It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
Dec. 2nd, 2008 06:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
memento1Guess where I went today...
Sorry for the crappy quality. I was there for a job interview, so I was trying not to do the star-struck tourist thing, and just snapped these with my phone as I left. Obviously, I was called back yesterday about that keeper position, and went in for a quick interview today. The Mansion is in LA right across the street from Bel-Air, with a surprisingly discreet front gate. I got clearance to drive in, and was instructed to leave my car in the roundabout in front of the mansion with the keys. They re-parked my car while I was inside. *L* It was a really short, informal interview. We walked around the mansion to see all the animal areas. They have a LOT of birds - flamingos, cranes, and peacocks roaming free, lots of parrots, toucans, and hornbills. They actually are trying to breed several different species of hornbill, which is fascinating. They also have some primates - one spider monkey, a few tamarins, and a BUNCH of squirrel mokeys. I swear to god, 60 squirrel monkeys, in 2 giant adjoining cages. Apparently they used to have that many once upon a time, it had dwindled to 10, and they just recently brought in 50. That's a sh*tload of monkeys, y'all. It was crazy. Anyways, walking between the outdoor enclosures and the greenhouse, we passed the backyard (which was all dirt as they were putting in new grass) and the grotto. Nothing special was going on, but there must have been 80 people there, working on various things. It's always busy. So anyway, it was very informal, just got some info and told them my experience, and was out within the hour. Apparently they have 2 or 3 more interviews this week, but the job doesn't start until January, so I may or may not hear back sometime in the next few weeks. I'm not going to count on it, but it was fun to get out and about, have a job interview, and visit the friggin' Playboy Mansion! That's a story to tell for the rest of my life ;)
To get back to real life, Thanksgiving was wonderful. I stuffed myself on lots of great food, we played cards, and then best of all, we played Rock Band for 5 hours. I'd never played before, and holy crap it's ADDICTING! I didn't want to leave. So, good holiday.
In art news, 2 advent calendars! Today was my day for the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
time_and_chips advent calendar, and I shared my Doctor Who animation as well as this Doctor/Rose manip wallpaper I made.
Surprisingly, I still rather like it 2 weeks after I made it, though I did get the proportions a bit wrong. They should be a bit smaller in comparison to the Tardis. It was hard to find comparison pictures! Anyways, yay art!
Also, DL is doing the X-Files Advent Calendar again this year! I signed up, even though I have NO idea what to make, since it is a holiday tradition I simply must support. I cannot remember the last Christmas without it, so I'm thrilled it's still going. It's just not Christmas without it. :D
Sorry for the crappy quality. I was there for a job interview, so I was trying not to do the star-struck tourist thing, and just snapped these with my phone as I left. Obviously, I was called back yesterday about that keeper position, and went in for a quick interview today. The Mansion is in LA right across the street from Bel-Air, with a surprisingly discreet front gate. I got clearance to drive in, and was instructed to leave my car in the roundabout in front of the mansion with the keys. They re-parked my car while I was inside. *L* It was a really short, informal interview. We walked around the mansion to see all the animal areas. They have a LOT of birds - flamingos, cranes, and peacocks roaming free, lots of parrots, toucans, and hornbills. They actually are trying to breed several different species of hornbill, which is fascinating. They also have some primates - one spider monkey, a few tamarins, and a BUNCH of squirrel mokeys. I swear to god, 60 squirrel monkeys, in 2 giant adjoining cages. Apparently they used to have that many once upon a time, it had dwindled to 10, and they just recently brought in 50. That's a sh*tload of monkeys, y'all. It was crazy. Anyways, walking between the outdoor enclosures and the greenhouse, we passed the backyard (which was all dirt as they were putting in new grass) and the grotto. Nothing special was going on, but there must have been 80 people there, working on various things. It's always busy. So anyway, it was very informal, just got some info and told them my experience, and was out within the hour. Apparently they have 2 or 3 more interviews this week, but the job doesn't start until January, so I may or may not hear back sometime in the next few weeks. I'm not going to count on it, but it was fun to get out and about, have a job interview, and visit the friggin' Playboy Mansion! That's a story to tell for the rest of my life ;)
To get back to real life, Thanksgiving was wonderful. I stuffed myself on lots of great food, we played cards, and then best of all, we played Rock Band for 5 hours. I'd never played before, and holy crap it's ADDICTING! I didn't want to leave. So, good holiday.
In art news, 2 advent calendars! Today was my day for the
time_and_chips advent calendar, and I shared my Doctor Who animation as well as this Doctor/Rose manip wallpaper I made. 
Surprisingly, I still rather like it 2 weeks after I made it, though I did get the proportions a bit wrong. They should be a bit smaller in comparison to the Tardis. It was hard to find comparison pictures! Anyways, yay art!
Also, DL is doing the X-Files Advent Calendar again this year! I signed up, even though I have NO idea what to make, since it is a holiday tradition I simply must support. I cannot remember the last Christmas without it, so I'm thrilled it's still going. It's just not Christmas without it. :D
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 02:32 am (UTC)I can't wait to see what your art looks like in The X-Files calender.
no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 01:21 am (UTC)I've made my icon but no progress on the collage for the XF calendar. My muse is dead!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 03:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 04:27 am (UTC)I'm stealing your background because it's so pretty and will be my Christmas background! :)
Hopefully we can have our Doctor Who marathon beginning of next year :)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 01:22 am (UTC)Yes, we must marathon! I plan to make my mom watch it while I'm home ;)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 09:47 am (UTC)The flu totally messed up my sleep schedule, so I'm thinking about staying up through tomorrow to get back on track. Hopefully I'll see you on Skype so you can help keep me awake. Oh, and I can send you the Christmas music if you don't already have it.
Your Elf icon made me smile. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 03:04 pm (UTC)Yay for the X-Files Advent Calendar! :)
no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 04:56 pm (UTC)Oh my god, I love Rock Band. It is SO addictive, I just started playing it a few weeks ago and I'm pretty addicted to it too. What part did you play? Or did you switch around?
no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 01:28 am (UTC)Also, I'm sorry about your current situation. I can understand - if I don't get a job here by January, I will most likely have to move back to Minnesota, back in with my mom, from lack of money. And while I miss my mother and Minnesota to a degree, I don't want to leave California. I've made a home here and I don't want to leave my friends, my experiences, 3 years worth of memories. If I think about it too long I freak out. Anyways, just wanted to say...I sympathize. :(
no subject
Date: 2008-12-03 10:25 pm (UTC)The Playboy Mansion is kind of surreal, isn't it? I mean, it's like a zoo, but then you have to remember the background and why all the animals are there...and it's just weird. :-P It is beautiful, though. And I love the sound of peacocks.
Miss you!
no subject
Date: 2008-12-07 01:30 am (UTC)I miss you too! What's been up? I'm back in Camarillo at the moment, so I'm missing our coffee chats, too.