Commercials, Jam Sessions and Visitations.

Good afternoon/evening/whatever. This blog is dedicated to the events of the past 4 days (since Friday, 08.08.08)

Aah, Friday. Bill Maher with Chip. Fifth row. Close enough to watch the man spit out (literally) every other word. It was kind of gross after a while. Say it, don't spray it, Bill.

Funny, albeit his cynicism is really a downer at times. I do admit he makes a few good points when it comes to politics, sex and uhh...I think that might be it. His rant on pharma was good, especially when he discusses big pharma being part of the downfall of Americans (getting prescribed something for anything), obesity and steroid use in food (and I'm paraphrasing):

"Why do you think that 8 year old girls have tits? And they've got McGwire testifying in front of the Senate about steroid use in baseball....WHO CARES?! The steroids are in the meat...the food we eat. Unless we're eating McGuire, it's none of our business."

So, yeah. It was good. Except Chip was none too happy with his religious rant. Maher is an aethiest and is not afraid to hide it. Chip....well, lets just say that Chip was going to be one of the many who wanted to walk out during the tail end of the show, where he basically ripped WESTERN religion a new asshole. I thought it was funny. Of course I did.

After Bill, we met up with Liz and found ourselves at a party. A theme party. A EUROTRASH theme party. Oh god....

We didn't stay long.

Saturday. Oh oh oh....saturday. It was (to say the least): ONE FOR THE BOOKS. Saturday was the "TECH SCOUT" for the shoot we were holding on Monday. If you're not familiar with what a tech scout is, it is (after you've picked your shooting location, you go to the location and do the following:)

• Note everything you wish to bring onto set in terms of set dressing, special effects, large equipment, etc. and where it will be placed on the day of filming.
• Placement of any cranes, generators and all production vehicles
• Quantity and lengths of trucks, generators, large equipment
• Cabling plans in and out of any buildings
• Creating sets prior to shoot.
  

The plan was that after the TS, there would be a little shindig. Since we were filming at Corey's house (he's one of my CD's....oh....CREATIVE DIRECTORS), the filming crew would peace, and me and "the boys" would hang out for a bit.

Chip and I overslept. We were supposed to be there at 11:30...in MARIN. Which means a long ferry ride (45 min.) and that's not counting the subway time it takes to get to the ferry. Whoops. We wake up at 11 a.m. We finally arrive at Corey's house in San Rafael (Marin County) at 1:45... yeah. Tech scout was complete, and it was...."party time." My Creative directors (Peter and Corey...Bob was on an Ikea trip for his daughter whom is leaving for college in 2 weeks) and the director for the commercial, (JOHN) are all musicians.

Corey, Peter, Chip, John (the director), Rob (The producer from Barbary Post) and myself all hung out, snacked on some good foods and broke out about 10 guitars for a little "jam sesh" complete with audio set-up, mics, speakers, amps, bass and electric guitars, harmonicas, maracas and tamborines. They played tons of stuff from Dylan to The Dead and even Chip got to play a few of his originals. Overall, it was interesting listening to four guitarists jam out.

The end of the day had John (the director) take us back into the city since we had missed the last ferry over. I asked John if he had any plans, or if he was just going to return to his hotel room. (He was in town for the shoot - he lives in Delray Beach, FL) and after this shoot was flying to LA to shoot for Apple. Yeah. He rules.

He said he'd love for Chip and I to join him and Ken (the owner of the production/filming company) at the Hotel Majestic bar/restaurant for cocktails and dinner. So...we did. Three glasses of wine later (for me) and a few bourbon-gingers (Chip), some Kobe beef Tartar, Mozarella and tomato salad and Gnocchi later....it was time to head home.

At 10:30 we had another guest arrive at the apartment: Brandon, one of Chip's new fellow band members (Taylor Lee's band). I laid out lots of hors d'ourves (sp?): see below. we hung out until about 1:30 and then it was crash time. Brandon was the guy that held the part we went to the previous night, btw. Sorry, no pictures from the Eurotrash party. I wish I had....yikes.


