We have Disneyland, Universal Studios, The Hollywood sign, movie studios, driving along you see spots you recognize from movies... but what we don't have is theaters to see the movies in.  I mean, ok we DO have theaters.  But not as many as you'd think.  When I lived in Portland, there were like 4 theaters on one street in like 4 blocks.  I go to Fandango.com, I enter my zip code, you know how many in my ZIP code come up?  NONE.  Now that doesn't mean much as there are two in Marina Del Rey which isn't that far from here (I live in an odd area where I'm officially LA, but I'm really right on border of Santa Monica, Culver City, and Marina Del Rey take your pick).  The two in Marina Del Rey are literally right across the street from each other.  One (the one I saw Hancock in) has the worst sound ever.  It sounds like there is one speaker from a home stereo at the front of the theater -- but only costs $10 and has it's own free parking structure.  The other has good sound, but is in a busy shopping center with virtually no parking for the whole shopping center. 

So we usually end up going to The Bridge in the Howard Hughes Center.  Yes, Howard Hughes is a big name in LA, in case you didn't know... He's far more than a Leo character in The Aviator (a good movie, I thought), duh ;)  So we've decided to try to see Batman Monday as Brian's team got Monday off.  Now I've been saying for weeks, I hear it's selling out, so little theaters here we need to pre-order.  blah blah blah.  Brian never listens ;)  Silly man decided last minute hey maybe we can go tonight... I didn't get excited.  Good thing.  He was trying for 1:30 am at The Bridge (which usually sells out anyway).  He somehow figured 1:30 would be less busy.  Yeah, sold out.  DUH.

I'm not so hopeful for Monday at this point.  grrr.  I told him pre-order.  Silly men never listen :P  When he gets home from his walk, he gets to check for Monday's Imax reserved seating *nods*

*EDIT* while Brian was on phone / walk all of the Monday shows sold out so he tried to get the new late night one that opened up tonight... while trying IT sold out.  So, he kept trying every one, wouldn't take his card (any card - all valid) over the phone and/or sold out as he tried.  He finally got the only show we could get into -- 9:30 AM tomorrow.   No IMAX left, but a good theater with digital projector at least.  Looks like I'm staying up all night or I won't wake up.  His co-workers wanted to go together, but the one awake right now (1:30 am) bought his tickets for Monday alone too.  It's too crazy here.  We're starting to think the online/phone sales is crashing - it shows sold out, then tickets, then none, won't take valid cards on phone, then will online through same system for ones the phone said were sold out... ugh.  Brian "This better be good and it's your birthday present"  I'm sure he'll forget he said that by my Birthday... in October. Besides we had a deal -- Wall-E opening weekend for him, Batman opening weekend for me.

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In almost these words my neuro told me he's n00b to Neurology ;)  But he was very nice and was sure to ask the boss about stuff.  Once again they said I had tremor on left side.  Weaker left side.  Several tests for Babinski's sign on left side compared to right, don't think they get a response on left side or something. 

The smell thing -- He said it's fairly normal for people with brain issues basically and I'm not crazy.  His boss is ordering an EEG to test for seizure activity.  I didn't bring up that what I'd found online seemed to be saying seizures though, just described what I've been having happen.  But now I know it's either normal for MS and other neuro conditions and/or could be seizure activity.  Their secretary said it usually takes a year to get an EEG scheduled but since it was the main Neuro ordering it then it usually happens much sooner.  I hope so otherwise may have them postpone the November appointment they made for after the EEG gets scheduled.  Because frankly getting there at 8 am and getting home at 2 is  major suck.  The noises and crowds and uncomfy seats when you can get one leave me in so much pain and just tired and frustrated as I sleep during the day so now I'm beat as I didn't sleep.

He was going to sign thing saying I have MS so I can try to get out of Jury Duty in December since we so far haven't regulated headaches, sleep, exhaustion when awake, now new smells issue, etc.  It wouldn't say much more than I have MS and those documented issues and then court decides if I get out of it.  But the boss guy told him after he started doing it they can't fill those out and that I have to tell the court those things myself as they can't do it medically... or something.  I guess because there is no test to prove I suffer from sleep probs, exhaustion, headaches, all what I tell them.  So they can treat me for it, prescribe meds for it, they just can't tell a judge I have it? Which sort of makes sense with all I heard about working in a hospital but sheesh.

Even though UCLA pumps out some great doctors, even their n00b ones, Brian is thinking that since I only have to see a neuro every 6 months or so it may be worth finding a private doctor.  He's willing to pay the $400 or so evey 6 months to avoid losing nearly a day of work + being annoyed by the wait + after being seen you wait another 1/2 hour - 1 hour to see secretary if you get a refill or new rx, etc.  This could be an issue when tests get ordered though.  Hmm..

Oh yeah they upped my Topamax dose.

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John Adams was the most nominated for this year's Emmys, with 23.
HA!  Brian's first major credit to be seen was on a show that has the most emmy nominations this year!
Means nothing to him or his career etc, but it's damn cool.  And the person that he worked for is listed under Visual Effects so !!! w00t.

Neurologist time... Appointment isn't until 9:30 but it's actually first come first served and always hours of wait time so getting there by 8-8:30 means we might get in by 11.

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Yesterday while Brian was getting ready for work the big news story was all about how Budweiser had been sold, blah blah blah.  The story mentioned that they'd want to make their money back within a year and one way to do that would be to expand Budweiser internationally.  I'm not a beer drinker but even I know American beer is considered crap.  So I made some comment about how yeah, you don't sell American beer in other countries if you want to make your money back.  Brian told me it was one of the coolest things I'd ever said... I'm not sure if that was a compliment or not, I suppose to guys and beer drinkers it was.  Of course to others it will probably make me Anti-American... don't blame me, I don't drink beer but I've heard I might have liked it more if I hadn't tried American beer.  

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Brian got temp fix for his car until he can find and electrician.  The guys at the auto part store and his dad think it's a wire somewhere or something causing the battery to drain as alternator has been tested and is ok.  I guess.  I dunno cars are beyond me.

So we did go pay my bills, picked up meds, got some groceries.  We'd be in trouble in an emergency I tell ya, we buy just barely enough groceries for a week, that was close.

Neighbor told us he found a fix for his plumbing prob that didn't require them going into our wall to access pipe so the maintenance guys won't have to come in tomorrow.  Good thing Brian saw him.  The maintenance people / landlord didn't update us.  So I would have probably decided to stay up all day tomorrow as they're suppose to be here at 9 am... and now it appears they won't be.

That just leaves Thursday -- Housing Dept has to come in to do lead paint tests or something when I will probably be at Neuro.  So far best answer seems either A.  Leave threatening note on front door explaining DO NOT leave door open and DO NOT let cats out or B. move stinky litter box and food into bedroom and close that door with note saying cats are in there if possible please leave bedroom alone or be careful not to let them out of house, etc. 

Dunno... Landlord is good few times they've had to come and I'm sure he'll be here for it with them but who knows how housing dept people will be.  We could be home by then as we're gonna go at 8ish but with UCLA we could be home at 11... or not until 2 when getting there at 8 for 9:30 appointment.   Maybe should let them in bedroom if landlord is with them he's still not come seen our water damage :/

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I'm just gonna loop Daniel Powter's Bad Day song for the rest of the day I think...

First I sleep during the day usually (usually aka my body changes my routine at will and meds don't control my sleep issues).  So I lay down... and bang bang bang bang on the front door.  Brian is half awake and goes to the front door, no one.  He's back asleep snoring within 1/2 hour, I had been nearly asleep when the banging occurred but was wide awake thanks to it.  Then pound pound pound on pretty much every wall in the apartment complex it sounded like.  Then even though there's virtually no yard here, it is yard maintenance day, leaf blower or something that sounds like a small jet engine crashing is going on and off outside.  Pretty soon my head starts feeling like it going to explode from all of the noises everywhere and I'd like to be deaf -- just for this morning.  BANG BANG BANG on door again.  Brian gets it.  Seems neighbor had plumbing probs, a different one this time.  Not the one over us (they fixed his but never checked out our nasty wall for the water damage) no the one next to us has kitchen sink probs.  So Monday at 9 am they have to come in and go through our wall or something... ugh.

Then I finally get quiet at noon - 1 pm.  We have plans to go to the mall to pay my bills at 4, to get coffee, groceries as there's no f00d in the house, and my seizure meds as I am out.  Fuck.  Ok I'll take a nap.  Finally sleep.  Brian wakes me up at 4:30'ish.  We go to leave... His car is dead again.  When he last replaced the battery he already knew it wasn't the battery, there's a more serious prob causing it to drain like mad.  But he's been busy with work, blah blah blah and like usual doesn't wanna deal with it (he doesn't care they don't come look at the wall because he's sure it's just rust and cosmetic and we'll move out in a few months, he doesn't care the only electic outlet in the kitchen doesn't work because he doesn't use it, and it's a pain when people come in here even though he'd be at work I'd be the one missing sleep and babysitting the cats in the room while they worked on it, etc).  And every time he replaces the battery or whatever it stops happening for awhile.  And now I'm just ranting and being bitchy about it on here and told him well you need to get it fixed, which I don't think he appreciated. A little over 3 hours sleep.  Go to car, his portable battery charged didn't get anything so he's saying no no let the portable battery charger charge a few more hours... ... ...

Oh and there's a sign on our building from the housing department saying they're entering the building Thursday at 11 for inspections.  Something about buildings built before the 70s that are used as rentals having to undergo mandatory lead level tests or some shit.  Which ok, good you look out for tenants... But I have two cats one that is TERRIFIED of people and Thursday at 11 I won't be here as they magically picked one of about 2-4 days a year I'm at the neurologist.  It takes months to get a new appointment, I'm having current issues, and hell it takes weeks to not get a busy signal at UCLA scheduling so I'm not rescheduling that and I have no one I can leave my cats with so wtf?

It's not a good day and it's not gonna be a good week with a 9 am Monday we're coming to tear through your wall neighbors having plumbling probs, the usually 8 hours of waiting at UCLA appointment, and the housing dept deciding to check for lead paint that day, no transportation, no food in the house, no coffee, can't go pay my bills, I'm pretty sure my trip to Hellboy is out of the picture this weekend, I'm doubting I'll see Batman anytime this year because when I keep mentioning we will have to pre-order tickets Brian basically ignores me. 

I'm bitchy for once.  *whine*

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Brian wants to see what he can do with solar panels -- but he figured that'd be best with a house and a garage etc.  I pointed out to him a house is EXPENSIVE.  I've been saying house living is better for ages but we'll never be able to afford it.  Just before that Brian had mentioned we need to go to Vegas before September as they're closing the Star Trek museum and I did promise him I'd go with him.   So he mentioned to buy a house he'd have to go out of state.  See housing market crash or not Cali is beyond expensive - as a test I went to the LA area MLS site.  In my zip code (which isn't exactly celeb rich people city) I started with max 400k and kept raising it by 100k at a time.  I had to raise it to 700k to get 2 pages of results, still under 20 homes all listed with things like "great starter homes" and pics of tiny homes explaining things like the yard is big enough that there may be room to add on to the house and virtually no interior pics or just pics of say a tiny kitchen.  Yeah.  Basically to get an ok, not in the ghetto, with room to walk in  you'll need to prepare for well over 1 mil.  

So I told Brian hm out of state? Nevada? It's close.  He said yeah or Eastern Cali.  Well frankly we think all that is in Eastern Cali is a you're now leaving California sign :P  So he told me for fun check Vegas and see if you can even get a home there for under 300k.  I set max on their MLS to 300k... and about fainted.  All of them look newer and nicer and have 4-6 bedrooms and 2-4 bathroms, most have 2 garages, yards... just wtf?  Man I knew we had it rough but either Vegas was really hit hard by the housing mortgage crisis or we're in the wrong state.  Thing is Brian doesn't know what happens when his job ends or even when it ends.  If he got regular freelance work after he could actually afford that and be close enough to here to make frequent trips if necassary.  It's mostly a joke at this point but a tempting one because holy cheap batman!  Then he points out it's desert.  That it is, but it also has cooler winters than LA I think. And I bet the houses all have AC. So then he tells me run the $100-200k search, I did using the neighborhoods people online claim are decent -- still nice houses.  WTF?  We're getting ripped off here.  For $700 or less a month could own something much nicer and bigger and a HOUSE there.  That's cheaper than our 1 bedroom small apartment rental here.  Granted you gotta come up with money to get into it but holy...

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Ok real non political, non rant, non art, etc update.

I'm alive.  Still recovering from that heat spell we had.  No energy.  Try to draw, etc but just no brain power.  After apartment shaking skipping cd on mega loud yesterday I got a headache like I've not had in a year or so and all of those vibrations and that level of head pain also seemed to trigger a tingle attack unlike any I've had recently.  So health could be better. 

