My weekend has come back to me.

Forgive me. I need to be vague in case someone from work ever stumbles upon this blog. I think the details of my assignment were given "off the record." So, I don't want too much documentation.

Just two days ago, I was told that I would have to drive somewhere two hours away from Phoenix because a VIP might/might not be there. I would have to sit there from 8 a.m. until sundown, like a policewoman on stakeout, waiting for this person to make a move. Even if it's something as mundane as stepping outside to take a breath, I'd have to call and ask if that was worth a story. Now, I actually wouldn't have minded if this had occurred on the other 100 weekends where I have no social life. But this just happens to be a weekend where I have not one, but two (yipee), friends coming to stay with me. One of them can only stay thru Sunday afternoon. And I had RSVPed yes to a friend's Easter dinner party. So, this whole "assignment" pissed me off royally. The idea I have to give up my weekend and rearrange all these plans and leave visitors to find their own way for a story that may/may not happen. I mean, why not give me a brick wall and I'll bang my head on it several times?! Same thing.

But, this morning at work, we got word on the record that this person was staying put abroad for the weekend. I didn't dare believe it. I was ready to do a jig if that was true. Several phone calls and e-mails later with "sources," I was told the stake-out was canceled. HALLELUJAH!!! But I still have to be "on call" Sunday and can't really drive too far away from Phoenix on the off chance this person shows up. But heck, that beats getting up at the crack of dawn! And now I at least have Sunday morning and most of the afternoon to visit with my friends.

It really is a Happy Easter. A cupcake I made for the occasion below. It's graham cracker cake with chocolate ganache, chocolate shavings and Cadbury mini eggs.

One 'Idol's' loss=a work victory

OK, I'm sure today sucks for David Hernandez, the former stripper who just got the boot on "American Idol." But a part of me is relieved because that means I won't have to cover his rise anymore. It was bad enough that there were two people from Arizona in the top 12. So, basically, the lazy part of me is glad because his exit means less work. Hey, I'm only human.

Glutton for punishment

For some crazy reason, I signed up for another half-marathon. I'm nuts, right? Well, the PF Chang's people sent me a coupon for $15 off the San Jose half-marathon on Oct. 8. So, yes, my 'ooh, what a deal' bargain hunter side came forth. I guess also, I want to repeat it in San Jose, my 'hood. The Phoenix one was so anti-climatic as I saw nobody I knew after. Any way, wish me luck. I have no idea how I'll train here. In Phoenix. In the summer. Yikes! What have I done?!

Work is going fine. I can't go into too much detail about what stories I'm pursuing. I can say that all "American Idol" stuff falls to me. I'm really starting to hate that show. J/K. Well, sort of. Last week, we were caught up in the "scandal" that one of the Arizona-based contestants used to be a stripper in a gay bar/club called Dick's Cabaret. Funny enough, the place used to be down the street from the homeless shelter I volunteer at. So, my boss was like "How do you know where this place used to be?" Everyone thought the homeless shelter was just a ploy to hide the fact that I secretly frequent gay strip clubs. The whole urgency of this thing was ridiculous. At one point, I was on the phone with one of our photographers trying to help him figure out where the place was. Later on in the day, I was looking at AP's photo Web site where photos go to once they've been captioned. Stupid me said really loud without thinking, "Oh, a photo of Dick's just moved."

Anything but 'super'

Well, back to business this week. What a change. And I'm retiring the use of the word "super" for a while. It's lost its significance with all the organizations that tried to ride the Super Bowl coattails and garner publicity for their own events. As Coach Taylor would say on "Friday Night Lights," what happened to it being just about football? All these parties and grabbing any NFL players to read, shoot clay targets or talk to fans on cell phones were just all over the place. Still, there were a few highlights.

-I got to shake Nick Lachey's hand at some red carpet arrival for a party he was hosting. It was so funny. It was some publicist's job to write down a celebrity's name on a piece of paper and flash it to the press line like a wrestling ring girl. This way, there would be no confusion about who was coming down the red carpet. Half the time, nobody knew who the person was. I wonder how many of the guests got that they weren't "important" press-wise as they walked the carpet without anyone stopping them.
Once the publicist held up a piece of paper that said "The Scottsdale 16" which sounds like a group of former protesters. Turns out it was just a harem of girls who were invited to be wall candy. They looked like 16 dolled-up lolliepops with cleavage.

-I managed to spend some quality time with my friend Leah at her birthday party on another side of town before hitting the PenthouseDesire Super Party where Snoop Dogg was to hit the stage. It was a low-key wine and food fest with boardgames. My spidey sense tingled when I learned we were going to play Trivial Pursuit. It was version that combined questions from the '80s, '90s and pop culture. So, I was forced to expose my penchant for knowing useless knowledge. Example: What "WKRP Cincinatti" veteran replaced the Maytag repairman? I don't know why I know this but for those who don't remember, it's Gordon Jump. I'm sort of embarrassed that I know all this stuff. Leah was funny, telling my teammates "Always listen to the Tang." I think people began to think that the cards would magically change the answer to match my guess, haha.

-I watched Snoop Dogg perform with that pimp metal glove on. After 20 minutes, I was able to reaffirm that his music is just not my cup of tea. I had more fun walking around downtown Scottsdale after and overhearing people get more testy as nobody, even the most stylish/hootchie girl, couldn't get a cab. As I easily drove away in my car, a part of me was like "suckas!"

-Spent the Tuesday primary either at polling stations or the watch parties for Hillary and Obama's Arizona-based supporters, which were at the same hotel, LOL. I liked the Obama party as there were cuter men. Not that that influenced which people I interviewed!

Anyway, this week has been much slower by comparison. But I think I'd prefer it over working 1:30-9:30 p.m. on a Sunday or a split shift of 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and then 7-11 p.m.

Now, I'm on my knees, grateful for the holiday Monday. Time to get out of Dodge!

IT'S OVER!! =)

It's hard to believe the event for which I trained for since September has come and gone. Well, I finished my first ever half-marathon. It took me 2 hours, 37 minutes and 14 seconds to complete the PF Chang's Rock-n-Roll half-marathon, or 13.1 miles. I had to stop and walk a few times and stretch. My toes and the bottom of my feet were just not having any of it after mile 9. It was pretty fun to be part of the festivity of it all. The whole course was lined with people. Some were local school spirit teams and other volunteer cheerleaders. There were quite a few parents with their kids. It was so cute, some of the kids would stick their hands out, wanting runners to give them a high-five as they passed. Some of the children were so sweet-faced, I had to make a bee-line for them.

I have to admit that I was somewhat envious of all the people who had family or friends cheering for them or waiting for them at the end. I couldn't find anyone I knew and even if nobody was there, it would've been nice to have someone who wanted to go out and celebrate with me afterward.

Some people say they cry after completing their first marathon or half-marathon. I did end up crying a couple of times--because after the race, I realized I lost my car key!! With my house keys, cell phone and wallet inside my car, I was basically stuck on an island with almost no hope of rescue. I don't know if I was more distraught at feeling extremely stupid or the fact that I could only think of three people who might come to my aid. I talked to police officers, a paramedic and informational volunteers. Everybody kept sending me to someone else. There were rumors of a tow truck nearby. At one point, I considered trying to use the medal I got after to break my car window (OK, I know that wouldn't have worked. But frustration makes one extremely irrational). Finally, an ASU police officer was pro-active and called dispatch to send a tow truck and told me to wait by my car. The driver propped my door open and I was able to get a hold of my aunt Karen. She picked me up, drove me home to get my spare car key and was nice enough to reassure me to not feel bad. I finished the race before noon but didn't get home until 5 p.m. Overall, it was a $60.50 payback for stupidity. Man, if she hadn't been around, I would have had to call a cab or something. Every time I'm reminded about how few people I'm close to out here, it makes me want to move away ASAP. If I do one of these races again, I think I'll do one in California. If I'm lucky, someone I know will be around.

Well, a close friend was sweet enough to tell me not to let this car key debacle eclipse the accomplishment of finishing the 13-mile course. I'm working on it.

Not much else happened except...damn. Am more sore today.

2008 starting off busy

Hope everyone I know had a good New Year's. I want to say a big thank-you to all the friends and family who sent me Christmas cards, e-mails, red envelopes with money and special gifts. My not-so-secret Santas gave me lots of goodies. I'm not sure I deserved so much but I'm very happy and grateful. What I found under the proverbial tree:

-A Dwight bobblehead doll (as seen on "The Office") which now is the cornerstone of my office desk
-Two cupcake desk calendars (from two different people). I have one for work and one for at home. Yah!
-A baking tin for mini cupcakes
-a one-cupcake carrier (I'm sure y'all sense a theme here)
-A picture frame
-Soap made in Canada
-Trader Joe's gift card
-an assortment of food colorings to go to town on frosting ideas
-a mechanical pastry bag from Williams-Sonoma (OK, I bought that for myself. It's like Harry Potter buying himself a Nimbus 2000)

Twas a good holiday except for an unwanted visitor in the form of a cold that still lingers. The congestion is affecting how I feel when I run. I got nauseous yesterday after only going three miles. Not good. Hopefully come race day, this Sunday (gulp), I'll feel normal.

Besides thinking about the race, this week, I'll be devoting a lot of time to two Super Bowl oriented stories. In case you haven't heard, the big game is in the city of Glendale, Ariz. this year, which is part of metropolitan Phoenix, the west side. But all the major parties will be in Scottsdale, which is on the east side of the "Valley" that houses all of metro Phoenix. I'm doing a preview of the parties which means I've been going on Web sites for hot-shot men's magazines like Playboy and Maxim. I have to remember to alert my boss every time I have to go to a "questionable" site. My co-worker said he knew someone who wrote about seedy clubs and features for a newspaper. This reporter was always going to weird places under the guise of research. Well, one day, his computer had to go the company IT and they discovered he had downloaded the Paris Hilton sex tape. Couldn't explain himself out of that one and was shown the door. Oops!