We make a good set of party hosts, don't you think? It was 100% vegetarian. We kind of rule.

So, Sunday was a lazy day. But enough about that. On to MONDAY. The "SHOOT DAY" for the new Fall Honda spots. Awake at 6:30 a.m. to be at the shoot in Marin by 8. OY VEY. Brenda was none too happy. Three spots to shoot in one day. YIKES. There's so much to making commercials that I can't even fathom how movies are made. It blows my mind. It was nearly a 12-hour shoot. But honestly, the reason people like shoots boils down to one reason: THE CATERING. Best food ever. They feed you the most incredible (and sometimes odd) food. All day. From gourmet egg sammy's for breakfast, bagels with lox/capers or fresh fruit, snacks of fresh tuna and pesto sammy's, homemade guacamole/salsa, artichoke dip and chips to lunch of "Puerto Rican Soul Food" (broiled chicken, rice, redbeans and olives, plantains, arugula salad, avocados....wow!!), and tons of other little goodies...

Yes. The Catering is the reason.

So, the shoot went well. It was Brenda's first big commercial shoot. So, to honor the occasion I took lots of production stills. Below each photo, you'll see a caption. Enjoy.



The ride over to Marin...the world-famous....GG Bridge. And even more famous: FOG.

This is what the creatives and the Ad Agency people do on set: play online and read books. This is me, with Peter (in the hat) and Corey (with the laptop). They are my CD's.... rad, RAD dudes.


In the preview area. They set up a couple of screens so we could watch live feed of what was being shot on set.

Here is a closer shot of Peter and Corey. In the corner is Rob, from Barbary.

Corey makes a goofy face. That's a forte of his. :)

And here, we have Bob. Bob rules. He's the Executive CD at Baker street. And yes, that's a Ryan Adams & The Cardinals shirt he's wearing. Yes. Bob rules.

Here, we have Peter Angelos. He is an incredible writer, a wordsmith, and just an all-around chill guy. He is a Creative Director (copy) at Baker Street. The three previous images are of my "boys"...the three guys I work for. They're the best mentors I could ask for, and are responsible for some of the most famous commercials, such as Chevron Talking Cars, Levi's, Dockers, LA Raiders' "Welcome To Our House" campaign...and that's not touching the tip of the iceberg. I'm one lucky little Art Director to be working with such amazing talent. And oh boy...the stories I get to hear! One day, you'll get to hear the story from Peter discussing how he worked with Michael Bay on a spot (he directed "The Rock," and most recently, "Transformers") and how he got to have Paulina (from the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover) come in for a casting call just so he could tell her, "take off your pants."

It was part of the concept. The commercial called for a hot girl to drop her pants. That, my friends, is power.





The last three photos are of John Alper, the director. The guy that Chip and I went out with for dinner and Drinks on Saturday. Rad, rad dude. The top two are of him in his little director's chair doing what he does: directs.

In the preview room. Photo courtesy: Rob Thomas.




On set. Camera overhead shot for one spot. Moved to a dolly (bottom) for the second spot. Lots of craziness abounded all day. It was very busy, but really cool to watch an idea turn into a final piece.


Sunday night I made a stab at Stuffed Peppers. Lean 94% meat from Trader Joe's, brown rice, and a homemade marina. Stuffed, baked for 20 min., and topped with parmesan cheese.

Chip said it was the best meal I've made so far. I beg to differ, but they sure were tasty. As Rachel Ray says, "DELISH!"

Thursday we get new out of town guests....ones I'm so friggin excited to get: Chip's family!!!!!!

Ok, you KNOW there will be plenty of pictures from that visit. I can't wait. I miss them so much (as much as my own mom/dad/bro/sis) so it'll be great to have them around. I need some hugs from my new family.

And finally...I believe I've informed everyone about the exciting time I had proving I was a worthy hire when the Honda board accepted MY IDEA for the Labor Day event spot....it is my first commercial, and has probably paid my salary. And without further adieu...keep in mind, this is to SELL CARS. Clean, get the point across. No, it's not my best work, but its made with the client's interest in mind.

Enjoy. Love,
Brenda

Next Stop: Bill Maher

Hola and Greetings to everyone again.

I know, I know...I'm not as consistent as I have promised, but sometimes I feel you guys should just be lucky that I haven't completely forgotten about writing anything at all. Why should you feel lucky?

Well, maybe you shouldn't, but at least be grateful that this blog offers you the chance to kill five minutes of your day reading the mundane rants of our daily lives here in SF.

So, here's what's going on. Wedding plans? HA. Yeah, we're trying. We've figured out so far what the wedding favors will be, and trust: it will be quite interesting and probably something you've never seen.

what else is up?

My first commercial concept was approved by the client, and I have been making it into a real :30 spot for TV. Very exciting stuff indeed. Once the final spot is done, i'll post it here for you guys to watch.

i've also had a couple of web banners made for Alerts.com, and IMO, they look great. That's another thing I'll show you guys when they're ready for launch.

Recently, Chip has been playing with a new band, Taylor Lee, and has a show with them next Friday (which he refuses to let me attend). He's gotten A's so far for his summer classes, so he's until now (and will probably remain that way), a straight A student. Great job.

Friday we celebrate with the tickets to Bill Maher doing a stand up routine. It should be fabulous.

I took Liz to see my favorite broadway show, A Chorus Line a coupl eof weeks ago. She wasn't as impressed as I was, but I think it's because I knew all the songs, and she didn't. she's also into the lovey-time period type musicals (Les Mis, etc.)

C'est le vie.

Umm...what else? We go to see Ryan Adams play on the 23rd, and Sigur Ros in October. Hmm. I'm trying to think of anythign exciting. Nope.

The weather is cold. Apparently it's typical for the summer. I wear layers and jackets every day, and i can't remember the last time I wore something sleeveless. However - I don't miss for a second the scorching heat and humidity.

I do miss, though, the fact that my dad is in San Diego, and I can't get out to see him this week and cheer on his soccer team. I'm rooting for ya!

Otherwise, I want you guys to know that I totally miss you, as does Chip. We're doing our best to tough out not being close to our family and friends, but we know you support us in our decision out here.

A big "GOOD LUCK" goes out to Jill who is embarking on her journey to the Big Apple this Saturday....fingers crossed for your interviews, and I know you'll knock them dead. On that note, the same goes to Brian as he moves to LA in a couple of weeks.

And WTG to Jess for 3x a week at the gym. Lets get Haley in the pool and turn her intoa little swimmer.

Also, since I'm sure most of you have missed our "food blogs", Chip and I have a ton of new recipes on the way. If you see something you might like to try yourself, we'll send you the recipe. All of these are recipes we got from somewhere else, but add our own "flair" to make it our own. Very "Fusion" cooking. Lots of asian fusion as well. Still working on healthy versions of mexican, but that damn cheese gets in the way. Chip did a great Picadillo, which I thought was fantastic...and my signature recipe is still the Parmesan-Tomato-Basil sauce served over Halibut with satueed spinach and mushrooms.

Yeah. It's that good...just ask jeff gordon.

Ok, I'm outta here. Keep your eye out for more blogs regarding our food. It's not a joke for us anymore, we've even discussed restaurants after the cookbook is in the works.

Talk sooner than later. XO.

So it begins: Wedding Planning, take 1

Well, Chip and I have officially begun, and it's starting to sink in.

We've at least decided on a venue for the outdoor ceremony/indoor reception:

LEWIS GINTER BOTANICAL GARDEN. Evening wedding (6 p.m., with a reception from 7-10)

BTW, for anyone who doesn't know, the wedding date is Sept. 12, 2009.

Next step: finalizing some sort of a guest list, and figuring out who we like enough to keep on it. HA! We've also got our first round of the wedding party done. We have to discuss whether or not we're keeping it as-is, or cutting it down by 2.

I have decided to design the invitations myself, and get them professionally printed. Chip and I have agreed it would be in our own best interest to use something we design ourselves.

We've also discussed first dance song....and I'd tell you except it would be quite unfair to divulge such a great secret. we've also figured that we will not walk down the aisle to the "wedding march," but I have picked a different song to walk down to...yet another secret I cannot share.

I want to extend a huge thank you to my sister, who has become my own personal wedding planner. Without her, I'd be lost. It's always good that you have a sibling who has done that whole "marriage" thing, because I wouldn't even know where to begin.

Thanks Jess. You're a lifesaver.

I will keep everyone posted as details come.

Done for the week....

Hey everybody.

I get chip home in an hour. I can tell you how excited I am, other than to use the term, "twitterpated" (because it's really fun to say and really good use of summarizing everything into one word).

I've been catching up on other people's blogs, and it seems to turn out that I'm not doing a good job of keeping up with the Joneses...assuming I know any Joneses. I think what this blog may turn into is more than a play-by-play update of where Chip and I are and what we're doing, but we may actually turn it into random thoughts and ideas, perhaps a discussion forum for his journey into philosophy and religious studies and my venture in the advertising arena and perhaps dive a little into our political beliefs.

San Francisco is one interesting city. It's a "bubble" out here, to say the least. Many misconstrue this city for being "hippy-dippy" but in fact, it's not really at all. It's just a bunch of forward thinkers that are really into healthy living, thinking and eating. And when I say "healthy" this is what I mean:

San Francisco is a city full of people that smile. Randomly. They also talk to themselves. In Richmond, someone talking to themselves would immediately be labeled as one of the "crazies." For some reason, not out here. I see men in three-piece business suits talking to no one. And no, before you ask, there is no earpiece in sight. The homeless do it, sure, but I see normal, every day people downtown just muttering shit out loud to no one else. It seems to be fairly common, and if not accepted around here. I don't know why, and I have yet to figure it out. But let me ask: how many of you talk to yourself in private?

as my mom always said, "It's ok to talk to yourself. It's when you answer yourself that you should start to worry."

Also, it's only here that you'll see the homeless put up signs like this one:


I also want to note that his donation request was in fact, to "Learn Karate" (so, of course, he could retrieve his kidnapped family).

Other things about this city that we may have not conveyed yet:
-They love their street fairs here. They happen probably every weekend in some neighborhood. Fresh produce stands, live jazz or music, local clothing designers. They go crazy for anything "local" here, including musicians, politicians, comedians, filmmakers, artists, cabbage growers, dressmakers, strawberry farmers, etc....This only reinforces the "bubble" concept as previously stated. We are in a bubble here. We love being a separate entity. San Francisco really is almost like another country within the state of California within the United States of America. I don't really think this city is even considered part of the state of California.

-With that being said, here's back up to the statement I just made. Liz and I had a long discussion about the city being "bubble-like"...When marriage became legal, and we had our weddings (By the way, the advertisements for marriage at city hall are being put up everywhere...the ads are for photographers/wedding planners/etc... recently, one of them, said, "Coming out to City Hall? We'll be there." - for Bella Photographers.) Anyway, I stray. As marriage was legalized, we noted that it was discussed for WEEKS in other states, and other areas outside of SF, and Liz noted that it was just a "blip" locally. It happened, and we moved on. Everywhere else, no one shut up about it. Our take? You don't like it, don't come here.

San Francisco is interesting in the fact that we have some odd "rivalry" with New York. I've seemed to figure out why.

New Yorkers are pretentious, and think they're better than everyone else.
San Fransciscans know we're better.

Call it what you might. But I think it's because no one is really from here. Of course you have "native" New Yorkers...out here, no one is is really "native," and when you meet one, it's like coming across a Leprechaun. You're kind of in awe, and not sure whether or not they really exist more than that one. Then you follow them to their pot of gold. Which is usually green, not gold....ahem.

I have no idea what I'm ranting about right now. I'm kind of bored at work since I'm done for the week. I'll probably go to the gym and work off this anticipatory excitement I have from finally getting my Chip back.

In fact, I think I'll do that.

And in closing, i want to convey a little quote I left on Brandi's blog (when she was discussing the Richmond-haters). I don't hate Richmond, it just wasn't in me. I said,

"Richmond will always be in my heart, but San Franscisco is in my soul."

Everyone finds their real home. I've found mine, and I'm lucky enough to have my two best friends with me.

Xo.
The Pea.

You want them....you got 'em.

Hey hey hey...

Ok, I am glad that I have regular readers that remind me to post updates, otherwise, this blog would go forgotten. Sometimes I have to remind myself that this isn't a personal blog, that I would go on political diatribes, where I stand on a fictitious e-box (think the internet version of a soapbox) to rant and rave about the state of the union, the state of California and the state of whatever else that bugs me on a sociopoliticaleconomic level (yes, made up).

So, with that being said, I'll remain present with the task at hand, the updates of something that has become routine for me, but perhaps exciting for you. Chip is not here in San Francisco right now. He left on July 4 for Delray to join his family down in So. Florida to enjoy warm weather and fine beaches. But the jokes on Chip!

Since he left, it's gone from the normal summertime weather of 65 degrees and somewhat chilly to about 75-85 degrees and beautiful and sunny...you know, exactly what he has in south florida, except we don't get the rain. Yes, my dear Chip...as I know you read this after I post, I laugh gleefully knowing that I didn't have to fly 3,000 miles to have what you have, but I'd definitely enjoy it a lot more if you were here.

He returns on Friday (cough...today, because I wrote this blog a week ago, and I'm only getting a chance to post it today), where I am sure that the weather will return to its normal "Mark Twain-ism" fashion (his quote can be researched online, but for all the lazies, I'll tell you...Twain was quoted to say that the "coldest winter I've spent was a summer in San Francisco") and it's true. In July, I'm wearing layers of clothes, but it's not more than a hoodie or a jean jacket. Most of the time, it's perfect. Never hot, never freezing. Oh, and that, my friends, is year round.

How's the weather in Richmond? I ask this as I smirk evilly with iniquitous fervor.

Wow, that rolls off the tongue beautifully.

Ok, so back to business. Fourth of July is bust in this city, only because the fireworks are always covered up by the fog. And of course, they hold the fireworks in the foggiest place in the city: over the Golden Gate Bridge. Don't you think they'd learn by now? So, Liz, Kris and I decided to be anti-fireworks and celebrate like true Americans: at the bar. We found ourselves later at a late-night dance night, jamming away to some good tunes and watching drag queens and girls in fringe dresses boogieing on tables. It was decent.

I got a haircut. Chip is getting a tan. I went drinking at a punk bar. Chip hung out with the Mayor of Delray. I got asked by squatters in Haight Ashbury to show them where to get heroin. Chip lays on the beach.

I think I got the good end of the deal here. Ha.

So, with Chip gone, Liz has done a good job of being my makeshift fiance. She and I plan to go out dress shopping this week, and tomorrow night I'm going to cook her dinner and we're going to watch The Bridge at my place and drink wine and whine about work. (Update: We didn't watch the bridge, but I did cook her a fabulous dinner. Tomorrow, Chip has class all day, so Liz and I are taking a "day trip" to the Zoo and/or to Golden Gate Park to the Frida Kahlo exhibit which is at the DeYoung Museum - in GG Park. We may frolic in the Japanese gardens if time permits).

