Recent Adventures

Well, avid readers, family, friends, it's been a while!

What has happened since our car fiasco?

We've gone on some adventures, which I have explained and posted pictures of below, just after the update on our car.

We have decided to keep Gemma. She caused us some major problems, yes. And twice we attempted to purchase a different car, but both times drove away in our little green one. And we've come to accept it. We got brakes and rotors replaced, a new clutch, and a new throttle body. Gemma drives much better now (though I'm still having some trust issues). But the fact of the matter is, she's a car with just over 32,000 miles on it at this point, and while it may have some issues in the next few years that could  come up sooner than a different make, this car will get us through those years just fine. Unsuccessfully buying a different car, twice, helped us come to that realization. So for now, Gemma is still our car. And instead of trading it in for another car in its (cheap) class now, in 6 or 7 years (once we've paid off all our student loans and have established some savings) we have our sights set on trading up.

Plus, also, Gemma is like our child, since we don't have a kid, and we don't have a dog or cat or bird or fish to fill the void. Gemma is ours. And so the thought of trading her in so soon was a tad bittersweet, and now we'll keep her around for a while and that's a happy thought.

See, look at all these pictures of Gemma and how happy we are with her:

Here is Gemma in Sequoia National Forest.

Here is Gemma and a redwood.

Here we are while Gemma hangs out under a fallen tree.

We do love our car. We really do.

And now, for some recent adventures:

We went on a hike at Griffith Park, which is one of my most favorite places here in LA.

Here is the observatory from our vantage point up on a hill.

Here we are on our hike with the Hollywood sign just beyond.

We also went camping the first weekend of November with some great friends. We drove 2.5 hours east to Joshua Tree National Park. It is a desert. But we had a really neat campground. Jeremy took some pictures after climbing up some tall rock formations:

You can see where we parked to the right of the center of this picture. We cooked over a fire just to the left of that, and farther down in the shade just under center you can make out the tents were we slept.

Making camp.

This desert, like any good desert, had an oasis. Palm trees in the middle of nowhere and a small pond of water.

Also, we went to Disneyland this past Saturday, thanks to a birthday present for Jer from his parents that benefited BOTH of us, and we had such a wonderful time!

Enjoying our overpriced Dolewhip.

Storm Troopers in real life, aka all of Jeremy's dreams coming true.

Partaking in the mad tea party.

Now we're getting ready for the crazy party that will be happening in our one bedroom house from November 22nd-29th: seven of the Witzers will be in town. Watch out- they just might take over LA!

Car Troubles

A little over two years ago, in preparation for moving to Los Angeles, I decided to trade in my little pickup truck for a car that could road trip across the country and be suitable in the city. After much research, conversation with people I care about, and deliberation, I decided on a brand new 2011 Ford Fiesta. While, yes, it is a cheaper car, it was my first ever large purchase (aside from college tuition), and I was very pleased with the outcome. I named her Gemma.

Elvis was a fan of Gemma.

Fast forward 2 years later, and Gemma treated Jeremy and me well for the duration of those two years. She's made the drive from eastern Pennsylvania to Los Angeles TWICE, she's driven on Kentucky back roads, up and down I-95 around Philadelphia, and all over the state of California- we took Gemma on our honeymoon all through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, up the Pacific Coast Highway to Oxnard, to wine country, and to Monterrey, and she's driven countless hours on the 405 stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Never a complaint.

And then 29,000 miles happened.

And then she stalled on us (an automatic car, mind you) in the middle of the 405 (luckily an easy fix, just put her in park and turned her back on). Then she stalled on Jeremy as he slowed down to merge onto I-5. Then she stalled on us as we stopped at a red light. Those three instances happened throughout the month of August this year, just over the 2-year mark of owning this car. So we lightly considered trading it in for something that had the reliability we were expecting from the Fiesta. We talked about it for a few days, halfway decided yes, made an appointment with a Honda dealership to look at a Certified Pre-Owned Honda Fit, and then Gemma started breaking down so badly a few days before that appointment, that we weren't able to make it to the Honda dealership.