The other story I'm working on is just a simple rundown travel story of Super Bowl activities going on and places visitors can check out around metro Phoenix.

The weekend after the PF Chang's marathon is Martin Luther King Jr. weekend. I get that Monday off. Woo-hoo! So, I'm treating myself to a few days away in So-Cal. I plan to do a cupcake crawl and see some old friends, and possibly my younger cousin Wilson.

Then the last weekend of January, I have a high school friend coming to visit. Not sure what I can show her around Phoenix but I'll do my best. Wow, measured in this way, February seems like it's just outside my door.

Legs. Hating. Me.

This morning I did my farthest long run -- 11 miles. That is the farthest I will go until the day of the half-marathon. Until then, I'll be tapering with next Saturday 10 miles, and 8 miles the Saturday after that and so on. But my quads/thighs got so tired and achy the last stretch. I swear I could hear them yelling at me to stop putting them through such pain. Not sure how I will get through the 13 mile race. And I'm really not sure how I'll fare after when my feet and upper legs will be throbbing like they are now. I just want to sit on my ass all day but you are supposed to move around throughout the day so you don't have a build-up of lactic acid in your upper legs--whatever that means. All I can say is thank goodness I am NOT doing a full 26.2-mile marathon. Phew!

Christmas cupcakes

Not many things give me little moments of giddiness. But there's just something about making cupcakes that show some thought and a tad bit more artistry than your supermarket cupcake that makes me excited. We had an office potluck today. I thought about making something more food-ish like potstickers or a salad. But come on! It's Christmas--a time to be festive. So, of course I picked a time-consuming recipe in terms of the effort and money that would go into decorating it. Plus, last night I still went to a friend's for an impromptu dinner party though I hadn't decorated any of the cupcakes yet. Well, I thought I was going to find the decorating really tiresome but it was so much fun! Very therapeutic too. And the cupcakes turned out so much better than I thought. I think they look better in person than in my pictures.





I got the idea from a recipe book and decided to make my forest look as wintry as I could. I dusted them with powdered sugar, edible glitter and rainbow non-pareils (sprinkles) to look kind of like lights. One of my co-workers wants to "commission" me to make some for her Christmas gathering. I thought she was kidding. But she's serious. Asking me for something like that is definitely one way to flatter me quickly. Anyway, I'm probably going to do it as soon as I figure out how to budget my time. Good thing I'm training for this half marathon. It's the only way I can survive baking so much with a less guilty conscience.

P.S. Forgot to explain that I made the trees by frosting around an ice cream cone. That isn't all frosting!

5K results are in!

I can't believe I've been up since 5:30 a.m. and going to a funeral post-race was just weird. But I don't want to dwell on that. I just checked how I did on my 5K (3 miles). The assigned race number you wear comes with a perforated tag. The tag has a bar code. I was told there was a machine that scans it as you cross the finish line. You hand off your tag and they post the results online. I just checked...and...

Drum Roll please....


I finished in 28:34...and I get an award for placing third in my age group (25-29).
Females 25-29 results

However, I'm sure in another age group, I would've placed like seventh or something. But whatever. I shall bask in the glory of this small achievement for a bit. I can't wait for this half-marathon to come...only because I miss the junk food.

And it's only Wednesday!

I still feel like I have a whole week's worth of stuff ahead of me. I found out on Monday that a distant uncle of mine (one of my mom's second cousins) who lives here in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale passed away last Saturday from a sudden heart attack. :( I only met him a few times but he seemed nice, though extremely quiet. He owned a small Chinese restaurant in a Glendale strip mall. Even though I didn't interact with him much, I want to go to the funeral. It's more about being there for the family and showing that I care. The service is this Sunday at 9 a.m. in Scottsdale. I found this out the day after I registered for a competitive 5K that morning in another part of Scottsdale. The start time is 7:35 a.m. Luckily, my friend Alyson, who doesn't live too far from the mortuary, graciously told me to come and use her house as a stop to freshen up, shower, change, etc. So...I am going to try and run 5K or 3ish miles in less than an hour which I'm sure I can do and then high-tail it from Alyson's.

I really do not like going to funerals. In some ways, I dislike going to Chinese funerals even more. They are really superstitious and I have a feeling if you tried to insert a little humor in a eulogy to relieve tension, the older folks would throw a fit. Everything has to maintain a certain decorum and trying to relieve the tension would probably jeopardize the deceased person's chances of going to the next world. I just think it's ok to crack a smile if it pertains to remembering good things about the person.

