Must love Hardt.

Over the weekend I got to thinking about peoples types… It’s funny how people always gravitate to a certain type of guy or girl. For some people it might be the brainy type, or skinny, or fat, stupid blondes, jocks, geeks, surfers, video game fanatics, treckies…. Whatever your type is there are at least 10 people out there who fit what you are looking for. And for some reason we just keep dating that same type without really branching out and trying something new. And although the grass is always greener… what if there really isn’t something better out there! And so we keep on dating and dating, with the hopes of finding our needle in the haystack all the while sticking with that same straw!

Last night I was describing to someone my usual “dating” type. And it got me to wondering, do I only go for those guys because I’m use to dating them… or do they gravitate towards me because they know I’m there type also. Because really I’ve just dated the same person over and over again. So the question is how do I blend who I should be dating with who I want to date? Because obviously who I usually am dating really isn’t working for me! And really what am I looking for in a guy?
- Responsible Adult (yea I know that would seem like a given… but given my recent boyfriends it’s not! Ideally in his late 20’s/ early 30’s… I’m done dating the guys trying to figure out their life.
- Tall, Thin and Muscular… I was recently told that I need to give up on my ideal looks in a guy, and specifically that those bodies fade. But hey if I’m putting down what my ideal is than that’s it! But I’ve also learned lately that perfection is boring! I’m not looking for perfect…. Just perfect to me!
- College Educated. Sorry boys that’s a requirement. I like having lively debates, I like discussing politics and I love someone who can put me in my place. At the same time I also think we learned more than just what our professors were teaching us in college. College is where you start to form the real friendships that last through our life… That safe environment shapes who we later become in life. Without I think a lot of people are searching for answers… and although I think that’s fantastic, I don’t want to date that person anymore!
- Adventurous… He’s gotta love surfing and hiking with me. If the guy doesn’t like water and sand than he doesn’t have a chance! Plus I think only a guy who is willing to jump off a bridge, go white water rafting, running with the bulls or scuba diving with the stingrays on the spur of the moment would keep me interested for 50 years. Because that’s what I’m looking for- 50 years, not 50 days!
- Career Driven. Nothing is sexier than a guy who is ambitious. I also need someone who understands when I can’t make it home for dinner because we are shooting late, or when I need to work weekends to get caught up.
- Family Oriented. It’s taken me a long time to admit this, but I’m ready to settle down with a family. Not today, not tomorrow… but at the same time not too far into the future. So if you don’t want children or need to wait another 10 years, keep moving because we won’t work out. At the same time he needs to be involved with his own family. I know it’s horrible to say, but I can’t date someone else who has family issues- wither it be with a father, mother, sister, brother, cousin… whoever! I’m not your therapist and I’m not your quick fix!
- Core group of friends. I know this seems like an odd one. But it’s a deal breaker for me now. A guy without his guys has issues… or even a guy with a lot of new friends. There is a reason that he can’t keep his ties for long, and most likely won’t be able to get a girlfriend for long either… my friends are my life force and I also need someone to understand that! And accept that I have my Tuesday night dinners, and sometimes he just won’t be invited to them.
- Must be outgoing and social… I love going out. A great party on a Saturday night is one of the great things in life. Going out, dressing up, having fun… that’s part of my life… and with my career choice will always be part of my life. At the same time, I don’t want him to be too social! I don’t need him looking for “friends” in chat rooms, getting arrested halfway across the US or partying until the sun comes up. At the same time must also enjoy a Friday night in watching movies or a Sunday morning in bed drinking Mimosas.
- But I guess the most important thing is he must love me. Not love who he thinks I am or who he thinks I will be. But loves me. Me at my worst. The grumpy, demanding, whiny, solitary, spastic, loud, overbearing, crazy, dorky me. The me who spends way too much time on my computer. Too many hours dissecting my belly. Gets depressed when the scale goes up… and giddy when it goes down. Loves my family and my friends… and how disgustingly close I am to both of them. Accepts that I too am not perfect… but that we are perfectly imperfect for each other.

