Ms. Cheevious in Hollywood

My Zany Years Spent Working in Tinsel Town

Anti-stress

The Day I Worked for Food

by

So… I know what you’re thinking. How does THIS girl get herself in a situation where she has to work for food?

Well, first of all, let me ask YOU this:

How the heck do you think I EVER find myself in ANY of the whacky and zany situations I get myself into, PEOPLE?  Huh?!

Let me quickly remind you of a few here:

Hmmmm…  There’s the time I caught on fire in “I am on FIRE!“

Then there was the time that my man M.C. Nugget (PS – you newbies should be informed here that I change everyone’s names in Ms. Cheevious-land to protect their innocence – or lack thereof – ha ha) and I had a bang up time at Super Bowl in Miami, and ended up having to sleep in the car because we were too “toasted” in “SAINTS Bitch!“

Or, there is always that time I tried out for the Lingerie Football League, in “Lingerie… Football…That Is“

And then there is one of my personal favorites, where I paid homage to none other than, The Rabbit, in “Long Live The Rabbit“

Ahhh… memories.

But there is no time like the present!  And guess what?  I am a resourceful person.  When times are a little tough, or finances,  clients or  whatever seem to have DISAPPEARED… well, guess what?  I take care of business.  I suck it up, and I go and get help from whomever can help me through the rough patch — even if it means getting public assistance.  Hey, I pay my taxes, and then some – especially in the years of plenty!!  But also, I have no shame.  You, my readers of all people, should know this by now.

BUT… and there is always a BUT… for me, that particular situation has actually occurred more than once in my life.  First, when I was not yet nineteen, had just given birth to my first son, AND let go from my job at the same time.  I applied for and received welfare, food stamps and medical aid.

After that happened. I vowed I was never going to be in that situation again, and would work to become a successful, happy and fulfilled business woman — that I would have an impact on people, make my mark on society and provide a wonderful life for my kids.

Oy.  That was a LONG time ago.  Those goals and dreams (some already realized) are still true today, but believe it or not, I found myself in the very SAME tough situation again some years later — well, except for the newborn-baby-in-tow part…  But I was in business, had one gigantic client that monopolized all my time, and against my better judgment I relied heavily on the revenue they provided my business.  When that company downsized, they cut me from their budget.  This not only impacted me, but all that I employed.  It was a very difficult time. I went through the very slow painful adjustment process, while the rest of the country also underwent tremendous economic turmoil.

And by adjustment, I do NOT mean in finances, or in changes to my lifestyle (though that was inevitable).  I mean truly painful adjustments, MENTALLY.  I slowly was slammed into the mindset that I was NOT making the money I had been, or had planned for, nor could I spend like I wanted, but also I was forced to be WILLING to take work when and wherever I could create it.  I was forced into adjusting my expectations of what I could GET for the service my business provided, while I slowly and simultaneously exhausted all of my personal financial resources — my IRA, my savings, and as I maxed out every credit card I had  (and they had BIG limits, let me tell you).  I even came close to the point of ruin, when things started to turn around — I credit my attitude and my unwillingness to give up or stop trying despite the obvious circumstances for that, as well as a few very precious people in my life who were there to assist, cheer and support me along the way.

But toward the end of the grueling and long and painful process, I was forced once again to seek public financial aid.  In the last case, FOOD STAMPS.

When I got the approval, I learned that the rules had changed the second time around.  In order to keep receiving benefits, I was required to report to what they called Work Fare, and put in so many hours of work at various public facilities.  For me, it was the Veterans Administration Hospital.

So, though I dragged my feet to the last possible day to report for work, I went in.  Yup.  I showed up in my Uggs, yoga pants and sweatshirt, ready to pay my dues.  But you know what?  I worked with a few great guys who were so incredibly nice – and so happy to have me helping them, folding scrubs in the facility’s gigantic laundry plant.  These guys were so sweet, and happy.  Go figure.