Tomorrow, I have to go to the VA Medical Center and interview two survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack. Actually, I'm looking forward to that. It should be interesting, talking to people who witnessed such a catastrophic and unbelievable event. The hard part is running back to the office to write it all up in one afternoon. I'll be adding what I get to what I have from my phone interview with another survivor today. Gosh, someday, some young journalist is going to be interviewing elderly folks who survived the attacks on the World Trade Center and like me, he/she will have no inkling of what it was like that day.

Well, gotta go wrap a gift. I have a holiday party at a friend's tomorrow after work. She and her fiance are doing one of those white elephant gift exchanges. I'll just be gifting what I received last year. :P

I spoke to Michael Jackson.

No, not that Michael Jackson. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I think I pointed out to just about anyone with half an ear that I was assigned to write about an illegal immigrant crossing into the border who stopped to help a 9-year-old boy whose mother had crashed the car.
Illegal immigrant rescues boy

I was working on it Friday up until I had to leave work for the airport. It made Yahoo! most popular stories for a while. I've rarely worked on anything that got so much attention. On Monday, I got a call that a talk radio host out of L.A. by the name of Michael Jackson--though he talks more like Robin Leach than "the Gloved One"--wanted to interview me for five minutes. I basically just rehashed the story and stuck to the facts as best I could. I'm sure I stuttered here and there. Unfortunately, when I called in to be on-air, I hadn't had a chance to catch up on the latest reports. So, I didn't know the boy and his mother's names had been released. I didn't say anything inaccurate; I just could have elaborated more. I often have these moments where I feel like a performer who's finally getting his chance on opening night and he trips a few times on stage, clumsily getting through his scenes. Oh well, someday, I'll be that poised, sophisticated woman I imagined I'd be. Anyway, made for a very out of the ordinary Monday.

Hmmm...I just found someone mention me by name on some right-wing blog. Figures I'd get a name drop on a blog with "lone wackos" in the URL. I helped two other reporters on a story last year about how Arizona voters were deciding who to vote for their Congressman/woman by interviewing people on the street in Scottsdale. According to this blogger, I'm another example of a MSM journalist who is pro-Democrat and pro-illegal immigration and can't be trusted. Writing articles, you put yourself out there to be dissected. But being on a conservative blogger's page just cracks me up. Those wacky right-flying folks.

I went to a special speed training session with my marathon group at a local high school track. I want to trim more time off my runs if I can. Also, I felt guilty about the high-calorie fest I had over Thanksgiving. I'm sure I gained weight. But boy, this speed training is kicking my ass. You have to run at 80 percent of your fastest effort. And when you get to that point where your momentum peters out but you still have to round the curve and get to the finish line, your sides hurt like HELL. I shopped at Trader Joe's after. Through the whole shopping, I still felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. This exercise is supposed to get you out of your comfort zone. Man, why can't I stay in the comfort zone? In fact, I'm ready to book a suite there.

Meet the eighth dwarf: Mopey

Once in a while, if I'm really frustrated, I fantasize about somehow being able to look down at the Earth, the stars, the moon and anything that comprises the universe and wield a gigantic middle finger. This is one of those times.

Sorry if I sound like a real "female dog." But I feel like the last 10 days have been somewhat unlucky for me. I'd say incredibly unlucky, but all those people who lost their homes last week in San Diego County and in other parts of So Cal are going through such an ordeal. I can't imagine -- no home, no tangible mementos, almost like your past has been erased. It's because of them that I hope to pick myself up soon and be the big girl I know I can be.

Ever since I pushed myself to jog/walk two Saturdays ago, my shins haven't stopped feeling weird. They hurt pretty bad for the first four days. Today, not so bad but I feel a pulling or tugging sensation in both shins and I just want to know that's normal and nothing to worry about. I've been so psyched about doing this half-marathon. But now I've fallen a bit behind on the training. I have all these concerns that a) I may have done long-term damage to my legs, b)I won't be able to run in the half marathon at all. It's "b" that makes me tear up when I think about it too long. I'll feel like a big fat Failure if I don't get to run it. I wish I could rewind and start this whole process all over.

What else? Oh, a pair of sandals I wore a week ago have given me a rash. Unbeknownst to me, I'm allergic to the dye or something. So, it hurts to walk and the itching is driving me nuts. And this morning, I tried to open a package with a knife and I stabbed my left index finger. It wasn't like I needed to go to the ER but it was definitely more than a little nick. I found nothing in the medicine cabinet but an empty band-aid box. I about lost it. Anyway, I think I have to see a doctor and try to cheer up. I spent most of the weekend sequestered in my apartment with the blinds turned, practicing for my retirement as the grumpy and frumpy old lady who warns the neighborhood kids to get off my property.

Sigh...I don't even have the will to bake and it's Halloween. Doesn't matter. I don't have an audience to bake for. I'd just be stuck with like 8 cupcakes for myself. I don't like it when I'm like this. The things I don't like about Arizona and being here seem to get magnified five times.

Well, guess that's all for now. I need to go write to Santa and ask him for an improved attitude for Christmas.

