Tumblr Reminder

Just a reminder to those of you reading this blog on the reg that more of my regular blogging is happening over at my Tumblr. So follow me, bookmark it, whatever.

I realize I've been talking about merging the two blogs for, like, two years now. I haven't yet but it's still my intention. Until then, this place is going to be for more of the personal stories I like to share. Also - if anyone knows anyone who can get all this in one place easily, leave a comment! I need some awesome web designer who's willing to do some work for me for free! Do people like that exist?

My Heart Aches

Wrote my grandfather's obituary tonight. Hardest part was "he was preceded in death by his daughter, Palmer Wilson Craig Stamell." 

I miss my mom. Apologies for the depressing tone of the last post and this one, but can you blame me? It's where my head's at right now. This has not been an easy week.

I said it before and I will say it again: life is so precious.

Dear People I Care About, Please Stop Dying

In the past month three people I care a great deal for have passed away: my stepmother's father, my mother's father, and one of my best friends' father.

It's been strange and surreal. Both grandfathers were old and lived fufulling lives and of course the end was inevitable, but still sad. The death of my good friend's dad, however, is much more shocking and sudden and upsetting. He was like a second dad to me in LA, because my friend Ali is from Santa Monica and when I first moved out here I lived with her parents. Over the past few years I would visit with them sporadically; when my dad and stepmom were in town (they were friends after Ali and I studied in Paris and all the parents came out with us and hung out together), when I would house sit for them, when I would visit Ali's mom's art studio...

I missed the service for Ali's dad this week because I'm in Florida with my family -- my grandfather only passed away last Friday, and my brother and I flew out as soon as we could. It's strange being here without him. It's strange being here without my mom either. This is a place that reminds me so much of her, and of course, of him. I used to come out here at least twice a year before I moved to Los Angeles. Before I was working and I had time to spare and Florida was a mere three hour flight from the Northeast, it was the easiest and most pleasant vacation to take in the world. It's been four years since I was last here but nothing has changed. It's as though my grandfather is just out on a walk or something. My same shampoo sits in the cabinet below the sink next to a bottle of my mom's favorite nail polish. The gardenia lotion she used every day before she passed away nearly eight years ago is still here too. I put it on and my senses are flooded with memories - of her, of being in Florida together, of taking walks on the beach, of my grandfather, of all the people I've loved and lost.

Life is so precious.

Band to Know: First Aid Kit

These girls are Swedish and they rock.

Funemployment?

The show wraps next Thursday.

My last day is next Friday.

Then I am unemployed.

This is going to be WEIRD you guys. I haven't been unemployed since... 2007. When I started this blog. Does this mean I will be doing more blogging? Maybe. Perhaps I'll do some longform storytelling here or something. More likely I will spend a lot of time freaking out and then I'll just work on all my real writing... but yeah... funemployment is just a week away.