Weddings and Sunburns

This past weekend, my Irish roommate was a bridesmaid in a wedding, and she invited me to join her as her date back in May. The bride had joined us on our trip to Vegas, so I was acquainted we her. The ceremony was held in a beautiful Catholic church just north of Simi Valley followed by a reception at the beautiful Spanish Hills Country Club.

It was a bit awkward at first. While I was happy to be a witness to the beautiful ceremony, I felt like I was encroaching on something personal. My only connection to the couple was as a friend of a friend.

However, once the reception got into full swing and I joined my date at the bridal party table, I felt more comfortable.

Both families were Hispanic, so some of the speeches tested my knowledge of Spanish, which I'm sorry to report wasn't strong. Although, I am holding to the conviction that had I been given a written copy of their speeches, I would have been able to translate it.

The food was delicious! I chose the vegetarian option and it was layers varying squashes wrapped in roasted red pepper and topped with some sort of sour cream or cream cheese. I also tried a bit of my friend's chicken. It was so juicy, and her mashed potatoes were perfectly creamy. My compliments to the chef.

After eating but before dancing ensued, my friend and I took the opportunity to pop into the photo booth they had set up. It was a really cute idea that I may steal for my own wedding. Guests could gather into a curtained off area (that accommodated many more than your average photo booth) to take photo booth pictures, with a variety of props if they so wish, and then paste them into a photo album with a cute little message.

Shortly after, everyone was invited onto dance floor. The DJ went through a few Top 40's before the band took back over and the real fun began. Let me tell you, Hispanics can dance! And I cannot. The groom's brother was such a sweetheart and tried to teach me, but it resulted in me learning nothing and him just spinning me around the dance floor. The groom even stepped in for a little bit, but my feet just do not move as quickly as they are supposed to. I need to take an agility class or go back to my high school basketball practices. Maybe I should start running more sprints. Quick was never an adjective I would use to describe myself, but I didn't realize that would hinder me off the athletic fields. Regardless, I made a valiant effort and certainly enjoyed myself.

My Irish roomie and I followed up our wedding date with a beach day. We headed back to Malibu to meet up with some friends of hers we have hung out with before. They're fun people, so I'm glad I got to see them again before my summer in L.A. comes to a close.

One thing you need to know about California beaches, they can be pretty breezy. It was a particularly windy, though beautifully clear day. I was a bit chilly lying out in my bathing suit and didn't want to get out of the suns rays to lie under our umbrella for fear of getting too cold. So I stayed in the sun...for all 5 hours we were there.

After my great victory over the sun in the deserts of Lancaster, you would think 5 hours on a beach wouldn't be an issue. What is that compared to a whole day in the desert sun? Apparently, I did not do as well in my reapplying because I am burnt to a crisp. This is easily my worst burn since the blistered and purpled shins I came home with on my senior class trip. It is an all encompassing burn that makes it hurt to sit, stand, and lie down. There is not enough aloe vera in the world for me right now. My body is radiating so much heat, I could be used as a space heater. I hope I recover by the end of the week or it will be a long drive home.

Heather: 1 Skin cancer: 1

The Entertainment Capital of L.A.

I am lucky enough to be living with a Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., employee this summer. She said whenever I wanted she could get me into the park for free, and last Thursday I decided to take her up on the offer. I invited two other art department interns to join me, and we spent the day riding roller coasters and exploring the studios.

We first met up with the girl I'm living with. She took great care of us! She gave us free water and four front of line passes, each one being valid for up to 5 people. Our first, and probably my favorite, ride was the new Transformers 3-D ride. The special effects where really good. If you have ever been to Universal Orlando, it was similar to the Spider Man and Hogwarts ride. They had some of my favorites from Orlando, like The Mummy and Jurassic Park. One thing that makes the Hollywood park different from its Orlando counterpart is the Back Lot Tour. We got to go around the actual Universal Studios that they use for filming. It was so cool to see all these sets and props I had seen in movies before. It was especially interesting to see how fake the New York set looked in real life, but it always looks so real in the movies. That's Hollywood for you.

After a fun day in the park, we took off for the desert for filming. We were on location for the next few days in Lancaster, CA. It was HOT. And sandy. Go figure. I think I went through about ten bottles of water an hour and a whole bottle of sunscreen, but I came away with only a bit of pink on the back of my neck.

Heather: 1 Skin cancer: 0