Gotta Getty

Above photos from top: Free trip to the Getty Center!; The most disappointing thing about the Getty Center Art Museum is it's Art Collection - this was one of the few pieces that I truly enjoyed; Overlooking Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean; My fellow RAs Rachel and Brendan; The architecture of the Getty Center is what actually attracts the crowds and it IS beautiful.

Tabloids: Beyonce and Me

I'd like to think that I didn't make too big of a deal out of this - which is why I didn't go splashing it all over the internet and blog about it earlier. But today I was informed that the above photo was in all of the tabloids. Take a minute. You might have trouble looking away from Beyonce and at my butt - but there I am.

I worked on Beyonce's most recent music video shoot a week ago and it was by far in my top two Californian days since my arrival. It was a perfect 67 degrees and sunny in Malibu that day and dolphins, Beyonce, and the paparazzi were out. It was an incredible experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity, especially since I got to assist the art department on set.

What was great about working with the art department was that I didn't have to work as a P.A. the entire time: I instead was able to help build the set, hand roses to Beyonce, clean the car she pretended to drive in the video, and ask the wonderful guys I was working for a million questions about working professionally in the art department.

In the above photo I am chasing Beyonce and the camera crew down the beach with a handful of roses, waiting to hand them off to Beyonce.

Barefoot Whale Riders

My CD is now available to be purchased online which is awesome news! You can check it out, buy a copy, and post a review here:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/carrierudzinski

In other news, I will be a featured poet on an online performance poetry radio channel the week of March 16th. You can check out the website and the wealth of other spoken word artists here:

http://performancepoetry.indiefeed.com

The Last Of The Mohicans

Last Of The Mohicans is one of my family's favorite movies - we've been watching it for years and I remember being confused as a small child when I was asked to leave the room when Hawkeye and Cora got a little tooooo friendly. Mmmm dreamy Daniel-Day Lewis...

I recently bought the book in a fantastic used book store to satisfy a desperate need for new and challenging reading material. I'm about forty pages in and the book is getting really good. The first few chapters were difficult to power through but I did and the pages are falling out. The copy of the book is faded and torn and very loose and the smell of the book seems to be making it more enjoyable to read. I'm considering just tearing out pages as I get through them as so many have already jumped ship...

Faces Of Us

My friend Brendan who is an R.A. with me here in L.A. started a blog
around the time we got out here called "Faces Of Us." It's a photo campaign that aims to bring awareness for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) rights to the National spotlight. The blog has been steadily growing over the past two months and has caused people from all over the nation to pen their own sign, snap a photo, and send it in to be published on the blog. It's been really inspiring to see the amount of support the blog has gotten and interesting to see the conversations that have sparked over certain photos and signs. It's strange to have spent the past four years in such an LGBT-friendly environment at Emerson and to truly see with Prop 8 that the majority of this country doesn't want to recognize gay rights. I think Faces Of Us is a great way for people to have their voices and opinions heard and allows the message of equality to really personalize what we should be fighting for.

You can check out the blog and submit your own photo at:

http://facesofus.blogspot.com/

Birthday: How to turn 22 in a new city

I love birthdays. You may think that you love birthdays too, but nothing makes me happier than making someone else's birthday totally awesome. So my birthday is really important and I was worried that since I would have to plan everything myself it wouldn't be as fun.

I was wrong.

I had the best day since being in California even though I had to work part of the day. I was simply in the best mood. I woke up late, found an incredible used book store in Burbank, bought a top at Urban Outfitters with a gift card, ate some french fries and frozen yogurt, and went to work at Emerson's LA center. My friend Brendan covered the first few hours of my shift so I worked the afternoon/evening and then...we went to laser tag.

Let me explain something: I happen to be a master of laser tag. This is in part because of the excellent facilities in Rockford, IL and the countless birthday parties I attended there and partly because I'm just awesome.

I ANNIHILATED everyone in both games. And it was awesome.

We got food after laser tag and hung out at my apartment watching the Princess Bride and eating homemade cake and cookies (courtesy my cousin Lindsay) and delicious banana cream pie (my favorite!). I haven't laughed so much since coming to L.A.

