Willo O'Brien

Well I haven’t even had a chance to play with it yet I’ve been so swamped with work – but I did take it out of the box and hold it. :) Yay.

Lastnight I used a Amazon GC for a few goodies. The Monster iCarPlay for listenin to it in my car (hope it works ok, I’ve heard the bad reviews are exaggerated – so I’ll just have to check it out for myself). And I got a Teskie Roadie for the gym. I like the arm band vs. the belt clip – I’m psyched to have unlimited tunes at the gym!!! Then, if I like the Roadie, I think I’ll eventually even buy the different color face plates. It aggravates me that these are sold separately (and for more $!) especially since I really just want the orange one! But oh well.

Oh & I also got a handy dandy little headphone jack splitter, that Rick & I have needed on more than one occasion trying to both watch a DVD on 1 laptop on the plane.

Now I just have some serious ripping of all my CD’s to do! woohoo!

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I haven’t posted photos yet from this weekend – been too busy to even download them – but there’s some CLASSICS!

My birthday weekend was a blast!! Friday night Ricky G took me out for a romantic dinner at this little french restaurant. It was delicious from the wine, to the yummy apps – all the way to our creme brulee desert with a candle on top! :) I hope that wish comes true.

The Monster Drawing Rally was fun and inspiring. Man I’ve got to start creating more raw art!!! Paint, draw, create! I’m behind this computer working on projects so much – my list of personal creative things to accomplish always gets pushed down the list.

It was great to see the artist’s create LIVE. We missed Jee, but ran into a couple other aquaintences. I chatted with Sirron Norris, who’s work I’m a big fan of. I almost bought one of his, but they were selling really fast. It was good to talk to him, though & hear what he’s workin on now. The best was watching him work. Seeing him start with a pencil sketch, and then go over it with just a ball point pen and making it look great. His characters are so cute. If you live in San Francisco, you’ll probably recognize some of his murals down in the mission or in Jay’s Cheesesteaks. It’s really fun work with surreal twist.

The rest of the night was fun, and we left Rebecca’s by about midnight to get a good night’s sleep to prepare for our big party night Saturday night. I’ll post about that soon – and with photos! but for now I just have to show you the most exciting thing that just got delivered to my door:

wooohoooo!!! Apple was offering free engraving, and I just couldn’t resist :) A big thanks to my sweet Momma for getting this for me for my bday! They just sold their house, so she got iPod’s for me and my little sis. yay! I can’t wait to start playing around and loading music onto it! You know this thing will hold practically my entire collection of music? 700 CDs! whoa!

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Ok, I’ve got a busy day, so I’ll write/post more later, but just had to report that I had a TERRIFIC birthday weekend!!! :) I’m 29!

Tonite begins my weekend celebration! :) It’s going to be soo fun.

My sweetie is taking me out for a nice dinner somewhere (it’s a surprise!) and then we’re going over to one of my favorite events of aall time: the Monster Drawing Ralley at Southern Exposure – I am STOKED!!!

Last year Jee & I went, but got there sorta near the tail end so we didn’t see as much as I would have liked. But for the time that I was there I was in HEAVEN walking around watching a ton of incredible artists, a lot of them locals and favorites of mine, draw right there in front of me!!! It was like a dream come true – and now I get to go see it again! YAY!!

So we’re hittin dinner early even so that we’re sure to see a lot. I hope to even buy a print!

Then it’s off to my friend Becca’s housewarming party. She is one of my favorite people and she’s got a slew of really cool friends. Plus she’s been workin hard on fixing up her new place, and she’s super crafty – I’m sure it’ll be grand!

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BTW lastnight’s movie, The Day After Tomorrow, was great!! I mean, it’s definitely very hollywood with lines like “I made a promise to him, and I’m going to keep it!” BUT besides that the special effects were AMAZING.. definitely see it on the big screen!

It’s WILD to see things happen to these major cities that (let’s hope) we’ll never ever see in our lifetimes. And you get out of the movie so impacted by what you’ve seen, you can’t help but just feel so grateful it’s not happening to you!!

I also thought it was interesting that they didn’t have more blood and gore. But although it was unrealistic to not include it, it was refreshing and not necessary to have impact, so I’m glad they spared us that.