Speaking of work, tomorrow we have our big first pitch to Alerts.com. The client is coming down from Washington (the state, for you east coasters) and we're presenting our ideas. Here are a couple that I came up with:











































































Update on Alerts: My ideas were embraced and loved and we may run with them. Except for the fact that the client stared at my chest the entire meeting. I have been given the task by Peter to "think about it" and if I want something said to Jack (our CEO) it's in my hands. I wasn't offended, it was more annoying than anything. Funny thing is, I wasn't wearing anything provocative. A nice fitting blue button up shirt, which didn't scream "My eyes are located a foot below my face"...

And finally, my lobster returns to me today. I can't even fathom how elated I am to see him again. I'm putting my foot down and locking him in the apartment for a few months. He's not allowed to leave again. It will have been 6 times in the past year that he's traveled coast to coast, and frankly - I'm over it. My turn to have him, people. MINE! :)

Chip also admitted that he misses my cooking.

I'll be sure to feed him a nice home cooked dinner. Some specialty of mine, but I'm not sure what yet. Perhaps my famous basil-tomato-parmesan sauce served over baked cod. And yes, it's THAT good.

We miss all of you.

oh and PPS: Monday marks our 6 months away from Richmond. Already!! I plan to celebrate by combining Richmond and SF in one sitting: Crack open a PBR and drink with a gay man.

xo.
Pea.

Behind

We really need to keep on top of things with this blog....

Lets just do a quick fill-in of whats up. Chip cut a demo. He now has a MySpace page, which you guys can all go check out at: www.myspace.com/chipcosby

Also, I just finished the initial design for Chip's EP. Here it is, for anyone that is curious:















Ok, so feel free to leave comments about how awesome it is. Because he's already got a show booked for July 12. Look at that! He "auditions" for a band next Monday. I don't know if he wants anyone to know about it, but it's just a rock band with a girl front, and they sound very radio pop. His guitar skills would be enough to blow them out of the water, if not just the fact that he'd be good looking on stage.

No, I'm not biased. I speak truth.

So, currently we have an out-of-town guest by the name of Jeff Gordon. I haven't been too exposed to this man prior to the move, so I've been thrown at the wolf, so to speak. Honestly, I think he and I were separated at birth. We bonded last night over our Jew-ness, sharing food at dinner, imbibing the same exact girly drink and watching Roseanne on Nick At Nite. I plan to cook him a kugel over the weekend. Somehow, I understand why Chip loves him and me simultaneously. We just might be the same person. Kind of like how I always thought Chip and Liz were the same person, just different genders.

At work, I'm doing stuff for our new client: Alerts.com, and if you have no idea what it is...GO TO THE SITE!!

Why? Because I need to gather some consumer information...and who better to be my guinea pigs but the lovely blog readers I have gained over the past few months. Leave some feedback. Tell me what you think of the site. I'm currently working on taglines and online advertising for the company. They officially launch this fall.

In other news, happy birthday (1st!!!) to my little niece Haley...the most beautiful little creature. If you haven't seen her, check out this meatball:















I have to be honest, for her birthday I kind of envision her wearing a sweet party hat. Since I can't fly back to celebrate my niece's birthday, I went into photoshop and put a cool hat on her. Happy 1st Birthday, Haley!!




















Oh, if that's not good enough. Look at Chip with a baby. That cracks me up every time.













Ok, that's all from here. I promise to post again after Jeff leaves. I'm sure there will a story or two or ten to tell. XOXO

B.

Happy....(insert here)

Hey all!

Some quick updates:

I finished doing some Trojan ads and we pitched the ideas to the client. I've got some pics below of what I came up with....Keep in mind, the specific Trojan condom we focused on was "Her Pleasure" so the ads are definitely geared towards female satisfaction...overall, the concept is that we all know condoms are for protection, so why not use them for pleasure too?