Such a perfect day.

San Diego!

Above Photos: Welcome to San Diego's Balboa Park; I made Ilya and Jake climb this mosaic lizard thing and Ilya checked Jake out; Ilya at the beach; Jake getting ready to run into the water; Me at the beach; Walking around the town of Coronado on the island in the San Diego harbor; Leaving Coronado; Ilya and Jake get rowdy after Mexican food.

Californian Dreaming

Above Photos: Santa Monica Beach; I sat in the shade so as to avoid burning... I am white; Manuel! Max was visiting L.A. so we sat in the shade together; Orange County; My trip to the Los Angeles Zoo!

Good/Lame

One great thing happened today:

I got accepted on the IndieFeed Performance Poetry Channel which is going to feature "Elbows" on a segment and it'll be great to have that to my name and I'm totally excited.

One lame thing happened as well:

I got an offer to feature at a poetry festival here in LA and I had to turn it down cause it's during College Nationals in Philadelphia. The woman who called me was so bummed but probably not as bummed as me. ALL I'M SAYING IS WE BETTER DO REALLY GOOD.

If only I were a CeleBRITNEY... oh well, close enough!

Tonight I had my first experience at In and Out burger with some friends after class (I had a grilled cheese with a strawberry milkshake) and as I walked up to the counter to place my order the girl took one look at me and said "You perform at the Poetry Lounge! You're really good!!"

The people I was with just stared at me. And then we ate In and Out.

Road Trip Quotes

I typed out a pros and cons list we came up with on the road trip that I found in the back of my notebook but blogger wasn't behaving so I've just included some priceless quotes from our travels:

Quotes:

Julie and Carrie to Mike: "Your farts make me want to vomit! I'm gagging!"

Carrie: "Lick it like you want it Mike!"

Carrie: "Do you fart?
Julie: "No. Do you?"

Julie: "That's right Mike, you spit on Texas!"

Carrie: "My coat! Take it off!"
Mike: "Take it ALL off!"

Carrie: "Get out of my dreams... and into my car!"
Mike: "You hooker bitch!"

"Don't get blitzed
cops everywhere"
-- Flashing sign in New Mexico

Carrie: "They weren't your normal milk cows - although there were babies!"

Mike: "No, that shit was like the whole kindergarten class came out of my ass."

Oil Factory

The company I am interning for produces music videos and commercials. Their lead director has made videos for Beyonce, Shakira, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, and my personal favorite, No Doubt. Here are some videos from Oil Factory you might recognize:

Kings of Leon, "Use Somebody"

Ting Tings, "That's Not My Name"

No Doubt, "Don't Speak"

Coldplay, "Fix You"

The Devil Wears Yogurt

Welcome to California: The Mecca of Frozen Yogurt.

As the Queen of Ice Cream, I will say that I miss JP Licks. A lot. However, I have begun to succumb to the tastiness and lifestyle of Californian Frozen Yogurt. I was informed by one of my favorite friends, Tynan Potter, that I should accept my addiction to Pinkberry before I arrived in L.A.

"Pinkberry? What's that" little naive Carrie asked.

Pinkberry is the chic frozen yogurt place that has been called a "cultural phenomenon" and "Tynan's favorite thing about California." I quickly tested the waters upon my arrival and decided that despite mixed reviews it WAS good. They offer an upscale atmosphere, three flavors, and many toppings, but it's a bit pricey.


I was next introduced to Yogurtland. Which is basically the cheap disneyland version of the disneyworld of Pinkberry. It's a self serve yogurt store with twenty flavors and unbelievable flouresent lights: but I accept that. Cause it's good and addictive. The best think about Yogurtland is you control how much you want and how much you pay for as you weigh your cup after filling it with toppings.



As with most things, you get what you pay for. I would say that Pink Berry's toppings are fresher and yogurt is more tart, but I'm going with the cash flow right now and working on the art of mixing Yogurtland flavors (cheesecake and vanilla wafer are winning right now).

I've spotted several other yogurt chains and it's clear that California loves the facade of eating healthy and still divulging. And I am totally okay with that.