Friday, January 23, 2009

the Bonnie Hunt Show


For years, my sister, Heather, and I have been big fans of Bonnie Hunt. If you don't know who Bonnie is, she's been in several films, including Cheaper By The Dozen, The Green Mile, Beethoven, Jumanji, Jerry Maguire, as well as voicing characters in Cars, Monster's Inc. and A Bug's Life. She also was the star of a sitcom called "The Bonnie Hunt Show". This is when Heather and I became huge fans. Well, that and because we shared the same last name!

So this past September, Bonnie Hunt began hosting her own daytime talk show. Funny enough, this was the setting of her previous sitcom as Bonnie played a morning talk show host. Heather and I both became fans of this new talk show and began talking about the fact it was taped here in the LA area and how we should go to a taping. When Jeff and Heather made it back to California after the holidays, we wrote in to ask for tickets. a week or so before the taping, we got confirmation we had tickets. We were stoked for this, since it was to be both her and my first TV show taping. We had wanted to go to the Rosie Show back when it was on, but never made it to NYC to do so.

So yesterday, the day of the taping, I drive down and pick up Heather and Jeff and we drive to "the city of Culver City" and park in walking distance to the Sony Culver Studio. We picked up a friend of mine, Tyffani, and we grabbed some coffee (or non coffee drink for me) and then headed to get in line. We weren't allowed to have cell phones or cameras, so we couldn't get any of this documented. We didn't even know how long it was we waited outside the studio. But after they gave us our number and we went through the security check, we were seated in a waiting area. After a little more time there, we got into our numerical order and were filed into the studio.

Now this was a first for me, and it was so cool to see the sets that I'd seen so often on the TV. We were given ballpark style hotdogs (some of which had ketchup, some had mustard and Tyff's was plan!) and a Dad's Root Beer. We then were shown to our seats and sat down for what was to be a fun taping. The warm up guy did his job and told us ours. He was funny and entertained us for a little. The band played for a little, and then it was time for show time. The crew started coming out and we started recognizing the writers (Holly, best friend of Bonnie's, and then Jimmie Kimmel's brother) and Don, the producer and some of the other crew. We didn't know for sure who was the guest(s) until the title segment came playing across the screens. It was Brendan Fraser, along with a dog segment and one of the actress' from "Brothers and Sisters". After a TON, and I mean...A TON of clapping, we laughed and had a fantastic time at the show. Bonnie showed some real emotion after the dog segment, cuase of how many dogs are at the shelters and such. She commented she would take all of them if she had a large ranch for them! At the end of the taping, they did some tag line and promos, and then Bonnie comes into the audience and shakes hands and talked with us for a little bit. It was so nice to see her take the time to do that. And she was so gracious with everyone that asked her questions or made comments.

All in all, it was a great time with Bonnie! I would love to get a chance to meet Bonnie in person sometime. Maybe we'll bump into each other one day! It's LA...never know!

Until laterz!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Murphy's Law of Computers

So...some of you may know my luck with computers. I've been an avid Apple fan since my freshman year of college at Nebraska. More recently, I've had issue with logic boards and my laptops.

The first time was in 2006 at about the end of my Apple Care warranty for my Powerbook G4, and my logic board fried. I got it replaced....went to Taiwan for the wedding of my good bro, Campbell and my same computer desides to have issue with teh graphics card and thus needed to replace my logic board, because in the BRILLIANT advancement of technology, laptops have EVERYTHING attached to the logic board cause you to have to replace said board if you need to replace anything...even if the logic board itself is perfectly fine. The kicker of this is that I was less then six months PAST the end of this computers Apple Care. Which means it would be almost as much as a new computer to get a new board..and I decided on a new computer.

I get a wonderful new MacBook Pro as a replacement and life was good again. I move out to LA here this past July, start my first Class of Animation Mentor and it was all still good. I go home to SD for the holidays...all good. I come back and start my second class of AM and still all good. Second week of Class, Tuesday...wake up and my computer won't work...ARGH!!! Long story short..I take it into the Apple Store and the Genius' there tell me is the...wait for it...you got it...the LOGIC board!! :) WHOO HOO!! When I pulled myself up off the floor, I told them to go ahead and fix it (luckily with the help of Apple Care. Have I mentioned how much I HIGHLY suggest spending the extra on Apple Care?!!!!). I was told it'd be 7-10 days. I was like, "Great..wonderful! How am I going to do my homework and freelance work??" I leave the store...sure it's gonna be longer then 10 days per my normal luck with getting computers fixed. I spend the next two days trying to figure out how I can still stay on schedule with school and NOT drop a grade for this week. I worked out something with my mentor, Rebecca Perez...(AWESOME mentor!!) and talk to the school about my situation. A great buddy of mine that also is in the same Class as I am at AM offered me his extra computer, which I am so THANKFUL to Jeffrey for his generosity. But after much searching online via my roommate's computer, I decided to purchase a second computer, a Mac Pro. I'd been wanting to have a second, more powerful computer for a while, and now was as good a time to take the plunge.

Friday, I walk into the Apple Store and walk out with a new computer and an excited hop in my step. I get the computer set up and barely had time to wipe the goofy grin of excitement off my face, when I get a call from the Apple Store that my laptop was done. I think "Of COURSE it is!!"

All in all, happy I got my new computer and super happy I got my Week 2 homework done and handed in. But God has really provided and is keeping me above water, with or without Murphy's Law!!

Until laterz!