That would be last Wednesday, as we drove our 27 mile commute to work at 6:45am, and Gemma started making a most HORRENDOUS noise every so often as I hit the brake pedal. This noise grew in frequency the farther in to our commute that we got, and by the time I dropped Jeremy off at Zefr and I drove the mile back to my place of employment, I was at a complete loss as to what to do. I'm no car person, and the noise sounded dangerous. I called Ford, they sent a tow-truck under the warranty that thankfully has 6000 miles left on it, and took it to the nearest service department in Santa Monica.

Apparently the service department was too busy to take a look at Gemma on Wednesday, and Jeremy and I are forever thankful for his co-worker Erin who drove us home to her apartment in Sherman Oaks, and our good friend Emily who picked us up there on Wednesday night and drove us home to Burbank. Emily and Jonny also lent us their car to drive to and from work on Thursday. We have amazing friends.

We were able to pick up the car on Thursday evening, but the mechanic hadn't had time that day to check out the transmission (which I asked him NUMEROUS times to do), but had found a code telling him something was wrong with the Throttle Body. So that got replaced, and we were told the transmission could be looked at the next day. But we needed a car to drive, so I drove it home while Jeremy drove home Emily and Jonny's car. The noises started up again about 15 miles into the commute home. And got so much worse on the commute back to work on Friday morning that we drove straight to the dealership in Santa Monica, dropped it off, and utilized their shuttle service to get to work Friday morning. It's a good thing we always get to work ridiculously early to begin with.

We spent much of Friday having no idea if we'd have a car to drive home that evening, and there were plenty of what-ifs. We had dinner reservations for Jeremy's birthday, we hardly ever go out, especially to somewhere as nice as we had reservations at, so of course there was the potential that day, of all days, to have to cancel it. We also had the appointment with the Honda dealership on Saturday morning, and we were really hoping to bring in Gemma in working condition and trade her in that morning and just be done with it all.

BUT, as there always seems to be a but in these situations, a call to the service department around 3pm found us with a clutch that needs replaced. Thankfully under warranty. And apparently Gemma is still safe to drive. So, we got a ride to Ford service from my employer later that day when she got home (so thankful for ALL of the people who have been helping us out), picked up the car that still made plenty of bad-sounding noises, and got to our dinner reservations on time. So now we're driving around our noisy car while waiting the estimated 2-3 weeks for the clutch to get in, then we'll figure out how we're getting to and from work during the 2 days it will take to get it fixed, and then, hopefully, all will be okay, and we'll head over to the Honda Dealership shortly after that and find something more reliable.

We really did like our little green car, but with all this hassle, and with plenty of people all over the Internet griping about similar and worse situations, with fewer miles and with more miles than ours, we're figuring that the best thing to do right now is to get a car that's been proven to not have issues. So, Honda it is. We're definitely going with something that is certified pre-owned. We're looking to get a 2011 or 2012 Fit, as that is actually the other car I deliberated about getting back in 2011, then ended up with the Fiesta, but it has also come to our attention that the 2010 (and some 2011) Insights are also quite affordable. We commute 54 miles round trip every weekday, and the MPG of the Fiesta was a large draw(28/37). The Fit's MPGs aren't quite as nice- 27/33- and the Insight, as it is a hybrid, boasts a much better 40/43. We are in city traffic for a good 3/4's of our commute.

The Internet research I've done has basically said that the Fit is a better car. More space in the interior, drives nicer, and many other things. However, there are also many people who love the Insight (while there are many who do not). The Insights are remodeled and new as of 2010, I think, so that's also a drawback, as we want to get something that we know has the reliability of a true Honda. (We also found an affordable Civic Hybrid, but they do not have good reviews at all.) We want to test drive an Insight to see what we actually think of how it drives, as it seems as though many people have qualms about that.

So, a question, friends, car fanatics, everyone in between, does anyone out there have experience with a Honda Insight? How about the Honda Fit? I already know that I liked the Fit a lot when I test drove it back in 2011. And it seems to be a proven model that will stand the test of time. I just can't get my mind off of the MPG difference in regard to our commute and how often we somehow find ourselves on the road even without work.

I'd love any and all insight (hah) you can give!

Teaser Trailer

The teaser trailer is finished! Directed by Jonny Walls, produced by Aaron Champion, and a slew of other friends doing everything possible to help out. They did a FANTASTIC job on it! Check it out and share it!

