yesterday was the best day of summer. it's funny that it came just in the clutch. almost september, which i can't believe.

a group of us packed up the ole cars and made a trip up the coast. first stop was malibu, where we hiked a trail to the ruins of a huge burnt down house. then, we continued up and climbed around on this amazing waterfall. i felt like such a kid, being out in nature. after climbing up a good way, we found this hidden swimming hole, formed by the waterfall, where we all jumped in and swam around.

after we hiked back down, we drove up to el matador, one of three "secret" beaches north of malibu. it was absolutely gorgeous! there were tons of rocky cliffs, and the weather was perfect. what a great labor day weekend!

here are some pictures of the wonderful day!

anna and me at the ruins



all of us climbing on the rocks by the waterfall



there were tons of frogs that were perfectly camouflaged to their surroundings...see him?




here's me gazing out over the glorious trail. haha



and here's the swimming hole! (chelsie and me half in, nate and jon taking a dip in the background) it was like something from a adventure novel. so cool.



the breathtaking el matador beach





here's chels, anna, and me apparently struttin our stuff!



and, finally, here's our adventurous labor weekend group: alec, jon, chels, anna, brian, me, and nate, with parker manning the camera. a fine group, i'd say!



in other news, i actually got another job last week. another random personal assisting gig that i found out about through a friend in acting class. just some other work to keep me busy and pay the bills. still nothing worth mentioning on the acting front. but we'll see... :)

You’ve been gone now for a year
And, yet I sense you’re somehow near.
It’s often that you’re on my mind;
Easy words you help me find.

I can’t forget those blue-grey eyes,
That twinkled upon each surprise.
Treasured toys with pennies bought,
Each chosen after careful thought.

And, if I had but one more hour,
To simply be your Prairie Flower,
We’d shoot lead pellets at tin cans,
And feed the chipmunks from our hands.

You and I would mow the yard,
Catch lightning bugs in glassy jars.
You’d squeeze my hand with yours so strong,
Through dry creek beds lead me along.

We’d pick up leaves, and take our time.
I’d learn of saving every dime.
You’d tell me stories of the sky,
And how you taught brave men to fly.

So, on this day, I can’t be sad,
With all these memories to be had.
Instead, I’ll on this sweetness dwell
In comfort, knowing you are well.

i just realized that i really didn't do anything for my official one year living in la anniversary. one year has been great, and it's gone so fast! but i still really love living here, and can't wait to see what excitement the next years bring...so i felt a need to acknowledge it, i did, and now i can move on :)

so, speaking of how time flies, i apparently i've let almost a month go by without blogging. my apologies! i keep meaning to do it, but i wanted to wait for pictures, and never got them, so i kept putting it off. what has happened...? well, first off, i lived through my first real earthquake! i'm sure you've all heard about it, but we had a 5.something a few weeks ago. yes, i did feel it. it felt like i was on a rocking boat, and it lasted for about 30 seconds. very strange, but kind of cool, considering no one was really harmed.

as for acting, i had a pretty legit audition for a new show on animal planet. i auditioned for the role of a waterski babe (haha), but never heard back. but it was good to get back out there, and i'm hoping that the lull of summer hiatus is coming to an end, and that things might be back full swing in the coming fall.

the main recent event for me was my former roommate's wedding. it was gorgeous, and i was waiting on getting pictures from that to post, but i guess i'll have to put those up at a later date when i get them. but, it was a big event, and i really enjoyed being a part of all the surrounding festivities. actually...here are a couple picture s from her bridal shower that i helped throw. one of kim and me (the co-party planners), all the girls, and then the three now-former roomies:





let's see...what else. oh, my friend, stand up comedian, kvon moezzi, had a screening at a really cute place called blue 32 in hermosa beach. he was the lead in a ridiculous horror spoof called the "gingerdead man 2." oh man. here's a picture from that event...



after that, holland and i spontaneously went to a late movie and saw the dark knight. just a plug for it in case you haven't seen it--go, it's amazing!

i'm a big fan of themed parties, playing dress-up, the whole shebang. obviously, that's kind of what i've decided to do for a living! anyway, our friends had a "jock jams" themed party last week, and it was so much fun! we all came dressed as athletes or in ridiculous 90s gear, blasted the classic 90s jock jams cds, drank capri suns (please tell me you remember those!), and played in tournaments ranging from ping pong, to darts, to nba live. it was a lot of fun! i love when everybody really gets into it...here's a picture with holland, her friend lynnette (who was visiting from ohio), and me, and then me and my mad dart-throwing skills!




finally, one of my best friends from home, chris, and his family were in san diego visiting family, and came up for an la day yesterday. i really enjoyed spending time with them, and i think they liked seeing the city, and some little snippets of my life. i did have a big "first," while they were here, too--i rode my very first ferris wheel ever! i know, crazy, right!?! but, i've never been on one, and have always wanted to, but i'm so glad that my first one was on the santa monica pier, because it was the best view, and perfect weather. it was so relaxing and lovely. here's a not very clear picture from my phone that totally doesn't do it justice, but...




well...i think that's about it for now. once our place is slightly more decorated, i'll take pics and post those up soon!! as always, thanks for reading :)