Ho, Ho, Ho

Merry Christmas to all.....

In Labor

I have entered a whole new world....the world of Labor Unions and Collective Bargaining Agreements....WOW. I love my job, but it is really different being on this end of things.

The Business Representative at Local 683 is young and gung-ho on labor issues. It is really true that 5% of the membership takes 95% of his time. He is really busy representing the members of his Local with all their petty gripes and complaints. In the meantime, that 5% is really busy trying to milk the system. You would not believe how many times a day these guys call with new complaints. O well, at least it gives me a job!

Things will be picking up here, as we move into the holiday season, so the blogs will probably be few and far between for awhile....until later....

I Love My Job!

My first full week on the job has been great. I like my co-workers and they definitely needed help, so I am somewhat of a hero at this point....we'll see how long that lasts!

Anyway, things have been hopping here at home. We decided not to take regular boarders any more. Instead we are having missionaries stay with us, and Joe has been having a great time with the elders while I am at work. Elder Macias has a laser pointer, and he plays with the cat who is sure it is some kind of horrific alien bug. The cat can hardly wait until the elders come in the door in the evening. I think he will go into a deep depression when they get transferred.

No news yet on the Carrot Dance....other than it's still dangling....

Next week I am attending a Three-day intensive Family History Research class at the LA Regional Family History Center, so you will probably hear about that in my next blog....

I've got a Job!

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada

Today, I started a new job. I am doing office work at IATSE Local 683. I think I will enjoy it...will keep you posted...Andrea

OKAY...here we go

Friday, September 5 will be our first pitch meetings....keep your fingers crossed.

The Dance Update

The script is finished and in the hands of our producer. She says Disney is champing at the bit to see it. Pitch meeting will be soon. The dance continues...

A mini-reunion report

Sharon, Suzie and I went to see our newest shopping venue here in Glendale. Actually we just walked through it to get to the movie theater. But even that short trip showed us that it is a spectacularly beautiful and expensive place where we were not able to afford anything other than movie tickets. Great for window shopping though.


I also took them to my favorite Mexican Food place called El Coyote Cafe. It is a Los Angeles/Beverly Hills landmark restaurant that is owned and operated by my friend, Margie Christoffersen, and her family.

Our other fun activity included driving round and round in downtown LA where we saw the Disney Concert Hall from every convceivable angle...whoopee!

Family History Notes:

Sharon brought some of Mom's family history research to me so I will be going over that and reporting my findings in future blogs. Thanks Sharon.

In addition, I have been asked to make family history presentations at Glendale Second Ward this next Sunday, a fireside in Modesto in July, and the La Crescenta Family History Fair in November. So it looks like my reputation as a family history speaker is being noised abroad. I think this is a good thing...at least I hope so.

Visitors from the North

Okay, so it's only as far north as Utah, but still... Sharon Tomlinson and Suzie Sawyer are coming to visit us here in Glendale. I'm excited. I'll have someone to bore in person! I'll get to talk Family History about my own family, yippee. We'll take pictures while they are here, and enhance them a lot before we post them. Look forward to our travelog of Glendale, California. Until next week!

Still treading water...

Nothing that I consider interesting is happening with us just now. We are in the midst of dealings with the IRS....can't say anything good, so I better leave that one alone. The lease on our car is almost up, so we are woyyring about what we will do for transportation, and if we can afford the gasoline if we do come up with a downpayment on another vehicle. Just the same stuff you all deal with, and none of it very exciting. But I wanted to check in, so you would know we're still here, and still treading water.....

Rubik's Cat

Kit Kat Solves the Rubik’s Cube
Kit Kat rules at our house ... as you can see

The Road Rage Puppet

I get sentimental every time I spot Joe's lookalike companion in our storage room. The puppet was devised as a joke to introduce humor into road rage laden commutes, thus breaking the tension created by the traffic. Joe was not as amused by it as were the others in the car, yet it served its purpose for several years before it began to show signs of wear. So now he is safe in our "Bonus Room", keeping watch over the other "precious" items we don't have room to display. Maybe someday...

Dangling Carrot Rewrite Reprise

Okay....so yesterday, Joe talked to his friend Liz (who teaches scriptwriting and screenwriting). She read Joe's script and thinks it has a great chance of being picked up by one of the studios...after a few adjustments....So, Joe is rewriting once more....step-together-three-four...However, we don't want to present it to Disney at this stage...and dip, two three four...the dance continues...step-ball-change, step-ball-change...stay tuned.