Story that comes in 'Spades'

When I woke up yesterday, I wasn't thinking "Gee, maybe I'll talk to David Spade today." Yes, David "Tommy Boy" Spade. Very random. I spotted an item on one of those gossip sites about him supposedly donating $25,000 to the family of a slain Phoenix police officer's family. So, I followed up on it and his publicist hooked me up with him over the phone.

He sounded pretty tired; he was in the middle of shooting an episode of "Rules of Engagement." So, it really was good of him to make time to speak with me. He's always had a soft spot for cops. Some crazed fan broke into his home in LA a few years ago. He very nonchalantly told me how they helped him when someone was trying to kill him. I didn't know how to reply to that.

Professionally, it was good for me as I had a spot story that went on the national wire and People magazine used it too (though the person who recast it for the site gave herself a byline...tsk, tsk). Here's a link to the story:
Comedian David Spade donates $25K to family of slain officer

I just got a reminder this morning that AP staffers who keep social networking sites or blogs need to be careful about what they discuss--no political affiliations or stands on controversial public issues or details of AP internal operations. So far, I think I've been pretty good about that. I'm a registered Independent. I stand for the two-party system--Friday and Saturday nights. Sorry, a cheesy joke I remember from a history/civics textbook. I haven't talked about my co-workers too much--not that there's a lot to say. I've only repeated things they were open about.

Oh, but I would think it's cool to put links to my stories. Speaking of, I just got paid for a feature story I pitched on girls PE incorporating self-defense classes. (Gym classes about playing it safe)
The extra money I made will cover my registration fee for the PF Chang's Rock N Roll Marathon.

My training so far has been going okay. I just need to watch my shins. So far, the longest I've run/walked is still 6.2 miles. There are times where I'm tempted to flake on days I'm supposed to run. I know this is silly but the way I remind myself to stay in check is once a week, I will put on this dress I have. I bought it like four or five years ago. I've never worn it because it's kind of fancy. I tried to put it on last December but the zipper just wouldn't close. In other words, my chest was too big. Well, last month, I found out it will now zip all the way (!) so I must have shed a bit somewhere, right? Anyway, I don't think it's shallow. This is about my health as well as fitting into said dress.

See Terry run. See Terry get confused.

OK, I didn't actually get lost. I just overshot. Two weeks ago, I enrolled in this group that trains people for marathons. They specialize in helping first-timers like myself. I am working toward running/walking the half-marathon at the annual PF Chang's Rock & Roll Marathon in January. We meet every Saturday morning at 6 (groan) and run an assigned distance. We run along the Arizona Canal and certain streets are landmarks for certain distances. I was shooting to reach 36th Street, which marks around 2.5 miles so that I'd end up going 5 miles round trip. Well, I kept looking and looking and people even told me that I was almost there. Alas, the street isn't clearly marked since it runs through a residential area. So, I ended up going four blocks over to 40th Street. So, basically, I inadvertently ran/walked 6.2 miles. I know it's good to be able to do that but I felt kind of lame being the last one to get back to the starting point. The program runners want me to consider changing to the full marathon later on down the line. But I think for now, I'll be sticking to the half.

Well, I have to think of something to do this weekend. Last weekend, I got so bored that I ended up just surfing the Web. It seems like I know a lot of people getting engaged. That got me thinking about how they say you can get "ordained" on the Internet really easily. So, I researched it and I'm not sure how authentic this is, but I think I'm a reverend now--at least in the non-denominational Universal Life Church. I have a "certificate" but I won't be heading to any chapel any time soon.

Labor pains

Did I have a holiday this week? Sure doesn't feel like it. Twas a very long week in the AP universe. First off, I know I haven't written in a long time. It's just nothing interesting happened, nothing worth writing anyway. Labor Day was pretty boring. That was the start of a very long week of really dramatic news stories. Luckily I didn't have to go into work on Monday.

Last weekend, two girls in Kingman, Ariz. (which is near the Nevada-AZ border) were riding behind their dad in their own All-Terrain Vehicle when they landed in the bottom of a 125-foot deep mine. Unfortunately, the mine was abandoned and had never been marked or cornered off. The girls, 13 and 10, weren't found until Sunday morning. The 13-year-old, Rikki, was already dead. Casie, the 10-year-old, was miraculously alive. I heard the ATV had landed on top of her. The whole thing just, from top to bottom, was the definition of tragic. One of our reporters had to drive out to Kingman on Sunday evening to cover it, which is like a four hour drive from Phoenix.

Then on Wednesday morning, we found out two girls at a University of Arizona (which is in Tucson, two hours from here) dorm got into some sort of altercation. One apparently stabbed the other and was going to make it look like the victim had committed suicide. The victim had filed a police report against her, saying she had stolen her stuff. The whole thing is so unbelievable. These girls were academic achievers, both from the Navajo Nation, and school had only been in session for a few weeks. How things got so bad or how the suspect became so mentally undone...there are many questions. I learned they both had MySpace pages. Thus, I spent more time on MySpace over the last few days at work than I ever have in my life. I was trying to track down close friends and leaving them messages for interview requests. No takers. Can't really blame them. But at least my having a MySpace page came in handy.