Oh and Jake, listen. If it should not happen to work out with (hottie) Kirsten, please please please consider marrying me and letting me bear your children.. you are SOO F*ING ADORABLE!!! mmmm!! (that is if nobody has dibs on me yet) Still, come over and we’ll talk about it, or just hang out – or hey, why wait to break up with Kirsten – I have a mad crush on her, too – So, invite me over!

Guess who has her FIRST drumming lesson today!??!?!?!?!?!?!

*very excited*

I love Biz’s name, and I got the full story of how he got it over lunch today. Very cute.

Check it out – He snapped a shot of the YJ ad I was in (his shot is the one in the newest mag to explain the difference) with his phone, but I thought it was funny he spelt my name wrong… it’s right there in the photo! hahaa

OK that’s all… off to my movie! :)

Awww yaa Beasties!! They love the cheese, too.

I’ve heard mixed reviews on their new album – but I don’t care. I’m sure I’m going to love it – Beastie Boys were such a big part of my youth… plus I’m not a cynical, judgmental music lover. Well, only sometimes anyway.

P.S. Venus Mag rocks. (i thank jemmy for this)

(hahaa, I spell checked – thanks to that knitpicker enlighted soul who had to point out that I’m such a bad speller and obviously horribly greedy and self centered – OH MY! …. Hech hemm… where was I? Oh ya, so I spell checked, and it changed my P.S. to POOH. Heh, did anyone read it while it was still up? It made me laugh.)

P.S.S. More pointless links:

The F* word. See? It’s not bad – it’s just a town! And this one’s pretty entertaining: The mystery of Britney’s Honkers.

When you live in the city and say you need to go “down south” it means you’re going to the south bay, towards San Jose.

Today I headed down to meet with a client in Sunnyvale – and then had the delightful pleasure of having lunch with the Google/Blogger peeps (Eric, Jason, Biz, Evan and Chris, etc) at the 5 star Google cafeteria. (this outdated site will atleast give you an idea of the gourmet meals being served there FREE on a daily basis)

I had another reason to go by their offices that I won’t disclose at this time, but I was psyched to finally get over there for that reason and the food and tour that came with it. Plus I scored an awesome new Blogger T and some of their new stickers. And I got a sneak peak at some great new features coming soon! Yes, that’s right people – I heart Blogger.

I couldn’t believe the Google grounds – it’s like a college campus! Except all the people seem really cool and the food is free! FREE, I TELL YOU! I’m sure after you work there for awhile that excitement wears off, but maaan is it cool the first time. :p

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It’s been gorgeous weather here lately – I hope it holds through the weekend!

Tonite is movie night – Day After Tomorrow won out over a few others on our list, only because we want to make sure we see it on the big screen before it goes. We missed it on IMAX unfortunately – and we were going to see Harry Potter on IMAX tonite, but the timing was off. Plus I’m pretty psyched to see this movie. I’m way into how global warming is effecting our environment and I hope this makes people think.

Other movies that I still want to see:

Saved! – this looks HILARIOUS

Mean Girls – two words: Lindsay Lohan (I think Dooce said it best here, see point #2.)

Harry Potter.. – I’ve heard this is the best one yet. I love magic!

and lastly some great more artsy/independent type flics I can’t wait to see:

Love me if you Dare, Word Wars, Coffee and Cigarettes and Napoleon Dynamite.

So many movies, so little time!! :) Have you guys seen any of these?

Talking to Rick about the frustration of buying the *perfect gift* for Dad we both agreed that conversely, theres a plethora of gifts you can buy for either one of us! :) But of course it’s easier said than done – especially if it’s someone you care about and want to make them squeal with delight that you got them the best. gift. ever.