Made it to Wall-E tonight and briefly met a few of Brian's co-workers as we left (they were already seated and not near us when we got there) and they weren't ones he usually talks about.  Then went to get f00d.  He has another co-worker event tomorrow but it was somewhere that requires reservations and with the exhaustion, MS'y, tingly stuff Brian just told them not to include one for me, which was a wise move.  But of course the co-workers he works closest with weren't at the theater tonight, so Brian told one of the others who was there they'd have to be his witness that he DID show up with me and does have a gf :P  His co-worker, of course, said it'd be something more like "Nah Brian was there alone, there was no girl with him' heh.

As for Wall-E, cute movie.. apparently it's weird that I am more excited about Batman than it and that Brian is more excited about it than Batman.  Sexism!  But Wall-E was cute.  MUCH better than Indiana Jones was.  Of the summer movies I've seen Iron Man, Indy, and Wall-e.  Wall-E's probably on top followed by Iron Man and dead last Indy and expect this list to be moved around once I see Batman and I might also see Hancock... thinking about Hellboy 2 too, but haven't seen 1 yet.

Hmm that's it.  Art = still working on several digital paintings but have no brain power or energy so getting nothing done on them to speak of.  MS'y stuff not horrrriffic but not good either so am lazy and tingly and just like I have no energy.  Umm hmm yeah.  Brian has the next week off and I forget to look up stuff to do, oops.  Told you no brain power... MS is so fun, especially in summer.  I'm repeating myself.   zzzzzzzz

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So our 2fer ticket was going to expire during the week, which meant go to Disney CA Adventure this weekend or let it go to waste.  This kind of felt like a waste either way because well... if you haven't been there CA adventure SUCKS.  Despite having the Disney name it's really just a fair.  There's like one ride we like, some over hyped rides, a coaster I haven't braved due to my MS / messed up senses, a Muppet show I LOVE that's hidden in a corner that never seems popular but if you were raised on Muppets like I was well it rocks, and... that's it really.  The new Toy Story ride we were excited about isn't opening until the 17th but we decided to go anyway.  Good thing we did, they had a sneak preview unannounced before tomorrow's media day and Tuesday's official opening of the ride!  The line said 50 minute wait time but between the line and the ride itself we were in and out in about 30.  I liked it so much better than the version at Disneyland, it rocked. 

BUT.. there was some bad at the park too :(  The car ride that makes Brian a bit ill, I had put my purse in the mesh bag they give you for bags so they don't fall out (there's lots of hats etc down in the bottom of the ride).  We get out of the ride, walk down the stairs, and I notice the zipper on my purse is just shattered and my Go Forward Superman / Christopher Reeve tag is gone :(  Brian went up and that car was just coming back around and the tag was still in the mesh bag so we saved that, YaY!  But the zipper on my purse is toasted.  Not sure how it got caught on a mesh bag and torn apart when it was a metal piece that's held up for years and I didn't notice.  Meh.  So we joked that Ed Norton owes me a latte and Disney owes me a purse.

Also... WTF makes a building FIREPROOF?  Isn't that like saying HEY ARSONISTS TRY US?  Brian thinks it's kind of like the Titanic and their we're the unsinkable ship line.  Sadly I saw it on the freeway when we were going 60 mph and I only had my phone can so I stole a pic from Google.  I mean, what?  Because the building looks as old as LA and is still standing it's fireproof?

Young Apartments

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$5 a gallon coming soon?  On May 27th I posted that gas prices were, on average,  "$4.30 9/10th" around here -- though the station by our house was $4.03.  Well here we are June 7th and those $4.30 9/10th stations are now $4.59 9/10 - $4.69 9/10th today.  Enjoy, $5 isn't far off.  Hell maybe we'll copy my friends, the Dutchies soon and be at $11 or so a gallon.  The news said that scooters that are freeway approved are on backorder at local stores as they cost about 3k but cost virtually nothing to fill up and you can go 100+ miles on that $6 or so tank of gas.  Guess instead of playing the spot the Prius game I'll soon have to switch to the spot the scooter game.

Anyway, headache... gonna try the sleep thing, didn't get enough of it today and tomorrow is Universal Studios day.  They're open 10-7 I think?  And we plan to go around noon or so, but Brian tends to be late so more like 1 I bet.  But it takes me forever to fall asleep, I'm way behind on sleep, and my head is killing me, so hmm let's see if I can sleeeep now.  11:30.  I so rarely sleep at night, this should be fun,.

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