The week of course was topped off by a verdict reading in the trial of Mark Goudeau, who's suspected of being the Baseline Killer (he's one of the people who's homes I had to sit in front of during a hot August day last year. Yeah, not happy about that assignment). He was on trial only for two sexual assaults. He still has murder charges to face. But we had every TV tuned to that and I had to run down to the County Attorney's office to get reaction from a prosecution standpoint. Anyway, Goudeau's wife has gone on and on about his innocence, despite the DNA evidence. The guy has a very shady past--that apparently she got over. He once, while on cocaine, robbed a store and hit a woman with a barbell. Back to the trial, he was found guilty on like 19 charges. My very cool co-worker Chris has been covering Goudeau from the beginning. A couple months ago, he had Goudeau's wife come into our office for an interview and he was very fair and decent to her. And Chris is also an easygoing guy. Well, after the verdict, he waited outside to catch her for comment. This is how it went:
Chris: "So, Wendy, any comment?"
Wendy: "Hey, Chris, f*** off!"
So for the rest of Friday afternoon, we were all laughing and saying "Hey Chris, f*** you!" I was like, "I think we have the toast for your rehearsal dinner" (Chris just got engaged).
Well, I am so very glad it is Saturday right now and I'm just hanging out here.

Weekend is almost here!

A relatively benign week is almost at an end. Woo-hoo! It's nice having a walk in the park after the week of July 29-Aug. 4. At the beginning of that week, we had the helicopter crash, then an officer was gunned down trying to chase a guy cashing forged checks the next day and a man died from a stun gun after trying to perform an exorcism on his granddaughter. I don't know why so much weird stuff happens in Phoenix. What's more, some family and friends erected a memorial with flowers and candles for the grandfather. There was even a giant cross with "Thank you Ron" painted on and little notes of "We'll miss you." I mean, wouldn't they be too upset with him for...oh...I don't know...trying to strangle his 3-year-old granddaughter?! People are so odd.

Yesterday, I saw one of the worst article ledes. Ever. For those of you who don't know, a lede is just how a reporter opens a story. This was the lede for a story in a newspaper in Tucson on a growing trend of motorcycle deaths in Arizona:

"Six-month-old Evelyn Ausdemore will never know her grandfather, but she will learn he was part of a growing trend."

Not everything needs to be turned into a feature. It's sad when bad ledes happen to decent story subjects.

A taste of law & order (thunk, thunk)

I got home around 4pm today. Why so early? Well, it's all due to our country's justice system. Basically, I got called for jury duty. Amazing. Took YEARS before I was ever summoned in California. Even when I was, I called in and wasn't needed to come down. Sixteen months in Phoenix and boom! The courts get me. I was in a group that had to appear this morning at 8. At first, it was like going to traffic school. It's way early, nobody's very happy and we all sit in a room and watch a video. Talk about cheese. The video was about how the jury process is done in Arizona and how the state has a "good" judicial system but they would not settle for good, but work toward "great." Hence the original name for their "Good-to-Great" campaign.

Then the woman in charge of the cattle...er...jury assembly room said they were first looking for 50 prospective jurors to serve on a four-week trial! Luckily, 50 people said yes before she got down to calling my name. You could've answered yes or no. I would've said no and used the old "fear of loss of income" reason. Also, with my boss gone the next week and other people out, I don't think the newsroom could've taken my departure Monday-Thursday for four weeks.

Later on, I got a number on a card and was sent with about 44 others to go to a judge's chambers to be screened to sit on the panel for a home robbery case. So, we were all seated there and the judge introduced us to the bailiff, the court clerk, court recorder, prosecutor, defendant and defense attorney. Then he collectively asked us questions like if anyone had a compelling reason that they couldn't come back the next day if chosen, if they or a relative had ever been a victim of a burglary or other crime, if they had any family in law enforcement, etc. Then you hold up your card until the judge gets to you to hear your explanation. Everyone is addressed by their number for anonymity. Boy, you hear people disclose some really personal things. One woman said her daughter was shot five times by a boyfriend a few years ago. A man disclosed that he had been arrested two years ago for marijuana possession. Another guy said his girlfriend was arrested on a felony seven years ago, before they met. You feel kind of guilty for hearing such personal things but you can't help it.

There were some people you hoped would get excused because you'd hear things like how someone has to work two jobs, so getting time off is hard, or they have to care for an Alzheimer's-stricken mother. There was a woman who had to practically yell across the room that she didn't think she could come back the next day if she was picked because she was on medication that causes irritable bowels (yikes). And the judge said "I'm sorry, can you repeat that last word?"

