Driving For Lyft and Culinary Internships

Yep, I'm Lyfting part-time in between my internships.

Being a part of the Austin Lyft community has been great for me and my schedule. My first day of Lyfting was on Halloween and it was fun because I got to wear my Princess Leia costume and helped people get to their destinations safely. I left R2 behind for maintenance reasons.

I'm close to giving 100 rides and I'd like to give thanks to my friend Tiana for helping me get started. When I used her driver referral code we both got a great bonus! I had to give 50 rides in 30 days to get the bonus (it was easy).

If you haven't tried Lyft you should. It can come in handy when you don't feel like driving, if your car is in the shop, or whatever your situation is. There are plenty of Lyfters in Austin that can pick you up and get you to your destination. My husband and I went to see the Book of Mormon last night, and we didn't want to deal with driving or finding parking so we used Lyft. It was great!

Download the Lyft app and use my passenger code for a free ride. When you use my code I get $10.00! It's easy and convenient: YQKGPF

If you want to drive for Lyft here is my driver referral link:
https://www.lyft.com/drivers/RENA566924
When you use my driver code, depending on what city you live in, you can qualify for a driver bonus. Currently in Austin the bonus is $100.00. In other words, bonus amounts depend on the new driver's city.

I know it's been a while since I posted something to this blog, but I've been studying at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts. I graduated this past September and I'm now working on my internships. I've got two of them and hope to be completely done before the year is over (fingers crossed!). If you are interested in reading about my culinary school adventures please head over to my other blog Vegan Charm! I've got 22 weeks of blog entries and lots of pictures of food to drool over :)

My next little adventure will be about taking a light saber class and I'll post a blog in a few days. I've got other fun stuff scheduled for 2016, but I'll announce that in January.

Thanks for stopping by!

What Have We Here?

Yep, it's really happening for us. We bought a rug!

Dirty Homes For Sale And Therapy Dogs

This afternoon I went with my real estate agent to look at a couple of houses for sale. The last house we visited was in a desirable neighborhood in Austin, TX and from the exterior of the house it was going to need some repairs.

As we pass the big ass SUV that's parked near the front door with a dog ramp coming out of it my realtor says oh they must have an old dog. I think nothing of it as we wait to be let in the house. I start looking around the front door area and notice a plaque with a picture of a German Shepherd. I say "Oh look they must like German Shepherds" because why else would you have a plaque of your dog at the front door?

The nice lady says hi and asks if we are "OK" with dogs. I don't respond, but my realtor says I don't mind dogs. I'm still thinking this will be fine and not to worry about the dogs. We go in and OMG it smells and the home is in early stages of hoarding and we-don't-give-a-shit. We were also told we couldn't go into the master bedroom/bath or another bedroom next to it. Why? Well because there are people in the bedroom sleeping and they are nude. These are "day-timers" the nice lady says.

We make our way to the hallway bathroom and there are signs. Signs to remind you to put the toilet seat down, which they ignore, and a sign to wash your hands. The lady suggests that the entire bathroom will need new fixtures. Really? New fixtures and a bulldozer perhaps.

Being the cook of my castle I ask about the kitchen. We head towards the living room and then I became frozen mid way between the hallway and the living room. I'm literally stuck because of the miniature pony sized German Shepherds that have come to greet my crotch. I had three HUGE dogs smelling my downtown and they loved it. For an added bonus one of them barked which was a call to the outside dog letting him know to come inside and smell the fresh pie that just arrived. The nice lady says "Oh they won't bite because they are therapy dogs." That didn't impress me at all so I ended the tour and I never got to see the kitchen. It just wasn't meant to be.

I googled therapy dogs and looking back all 4 of those dogs were well tempered and friendly. They were just being dogs and that's fine. I wish that the humans living there took better care of their environment. The house has potential, but it's been neglected and it really shouldn't be for sale (at least not right now). I think the dogs did me a favor by blocking my path. My scent must have given the therapy dogs insight into my personality which led them to keep me safe by not letting me see the horrors that were probably in the kitchen. One look into the dogs eyes showed compassion and it also said "Get out while you can!"

