"Pregnant and Paralyzed" Do California...

mistie has always wanted to make a trip out to LA to be at a taping of "the ellen show" so who better to ask then her up for anything friend katie. plus when you're traveling with me there are some perks that you get to take advantage of. 1) you get to butt in line at the horrible airport congestion and 2) you get to enjoy the comedy of my traveling frisking and prodding. it's like second nature to me now but if you've never seen it firsthand, then you're just amazed at how close they get to a groping. ahhh it's no big deal. for all they know i could have a bomb shoved underneath my bum so what can it hurt?!
funny story. i noticed a man, a foreigner, watching intently at what was going on. after i finished and went over to retrieve my bag, in a very austrian like voice he jokingly grabbed his man boobs and said "well they didn't grab yours so now you know that you could hide some goodies up there!" um yeah. insert awkward laugh here. it was a perfect way to end the pat down ;)
we flew into LAX and this is where we were sent to retrieve our bags. yeah. can you say lost luggage possibility?! i had a mini flashback attack, panicking that i'd be suitcase-less for the next 4 days like when i went to peru. not to mention that i felt like i was right in the middle of the ending scene in the movie "adventures in babysitting".....
i've long since learned to know that there's never enough time and that things don't always run as smoothly as you think they will. with that being said combined with LA traffic and some poor directions from "elvira...the nav voice" we got to "the tonight shows" location within minutes of when we were due. we were so late in fact that i even had to introduce mistie to the infamous changing in the car maneuver. she was a little nervous about who was watching but i quickly informed her that she would NEVER see these people again. once i said that, it was game on. we were still a little nervous about being on time and i left her eating my dust, wheeling as fast as i could to beat out some other stragglers who had also arrived late. mistie was afraid that if she walked any faster, she might go into labor. i freaked out when i saw the hundreds of people waiting to get in but duh. "the wheel-chairers" always get the red carpet and always get in first! gotta just laugh at the comical ways that they "get" me in?! yes. a mini lift up the 4 stairs....
don't worry. we tried to use the ignorant card and take a few pictures but it was a no go. i forget how staged and fake these shows are. they had to fix their hair and makeup at every commercial, they had their joke and conversation cards, and it all felt so shallow. buuut it was fun being there, front and center. mistie's head was on tv and i got a shoulder touch-hand shake from jay! i know. who cares but after the show he walked across the stage and over to us and said "i'm sorry that i couldn't take your question in the beginning. we had to start taping but i wanted to tell you that i had noticed you and wanted to say thanks for coming." yep. promise.
so rewind, before they start taping, jay comes out and talks to the audience, taking questions. for some unknown reason, i was being timid, which i now regret and it wasn't until someone asked for a picture that i knew it was "allowed". then i tried to get his attention and i did but it was too late because it was time to start. he looked over but was hurried off to change. oh well. i didn't get a photo but i did get some words and a touch! lol...


now to the important stuff. the sleeping arrangement.
mistie can be a very light sleeper. the slightest noise wakes her up. she even busted out the ear plugs! plus she is pregnant so being comfortable and in silence is a must for a goods night rest.
katie. is. a. snore'r. yep. there's no denying it. just call me the lumber-jack cause i can sure saw big logs. once upon a time i was referred over to some "breath rite nose strips" and they worked like a charm. let's just say that immediately after dinner we went and purchased some. i even made mistie try one on and she's hooked! lol
oddly enough, as many times as i have been to LA, i've never been to downtown hollywood. i conned mistie into the adventure because there would be an "h & m" in the trip. hehehe




i wish, truly wish that you could have seen all of the many "characters" that were roaming the blvd. my question was why? why in the world would dressing up like "someone" and begging for money while your photo is being taken be what you aspire to do. to each his own but for me? there's always "sonic" or "mcdonalds"! haha and yes. i had to take a picture with "Yoda" since there is a family joke about him and carter. carter can give you the BEST "Yoda" voice EVER! no lie. it's creepy though hilarious just how well he can do it. but let me admit that what was underneath this mask was much more haunting than what was on the outside. i think he did it to get a rise out of me...and he did! i will forever be scarred! (mistie...you know you'll never be the same either! lol)
ahhh matt damon. our sundance film festival 10 minute bond will never be forgotten! hahaha

...and this lift was for a 2 stepper. yeah. lol :)

like i said anything and everything...

random picture? yes. biggest elevator ever? yes. by far.

our quaint and awesome hotel on catalina island. and yes i have to say that the only thing that i regret about this excursion is that the helicopter company would not let me fly because mistie, who is 32 wks prego, could not lift me up inside. boooo. i mean yes i understand the liability issues but still. booooooo! so we took the boat ever to the island...



it was gorgeous. let's say it again...GORGEOUS!!!

the next morning we woke up for a very much needed and anticipated massage...on the beach!!!

ahhhhh. best experience ever and a must to put on your "bucket list"! sooo happy that we did it! (though we did feel like we were also experiencing a "couples massage" and especially after we told them that we were in cali to go to an "ellen" taping. hahaha awesome)
yep. we're a couple...lol
loved the quaint little bed & breakfasts and san fran like streets...
for the total tour of the island we rented this golf cart to putt around complete with a wheelchair on the back! and a first for mistie...how to drive a golf cart :)





a 32 wk prego profile shot that was a must have...

a great sunrise on the ride back from long beach to burbank...
a lazy and early morning laying out, eating breakfast by the pool. wow. and to think that 24 hrs later we were back in the frozen tundra. waaah :(
and the "ellen" adventure begins...
coudn't pass up one of my favorites...
"the tonight show" only made us show up 30 minutes before the taping but "ellen" required us there close to 3.5 hrs before. barf. kt and patience are not very good friends. in fact, not. at. all.



sneaky sneaky shot #1 in 2nd waiting room...(make us wait that long and that's what they get...lol)
sneaky sneaky shot #2 just to show that we were front and center. look at how close that we were!!!

and in case you missed the episode, here is my national television debut! hahaha after regretting not pulling out "my silver hidden balls out of my pocket" (thanks jaime for that classic quote) i was not going to let any oppurtunity pass itself up. and they told us to have fun and to be brave soooo that's what i did! lol! awesome and every time i watch it, i still end it with a giggle and a smirk on my face :)

such a great trip and i'm so glad that i did this little adventure with mistie. she's one of my besties but i'd have to say that after this trip we're even closer. you're always worried to do these little excursions with friends before you know what kind of traveler they are and she had the same worries. but it's safe to say that she passed the test and so did i. phew. what a relief. and especially because she can handle my snoring, my bossiness, my "go with the flow" outlook, and my random desires of things to do!
until next time....
xoxo