So here’s a small wishlist I would write if my birthday just happen to be around the corner. You know – just in case you’re curious:

• Gift certificate to Ambiance. I love this store and don’t shop there nearly enough. :)
• Dido for my favorite (albeit kinda pricey) jewelry store: Gallery of Jewels (wow, do I need to offer to redo their site or what? eeks – maybe they’ll do a trade with me! :) So if you know me, you’ll know I’m a jewelry nut. And lately I’m finding somehow with all my great peices – I need MORE!
• Actually, there’s some really cute jewelry on this site too.
• Fantastic, creative, fun sites!! I love most anything off of these great sites: Wishingfish.com, Uncommon Goods (seriously I wish I had a $1000 to spend on this site!), Coolest Shop, and Crackers & Honey. All of these and a few more are on my links page!
• Resubscribe me to my favorite mags: Giant Robot, HOW mag (I just renewed myself for 2 years), BUST
• I’m getting an iPod!! woohooo!! So I need a ton of accessories. I’ve added a few to my Amazon wishlist, but a gift certificate to the Apple Store would never go to waste with how many little things I want.
• New Cell Phone. Mine is ANCIENT. I know I’m prolly never gonna get this from someone, but hey, it’s *my* wishlist! :)
• Music, Books and more. Yes, I’ve updated my Amazon Wishlist. But really it’s rather limiting when there’s so many other great sites out there with super cute things! However, props to Amazon for starting a serious wishlist craze. It’s obviously the easiest too for strangers who might not have a certain someone’s address. (hey! I dont have dooce’s or sarah b’s and I’d send them gifts if I could!) Granted most sites now will email gift certificates, which is a good way to go about it. Anyway, CD’s seem to come to me quite easily, but I always love getting new music – and if giving music brings you joy – who am I to argue? I will tell you there’s a few other things on there that aren’t CD’S that would bring me just *as much* joy :)

Hech hemm… please note that these are also probably applicable to your favorite girlfriend, mother, sister, etc. I’m here to help!

Along time ago I wrote a rant about wishlists, and how I wish they were more popular. I’m not trying to be greedy here at all. I just honestly want to curb some of the sensless purchases in this world and save the closets full of hidden and disliked gifts from years past. I mean, I definitely support the creative creators of products in the world and buying what’s being sold is how our world goes round… but giving is just as special with a heartfelt hug, fresh baked cookies or a crafty mixed tape or hand painted rock.

Either way, I’m looking forward to celebrating my birthday this weekend with my awesome friends, Rick and my bro… and I even will take in a little art at the Monster Drawing Rally (which I’m SOOOO excited about) and enjoy a few celebratory glasses of wine. Birthdays are THE BEST! xoxoxo

June 20th isn’t just my birthday :) It’s Father’s Day, too!

Finding a gift for Dad can be tough eh? That’s why we here at WilloToons are here to help! Here’s a few sites that might find that I recommend to help you find that last minute gift for Dad. But before we begin, here’s a couple tips:

1. American’s think you always have to buy gifts… Horrible isn’t it? Well – unless you’re on the receiving side, I suppose. What I’m trying to say here is – he’d probably do just fine receiving a funny heartfelt card from you or fax him over sequential faxes writing funny memories you remember from your childhood with him. And don’t be afraid to have one of the fax pages be your best cartoon of the event… no matter how bad they are, I’m sure you can make him laugh… or cry.

2. Most anything you get for Dad, he’s going to appreciate. Or not – who knows! Don’t stress yourself out on the BEST. PRESENT. EVER. Most Dad’s have everything already, so it’s the thought that counts.

3. Don’t feel like it has to be on time. At this point you’re really late already – so sure you could pay $20 extra to make sure it arrives on Saturday – but instead pop a card in the mail tomorrow, and let him know it will get there early next week. Fathers Day can be celebrated all year! :)

And now for some linkys:

• For the golfer: SandTrapGifts.com – this site has everything!! Very cool for the golfing Dad (or Mom!)
• Omaha Steaks – note Amazon has some great Father’s Day deals on their steaks, too.
• Speaking of food – Amazon has a new Gourmet Foods section and Williams Sonoma has some great rubs , pastes & “drizzles” (among other great cooking items!)
• Restoration Hardware and Crate & Barrel have a few things, too
• For the more creative and/or elegant/designer Dad: Wishingfish.com and Red Envelope are two really fun sites to look through.

Remember my tips & celebrate Dad! (or if you’re dad’s a jerk, send a present to mom! Mom’s always need more presents :)

Wednesday we flew into Cleveland, Rick’s Dad picked us up from the airport & we drove straight to Geneva and ate at Eddie’s Grill. This place has been there since 1950, and it still looks the same. Total throwback burger joint, it’s awesome. And… Rick worked there when he was about 14. Aww yaa.