House hunting to be continued...

Standing Desks For Everyone!

In looking back at the earliest parts of my career (1997) I didn't have a desk. I was always on my feet running around, setting up equipment, prepping gear for the next film/video shoot, or striking the set. We, production folks, would share one computer that was either in a green room or some other common area. At the time having a desk wasn't something I thought about because my skills for that time were different and I didn't need a computer much less a desk. I was a camera operator and I enjoyed the work. Back where I worked you learned to do many jobs and wear different hats. So not only was I operating cameras I also did other non-sedentary jobs and it was great. It was like working out at the gym and getting paid to do it!

Then in 1999 my interests changed and I moved into the production management area. I was working as a production manager, associate producer, or production coordinator. All of these jobs were more sedentary and honestly I really liked the change and the work. It was mostly a mixed bag of working at my desk and then getting up throughout the day to follow up with the crew. So maybe it was 80% sitting at my desk and the other 20% was me out on the production floor with the crew. Those numbers fluctuated depending on what's going on at the time. 

Fast forward to December 2012 and I felt it was time for a change.  I had an opportunity at the studio where I work to setup a standing desk. I was part of a group that was moving into some newly acquired space and since my office was being moved I figured it was a good time to make this change and I'm glad I did. I kept the same desk, but I bought cinder blocks to give me the height I needed and I also bought a stool to sit on when I needed a break from the standing.

I'm still getting used to the standing and to be honest my thighs were sore that first week, but the soreness goes away. I'm glad I made this change and I feel more productive throughout the day. I really like it and I probably won't go back to sitting like I was before. 

Here are the things I bought for my standing desk:
4 cinder blocks (Lowes)
1 stool (Bed Bath & Beyond) it's behind my desk you can't see it (not the orange one in front of my desk)
1 gel mat (Bed Bath & Beyond)
Paint for cinder blocks (my producer actually bought some for me!)

This is a photo of my desk in case you are curious. I really dig the pink color on the cinders :)

ASMR | This is b a n a n a s

I just learned about autonomous sensory meridian response and this is HUGE on you tube and thanks to my well informed husband I found this video. It's called The ASMR Whispering Banana.

Basically these videos are recordings of people speaking in a very soft voice so that it makes you feel tingles in your head and it relaxes you. Some videos have people speaking in low voices with foreign accents and there are even videos with people crumbling paper...all to make you feel better.

I have to admit when I saw this banana video for the first time I got the giggles big time. I didn't even pay attention to what was being whispered because I was so amused by the banana face. The production value is good. Someone took the time and chroma keyed a face into this banana. This comment left on YT by BrombyDingus was my favorite "Annoying orange's more sensible and relaxed cousin. Well done banana."  Roll it:

And if you have any ideas on what the next inanimate object should be you can leave a comment on this person's you tube page. I think I'm going to request either a Japanese eggplant or some wheat grass.

Please let me know if Mr. Banana relaxes you. He's pretty easy going and wants to give you some peace and relaxation. So plug in your head phones and chill.

For more information about ASMR check out the following links:
ASMR
Reddit
Or just go to You Tube and search for "ASMR" and you will find a lot of videos.

Pirate101 game credit...that's me!

I'm happy to announce that I was added to the credits for our new game Pirate101. I'm listed under additional production (Rena Archer):

rena archer game credit

I assisted in supporting the producer and associate producer with various tasks since I started working at KingsIsle over a year ago. The Pirate team worked very hard and with long hours to get this game made. It has taken over two years to make this and we hope that our fans will enjoy it! If you have ever play Wizard101 I think you will enjoy Pirate101.

If you are interested in playing our game you can download it here: Pirate101.com

See you at Skull Island Pirate!

Waiting For Superman

Please take a moment and check out this trailer and make a pledge to see Waiting For Superman when it comes out.

I think it's time for a movement to improve our education system. Lots of kids in America are falling behind compared to other countries. I know we can do something to help. Let's start today by making a pledge to see this film when it is released this fall.



Thanks for your time :)

What Happened to The Last Airbender?

Why did this movie have to suck? I didn't watch it in 3D because I knew it wasn't shot in 3D in the first place. I think releasing a version in 3D was an after thought and a dumb idea. Just because there is 3D doesn't mean all movies have to be in 3D.

The over all fight scenes were slow and lacked excitement. I was SO let down by this and some of the acting was a bit weak. And why was the movie written by M. Night Shyamalan? Why didn't the original creators, Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko, help with the screenplay? I guess maybe they had some say but I think the director wasn't a good match for this franchise.

For goodness sake I hope the next two movies have a different director attached to the films. Hey studio people get your act together and learn from your mistakes on this film. Maybe you can do a better job next time around.

Here is the movie trailer in case you haven't seen it.





The animated version is much better. In fact you should see these before you go see the live-action version. Nickelodeon's website has some episodes of Avatar that you can watch.

Twilight Powers Activate | Eclipse Advance Screening

Thanks to Amber for giving me her pass to see an advance screening of Eclipse yesterday! It was at the Angelika in Dallas at Mockingbird Station.

I thought it was going to be super crowded and heard that I should get there early. The screening started at 9pm. I was there at 5pm! Good thing there were ample retail stores and a Starbucks nearby.

After a couple of hours I went back to the Angelika and finally things were set up and people were hanging out and excited. Vitamin Water was the main sponsor of the Twilight party and the free screening. They had a lot of activities and Pinkberry was there handing out free frozen yogurt.

There were makeup artist there ready to make you look like Bella or some sparkly looking vampire.

But I did get my nails painted and got a dumb ass stamp on my hand. I think the stamp came out bad due to my dry skin.

There were three stamps you could choose from depending on which team you liked. Team Jacob or Team Edward. And there was a stamp for the Bella freaks.

 This guy stamped his neck.

For some entertainment there were these guys called PK O.U.T. They were jumping in the air and flipping around just like vampires.

All in all I had a nice time and got to see Eclipse for free. I still like the books better than the movies. The women in the audience sure did have the hots for Jacob who had his t-shirt off for most of the film.  And I thought it was funny to hear the audience clapping and cheering in certain parts of the movie. Audience participation was high that's for sure.

If you are a fan of the Twilight Saga I'm sure you will agree that the books are way better. Roger Ebert only gave Eclipse 2 stars and I bet he hasn't read the books, but go and check it out and see what you think.


Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog :)

OWN Casting call in Plano

The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) had a casting call here in Plano, Texas and I gathered up the courage to go and pitch my show idea. My show idea was about happiness.

I showed up at 5:45am and when I got there I saw a ton of people already in line. This is a pic I took when I got in line. I heard that people got there super early (3am) to get in line! The casting directors didn't start seeing anyone until 7am.

I was excited about the whole thing and was comforted to know that a friend would be there to pitch her idea so at least I had someone there I could text. She was in a different group but I did see her after the pitch.

The system they had in place was pretty organized and the fact that the weather was decent helped a lot. It was overcast and windy and it looked like it would rain but didn't thank goodness. Once I got in line I waited a while then got to a crew member who talked to us. He told us that we will be getting a wristband that has a number. So after that you got to get into a second line. I think there were 4 or 5 lines you could pick from. I got in line A.

 Here is another pic and all those people under the tent got there super early. When I took this picture I was way way back in line.

Once you made it to the tent it meant you are that much closer to the casting directors. They saw us in groups of about 10 to 12 people at a time. Once your group was called they had us sit around a table and each tent had a casting director and a production assistant. Our guy was polite and I could tell that he was working hard to make us feel relaxed. He gave us a rundown of how the audition works and we each got about a minute to pitch our ideas. If anyone started to ramble he would cut us off (in a nice way). I was the last person to pitch, but that didn't bother me. I was happy to hear everyone's ideas. There were mostly women in my group except for a couple of guys.

As each person stood up to pitch we handed our long ass application to the casting director. While we pitched he was looking through the application to make sure we filled everything out and signed it. When I pitched I felt a little nervous but as I got into it I became comfortable because I felt my idea was unique (I'm sure everyone else felt the same way).

Once we were all done he explained to us what the next steps were. If your pitch was successful you would get a call to comeback for an on camera pitch. If you didn't get a call don't feel bad. I didn't get a call and I didn't feel bad. I'm just glad that I showed up for this opportunity!

This is the tent I was in and I had a blast! Thanks to Oprah's team for coming out to Plano, Texas. Oh and thanks to KOHL'S for having this whole thing in their parking lot.

2010 FIFA World Cup Noise

A few weeks ago there was a lot of Tweeting going on about the world cup so I decided to tune in to see how the game was going. When I was watching the game I heard some strange noises. At first I thought it was the audio signal gone bad but it never stopped. The sound kept going and going. Like a crap load of killer bees coming at you.  I did mute the sound but I wanted to hear the sport announcers since I don't understand football. But I had to change the channel because the noise was so annoying.

Yesterday my husband told me about vuvuzelas. I said what the heck is that? Apparently these are instruments (a horn) that people at the world cup were using to make that noise in the stadium. I went to You Tube to see what videos I could find and saw this one.




Now I know what a vuvuzela is and if you get enough of them together it sounds like killer bees...cool.

Time out Facebook...You Make Me Sick.

I'm sick and tired of hearing about people's political views, religious views, and all the other crap that people talk about especially when it involves sports. Yuck.

The other thing I found annoying was FB sharing my information with the WWW and there was the potential of my friends sharing my information with the world that I did not appreciate. So after readjusting my privacy settings (again and again) I stopped the madness. Oh and the other thing that was dumb was if you created a page you couldn't pass over the rights to another admin person. I waited weeks for this to happen and apparently there were a lot of frustrated people who were trying to do the same thing for over a year. Then finally the FB folks granted our wish and that was the last piece of the puzzle I was waiting for so I could leave.

So if I need to chat with a friend I will contact them through email or with a phone call. Just like in the good old days. 

I guess if I ever want to go back I will start over with a new account but for now I am FB free.

Happiness for Everyone!

Delivering Happiness A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose is a wonderful and honest look into the people behind Zappos and how it has become an online juggernaut. It's not very often I hear of a CEO that is hands on and shares company information with all of it's employees. As you will read in the book you can see the path and experiences Tony and his partners encounter (both good and challenging).

The fun part for me was reading about the young Tony especially when he was figuring out how to make money. Both the worm and button making ideas gave me a sense of his work ethic and commitment. Even if the job was temporary each one came with a valuable lesson. And I was amazed by the profits he was making while in middle school. I can't even remember what I was doing in middle school…something uneventful like trying to straighten my hair.

Once in high school he was involved in some shenanigans in the computer lab but that ended which led him to find other ways to create a better schedule to make money. He gets a job as a game tester at Lucasfilm that pays him $6.00 an hour. Then he quits Lucasfilm after finding a higher paying job of $15.00 an hour as a computer programmer. I wonder if George Lucas is aware that he had Tony as an employee? I wonder if George orders from Zappos? Oh the silly questions I can come up with.

Also in the book Zappos shares their 10 core values and a sample of courses offered by their Pipeline Team. Lots of interesting things going on and from the employee stories sprinkled throughout the book they enjoy the Zappos culture. It must be really gratifying to work at a company that cares.

At the end of the book it talks about what your goals are in life and what will bring you happiness. When I read the about the 3 types of happiness (pleasure, passion, and higher purpose) it made me think about my life. I have been discontent with my career for a while. And now I can see that I have been missing that "higher purpose" stage. To be involved in a higher purpose means to be a part of something bigger than yourself that has meaning to you :) Now that makes perfect sense!



I highly recommend this book for your Summer reading. Thanks to Tony and Zappos for sharing their Happiness with me and the world. You can find out more about this book at Delivering Happiness Book.com. I hope that my honest opinions about the book will inspire you to get a copy.

Since I received an extra advanced copy of the book I will give it to the first person who asks for it! Go!

Thanks for stopping by :)

No Phone Zone

I signed up for the no phone zone today so I won't be using my cell phone while I'm driving. I was moved by the sad and tragic stories I saw on Oprah's show today. The pain the families are experiencing because of the loss of their loved ones all because of texting or talking on cell phones while driving. No call or text is worth loosing another life. 


Please watch the video and then take the no phone zone pledge at Oprah.com 




Thanks :)

I like a movie with True Grit

True Grit

I must admit this is a great movie. I've watched it so many times that I want you to watch it too.

I know that the Coen Brothers are remaking this and I am sure it will be a great movie...I hope.

My favorite character in the movie is Mattie Ross (Kim Darby). She is the daughter of Frank Ross (John Pickard) who was murdered by Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey). Mattie hires a mean one eyed marshall named Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne). She wants Chaney to burn in hell for killing her father. Mattie wants a man with True Grit and that man is Rooster. She hires him to track down Chaney and bring him back to Fort Smith to be hanged.
 
Glenn Campbell plays a Texas Ranger named LaBoeuf. He is also looking for Chaney. Apparently Chaney killed a politician in Waco, Texas and now LaBoeuf joins Rooster
and Mattie in the search. Mattie is at odds with LaBoeuf because he wants Chaney to go back to Texas and she wants to take Chaney back to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Kim Darby is a fabulous actor. She plays Mattie perfectly. Mattie is a smart tomboyish young lady. I can't figure out how old she is since she acts older than she looks. Mattie might be 14 years old but I'm not sure. There is some interesting information about Kim Darby on IMDB. I read that she started acting when she was a teenager. She became a star after True Grit was released, but I think she was a star way before that movie came out. Kim Darby is awesome.

From Left to Right John Wayne, Kim Darby, and Glenn Campbell

Favorite True Grit quotes are:

Mattie to LaBoeuf "I figured you for a kneeler."

Mattie to lady in crowd "How can anyone know what's in a man's heart?"

Mattie to Rooster "I dare not let a thief in my mouth to steal my mind."

Mattie to Quincy "I don't like you and I don't like the way you are treating that turkey!"

Rooster to Mattie "Looking back is a bad habit."

Mattie to Rooster "Why are you being so foolish?"

Rooster to LaBoeuf "Young fella if you're looking for trouble I'll accommodate ya...otherwise leave it alone."

Mattie to Rooster "I paid good cash money to be here...now let's eat."

Mattie to Rooster "I will not bandy words with a drunkard."

Chaney to Mattie "Everything happens to me and I'm shot by a child."

Ned Pepper to Mattie "I've never busted a cap in a woman or nobody much under 16."

Mattie to Rooster "That's because you loaded it wrong when you were in a state of drunkenness."

Mattie to Rooster "Your too old and too fat to be jumping horses."

Rooster to Mattie "Well come see a fat old man some time."


The Coen version of True Grit will be released December 2010. I can't wait to see how this one stacks up to the 1969 version.

For now I recommend that you rent the original version with John Wayne and Kim Darby...it's a hoot!

Let me know what you think.

30 Rock Season 1 | The Food Part 2

I'm continuing my list of the food on 30 Rock for season one.  The lobster is something I would not eat...but everything else seems fair game.