Here's a few pieces of the ads I presented (in slideshow form):

So, Chip and I went and visited Richmond earlier this month and had a blast! We attended Chip's mom's retirement party, had a great dinner with my family and one of my bridesmaids (Jill) and we both got to see a lot of family and friends. I got to see all but one of my bridesmaids (sorry Lauren!) and it was wonderful to spend our last night in DC with Alicia (another Bridesmaid) before flying out on Monday. However, the best part of our trip was the fact that Chip was able to spend a few days cutting a 4-song demo! I have posted the four songs for everyone to listen to at the bottom of this blog post. We'd LOVE to get some comments...send this to all your friends and have them take a listen as well. you can locate the songs at the end of this blog. PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT!

And....I had a wee little birthday. Nothing huge....just 28. But the Lobster outdid himself in every way possible. He wakes me up at 9:45 and pushes me out the door...drags me down to Union Square and places me in some hoity toity salon....he got me a half day. A facial, 1-hour massage, mani and pedi. He takes me home, I crash and nap off my massage and wake up to get ready for our guests to arrive at 7 p.m. We take a cab down to 1 Embarcadero Plaza...to what? Chip got tickets at The Punchline to see a local favorite: a phenomenal political comedian, Will Durst. Check out this interview he did on May 15 on a local radio show:

(P.S. I bought the book!)

Well, after the comedy show, we wait outside for a bit, and what shows up? A limo. The lobster got me a limo for the night! We traveled around the city in style with champagne toasts...went to Speck's (Bukowski's old hang) and a few other places (I don't remember too much...I had a lot to drink) and overall, the night was a success....
Here are some photos from the night, including a shot or two of Chip and I's "hor' derves party":



Last night, we finally broke out the deliciousness on a new level. We had a fondue party!! We found the original recipes from the Melting Pot and recreated them at home with our awesome CUISINART fondue pot (courtesy of Cathy...thanks!!). Chip and I made a Swiss cheese/cheddar/beer fondue that was AWESOME. I did a really good Coq Au Vin (veg broth/green onion/garlic/red wine). We dipped the usual in to the cheese (cauliflower, bread, apples, carrots, celery) and for the coq au vin, i let fingerling potatoes, broccoli and "baby bella" mushrooms simmer in the sauce and we cooked chicken and shrimp.

IT WAS GREAT. I have to say, that our food parties for two are enough to feed 4. No, we never make it through. We eat too much, complain we have "buddha bellies" and pass out after a glass of wine. Can you beat that?

Also...Chip is in school this week working right under one of his favorites, Stan Graf...he's learning about Astrology. It's very draining for him - he sits in class for eight hours at a time. By the end of the day, his mind is mush and his body is exhausted. I totally can understand....I was there too at VCU doing 14 hour days at one point. He's done with this class on Wednesday, so at least he can breathe for the weekend before he starts it again the following week. Send him some good thoughts so he can make it through the next couple of weeks.

Well, that's it for this update. I've got to get back to work (in some capacity). I'm actually working on the design for Chip's demo cover. I'll post some ideas as they come. In the meantime, check out his music and leave some feedback. I'm sure he'd really like to know what you all think.

Here is the MySpace page we set up for him. You can listen to all four tracks here:
http://www.myspace.com/chipcosby

ENJOY! Leave some feedback!!

Uh oh.

Haven't forgotten about you guys. I'm soooo sorry that we haven't written.

We've been SWAMPED! Chip's working on papers and finals, and I've been working on the latest round of Honda TV ads. Both are super time consuming and any free time we have (which would be spent writing a blog or two) we spend together since we rarely see each other.

In short, Chip is entering a songwriting contest tomorrow, finishing up finals and his papers and preparing for his summer classes.

I'm working, going to the gym, and spending free time sleeping, with Chip or with Liz when I can.

Other than that, it's perfect out here. When people ask what's new, I can't say anything new. Because it's always perfect. I can't tell you anything other than that. We're both so very happy and living healthy and well, and enjoying life to the fullest.

That's about it for now. Here's few pictures we took for you guys to look at. xoxox

Wow. It's been a little while. Sorry guys.

Ok, I'm not gonna really post much here, other than a bunch of pictures and a brief run down of what's been happening the past couple of weeks.

• Chip had a birthday
• We went to L.A.
• We saw Charlie Murphy (Eddie's brother) do stand up. Eddie's funnier.
  
• We visited Melrose, Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, The Promenade, The Grove, and Venice Beach (pictures below).
• We fed a monkey a dollar and shook his hand.
• We ate at Sushi Dan (rock and roll sushi)
• On Chip's birthday, we went to The Rainbow Room on Sunset, and hung out where all the aging rockers hang, and we thought we saw Paul Stanley from Kiss eating there with his family. He didn't look so good.
  
• Chip got a couple of gifts from me: a new piece to hang on the wall at the apartment (photo below) and a signed Mark Knopfler Dire Straights record.
  
• Chip bought a 90$ Rush T-Shirt.
  
• I didn't.
• Chip also went to The Shave in Beverly Hills. If you need to know more, which you probably should, visit: www.theshavebeverlyhills.com
• Basically, this is what The Shave is: a men’s luxury barber, shave and retail shoppe with a men’s club feel and a classic American barbershop vibe. Men receive apparently the "best shave ever," or a haircut, a shoe-shine or a hand massage, whiling enjoying a cocktail, check out ESPN, listen to Miles Davis and Frank Sinatra, and get grooming services tailored specifically for gentlemen.
  
• Women: not allowed past the front area. Men only in the back.
• Yeah. It cost like 80 bucks. For something Chip could have done with his Gillette. Ok, I lie. It was the best shave I've ever seen in my life. Stayed smooth for a couple of days! It was worth EVERY penny.
  
• Liz finally moved out here. She stayed with us for a week, but four of those days we were gone in L.A. She was out a week later, having found a huge room located in the "TenderNob" area, near our favorite bar, Hemlock. She's got a great place, cool location, and a very interesting roommie with two kitties. She did great.
  
• Two days after we got Liz off our couch, we received a new couch guest, Daniel Gordon. He's been here since Thursday, leaves tomorrow. It's been a ton of fun having him around, though. We've tried to put him to work, asking him to cook for us, but to no avail.
• Saturday, Liz, Daniel, Chip and I went to the Wharf. Toured the Wax Museum. Daniel and I gave the wax Hitler the finger. Chip and I posed for American (SF) Gothic. Liz oogled DaVinci and all the horror movie icons. We also posed with Moses, Jesus, and Buddha.
  
• Saturday night we went to see a comedy show at Cobb's. We watched Paul Mooney do his stand up, which was a little bit too much about black/white and not enough about the laughs. Oh well.
• We left to go have a nice little dinner at an outdoor Italian cafe, called Pinnochio. The weather was perfect, and North Beach/Little Italy was alive and kicking. Fun times indeed. Saturday was great.
  
• Sunday, Chip and Daniel went out and about to Union Square, where they shopped and brought me back the best frozen yogurt ever. Daniel got a new shirt and shoes, and chip found some underwear. At Diesel. oy.
  
• I stayed in, having nursed a really bad neck the past few days and needed one more day to recuperate. After using half a bottle of Icy Hot, endless massaging, and hot baths and steam rooms, my neck can finally move. So with the intent of staying in while the boys were out, I did laundry and cooked them dinner consisting of Chinese Crab and Corn soup and a really delicious spinach salad.
  
• That's about it, then. I suppose you all want to see some photos and video. They'll be up shortly!
  

Brenda

Chip is 27.

And there's a lot to post, re: his birthday, our trip to L.A., new SF residents and much much more.

Just giving everyone a little tease, check back in a bit for more!

Tons of video, pictures, and awesomeness including things like...Chip shaking hands with a monkey.

I'm not kidding.