncle and some of his family with the property. I haven't seen my Idaho cousins in seven years, and Jason hasn't since he was a teenager. A visit is long overdue, and I'm looking forward to it. I'll be blogging during the morning and early afternoon from the hotel, then going over to the property in the afternoon and evening to help. (Susan, Jason wants to get as much driving done as possible on Monday and thinks we might even go all the way, so no pitstop on the  way up - but thanks anyway)

HOUSING: We need to be out of here on the 31st and John leaves the 26th. So, he'll pack while I'm gone, then I'll pack and move while he's gone - to Monte Carlo for 12 days! Where are we going? No idea. Maybe Vegas. Maybe Redondo. We just have to get through the WSOP and the wedding and then we can make a more steady living plan.

That's it. Off to work.

CURRENT: Pasadena, CA
NEXT: Las Vegas on Saturday? Grants Pass on Monday

News from last week

I absolutely love the new job! If you haven't seen it yet, the Daily Deal Blog on LATimes.com has tamed the beast. I'm writing up travel deals for the online travel section of the Los Angeles Times. And it just might kill me. Every day I find enticing travel specials or packages or cheap flights that could transport me to paradise, but the catch is that I need to keep writing them up. So, there's no real leaving unless I front load a ton. That will change in time as we add more writers, but for now, you know I'm sticking fairly close to home.

Yesterday was a fun day because now the blog is linked up from various main pages on the LATimes.com website, like the home page, and world news section.

While I was busy with our launch last week, John was busy at the Commerce covering the LA Poker Classic. Here are some highlights for those that don't stay up to the second in poker news:

• Gavin lost a last-longer bet to Joe Sebok and had to get JS tatooed on his butt. Now we wait for the recap on RawVegas.tv
• The WPT Celebrity Invitational took place at the Commerce. One of last year's best poker parties, I was concerned about missing out on it. But apparently it didn't hold a candle to the 2006 party. There was a fair shortage of poker pros because of the NBC National Heads Up Championship filmed on the same day.
• Hanging out with the Wicked Chops boyz in L.A.
• Seeing Wicked at the Pantages with Mark and friends.

Things I did NOT miss out on:

• Teaching yet another friend to play Chinese poker who has since called it the greatest game ever and taught 12 of his friends. Pay it forward!
• Night out with Change100 and Pauly to play said remarkable game at Boardner's
• Poker home game (written up by Pauly), usually the greatest night of the week. But I got stuck at a table that wasn't feeling as fun as it usually does. Best steaks and guacamole I've ever had, though.
• My cousin Michelle and Kris's engagement party in San Diego.
• Video: John interviewing Jason Alexander
• Video: John interviewing Mekhi Phifer (from ER and mentioned in my fave song "Lose Yourself")

Anyway, big catch up game right now. I have done NOTHING for the wedding. And in case you haven't seen it, the New York Times scared off couples from getting married on 7-7-07. John asked if I wanted to change the date and I said no way. For four months until the date, the planners assume you've already done everything and are now telling you to plan your honeymoon. Umm....

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CURRENT: Pasadena, CA
NEXT: Las Vegas, NV (March 9-10)
NEXT NEXT: Grants Pass, Oregon (Feb 20-25)