Summer Nights...

I’m the queen of introducing new guys to my friends way too early… usually it ends up being drinks with the girls, or dinner with a friend who just happens to be in from out of town, or a birthday that I just can’t get out of. But secretly I like to get my friends opinions on my dates early on… not that I always take their advice, but I like getting it! So it really shouldn’t come to too much surprise to me that guys do that same. But I was a little surprised to find myself being the one to be introduced to the good friends a little early! Last Sunday Mr. Disney invited me to a BBQ two of his friends were having… I was envisioning a large group of people, a BBQ and some beers. Very relaxed, chill and not intimidating. What I ended up attending was a dinner party. With only 1 other guest besides Mr. Disney, Myself and the couple hosting it. Turns out I was invited to his version of my Tuesday Night Dinner with Lisa and Brian! And after a moment of surprised, I had a glass of wine (and then a bottle) and went with the flow. Surprisingly I had a fantastic time. They were all really cool, educated (we had a lively debate on the new supreme court decision against death penalty for child rapists) and very similar to most of my friends. And equally surprising was the fact that not only were they welcoming but everyone really went out of there way to make me feel part of the group. And when they did start to tell stories and updates on their friends they made sure to give me a background story on the friend before proceeding. So we spent the evening drinking, eating, laughing, and basically just enjoying a perfect Sunday night in Santa Monica. And at the end of the night I have to say Mr. Disney was starting to win me over. Now I don’t know if the was because I did love his friends, or the amount of wine that we all had consumed or just maybe he really is a nice guy after all. But for once I’m not rushing things like I have in the past… and personally I’m enjoying just taking my time and getting to know someone. Who knows what will happen in the future… but for now I’m fine with a nice dinner with friends, some wine, and a sweet kiss goodnight.

Vodka Infusion of the week- Skittles Vodka- Taste the Rainbow

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Vodka

1 large bag of Skittles

Step 1:You have two options- you can either add all the skittles (except for Green and Purple- they make odd color and taste combos) or you can separate out each color and make individual flavor vodka. I’ve decided to try separating the colors

Though a hint to you- do this on a full stomach! I started when I was hungry and quickly wanted to throw up from eating too many skittles (that and I started to get worried I was going to eat all the skittles and then only have ½ skittles vodka! So I put on some music and started my sorting… though I have to say it did get a little tedious (making me wish maybe I should have just thrown them all in together and just chance that they come out good!). Though it turns out there are only 5 skittles colors, I guess you can’t really taste the entire rainbow! But my second tip of the day is to probably do this with someone so you can chat as you sort… but I digress and must get back to my sorting…

Step 2:Place skittles (use 20-25 skittle per 350 ML of Vodka) in a glass/plastic jar with an airtight lid. Fill with Vodka.

Step 3: Place in a dark place for 1 -2 weeks.

Step 4: Strain out the Skittles using a Cheese Cloth... drink and enjoy!

My list...30 to do before 30!