Extracurricular

We spent a good amount of last Saturday on the set of the teaser trailer for "Extracurricular," a screenplay written by our good friend Jonny. Jeremy played a large role in the scene, and yours truly even sat in as an extra.

This is a film that we feel passionate about on quite a few levels. It is being filmed by Cineline Productions, a company comprised of many of our wonderfully talented friends. Jonny has shared the script with Jeremy and me over the past year or two, and (though I've failed to give him back proper notes) we believe wholeheartedly in Jonny's writing, his directing, and what he sees as the end result. Also, Extracurricular is set near Lexington, Kentucky, which is a place that is dear to our hearts. Most everyone involved in the film has roots in Kentucky, and it is to be shot there while finding many current Kentucky residents to be a part of it.

Updates about the film can be found on this page. They are currently in the fundraising stage to obtain the necessary resources for filming it to Cineline's high-quality standards. We are excited to see it in these beginning stages and on the way to becoming something much larger than the idea it's been for the past few years.

What could Jeremy be scheming up? Stay tuned ...

Hollywood Bowl

On August 25th we got to explore a little bit more of this city we live in, and attend a show at the Hollywood Bowl. Thanks to my darling sister and brother-in-law, we had tickets to see Goat Rodeo Sessions. After spending the afternoon at The Grove, we headed into Hollywood for a night of entertainment.

The Hollywood Bowl is the largest outdoor natural amphitheater in the United States. Jeremy has been once before, and this was the first time I've gone. The Bowl is home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic over the summer, and tickets for their shows are very reasonably priced, so we've talked about going this summer but never followed through. Leave it to my sister to give us an opportunity we weren't giving ourselves!

I was immediately pleased with the location upon first walking to our seats. The amphitheater is surrounded by the Hollywood Hills on all sides, and while it sits just beyond Highland Avenue, the noises of the city don't exist too prevalently at The Bowl. There is a view of the Hollywood sign just over the top right of the stage; there's a good view of it depending on where you sit. I'd imagine you could even come across some wildlife if there weren't 18,000 people there.

The Hollywood Bowl stage

Close-up to see the sign.

And yes, 18,000 people! The maximum occupancy at The Bowl is close to 18,000, and Goat Rodeo Sessions played a sold-out show. Thankfully, I didn't feel like I was surrounded by that many people while we were being entertained by the music.

Goat Rodeo Sessions is a primarily instrumental band comprised of four members who are the best of the best at what they do, including Chris Thile (of Nickel Creek fame) and Yo-Yo Ma (no explanation needed there?) There was, if I may, a ridiculous amount of talent sitting on stage that night.

The term "goat rodeo," as described by one of the band members that night, refers to many different pieces entwining together, and every part has to be just perfect in order for it to be right. If one part is off, nothing works. As the band blends bluegrass and classical music together, their title naturally makes good sense.

Stuart Duncan is a Nashville-based bluegrass musician who primarily plays fiddle for Goat Rodeo Sessions, and has played for more recognizable musicians that you can count on both hands. Edgar Meyer is a bass player of many genres due an equal amount of talent credit, and Aoife O'Donovan is a surprisingly American girl, with the voice of an angel. I literally have no other words to describe her vocal talents. I typically don't enjoy female vocalists, and I could listen to her for the rest of my days.

It was one of those evenings that reminded me that I should be practicing violin again. And maybe learn how to sing, because Aoife was amazing.

We were treated to a plethora of songs from their 2011 album (the only of their recorded collaborations), and a few extras- a classical piece originally written for flute (if I remember correctly), and others.

One of my favorite parts of this set up was that we got to see Yo-Yo Ma in a relaxed environment. He was up there with the other guys, talking to the crowd and showing his personality. I don't imagine that he interacts with audiences during his black tie classical performances. Classical musicians remain much an enigma, in a way, since there's no audience interaction. It was nice to have that stripped away in this environment.

We should have taken this from the opposite direction with the stage behind us.

All-in-all, it was quite the memorable night. It is always wonderful to see talented people do what they love, and it is especially affecting to me when the talents are musicians. I definitely look forward to finding another opportunity to be at The Hollywood Bowl, and I absolutely would seek out another time to see Goat Rodeo Sessions play together live again!

