#18!

Forbes just released Americas Most Inspiring Companies...

http://blogs-images.forbes.com/jacquelynsmith/files/2011/09/0bw226z77W0Es_1981.jpg

Congrats HQ!

9.28

A person's Golden or Grand Birthday, also referred to as their "Lucky Birthday", "Champagne Birthday" or "Star Birthday", occurs when they turn the age of their birth day

Today I turned 28
= My golden birthday
Lets hope this year lives up to the golden bday hype

So far its off to a great start...

a pie delivery from my parents to the office (thanks mom)

Mani/Pedis with some of my favorite girls here in LA...

and the CARDINALS are playing October baseball!
(The bud heavy is flowing in St Louis Tonight!!!)

Yep, loving 28 so far.
Thanks for all the birthday love!

Bucket List?

Let me start off by saying, I hate guns.
I really don't understand why anyone needs to own a gun unless they are needed for your job.
BUT the idea of going to a gun range always seemed interesting.
The invitation to go to a shooting range was presented a few months ago by a friend, who does own guns because of his job. I figure if I was ever going to go and do this, I may as well go with someone who is trained and could teach me how to fire a gun correctly.
First off, gun ranges are bizarre. You walk into a room with 20 booths of people firing LOADED guns. The room is loud and there are gun shells all over the floor.
I was given a quick lesson on holding a gun and then was given the chance to fire at the target. I can't think of the last time I was this shaken up. I would literally have to try to take a breath between each shot.
Holding a loaded gun was a terrible feeling. Even after a couple of rounds I could not get comfortable with the gun in my hands and decided my day at the gun range was done.
I'm glad to say this will not be a new hobby, but at least I gave it a shot...eh??

Story Pirates

I'm not sure how I discovered last nights activity out in Westwood. I talked my friend Claire into joining me for Story Pirates. I was under the impression that it was a group of actors who put on skits to stories that kids have written, adding some adult humor.

I kind of had the right idea, but not exactly.

Story Pirates is an arts education organization that bring together teachers, actors and writers to work with kids. Story Pirates will travel to schools all across the country to host workshops that encourage kids to write and draw their own creative stories.

The writers and actors then take the kids stories and create full skits (often with song) inspired by what the child has created on paper. Story Pirates will then return to the schools to perform the skits for school assemblies.

The mission of the Story Pirates is “to celebrate the words and ideas of young people and to create confident, literate students equipped with a variety of tools for written, verbal, and artistic self-expression.”

Once a month Story Pirates host an adult night in LA (why i thought there were going to be some dirty jokes). Claire and I showed up to small room of about 50 people for the performance. The show began with a puppet show and was followed by 6 short skits all written by kids. The stories were about alien bats, a group of ninja sisters, a girl that loved bread (acted and told in spanish, since that was how it was written), to a boy named charlie that wanted to be a singer. Each skit was 5-10 minutes long.

The talent of each actor was impressive and often the simple skits were very humorous and creative. BUT I was surprised that not one skit had any adult humor and they did not mix it up/change any skit for the adult only night. Story Pirates uses this one night a month to promote the organization to the adult crowd exactly how they would present the show to a school of kids.

Check out more here on the website; Story Pirates