I don’t know what I expected.  I guess I pictured some chop shop like out of the movie Oliver, where people were there slaving away, and unhappily taken advantage of.  But no.  These guys were some of the best people I’ve met in Los Angeles.  They’d go the extra mile for you without blinking an eye.  I was hot, because I didn’t know to bring a pony tale thingy… so they got a fan and put it on me…

Now — I know what you are thinking.  ‘Oh yeah… of course they gave you a FAN…’ with images of THIS in your head:

But come ON people.  Let’s get real.  Remember?  I was in my UGGS and yoga pants, a sweat shirt and my hair was curly – with the laundry environment causing it to get static electricity.  I looked more like Phyllis Diller in front of a fan… HA!

HA!

But really – honestly people.  I am trying to make a point here.  It’s that I was brought to a low place, having gone through the removal of several layers of ego and some pretty lofty levels of finances.  But I survived and am still here to kick some ass!  Aren’t I?

I suppose that is why I was able to walk into that laundry facility and sing R&B tunes and dance a little while I folded scrubs and finished my entire giant bin in my short time there. I felt so good after working two hours at the V.A. Hospital, it made me think about what we all do with our days trying to “enjoy” life.  How we spend so much of our VALUABLE energy and effort “trying” to make a “life” for ourselves — a life that we think is acceptable… and here, these guys were HAPPY, and kind, and TRULY did enjoy life.  It made me kinda jealous.

So for this holiday season – can we all take a minute and remember that we are NOT ALL THAT?  Not any one of us is beneath volunteering or putting our time in – especially when we’ve received public assistance!  And that brings up a point.  Not any one of us is beneath applying for and receiving public aid, or assistance from others.  Get real.  Get help if you need it.  And give back when you can.

Stay tuned next week – cuz I’ll be friggin FREEZING in a small town north of Boston for the holidays – and I’ll probably wanna’ kvetch!  YAY!

Love you people! Mmmmmphhhuuuuuhhhhh!!

xoxo,

Ms. Cheevious

——————-

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

Register to receive these posts via email!
Go to the Ms. Cheevious Home page, and enter your email address where it asks for it, then click subscribe.  It’s that easy!

Follow me,  Ms. Cheevious on Twitter. “LIKE” me on Facebook (please? This way I can say “You LIKE me! You really, really LIKE me!”)

Follow my man M.C. Nugget on Twitter

Blog content copyright 2009, LISA JEY DAVIS a.k.a. Ms. Cheevious

Are Hot Bodies Dead?

by

I only ask this question because I finally completely my SPX Fitness training, and was officially added to the schedule at the renowned founding studio in West Hollywood. This guy, Sebastien Lagree, has more press from making celebrity hotties look fabulous than many a-list movie stars!

Anyhoo, I was added to the schedule last Saturday, and as of today – my grand debut taking place in just a few short hours –  still no one has booked one of my classes!  A brief perusal of the schedule revealed that there are many classes with no one in them – or so it seems. I wrote it off to people not wanting to commit – so “L.A.”  They’ll just show up knowing if there are 10 slots available it’s a good chance they’ll get into the class.

Meanwhile, I wrote to another teacher on the schedule – one that I enjoy taking her classes – to let her know I was now teaching. What I got was a response from an annoyed individual who has trouble filling her own classes. She saw my addition to the schedule as “cutting in to her pay.”

Now.  This was ME she was talking to.  She may as well have been speaking Russian.  I just don’t understand the mentality.  I got on the schedule, and the first thing I did was spend several hours designing a flier and event for Facebook. Then I spent MY OWN MONEY promoting it with an ad to people who are interested in fitness.  This may sound foreign to fitness professionals (“What? Promote your classes with your own money?”), and I suppose it is a little “outside of the box,” but it’s only natural for me.  You don’t make the big bucks or succeed at some things by merely waiting for the people to show up.  You have to put yourself “OUT THERE.”  Ya know?

