...was a crazy year for me on so many levels.  it had it's high highs and low lows, but at this moment i have a fantastic job, amazing friends, a cozy home, a supportive family, and i'm in love.  so i'm really looking forward to 2009.

happy new year, y'all.  :)

so it's official...i have the best boyfriend ever.  he drove up sunday night and left tuesday morning, so that was our christmas.  and i was spoiled with love and presents!  his parents got me a crock pot...woo hoo!  so excited about that.  and among other things, sk got me a beautiful necklace that has such a lovely sentiment behind it and is totally my taste.  we had a wonderful, relaxing monday which included massages, cheesesteaks (i am now a whiz lover!  wiz wit all the way!), a movie (the day the earth stood still: not worth seeing, btw), afternoon cocktails, and some christmas wine and meatballs at jen's housewarming.  saying goodbye was a bit easier this time around as there is more certainty in our future...he will be here for new year's, and then before long will be a philadelphian!

oh yeah...my roommate stuffed my stocking with junk food and a barbara streisand christmas album!

rehearsals are still going great, and i am totally excited for this show.  having a blast and feeling like we are all really going to shine in this production.  what more could i ask for?

saw "music man" at candlelight...god i love that show!  the production was good, mostly, and my friend kemper was perfection as marian.  and it is always great to spend time with my delaware friends who are fiercely loyal and so much fun.  i missed "wonderful life", but plan on definitely seeing "hairspray" and "greater tuna" ASAP.

currently watching "the view" on tivo, drinking coffee, and cooling batch #2 of fudge in the kitchen.  off to brooklyn later, and then jersey tomorrow.  ho ho ho, y'all!

* i took an awesome hip-hop class yesterday with my friend, the fab and talented sammy reyes, at koresh.  haven't taken class there in a while, and it felt good to be back.  gonna try to make it a regular thing.  sammy's not an easy teacher and it was a real workout, but i loved it.  guys, i crumped last night!

*i am the proud new owner of a black 99 pontiac sunfire coupe named roxie, a hand-me-down of sorts from my dear friend patrick who just moved to the west coast.  she has some minor snafus but runs like a champ.  and it will actually be the first car ever to be registered in my name.  shenequa (the 97 green corolla) stayed in my parents name to keep insurance cheap in college, and when i was married, they were "his" cars (you guys know how THAT turned out).  so this is exciting for me.

*on the flip side of good car karma, sun king left a bar last night to find his car completely jacked up.  the windsheild was smashed and the roof dented in.  he filed a police report, but it's not like anything will get done.  totally not fair and sucky.  but he will be here on sunday and we will have a couple days of christmas cheer and wine and chasing the blues away. 

*i think i got a photography gig for new year's eve.  i didn't really want to work, but i need the $$, and i negotiated a ticket to this party for SK, so i am actually looking forward to it.  basically i get two free tickets to a big open bar soiree plus a paycheck, and all i have to do is snap fun pics all night.  yay!  i just have to solidify some details with the organizers.

*i bought a really adorable cocktail hat to wear on NYE.  i don't have a dress yet but i needed this hat!


*started rehearsals for the tap review.  loving it so far!  cast is fun and good-natured, the creative team is a cool mix of talented brains, and the stage manager is way chill.  it's awesome to work on a piece where everything is pretty much catered to the strengths of the performers, i.e. the songs are in our key, and the choreography highlights what we do best.  so it should be a great show.  come see it!  runs jan 8-feb 1 at the kimmel center's innovation studio.

*this month has been chock full of fun holiday gatherings...rob's 40's party, katie's housewarming (she makes the most amazing chicken enchalada dip...it's unreal), and jen is having people to her new pad this monday.  also dalice & rache's potluck, which there will hopefully be more of.  and i have tons of theatre to see in the next two weeks or so...music man, greater tuna, wonderful life, hairspray, and cherry bomb.  if i can manage to find the time to see them all it will be a feat.  but i'm on it!

nothing warms the soul (and belly) like a good potluck dinner, a rousing game of celebrity, and an absinthe.  delicious in every way.

"The important thing is not that we can live on hope alone, but that life is not worth living without it."-Harvey Milk

SEE THIS FILM. Not just for the beautiful direction and performances, but to appreciate the legacy of an incredible person who is such an important part of this country's history.

*i can't stop eating honey bunches of oats with strawberries.

*i baked my roomie a bday cake...whole wheat peanut butter cinnamon cake with chocolate frosting.  how much do i rock.  that cake is tasty good.

*i am majorly po', so i have been eating in and doing some improvising based on what i have in the house.  who would have thought that ho fan noodles in spicy curry coconut milk with half a can of tuna mixed in would be as good as it was.  weird, but satisfying..

*probably going to VA for thanksgiving.  SK's parents are great cooks.  YUM.

*sometimes you just need mcdonald's fries and a chocolate shake.  just sayin.  however the mcD's at broad & snyder is super scary.  i do not recommend.

*speaking of junk food, i watched the "half ton" series on TLC the other day while consuming a bag of popcorn, a pint of ice cream, and a little bag of mini-oreos.  so wrong, but yet SO RIGHT.

*waffle house grits

*pumpkin butter

*seeing deer and bunnies every morning

*coming home to a clean, yummy-smelling apartment with candles burning and puppy dogs and a roomie who missed you

*this guy :)

so i got a job...it's a tap review called "give my regards to broadway", and it will be at the kimmel center's innovation studio here in philly.  i don't start rehearsals til december 15, which is good because i'm currently in physical therapy and still need a little time to heal.  my therapist doesn't think i have any muscle or tendon tears, just some misalignment and tendonitis most likely.

however, i kinda wish it started sooner because i am broke.  my unemployment has been held up several weeks because my last employer did not report my earnings.  i did one photography gig, but that's all i've done since the show closed.  looking desperately for more jobs.  stressful.

on that note, my photography website is up.  please remember i am just starting out and it is a work in progress!

www.kelleyfaulknerphoto.com

driving down to virginia to visit the boy tomorrow.  so excited to see him and to get away for a few days.  road trip, woo hoo!

so i haven't talked about the amazing event that occured on tuesday evening.  i had volunteered for the campaign on sunday, and was elated beyond belief when barack hussein obama was elected our 44th president.  i went to a little election gathering...here is a link to my friend sara's blog...she pretty much sums it up:

saramayorshemaynot.blogspot.com/

...i also want aperture.



and anything from fredflare.com.  seriously.  cutest stuff ever!


so....i like a boy.  a lot.  i mean, a whole lot.  i have felt pretty connected to a couple of people i have dated over the past couple years, but this one just...seems to make sense in a way that the others didn't.  if that makes any sense.

don't wanna say too much or jinx it.  but for now i am just enjoying having someone incredibly sweet in my life.  a welcome change from certain aspects of my past.


went out to the m room tonight to see my buddy joey's band thing-one.  i would support the band regardless, but i can truly say they kick major ass!  their sound has evolved over the past couple of years into something so awesome.  love them.  and always good to hang with joe.  in addition to the show, i had a few beers, half a cheesesteak, and some good conversation.  a very decent evening.

(photo by the fearless pierfrancisco, the official photog of thing-one.)

*it should be noted that joe no longer rocks the freddy mercury 'stache and headband.


back to editing, editing, editing............

btw here is a fave shot from the wedding i shot yesterday: