i'll be home for christmas

after thanksgiving, i came back to LA and threw myself into the documentary once again. the great thing is that we (just me and the director, which isn't saying much since only about four people have worked on this film) started going through the movie scene by scene, fixing things along the way. it's looking so much better now, and it's weird because i just have so much POWER. sometimes my boss will just leave me alone with the computer to trim a scene without any direction. the experience i'm getting ALMOST makes up for the fact that i haven't gotten a paycheck since october. we didn't get into sundance (not surprising, since the film wasn't even done when they handed it in), but there are plenty of other festivals to try once we're finished.

this weekend has been filled with holiday cheer :) on friday, brent had his holiday appetizer party, which i had helped him prepare for all week. cooking with brent is the best because he has the coolest tools, since he took real cooking classes. i never thought that people actually used stick blenders or lemon zesters until now. well, i guess "normal people" don't. anyway, the menu included spinach-artichoke dip, baby potatoes with two types of garlic aioli, cheese puffs, guacamole, lemon chicken, meatballs, olives in crescent roll dough, puff pastry twists, palmieres, and mulled cider, all made from scratch. it was quite the classy do. on the other hand, i went to mv's friends' party on saturday night. it was full of drunken debauchery, with old UVA a cappella people fighting over who would get to sing "i touch myself" with the karaoke machine.

and i also saw the nutcracker on saturday! meryl, meredith, and i went to see the westside ballet (where i want to start taking classes) perform in brentwood. it was a nice performance with many precocious children, and it made me miss dancing a lot. the best soloist was the girl who did the arabian, and after that dance (which was surprisingly sexy for a family show), mer leaned over and said, "i'd do her." nice....

i'm heading home on friday for three weeks, so then i can really get into the holiday spirit. it feels chilly here, but it's like 65 degrees. it's not christmas unless you're snuggled in flannel pajamas in front of the fireplace watching charlie brown. can't wait!