I got to thinking this afternoon about everything I’ve done in my life and everything that is still out there to do. Maybe it’s because I’m turning 29 in less than a month, maybe it’s because I’ve slowly been checking things off my list, and maybe it’s because after another failed relationship I’ve realized I’m no where near where I thought I would be at 30. Granted I’ve done most of the things that people only dream of doing their entire life: I’ve had wild crazy passionate affairs, I’ve been skinny dipping in multiple countries, dated those professional extreme athletes, the bad guys, the firemen, actors, models, the stripper, the bartender… I’ve gotten caught having sex in a national park (as well as given that blow job driving down the sunset strip in Vegas), learned to surf, kick box, kayak, became a yoga master, gone vegetarian, vegan, ate for my blood type, drank champagne on the beach watching the sun rise, gone on road trips, traveled with my girls, hitch hiked, back backed, gone off roading, bailed a boyfriend out of jail, met more famous Actors/ Writers/ Directors/ Producers than most people can even name, worked on more than one top 10 TV show, gotten reviewed in numerous papers, had a naked super bowl party (for only two of course!). I’ve lived in New York, moved across the country to LA without knowing a soul, left a job without having another one lined up. I’ve died my hair platinum, brown, maroon, and finally back to it’s natural blond, I’ve broken someone’s heart and had my own broken (more than once!), broken my nose, sprained my knee, gotten multiple concussions, totaled a car (well had it totaled for me), been to multiple emergency rooms, gotten a tattoo, did a walking marathon, lost 5 dress sizes and 40 pounds, learned to mix the perfect drink (and began writing about it), hiked an active volcano, ran from a rattle snake, gotten stung by a jelly fish, sting ray, and had a man of war wrap itself around my body, gotten caught in a rip current, under a wave, knocked unconscious by my surfboard, spent New Years swimming naked in Hawaii and drinking Champagne in a hot tub, learned to put on false eyelashes (hey that one was really hard!), Traveled Europe, Canada, Mexico, and of course the US, I’ve seen a ghost (I swear!), built a bonfire from scratch, thrown a black tie party, gotten the answer right in final Jeopardy, built a website from scratch, met my idols, lit fireworks on the beach…

So after looking back on everything that I have done, here is everything else… my 30 things to do before I turn 30… it’s going to be one crazy year (It might have to eventually become my top 40 to do before I turn 40 but lets see how many we can check off this year!)
1. Get Re-Scuba certified so I can dive in Jamaica in September.
2. Swim with great whites, sting rays, dolphins…
3. Enter (and finish) my first Marathon
4. Finish my book and get it published
5. Go Sky Diving, Bungee Jumping and Learn to Fly
6. Get up on stage and sing at a Karaoke bar (alone)
7. Learn to Sail and spend a weekend on a boat in the middle of nowhere
8. Rock Climb up an impossibly high mountain, and when I get to the top scream as loud as I can
9. Spend the night sleeping under the stars on the beach with just a bonfire and a sleeping bag (and hopefully a boy!)
10. Finally get the rest of my nose done to fix last summers broke nose… plus those restlyne shots I’ve wanted… and maybe my teeth whitened.
11. Find that perfect job… whatever it may be!
12. Spend an entire Sunday naked in bed… with someone of course
13. Lose those final 10 pounds… as well as be able to do 1000 sit-ups without stopping (if Britney can them, then so can I)
14. Watch the sun rise in Alaska
15. Fall in love Mr. Right (and stop falling for Mr. Wrongs)
16. Make my blog actually profitable… and try and write every day no matter what!
17. Have sex on a Jet Ski, Surfboard, Airplane…
18. Buy myself a new bed with a really amazing and expensive mattress
19. Learn to drive a Motorcycle
20. Run with the Bulls in Spain (or at least watch them do it live)
21. Ride an Elephant in India
22. Pay off my credit card debt and student loans… or at least some of it
23. Go white water rafting in the Grand Canyon
24. Spend time in Brazil, Fiji, Tahiti, and on some island whose name I won’t even be able to pronounce.
25. Get that tattoo that I’ve been dreaming of
26. Blow an entire paycheck on a pair of Monolos!
27. Learn how to change a tire, put oil in the car, cook a soufflé, snowboard, skip rocks, bake a pie from scratch, drive a stick shift, whistle, build a perfect sandcastle and throw a kick ass snowball.
28. Be able to keep a plant alive for more than a week
29. Drink a glass of wine on a vineyard in Italy
30. But most importantly be OK with where ever I am in life on July 10, 2009! It’s ok to be 30 and not married, to not have my 2.5 kids yet, to not own my own house, to not have a job that I totally love or get paid enough for. It’s ok to not wear SPF 40 (and not to feel guilty about it). Ok to skip dinner to have that chocolate cake. Ok to not have that diamond ring from Tiffany’s. It’s OK to not look like Barbie, to not agree with my parents view on my life, to enjoy sex (even if it sometimes is with the wrong guy). And most importantly it’s Ok to just be ME!