After our lunch break, everyone had to stand up one at a time and answer a series of questions posted on a board on an easel. Basic questions--occupation, company name, years at job, marital status, children and if you've ever served on a jury. I wonder if I didn't get picked because I work for the media. Maybe they thought it wasn't a good idea to have someone who helps cover the news. Well, who knows. I'm just glad I don't have to miss work again. And I can rest knowing I did my civic duty and Maricopa County cannot bother me for another 18 months!

I have been to the chocolate factory.

I am Charlie--metaphorically speaking of course. And I got to enter a really cool chocolate factory...er...bakery.

Yesterday, I was cleaning out our general office wide e-mail box and I saw this press release. It was from a company called Chat, Chew & Chocolate. Don't ask about the name. It's some group that does all these girls-pamper-yourselves events like spa days. They had a paragraph about how this Phoenix bakery called Let Them Eat Cake still had spots open for a session of cake decorating classes that started tonight. Sitting in on a class at a Michael's arts & crafts store was one thing. But to do it in a real bakery was quite another. So, I decided to heck with the cost. I e-mailed them and had my first lesson this evening.

I had never been to this bakery before (letthemeatcakeaz.com). It has a pretty sweet set-up. One side is where all the cakes are. There's a space next door they dubbed Cupcake's Corner Cafe. It's decorated in a lot of pinks and reds, very inviting. When I got there, the teacher/owner, Barbara, took me back to the kitchen and I was like "You have no idea. I feel like I'm in Disneyland." And then she said "Guess what? You're the only one so you get a private lesson," which was fine with me. I thought it was nice of her to stay just for one person.

She made me practice piping with at least five different tips. I tried to make roses, seashells, stems, stars and beads. I of course definitely need to practice. Barbara said she's better at writing and drawing with icing than with a pen. What was also great is she was really personable. While I practiced, we chatted and I said I like making cakes but cupcakes are even better.

At the end of class, she told me to go pick out a cupcake (tee-hee). After some ruminating, I settled on a Boston Cream one. It was really yummy--vanilla pound cake with cream inside topped with bavarian cream and then dipped in a chocolate ganache. She took the cupcake back to the kitchen, pulled a stool out for me to sit on. I got to sit and eat it while flipping through a photo album of some of their cakes/cupcakes while she did all the cleaning up. I then told her she was just like Willy Wonka. I felt like a little kid sitting at an aunt's kitchen table. I probably looked like one when she came back from putting something away and glimpsed me licking the wrapper. What? I couldn't let any of the ganache go to waste! OK, yeah, that was sort of embarrassing. Courtesy cupcake aside, I'm looking forward to the next class.

In other news, last week, my boss, Ed, pulled me into the office. I was a little nervous at first. No matter what, it always,always feels like the principal is dragging me in. He spoke with the bureau chief and they discussed how there isn't much entertainment coverage based out of Arizona. He decided I should be the one to try to make that my beat because I've already done several features and I wrote pretty well. How funny is that? Ever since things didn't work out at my Entertainment Weekly internship in 2002, I never thought I'd get to do anything entertainment-related at a full-time job. It's just so hard to break into that. When I got here, I thought I'd just be helping with breaking news, writing obits and short news stories about fires, shootings or other calamities. But when I think about, yeah, I have done quite a few features. I guess I am destined to do that sort of writing, not so much Lois-Lane type stories. I'm cool with that. Ed wants me to build a list of celebs who are either from Arizona (Michelle Branch, Jordin Sparks, Alice Cooper) or who have homes here now (Mike Tyson, oh gosh, I can't think of anymore). He said maybe try every few weeks to do a story for a national audience. It doesn't have to be just about entertainment. It can be just anything you'd see in a paper's living section -- some kind of trend or pop culture thing. Man, I really want to take advantage of this opportunity. Oh, it's going to be really hard to decide when to leave Arizona.

Only in LA

What a cutie canine. His name is Lafite (pronounced La feet). He's a poodle.

So, I spent a mahvelous weekend in Los Angeles. Felt like a two-day birthday fest simply because of the company of close friends. Something sorely lacking in Phoenix. Anyway, on Sunday, I went with some old Daily Bruin cronies to lunch in Studio City at Vitello's. If it sounds familiar, it's the restaurant where Robert Blake was dining with his wife before she was shot. We were not in the booth where he allegedly forgot his gun. BTW, the food was pretty good. I had the Chicken alla Garry Marshall. However, Garry might be upset they misspelled his name.

After lunch, the four of us moved on to this coffee house down the street called Aroma. Great atmosphere and very popular. They have two patios and a little bookstore/stationery store area. Luckily the brunch/lunch crowd died down and we were able to grab a table. Well, the party of four next to us had Lafite. I hadn't noticed him lying next to my feet. Then I guess all four of them needed to go use the restroom or browse. All the ladies got up and asked the one guy who was going to watch him. The guy just turned to me and asked. Of course, I was like "Sure!" and ready to grab his leash. He was gone for about 10 minutes. For a second, I was like "He is coming back, right??" Anyway, I showed the guy the above picture when he arrived back. He said it was good and that Lafite is used to taking pictures. His owner is a photographer and Lafite has been on TV. Apparently he's made appearances on that cable show called "The Dog Whisperer." Never heard of it. But "only in LA" would you watch a pet that's been on TV. Sigh...

