I like surprises!

We are only three weeks into 2008, and it has already started with a bang! Full of surprises, adventures, and projectile vomiting.

First, to my extreme pleasure and delight, I was informed near the end of December that my sign sister (aka Ms. Jodi) would be flying into LA from London on New Years eve for a glorious 10 days!! Woo Hoo!!! Jodi once lived here with us in this urban jungle, but she left in December 2005 to go back to family, friends, better pay/vacation, the pound, weather, and no ice (sorry, Denise made me say that.:). While I understand her decision, I have missed her terribly. We still communicate often by chat, text, blackberry messenger, and the occasional phone call, but it is not the same as her walking with me to get coffees and pedicures while we gossip about gay and straight drama.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time while she was here, and I miss her so so much. We consumed copious amounts of coffee and had great discussions about life choices, why she likes assholes, and the empirical truth that there must be some validity to astrology because we are both so similar in small ways. :) Jess, Jodi and I went to lunch, pedicures, shopping, and ended with pictures taken in the photo booth on the Santa Monica pier a la Beaches style (minus the Atlantic City part of course) over the weekend. It brought back so many fun memories. Friday night we danced our asses off (literally, I swear I have less ass) at Popstars and practically had the dance floor to ourselves because most people don't venture out of the house in LA if it is raining, which it was. The night before she flew out we went bowling, and I beat everyone with my superior bowling skills....at least that is how I remember it. On Thursday evening before her flight we had one last coffee bean together. After there was a tearful goodbye in the streets of Hollywood while two men in a convertible harassed us and a girl gave us death stares for standing in the street... it was magical. ;) WE MISS YOU JODI!!

In other exciting news, our friends, and other long-term couple of the group, Vince and Justin are moving in RIGHT next door to us!! I don't mean next building down the street, but mean same floor, same side of the hall, DIRECTLY next door. OH SHOOT!!! Let the good times begin.

The next adventure was not exactly mine, but is so incredible that I had to put it in my blog.

My friend Noa and a girl she was on her 3rd date with decided to go on a day hike to Switzer Falls, which is right outside LA in the mountains. Noa, Denise and I have hiked there a few times. They arrived at about 10 AM, and started on the path, taking a different way into the falls than we usually do. As they are walking along the path they meet a nice man with a dog who tells them about the area, and that to the left is a camping site. They chat a bit more and the ladies are on their way. Eventually they get to the falls, hang out, and around 2:30 or so decide to hike out. They decide to take the path out that we usually take, just for a change of scenary. After over an hour and a half of climbing over rocks that do not look familiar, and no path in sight, Noa decides they somehow went the wrong way, and are lost. By now it's around 4:00 and she decides they need to go back the way they came and get out of there before the sun goes down.

They book it back over the rocks, and by the time they get back to the falls, it is 6:30 and pretty much dark. Assessing the situation, it seems like their best option is to go to that campsite the hiker told them about and see if it is near a road to flag down help. Noa tries her cell phone several times, but alas, no service. They finally arrive at the camp, but there is no road, and it is completely dark. Through the dark night they see there are two outhouses (Noa called them latrines. Who says that? ;) hahaha!), and decide that the choice is clear. They are going to be spending the night in one of them.

Squeezing onto the woman's bathroom floor, cuddling up, lying on top of each other for warmth, and shifting so as not to suffocate each other is how they spent their night. (Again, note this is their 3rd date!) Finally, the sun starts to rise about 7:30 AM, and they run out of there as fast as they can. To top it all off, it starts to snow! They finally get to the car, and drive out of there. Since they are delirious from their lack of sleep and warmth, they go the wrong way on the highway (I'm giving Noa the benefit of the doubt here) and don't realize it until they cross under a bridge they don't recognize. They stop at a small coffee shop, get some food and warm drinks in their belly, and finally make it home.

Crazy huh?! It's like one of those stories you see Monday morning on the MSNBC Headlines, "Two day hikers lost in the woods, sleep in Outhouse," because really, no one says latrine except Noa. ;) Glad you made it out alive Noa!!!

Finally, we went to see Cloverfield on Monday. I was damn scared and kept placing my hand on my head due to nervousness and disbelief. The content of the film aside, we were warned before hand that some people get motion sickness because the whole movie takes place from the perspective of a handheld camera. They had actually been cleaning up vomit beforehand, so we were delayed getting in the theater. The usher informed us that they had placed a trash can in the theater for viewers who felt instantly sick, and that the bathrooms were right out of the door if you could run that far. As we were exiting the theater after the film, still exhausted from adrenaline, right by the exit doors was none other than a pile of puke. A pile of puke noodles to be exact. Guess they couldn't make it to the bathroom, and did not want to hurl into the trashcan in front of a theater full of people. Justin took a picture... priceless.

Anyway, those are the highlights of my 2008 so far. Hope everyones 2008 is shaping up to be as exciting as mine. :)