Caitlin Looney

Always a Bridesmaid, Never a Bride

This past memorial weekend was spent in Los Angeles celebrating the union of Ania and Andrew!  Beautiful ceremony in Brentwood followed by one of the most gorgeous receptions, located on an isolated bluff in Malibu. Given that there was no water to be found and plenty of Guavatini's the party got started right quick. It was great seeing old friends, specifically catching up with Amy Corville (formerly known as Chiminello), Julie Thu (formerly known as Scott) and Teryn Ashley (and I predict, soon to be formerly known as Ashley). I had a great time meeting Debbie Lambert and Matt Cheney.  Matt is an interesting fellow, to say the least.  He's a friend of Andrew's --skydiving buddies. Matt is a performative artist -- combining his sports (skydiving, snowboarding and skateboarding) with his artwork -- painting mid-air, mid-mountain and mid-ramp. Pretty interesting. Check out http://www.mattcheney.com/  He's in Boston. Look him up.

On the Sunday following the wedding, Brent and I headed to Venice Beach to check out Perry Farrell's Satellite Party which Mozes was sponsoring.  Met famed Jane's Addiction lead-singer and Lalapalooza creator, Perry Farrell, which was certainly cool. In sum, I had a very nice, eventful and memorable weekend.  What more could I ask for?

Wedding pictures coming soon.

Rehearsal

It's late and I need my beauty rest so I will make this quick.

Drove down to LA today for Ania's wedding.  Stopped in at Fred Segal's.  I could only afford a hat in the entire store so, of course, I bought the hat.  The rehearsal went well -- a lot of directions and formations (yes, formations!) that I am likely to forget. The rehearsal dinner was fun -- good food and all that jazz.

It's terrific seeing Ania, Julie and of course, the beautiful bride, Ania.  I can't believe she's getting married.  Tonight was very nostalgic -- a lot of reminiscing.  My thoughts wondered -- other feelings from the past weeks and months crept in as well.  I'll get through this. It gets easier every day.

Night!

I Can't Quit You, Robin!

Last night I saw Robin Williams perform live at Bimbo's on Columbus.  Packed show, obviously, and very, very entertaining.  Hundreds of us watched in awe as he "worked on material" but I don't think he had anything prepared -- it was two hours of brilliant, hilarious, free association.  Pretty amazing stuff and would definitely recommend this if and when it happens again.

He said: "See the world before there nothing left to see."  This struck a chord with me...his words couldn't have wrung more true and couldn't have been said at a better time.  Thanks Robin. You're my man.

The Generic White Girl

I was once an "Oops I did it Again" and a 2 minute dance routine away from a spot in a girl band. Well, probably a lot further than that but it's a nice thought. Showing up in that random, second-story dance room (mirrors wall-to-wall, of course) in some sketchy locale between Burbank and the Hollywood Hills without any back-up music and an outfit that was far too conservative for a 17-year old, was certainly not one of my finer moments. Sometimes I do wonder, though, what my life would have been like if I was chosen as the coveted "White Girl in the hot, fresh, LA-based girl band." Instead, I star as the White Girl in my very own syndicated reality program: my life.

I Confess

The last couple of days have been quite introspective. I noticed there's a lot of weeding when it comes to self-cultivation. 

How does one ask (and then try to answer) how do I make myself a better person? Some people believe improving themselves means losing weight and getting a nose job. For others, it may mean a list of resolutions, such as reading more, recycling and being more responsible with money. Everyone attempts at being better but how do we know we've reach betterhood? Are we wealthier? Skinnier? Comprehensive in French?

The point is to be happy, right? Thus, the above examples may give us happiness. What else is essential to happiness?  It's hard to put into words (or at least imagine) all that goes into making me happy.  It may be easier to start with makes me unhappy. Perhaps happiness is stating what doesn't make us happy and avoiding them with all we've got.  Which, is a good segue to a new feature on Maya's Mom (which, is  a social networking site for parents). I present to you: www.mayasmom.com/confess

Day one of Confess and it's proven to be a clear favorite among Maya's users. Take a look at the taboo topics parents (who are people like you and me) confess to.  It's addictive and voyeuristic.  It's frightening and depressing and despite all that, it gives me hope that I am not alone. I am happy because there are others who are worried, angry, depressed, ashamed for reasons just as stupid and as serious as my own.

I suggest going to the site and confessing something. It's completely anonymous and helps alleviate the burden.

Consider your happiness.  Your pursuit of happiness and what it is, at the very core, that makes you happy...and do more of that.

The Rich Coast

Ah yes, Costa Rica -- what a glorious country.

My recent excursion (April 26-May 5) to Costa Rica was a warm one.  I am quite tan -- days after enduring a sun burn of all burns. 

But walking the plush, white, never-ending beaches of Tamarindo and the Esterillos took all the pain away (with the help of some Aloe).

I set out to do one thing during my vacation, which was completed on Day 4: See a monkey. Spider monkeys, Howling monkeys, White-faced monkeys and Squirrel Monkeys peppered my trip with amusement and enjoyment. Yay for curious George!

Surfing was cool, although I suck at it and am deathly afraid of waves. Sort of a problem when you're trying to catch that perfect wave ( I was just trying to catch my breath).

The driving was treacherous but always made for an exciting journey and it's a great way to see the country side.  What a beautiful country.  And the jungles are really quite magnificent.

I had planned on talking about my travel companion. I had planned on posting pictures of us. I had planned on referring to anecdotal stories and inside jokes.  I had planned on debuting him on my blog. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Costa Rica is a country a recommend seeing. At least have a plantain at the bear minimum.