Other highlights from the weekend.

*My friend Jessica treated me to a performance at the Ahmanson Theater of "Jersey Boys." The show is the story of the rise and break-up of Frankie Valli and the other Four Seasons. You get to hear the actors croon hits like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man." It was awesome and the show won the Tony last year. If you haven't seen it, I strongly urge you to (David, if you're reading this, you'd really like it! ;) ). I think it's also playing in San Francisco this summer.

*Cupcakes! It surprised me how many cupcake places there are in LA. I hit one called Dainties. Excellent. Excellent. The cupcakes are made with either Devil's food or vanilla. But the icing comes in all different flavors. And they put the icing inside like a hostess cupcake. It's just heaven in a pastry. I got raspberry chocolate, vanilla bean, tiramisu and mango. The lady behind the counter must've really loved how much I enthused on the cupcakes because she threw in a caramel one. And being LA, this place also caters to a lot of movie and TV sets i.e. "Two and a Half Men," "The Tyra Banks Show" and apparently Avril Lavigne will only buy cupcakes from there. Check out Dainties. Honestly, show me beautiful cupcakes and I'll fold like Japanese origami.

*Jessica and our friend/old roomie Sunanda and her husband Rich -- we all went to this bar/lounge called Nikki's in Venice Beach. Great happy hour appetizers. Not talking peanuts and nachos but quesadillas, ahi tuna burgers and sweet potato fries. Anyway, after, us girls waited outside for Rich. A customer came out to introduce himself. Big, pudgy black guy with short dreadlocks and wore a dirty blue T-shirt and black pants. His name was Malibu. He tried to convince us to come out for fireworks on the 4th at Venice. Promised he'd be there with platinum hair on. When he took off his hat, a piece of bar napkin wrapped around something fell off his head. Must've been a joint as he quickly stooped down to pick it up: "Can't lose that!"

Only in L.A.

Birthday Blahs

Aw crap. My birthday is this Thursday. As you can tell, I am not anticipating it with much excitement. I'm talking about the actual day. The weekend will be good as I'm going to Los Angeles. I will hook up with the usual gang of college buddies--and hopefully hit some good cupcake bakeries. I guess I'm being a sourpuss because I'm turning 29 and I wish I could be in my twenties for a few more years. I just remember when this age seemed really, really far away...like a galaxy-long-long-ago far away. I'm not sure where I pictured myself at this age but definitely not in Arizona! I think that's another reason why I feel very gripey (that's not a word, is it?). I know the day will be boring as I have to work and I am in a place that I don't consider home. And nobody here knows me very well. And I'm certainly not going to go around asking for b-day attention like a hobo with a tin cup.

I was thinking about what kind of birthday present I would want. Just for fun...something really out of the ordinary. For example, I would love to spend a day behind the scenes of a bakery or cupcakery and see what it takes to run one and get to use their piping tips and frosting to decorate a few that will actually go up for sale. I actually did write to a bakery here in Phoenix but I never heard back from them. I guess you have to know the owner; they just won't let in your average Joe. (If anyone out there knows a bakery owner, get me in!) Or I would love to have a few lessons in hip hop dancing with a real choreographer. The woman I go to now is okay. But there's no structure and after a while, I feel like I'm learning the same steps in a different order. I'm sure it's not completely true. What else? I wish I could either get a lesson in entertaining or cooking from Martha Stewart herself (yeah, I know she must be anal and nutty, but still...it's Martha!). Maybe someday I can go attend a taping of her show. Another fantasy gift would be to be an extra on the set of the "Superman" sequel or a "Harry Potter" film. Actually, I'd trade Harry Potter for a sit-down with J.K. Rowling. Get free lessons in photography so I could shoot pictures to go with my stories. A free trip to Spain. I guess now that I'm older, I don't care about things but rather...experiences. OK, things can be a nice pick-me-up too.

I remember back in high school, almost every birthday, I got something Disney or Winnie-the-Pooh related from almost everyone I knew. Now, I'm not knocking anything I was given because I was lucky people actually thought of me. But I was kind of like "Is that all people think I'm interested in?" It was at that point, I made a mental note to always keep an open mind for other interests, whether it be hobbies, culture, pop culture, food, etc. I don't want to be associated with one thing. And luckily, I did grow out of the Disney thing more or less. Pooh is still a presence which I'm fine with. However, I draw the line at wearing Pooh (ooh, that sounds weird) except for socks because those are more subtle.

Anyway, I'll just be happy if on Thursday, I do NOT get sent outside for an assignment and it's like 110 degrees. That. Would. Suck. For whomever is reading this, the next time you see me, share what your "fantasy" birthday gift(s) would be. I'd be curious to know.