His parents have a house in Geneva, but then also own this nice condo in Geneva on the Lake, which is where Eddie’s Grill is. It’s like a mini little resort that sits right on Lake Erie. Very quaint and cute. We got to stay in the condo, which was luxurious. A 2 bedroom, 2 bath is a huge place to have all to our selves compared to our little closets here in SF.

Thursday morning, after Rick & I enjoyed making breakfast in the comfy condo, we all hopped in the car & drove down to Columbus. A video of the insane rain storm we hit on the way down will come later. But any of you from the midwest know the kind: Your winshield wipers can’t go fast enough to keep the pounding rain off enough to even see! It was fun :)

We arrived at the Franklin Park Conservatory, where Michelle’s wedding was being held, just in time for the rehearsal. The Conservatory had the Chihuly glass installations there and it was just amazing!! Really incredible. It was here I got to meet the rest of Rick’s family for the first time!

Saturday night we all enjoyed a delicious rehearsal dinner at Braddock’s in Grandview. Many, many glasses of wine were had – some really yummy food – and I got to doodle with my new little friend Alex, which was so great!

Friday we all did our various things throughout the day – most of the ladies hit the salon, I stayed back at the hotel & got a little work done – and by 5 we were headed over to begin the evening. It was a very beautiful wedding – the conservatory was a fantastic place to have it! They not only had those incredible glass installations, but they have a butterfly room, too – with tons of butterflies flying around. It was really neat.

We danced the night away – I met lots of family members and friends of the family. It was a blast!

The next day we all went over to the newleyweds house for food and gift opening. Nice & relaxing. All his relatives are so sweet… I felt very welcome and was so honored to be able to share the entire event with their family. Michelle & Ron are now in Hawaii!

Saturday night we drove back to Geneva to spend another night at the condo and catch some of the good ol’ GOTL nightlife. Because we’d been grazing all day and then sitting in a car all afternoon (it’s a 3 hour drive), I proposed we take a sunset walk before we started our evening.

The sunset on Lake Erie was beautiful… We had a nice walk along the coast to the marina, and then back through some woods. I love how lush the forests are there!

We ate some yummy pizza from (count em) 2! places on the strip (we split 1 at one place and 1 from another to compare)… and then headed back to the condo to clean up & get ready for the evening ahead.

Rick’s buddies from HS came over: Jake & Jop (nickname) – and Jop even brought his girlfriend who coincidentally knows my friend Eric! They both grew up in Marietta. Such a small world!

We had a few yummy gin & tonics at the condo & then headed out to the local bar: The Cove where we set out to see SON OF GLAM – a hilarious 80’s hair band tribute! haha!!

The highlight of the evening had to have been when I walked up to the stage & asked if they could play anything from The Darkness – and they did!! Right there on the spot they kicked out “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” and I thought I was going to LOSE IT with excitement! It was awesome – totally made my night!

We had a BLAST!!! And I quickly took to making it a personal goal to taking as many photos with "the locals" as I could. We’re talking MULLETS GALORE! This place hasn’t changed since the 80’s!! I told this first guy he looked like my brother to get him to take a photo with me. And this middle one here seems to be a Son of Glam fanatic! And of course, the one on the right – me with the lead singer – aaaww yaaaa. Makin friends all over the place!

After we closed down the bar – where by the way they were still graciously serving beers to well around 2:30am! – we headed back to the condo. On the way I had Jake take a photo with this crazy girl on the street – we had a 3 way with Mr. Putt Putt and then went back to the condo where Andi proceded to totally kick all our asses in Texas Hold’Em. Such a rockin night!!! In Ohio even – who knew!?

Sunday morning we slept in and hit breakfast (well by that time they’d only serve us lunch) at Mary’s Kitchen. It was gorgeous weather and we luxuriously hung out and chilled in the condo till Rick’s parents showed up.

We went & enjoyed Eddie’s Grill one last time – which I just realized I forgot to mention how DELICIOUS the chocolate malt was!! We toured downtown Geneva and I got to see his Dad’s store… and then the moment I’d been waiting for all weekend: We visited the largest rocking chair ever! My life is complete :)

It was a fantastic weekend and I must admit I’m so relaxed from having some time away! Yay for vacations!

Oh ya – and here’s the full photo album (by request, I took these down) from the trip, if yer interested – there’s some pretty funny shots from Saturday night!