Shove Day

Sunday. Normally, a day us high schoolers tends to not love so much, even though it is a weekend day, it really means doing homework and going to bed early for school the next day. But today, I had a great day.

I woke up early to go to the gym, came home, made myself a breakfast sandwich, showered, got dressed, and then headed off to UCSB. There was a baseball showcase at UCSB today, and I was fortunate enough to be in attendance as a PO (Pitcher Only). Fulfilling my dreams, I was as I got to go into the locker room, meet the players, meet the pitching coordinator, and pitch 2 innings on the field. I pitched very good, letting up no runs with 3 strikeouts and only 2 hits.

It was great meeting all the new faces, getting to talk 1on1 with the coaches, and becoming friends with division 1 athletes.

Afterwards, one of my long-time best friends was there, so we went to dinner. I got a salad with shrimp and avocado in it. It was okay.

But the good performance made the trip worth it and hopefully my dreams can come true in the next few years.

pc google

Visualizing the Venture

This past week I have completed my 3rd time working with a film crew producing a fashion show for a major shoe company based in Santa Barbara, CA.

My father works for a local Carpinteria company called Venture Visuals. It is a small company in Carpinteria, CA, specializing in branded entertainment.

They do work for Specialized Bicycles, local musician Dominic Balli, and many other local and non local people and companies.

I have worked for VV many times, usually just as a Production Assistant, but I have been given the opportunity at a young age to operate cameras on a few of the shoots.

This is a career I have looked into, but I do not think it will be the one for me.

I really do enjoy working in the filming industry, but it isn’t a stable career for the most part, and I have first hand experience of this.

My Dad, when I was younger worked in what most people would call “Hollywood,” but it wasn’t really in Hollywood.

He worked on many movies such as Welcome to Collinwood, The Contender, Mimic, and Cherry Falls.

He also worked on TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as the line producer, and on CSI:Miami as the head producer.

While he worked life was great, we lived large, and had enough money that we didn’t have to worry, but when the jobs were over, there was often a dry spell, and it was always up and down.

My mother tells me a story of a day when she didn’t have money to buy a coke at the gas station, but the next day we had more money than we knew what to do with.

So while I won’t be pursuing it as my life career it is something I can work on through college for money, and right now.

I have started early and am learning quickly.

This past week I worked at the Bacara Resort in Goleta, CA at the fashion show as a PA.

Here is a video of last year’s fall show.

Read More »

Sandy Friends and Smiley Beaches.

This weekend was so good.

Yesterday, I got off campus with my best friends to go shopping in Santa Barbara. I mean, what could go wrong there? Four girls on State Street, a beautiful sunny day in California, shopping. It was fantastic.

We ended up eating at Pascucci’s for dinner. Although I was never a big fan of the restaurant because I believe the food is incredibly bland, I nevertheless had an amazing time with my girls, all of whom I will miss so so so much after June 8th of this year…

Today, the girls headed out to the beach.

The day was beautiful and we made so many memories under the sun. Sand was everywhere and we strutted around in our bright bikinis, showing off our fabulous shorts tans we all accumulated from sports.

Anyways, although I am super happy, I am growing scared because of how close graduation is. 60 more days! And then we all part our different ways and walk the rest of the paths we were on.

All I can say is that I feel incredibly blessed to have crossed paths with such wonderful girls. I know I will never forget them and that we will always, ALWAYS stay best friends, wherever we are on this Earth.

The Dailey Method

With summer (and graduation) just around the corner, I have been trying to get fit. My goal is to lose about 5 pounds and get muscle tone.

Well, this weekend was a good step towards achieving my goal.

This morning, I went to the Dailey Method in Santa Barbara with my friend Emmy for the first time. I thought this class would be a breeze but boy was I wrong.

The Dailey Method kicked my butt (or, if i wanted to use proper Dailey Method terminology, it had kicked my seat).

The Dailey Method is a system that combines barre, core, yoga, and orthopedic exercises. There are multiple Dailey Method locations all around America, although many are concentrated in California.

What drew me to the Dailey Method was the way it toned your body to keep it in alignment. I have scoliosis in my upper and lower back that often makes me very tense. The end result of this tough workout was, surprisingly, a more relaxed body. My back feels great and I am not sore at all.

I only wish that they had a location in Boston, where I hope to go to college. For now, I will try to go to as many classes as I can!

Please check out the website: http://www.thedaileymethod.com/index.html

And the video:

Anacapa Island

I love the Channel Islands.  Just off the coast of California, these 5 little land masses are some of the most incredible spots on Earth.  Made up of  AnacapaSanta CruzSanta RosaSan Miguel and Santa Barbara, this archipelago is home to 145 species of animals found nowhere else in the world.

I went on a trip to Anacapa with my Ojai Valley School biology class and took a few pictures and chilled in some tide pools.  It was a lot of fun and very beautiful.  Lucky for me, the sun was out and it was warm.

The pools are deep and clear and kinda freezing. At least in early spring.  But the water sparkled and the waves were great.

The tide rushed in and out quickly, churning foam swirled between the rocks and obscured the pools.

Waves began building and crashing over the rocks in great greenish-white masses, soaking everyone in their vicinity . Including moi.

Me, (and my camera) getting hammered.  Good thing Olympus makes good waterproof gear.

How it looks when I’m not getting hit in the face ^^^  Nice huh?

He braved the splash zone

And got that as a prize.

I guess he was just asking for it that day…

I happen to be immensely fond of sea anemones.  They’re cute and squishy and occasionally colorful.  The green ones are the best and I’ve only ever seen three in my life.  Fortunately, that day was my third sighting:

Pretty isn’t he?  I only call it a he because I named him Zar.

Have you ever looked at obsidian (volcanic glass)?  Sometimes I think the water looks just like it.

I love the way it looks when the water streams off the rocks.

Not paying attention, here I am getting smacked in the face with my own camera.  Gotta love the waves.

White water!

I quite enjoy tide pools…

A purple sea star in the middle of early lunch.

Sea stars push their stomachs out through their mouths and envelop their food, pulling it back inside their bodies.  These echinoderms have no table manners.

As you can see, the tube feet have suctioned on to the mussel and arm bends around the shellfish to better maintain its grip.

All it all it was a good field trip, the best I’ve ever had.  If you ever get the chance, head on out to the Islands, it’ll be well worth your while.