EPISODE 9: THE BABY SHOW
Birthday cake
Jelly beans
Cheese balls
Tray of pastries
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Mini Snickers and cream cheese...I think that's cream cheese
Jar of pickles

EPISODE 10: THE RURAL JUROR
Craft service area: platter of cheeses and snacks
Jelly sandwich
Loaf of bread
Salmon
Bologna
Steak
Sausage
Hamburger

EPISODE 11: THE HEAD AND THE HAIR
Can of veggies x2
Craft service area: platter of pastries and snacks
Salad
Pizza


EPISODE 12: BLACK TIE
Appetizers

EPISODE 13: UP ALL NIGHT
Plate of pastries
Bowl of fruit
Assortment of take out food
Fried Chicken
Salad bar
Box of chocolate candy

EPISODE 14: THE "C" WORD
Cupcakes with mini candy bars in the middle

EPISODE 15: HARD BALL
Cornbread
Bowl of fruit

EPISODE 16: THE SOURCE AWARDS
Plate of fruit
Steak
Salad
Pretzels
Chips



EPISODE 17: THE FIGHTING IRISH
Dog food
M&M's
Doughnut...I think

EPISODE 18: FIREWORKS
Hot dog
Popcorn
Pizza


EPISODE 19: CORPORATE CRUSH
Chocolate
Cheese, veggies, pretzels

EPISODE 20: CLEVELAND
Salads
Mozzarella sticks...I think

EPISODE 21: HIATUS
Lobster
Jello

That concludes season one. Shall I create a list for season two?

I just might. For all my fans. All four of you.

Stay tuned.

30 Rock Season 1 | The Food

 I'm a big fan of food and while I was watching 30 Rock I couldn't help notice all the food that is on that show. Either the food is in the background or the actors are actually eating it. I made this list based off what I saw in each episode. The only thing in this list I won't eat is the shrimp. I really don't like the texture of shrimp.

Anyway here is my list of the food on 30 Rock for season one.

EPISODE 1: 30 ROCK PILOT 

A big ass box of hot dogs

Basket of bread
Pop tarts
Fried chicken and waffles

EPISODE 2: THE AFTERMATH
Craft service table: Jello cup, cereals, bagels
Pizza
Sandwich
Oranges
Cheetos

Ice cream bar
Cheese and crackers
Sushi platter

EPISODE 3: Blind Date
Crappy microwave dinner x2
Plate of doughnuts
Pete's lucky doughnut
Cheetos
Bowl of nuts
Giant shrimp made out of shrimp diving into a bowl of shrimp
Deli meat on floor
Buffet table of junk food
Doritos

EPISODE 4: JACK THE WRITER
Bologna
Pizza

EPISODE 5: JACK-TOR
Fruit basket
Craft service table: bagels

EPISODE 6: JACK MEETS DENNIS
Turkey sandwich x2
Fried cod

Salad
Lettuce in Liz's hair

EPISODE 7: TRACY DOES CONAN
Oat-Ey cereal
Toast
Chocolate chip or butter crunch cookies
Plate of cookies
Cart of food
Cheeseburger

EPISODE 8: THE BREAK UP
Doughnuts
Chili
Chinese food

to be continued...

Cold War: Clambake in Thirteen1 Magazine

Cool news! Cold War: Clambake is in this month's Thirteen1 online magazine :)

The article starts on page 56 and on the last page of the article you can get a code to get free tiki points! If you have already played the game let me know what you like or didn't like. Cold War: Clambake is only on Facebook!

And check out Cold War: Clambake's game trailer on You Tube.

Thanks :)

Robot Dreams with Allison Cowart

I had a dream that a robot was trying to wake me up. The robot was Allison from improv class. I knew it was her because sometimes her robot face would change into her human face.

She would come at me wiggling her robot fingers in my face to wake me up. I was pretending to be asleep and trying really hard not not to wake up. After a while Robot Allison finally got tired. 

When I got up I found Robot Allison asleep in my bed. She looked so peaceful in her robot gear...so shiny and pretty. 

Thanks Robot Allison. I know deep down inside you were sending me robot love and I appreciate it.

BTW Allison is the cute red head behind my sad ass...I was nervous about going on stage that night.

Game Review Network press release about Cold War: Clambake

If you haven't read the press release and have a few minutes please check it out. The headline is Big Daddy's Chicks Launches Beta Facebook Game Cold War: Clambake.


Thanks :)