I've moved My Other Blog

A shoppe to help you get more out of your home life and recreational activities. When I'm at home I like to enjoy myself, whether it's watching television, catching up on movies, reading a good book or trying a new recipe. When I find something that strikes a chord with me, I want to share it with others....Here are a few goodies I have discovered recently. Enjoy...

Click Here! or
try clicking on the title of this post or
go to http://mrs-claus-online-shoppe.blogspot.com/

Joe's Brilliant Career

My Brilliant Career

We have taken on the project of digitally preserving our scrapbooks and pictures. The latest effort has been to journal Joe's career....enjoy!

Family Photos

A few additional pictures we found....

Starting Upper Left-hand Corner and going clockwise:
1. Andrea and Joe on their wedding day with Joe's cousin Barbara Jean Nielson
2. Tom wearing Joe's favorite hat
3. Andrea and Debbie
4. Nathel, Sharon, and Andrea
5. Lurlene and Steve
6. Nathel with Gracie Leavitt in Greer

Click the montage to see it bigger...

Dangling Carrot Update

Joe and Jen have a tentative pitch meeting to Disney early in May....
We'll let you know more when we know more....

A Must See...

August Rush
If you haven't seen this movie....you must....
It just went to the top of my favorite DVDs...
It is a modern take on Oliver Twist, only with music....really inspiring....

The Dance of the Dangling Carrot

As many of you know, Joe wrote a book and we published it in 2004. Early in 2005, we were approached by a producer who wanted to turn it into a screenplay....thus began the dance....
Joe wrote an initial script based loosely on the book and our producer got some interest from Lifetime.
Then our producer merged her company with a couple of partners. The partners decided they would not get enough profit if they let Lifetime have DVD and distribution rights, so they squashed the deal. The story was, they wanted to rewrite the script to make it appeal to the 12-20 age group, and produce it themselves. They already had a distribution deal with Wal-Mart, so they would have everything in their control. (Unfortunately for us, this cut our piece of the pie down to almost nothing.)
Two years passed....
This last Christmas, our producer told us she wanted to showcase the project at Sundance Film Festival in January. We said "yahoo", and made plans to attend. But something went drastically wrong. Her venue at Sundance got cancelled because her 'star' got injured and could not attend. That was the final straw for her with her partners.
She pulled out of the partnership with our project and now wants to pitch it on her own....back almost to square one.
Joe has re-worked and re-written the script (twice already this year) so that it is even more loosely based on the book than before. However, we are pretty happy about the way it has turned out. He submitted the finished script to Jen (our producer) just last Friday, and Jen is now scheduling pitch meetings with the studios. Although Joe doesn't relish dressing as Santa out-of-season, it is Hollywood, after all, and the "Dance of the Dangling Carrot" must continue...
Stay tuned...
HO HO HO for Hollywood

Tom & Nathel Steele Family Tribute Scrapbook

In 2006, Sharon and I put our heads together and decided to use the pictures that Mom and Dad left behind to put a Family Scrapbook together. Then we made copies and gave them as gifts for Christmas.

It includes some pretty interesting shots of the whole extended family, plus a glimpse at a couple of our more famous ancestors. For those of you who didn't see it, here is your chance. I've posted the whole thing to a webshots album and included a link to it (over on the right side). Check it out!

Note to Dallas......you and your siblings haven't seen this yet....let them know about it!

Agnes Macdonald Line

I am a Family History consultant in my ward and stake....therefore, I will be talking about what I am doing in our family files from time to time.

Right now I am immersed in the "New FamilySearch" program which was deployed in the Los Angeles temple district in January (the image above was captured from that program).

Sharon Tomlinson and I have been trying to clean up our family files for the Agnes Macdonald line, so we can see who still needs to have temple work done. The good news is that 90% of the work is done (at least for those we know about in 10 generations back from Agnes), and I am cleaning up the files in New FamilySearch and updating my files to capture all those ordinance dates. When I am complete, I will let you know.....

A Coupla Joes clip

This clip was captured July 6, 2007 at the Carlson residence in Valencia, California. Joe Leavitt and Joe Paur gave a concert for Bishop Carlson and his guests.

Expect changes.....

I like to experiment with colors and layouts, so expect things to change from time to time...also, expect gross spelling errors, since I am one of the world's worst typists...

First Contact

Hello from Joe and Andrea (aka Santa Joe and Mrs. C). This is our first experience with Blogspot. We hope to use it to keep in touch with all of you.

This photo was taken at a "Christmas in July" pajama party at Robbie Williams' home in Beverly Hills last year.