Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Eve in California

Well, this is weird.  For the first time EVER -- it's Christmas Eve and I'm not heading home to Milwaukee to be with my family.  While I am a little sad and lonesome, I've been able to find some Hollywood Christmas cheer that has definitely lifted my spirits.

For starters, I was caught in the middle of a Christmas Gangnam Style Flashmob on the way home from the mall today.  That was odd, but also kind of cool at the same time.



Then, I passed by a house that appeared to be owned by Clark Griswold.  The decorations outside were truly OUT OF THIS WORLD!  I don't think I've ever seen Christmas decorations that were quite this extravagant   Come to find out, the man who owns the house has done work with Disney animatronics before....Go figure!



Lastly, and perhaps MOST exciting, the Hollywood Christmas Caroling Truck passed by my house tonight! I had NO idea what this was until it came strolling down the block, but as the video will show, it was a magical site for people of all ages to watch.  I've never witnessed such a joyful holiday celebration where people were crazy with excitement and so much Christmas cheer.  I might have to stick around next year to see this pass by again...



My thoughts tonight are with my family and friends in Wisconsin.  I miss everyone like crazy, and I promise I'll be heading home again soon.  Until then, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Clay Aiken Concert

Tonight I went to see Clay Aiken in concert!  And it was AWESOME!  Back in 2001, Clay Aiken was runner up on American Idol.  In my opinion (and in the opinion of many people), he should have won.  He went on to have the highest-grossing album of the year.  Since then, he's lost a lot of fans and become a pun of a lot of jokes, but I still think his voice is incredible!

I've never been in the front row for a concert before, but there's always a first time for everything!  Clay and his crew put on an awe-inspiring concert that put everyone in the Christmas spirit.  I even managed to get a few great pictures on my cell phone!  Perhaps the most un-expected highlight of the evening was sitting next to Arsenio Hall, who was there to support his former competitor from "The Celebrity Apprentice".  Check out the pictures of my awesome night and be sure to listen to Clay's Christmas album to get in the holiday spirit!



Tuesday, December 04, 2012

DWTS - That's A Wrap!

It's hard to believe, but this season of Dancing with the Stars has already come to an end. Where HAS the time gone?! I've been lucky enough to receive some great exposure this season - working with some truly awesome 'All Stars' both in front of and behind the camera. Here's a few shout outs:


Gilles Marini

Gilles is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He is humble, caring, and often times, extremely funny. I've enjoyed the time we spent at the dance studio getting to know each other during production. I learned a lot from him about how people 'in front of the camera' live their lives. I will carry the lessons he taught me onto my future production jobs.


Apolo Ohno

Apolo was another great guy I was honored to have met. It's not every day you have a chance to work closely with an Olympic gold medalist. (Much less the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time!) For a man who has won more medals than he can count, he is extremely down to earth and giving. (Lord knows if I won than many medals, it would go to my head!) I loved the fact that Apolo would constantly be pushing me to be the best I could be.

Dave Williams

Dave Williams is part of the Security Team for DWTS. He reminds me a lot of my dad because of his experience with the police, etc... We spent a lot of time together laughing on set about the funniest things. Throughout the season, we also had a special chance to witness history together - by watching the Space Shuttle Endeavour flyover Southern California. He's a great guy who's makes every day a little brighter!



Kathleen Smyth

I don't think I would have been able to do this cycle without Kathleen! We spent countless hours on set together making the best of the craziest situations. Even when things got stressful, we were able to push each other through and make magic happen. After the finale, we were the the two 'lucky ones' who had to stay and wrap the stage while everyone else went to the Wrap Party. Even though we missed out, we found a way to have just as much fun. It's always nice to create great new friendships in the most unexpected places while on the job. :)


There were countless other people that made this experience an enjoyable one. If I listed them all, you'd be reading for a while! This season was a crazy one, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to be a part of such a big show. It's a crazy feeling to be driving to work every morning while you hear everyone on the radio gossiping about the show YOU are working on. Plus, the chance to make new friendships is always a plus in my book! Now....onto the next adventure! Disney, here I come!