A Police Pursuit

I was having a normal day on Monday, taking my daily walk with a baby and a dog around Venice (as I am employed as a nanny), and I stopped at a stop light, waiting for green so I could cross the street.

Just before the light turned green, I saw a police car drive through an alleyway behind a 7-11 that I was about to be headed straight towards- the policeman in such a hurry that his door wasn't fully closed at first.

And just after that I saw two more police cars in the same small alley, with their sirens on, and a man running away from them. A few seconds after that a police helicopter was above me.

It was right about this time I decided I wasn't crossing the street.

As I stayed on my side of the street and quickly walked away from the commotion, at least 8 police cars flew past me at full speed, sirens on, towards the scene I was walking away from.

I walked as far away from it as feasible and waited to be sure there were no more fast-driving police cars, then crossed the street and walked back home in the most efficient way possible.

It was definitely the most exciting walk I've had yet here in Venice.

I've found two articles explaining what I witnessed, apparently the police had been following a stolen white pickup truck from West LA to Venice, and it appears as though the pickup crashed into a gym next to 7-11 just as I got to the intersection, and then the driver attempted to flee on foot.

Much of the pursuit happened on Palms Blvd, which is exactly the street I was about to continue on. I am very thankful for the timing of it all, if I had made the previous green light, I would have likely been right in the middle of it.

less informative article: http://www.yovenice.com/2013/08/26/police-pursuit-in-venice-beach-8-26-13/
more informative article: http://venice311.org/2013/08/26/stolen-car-pursuit-ends-through-the-wall-at-profit-on-lincoln-in-venice/

Our Wedding: A Story

Here are some photos that share a bit of the story of our wedding day. There are links to all of the wedding photos at the bottom of this post.

Dresses in the breeze.

Little sister who's not quite so little.

Flower girl and ring bearer.

Mom helping with my veil, which was made from a piece of hers.

Mother and daughter.

Jer and the guys.

Me and the girls.

Ty sneaking in on one of the photos.

Dad and me, making an entrance.

Dad and me.

Happy Jeremy.

Happy us.

Just married!

Happy family.

My sister Kirstyn did a wonderful job on my hair.

Happy. 

An Asbury reunion.

Got him good, and ate my cake like a lady.

"I Jeremy Michael Kozeluh will marry Rebekah Rae Witzer"- signed 6/25/2011
(I certainly didn't know about that.)

Little brother.

Dance party.

Dancing with Totoro.

Come Sail Away.

Portrait.

Portrait. 

Portrait.

Silhouette.

Bouquet.

Japanese floating lanterns.

Watching the lanterns.

To see all of the photos:

Wedding photos 1

Wedding photos 2

The National at Hollywood Forever Cemetery

August 11th is a special day, as it is Jeremy's Mom's birthday, and the birthday of one of our good friends. This date also falls part-way between my birthday and Jer's birthday, and this year on August 11th there was a band in town that we knew we wouldn't want to miss. So, back in April we bought tickets to see The National at Hollywood Forever Cemetery on August 11th, for a celebration of our birthdays. We were absolutely not disappointed.

Quite the interesting location for a venue, Hollywood Forever Cemetery is used often for shows, outdoor movies, and large parties, while also being exactly what it says it is- a cemetery. There is a stage set up at the front of a large lawn surrounded by tombstones, small mausoleums, and the very large walk-in Cathedral Mausoleum. We brought our outdoor blanket, a bottle of wine and some dinner, and made ourselves a picnic spot among the masses, not too far from the stage, nor too far from those six feet under.

Picnicking before the show.

The supposed 8:00 show started earlier than on time- opener Daughter started playing at 7:15, and The National started their set with I Should Live in Salt at 8:25! That is definitely my kind of show. (My mantra "early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable" isn't typically part of the music industry.) They played a wide selection of 25 songs from a span of multiple albums, and thanks to Jeremy's influence and very long commutes to and from work together, I was familiar with every single song they played!

While I was enjoying keeping warm with a blanket over my lap at our picnicking spot, I wasn't able to see the stage from that position, as many people ("many" may be an understatement, it was a sold out show) stood up to be closer to the stage while The National played. I stood up to enjoy watching them play a few of my favorites- one of the highlights of the night (also happens to be one of their few happier songs) was "I Need My Girl." I will leave you with a stripped-down version of this beautiful song.