A letter to my younger self...

On my way home tonight I got to thinking about my life. How much it’s changed in the last year, five years, 10 years, 20 years… All the things I’ve learned, all the heartache, the accomplishments, all the love, the hate, the fights, the friendships. And I thought about how everything that seemed important at the time really means nothing now, but all the things that I brushed off and thought nothing of, now seem like the only things. It’s like one of my favorite songs says- Thank God for unanswered prayers! So I thought I’d sit down tonight with a glass of champagne and toast all the amazing things in my life and write a letter to my younger self… at 12, and 16, and 21, and even 28! Because the things I know now really would have changed my life.

To me,

You are going to lead an amazing life. The life of a gypsy. A queen. A pauper. A lover. A fighter… You are going to travel the world but at the same time you are going to find home. You will cry yourself to sleep many nights, but wake up with a smile on your face more mornings than not. You are going to fall in love too many times to count. In your young 20’s you will feel like the last virgin in the world. Don’t rush it, don’t worry about it, but buy yourself a vibrator early on- it really will help! You will eventually think you are in love with a friendly Brazilian and finally be ready for everything. You just need to try not to make him into what you want him to be. He’s not a prince, not husband material, has no boyfriend qualities- but he’s the right one. You will love him, though you really won’t be in love with him… but he will always be there when you need him. And will eventually teach you that you don’t need to be in relationships with the men in you life that you love. Because having a friend that will do anything for you is worth so much more than having someone to come home to every night. You are going to meet lots of guys after him, don’t stress over them. And try not to cry too much when they break your heart. They aren’t worth it. Though when you meet a certain boy from Arizona, run- he really isn’t worth the hassle. But in your late 20’s you are going to meet someone who you think is. And he will break your heart in more ways than you thought possible. But I can’t tell you not to go into that bar and meet him. In fact walk into Q’s and fall in love with him. Because in the end he will give you back something so much more than what he was worth. Because after the heartache you will realize something that you’ve taken for granted- the friendships in your life. Because the accomplishment that you will be most proud of will be the friends in your life. Because to be someone who is worth what they all will do for you when you are at your lowest is really someone special. And that’s something that none of these guys can take away from you. And in the end you will end up so much stronger. And this guy will change your life in ways that I am only now beginning to realize. He will make you ready to actually meet the one. Ready for kids. Ready to settle down. Ready to become the person your friends actually think you are. I wish I could tell you about the man that eventually will become the only man in your life. And although I haven’t met him yet, I know he’s out there. And when we meet him, I do know we will be thankful that we didn’t end up with any of the former men in our lives. And personally I don’t want to know about him yet, because I can’t wait for that first moment when I know that he will be the man we will spend the rest of our life with.

Over the years you will spend way too much time worrying about what people think. In high school you will meet guys who you think are gods. They aren’t. And in fact eventually they will just become old, balding, Buddha bellied humans. And there will be girls that you will look up and follow throughout high school. When you get out you will realize that they really were just big fish in a small pond. And the tables will turn at sometime, and you will become the woman that they follow. But pay attention to the friends that you do have. Many of them will leave your life right after school, but a few will stay with you forever. Those friends are worth it. I cant’ tell you which ones because you need to realize that for yourself. But don’t mourn the friends you lose… the ones you keep will make up for it.

In college you will try and spread your wings. Don’t go to Cozy Soup and Burger so much. Take a yoga class- you will LOVE it. Attend more classes, the sleep isn’t worth it and you have so much time later in life to sleep. Spend more time being young. You have your entire life to be a grown up. Play a little! At the end of Sophomore year you will meet a woman who will change your life. She will let you into her family, give you a place to stay whenever you need it (complete with housekeeper), teach you the importance of a martini and happy hour at 5 every day. But most importantly she will show you the kind of woman you can only hope to become. And when you leave New York you will think you don’t have enough time to keep in touch with her and her family that had become your own. And you will put it off and always think you have more time later. But you don’t. And you will lose her just when you probably could use her advice the most. And that’s when you will learn one of life’s most valuable lessons. Tell the ones that you love that you love them. Call them whenever you can. See them even when you think you have more important things to do. And never take for granted that they will always be there for you, because one day you will look for them and they will be gone. I can only hope that someday I will live up to her memory. But at the same time you will meet a boy that will change how you view men. And not in the way that you’d expect- but he will become the man that you can depend on most. And when he tries to back out of going to a Playwrights “hook up party” you will need to do everything in your power to make sure he goes. Because there he will meet the love of his life, who will become the second woman who will change your life. They will continually show you that there are such things as soul mates, teach you the meaning of friendship, and more importantly show you that blood does not determine your family. Because they will become your family. And make sure you keep your Tuesday nights free, because dinner with them will become the highlight of you week. And try and take to heart when they don’t like the boys in your life, and as much as you think they are wrong- they will tend to be right. But again that’s a lesson you will have to learn on your own.

After college you will move to Los Angeles by yourself. And that’s where you will truly find yourself. Try not to spend so much money. Try and enjoy life a little more. Take up surfing earlier it will come to be your savior. Don’t worry about missing New York and the people in it! Those that you love from school will move to you- Jonathan, Anne, Lisa, Brian they all will migrate west later on. This also is when you will start to find your career. You will flirt from job to job. But try not to let that get you down. You will do amazing things. You will meet the people that everyone else in the world only dreams about. But never lose that feeling you will have on your first film. The wonder, and excitement, and nervousness, and the feeling that you can take over the world. Keep that with you. You are going to learn to love champagne and soy. Trade cheese fries for hummus and carrots. You will learn to live on brie and mimosas. But at the same time a vegan meal will always make you salivate. You will finally get that body you’ve always wanted, not without going hungry and a lot of exercise. But it’s worth it. Kickboxing is the best way to get over a break up. And a run on the beach will always clear your head.

Take the criticism from your parents with a grain of salt. But remember that although they will always be your harshest critics, they also will become your biggest supporters. Try and show them that the path you lead is the only one for you. But at the same time remember that they do only want the best for you, and they only want you to have everything that they never imagined. Mom is going to get sick. But take her words of wisdom at the beginning as truth- Breast Cancer is not a life sentence. Because it’s not! But spend as much time with her as possible anyways! And Dad will give you a piece of advice that will help you later on, he will tell you that the outdoors and the sun will get right of anything that ails you. That is the truth. You feel and look better with a tan, so get outside and enjoy it!

And before you know it the strange land that is Los Angeles will become the home that you always imagined. You will meet amazing people. You will surround yourself with a group of friends that you can’t even imagine. They will be a hodgepodge of people that you’ve met over the years. Some are from Elementary School, some High School, some College, some from Universal, Warner Brothers, New Line, various Films and TV shows but they will become your family. Never doubt that they are there. And every time you think you are at your lowest, call one of them up. Without fail they will cheer you up and remind you just how great your life can be- usually with a mimosas or a shot but ALWAYS with a smile! But at the same time make sure you know when they need cheering up. You will be with them when your mom gets sick, when theirs do, through break ups, and heartache, and fights, and loss of jobs, loss of pets, and mid-20’s crisis, and weddings, and funerals, and movie premieres and more events and days than you can imagine!

Just remember through everything you are going through- you will lead a truly extraordinary life. Get out and enjoy it. You are going to stumble many times but always get up better and stronger. Don't sweat the small stuff. Don't worry too much about your looks, you will grow into them. Learn to love your nose, because you will break it and actually miss the one you had! Laugh as much as possible! And if you ever need anything just know that I’m right here going through it all with you!

Me.

10 Things to do in Phoenix...

As I sit here on my last day of taping on THE BIG BANG THEORY I am contemplating a move to Arizona for the summer to work on a new film being shot in Phoenix... The main problem is can I really leave my favorite city during my favorite season?! What is summer without Surfing?! What will I do if I cant go to the beach every day?! Where can I hike and then run into the ocean when I am done?! Granted I shouldnt be so picky since I will be finished on my show in 2 weeks and have yet to find another show to move over onto but seriously, PHOENIX.

But to give it a fair shot, I compiled a top ten list to send to my friend Wayne that is already stuck in the city of heat doing prep on the film... So I thought I would pass it along to you guys and see if it helps me make up my mind on where to spend the next couple of months... here goes:
Top 10 things to do while you are in Phoenix:

10. Camel Back Mountain
Best Hiking in Phoenix... A little over 2 hours to the top. Make sure its done on a cool day. The first hour is a mild hike- the second hour is just rock climbing! Most amazing thing to do in town but only for experienced hikers, so you may need to condition first ;)

9. Greasewood Flats
http://www.greasewoodflat.net/
Biker Bar Extraordinaire... Its an outdoor dive- good burgers, nice beer, just hope you don't have to use the restroom! But there's a dance floor with live music from Thursday through Sunday. And there are bonfires at most tables to warm you up on those cold nights in July. Although its mainly a biker bar you will see the occasional celebrity in town!

8. Farrelli's Cinema Supper Club
http://www.farrellis.com/
Although it sounds like on of the lesser fun things on the list, its a fantastic date night or a way to stay cool in the summer. A dinner movie theater in Scottsdale, usually first run movie with great food and fantastic wine!

7. At One Yoga
For after those long stressful days when you just need to unwind try a class at At One. If you want the most intense workout you have ever been thru take the power yoga class from the owner... you might not be able to walk for days but your body will thank you for it in the end!

6. Salt River
Grab some friends and a cooler of beer and head tubing... You can rent Inner tubes down at the river for a couple of bucks. They will shuttle you up to the top of the river and you can float down for a couple of hours depending on how fast the current is!

5. Downtown Scottsdale
Scottsdale is a cute little town... go during the day and you can stock up on overprices souvenirs and cool Indian jewelry and house wares But at night its the hot spot to go. Martini Ranch is great for live music and a more upscale evening- Its usually got a couple of dance floors going and plenty of room both indoor and outdoor to dance. But if you are looking for a little wilder crowd head to Dos Gringos (http://www.dosgringosaz.com/) or Sugar Daddy's. And if you are looking for a once in a lifetime bar hit up Giligans. It's an actual Midget bar, complete with little midget tables and little midget bartenders!

4. Tempe Town Lake
Not quite the ocean but rent a kayak or a sailboat for the day and you can almost feel the salt air on your face! It's a small lake but fun if you want to walk or bike. There are a couple of sand "beaches" if you fell like laying out in the sun for the day.

3. Cave Creek
Its maybe a 40 minute drive from Phoenix but a little town with some fun things to do... Mostly an artsy community but great finds. Check out The Dump- best shopping in town! On your way out you have to try the Crazy Eds Chili Beer at The Black Mountain Brewing Company (http://www.chilibeer.com/). It is one beer you will NEVER forget!

2. Offroading
Rent a Jeep for the day and take a day trip into the mountains... if you don't feel up to driving yourself up in Sodona they have the Pink Jeep tours and someone else will drive you around for the day. Plan for a couple of hours out there and you will see everything from Coyotes to Indian Ruins!

1. The Hardts
When you start to miss home and just need a good old fashioned margarita and a day in the pool give my parents a call and you will feel like you are on vacation... A little Jimmy Buffett and some coronas and you will never want to go home!

Recipe for a great Valentines Day while being single…

Recipe:

1 handful of single friends (make sure you remove the Bitterness before adding)
6 Cups of Alcohol
1 DJ
1 Pool table
2 DZ Single Men
Mix all together rapidly Dance for an hour. And then enjoy ;)