I have to admit, however, the entire process had me second-guessing what people are after these days.  My mind went to all sorts of scary, frightening places, like ‘perhaps people don’t care if they are fat and unhealthy these days…’ or ‘maybe “FAT” is the new 30’, and this great gem, ‘maybe my jokes about being Jabba have been taken seriously, and the minions are following too closely — too literally…’  (trust me — my brain will go places I have no control over some times).

But after much thought and deliberation I have to conclude that NO – hot bodies are NOT DEAD.  They are alive and well and thriving — especially in the US, and even more so in Los Angeles!  People desperately want to be fit, healthy, good looking and feeling fine.  They WANT to be able to go into a store and fit into the most fashionable clothes with ease — and look GOOD in them.  I have to believe there are still people out there who WILL take my class because — well — great minds and bodies think alike.  Ya know?  (Inserting obligatory disclaimer here — SOMEONE will take offense or think I am being narcissistic — No. I am not saying “Oh! Look at Me!  I have a great mind and a great body, and if you do too, you’ll take my class!”  No.  I have lived a life with plenty of lessons that have finally brought me to the place of being comfortable in my own skin, and proud of the hard work and the intricate journey my life has taken me on. It’s not for whimps, this life stuff, but I tell ya, if you can find a way to enjoy it, and be HAPPY with who you are, always striving to be who you want to be, and never letting go of your dreams and goals – well then life’s difficulties tend to fade.  So, do I think I have a great mind?  It has its moments, but I’m partial.  Do I think I have a great body? I’m doing alright.  It’s more about what others say, and express to me… that they want what I have… and I am a marketing person – I listen to the pundits).

Well anyway, the other instructor also said people would probably show up to my class tonight on the fly – which is what I suspected.  Stay tuned.

Here are the ads, and promo photos I posted on the FaceBook events I added.  I said “Get Your Six Pack Here”… because HEY, that IS what you’ll get!

I hope you are inspired to get in, stay in and be thrilled about your SHAPE people.  This is what makes life – and the “enjoying every moment” part – worth living!

And if you live in Los Angeles and would like to attend my Tuesday and Thursday night classes, well feel free to check out the details here.

Have a wonderful week my lovely fitness fiends!

xoxo,

Ms. Cheevious

——————-

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

Register to receive these posts via email!
Go to the Ms. Cheevious Home page, and enter your email address where it asks for it, then click subscribe.  It’s that easy!

Follow Ms. Cheevious on Twitter. Fan her on Facebook!
Follow my man M.C. Nugget on Twitter

Blog content copyright 2009, LISA JEY DAVIS a.k.a. Ms. Cheevious

Maven: Vibrant. Vivacious. Zesty. Full of Life.

by

Christian author Barbara Baumgardner quoted this fabulous anonymous quip about death:

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, ‘Wow. What a ride!’ ”

She quoted this in her journal/article (book?) called  My Fantastic, Final Journey, about her final time on earth battling cancer. That saying became Barbara’s “slogan” until the day she died in 2005.

And that “slogan” epitomizes my sister, Mary Louise “Mimi” Sherwood Larimore (a.k.a. Maven here in Ms. Cheevious-land) who passed away on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, after almost 7 years battling Ovarian Cancer.  She absolutely, unequivocally LOVED life – with every ounce of energy she had. And she LIVED her life to the fullest – even when the cancer was at its worst.

Another sister, Blu and I were talking about it, just after Maven died, and Blu choked out, behind the tears, “And… she  had such a wonderful husband!!  He would have followed her to the ends of the earth!!”  I tearfully agreed, and as I pictured the happy couple that they were, I added, “Actually, she would have followed him too… that’s just how they were”  We both agreed.  What a rare thing to find these days.

So – I’m going to tell you a story that sprung from this. Believe me – I mulled over how to tell it – or whether to tell it at all.  But when I thought about my sister – who was my biggest fan and supporter… who planned to send messages about me to Oprah Winfrey every single day of her life, because she thought I should be one of the authors in Oprah’s book club…  just as soon as she felt better – well, for THAT sister, and because I knew Mimi would get such a laugh and a kick out of it – I decided this story had to be told.

It was in that moment, talking with Blu, that I also thought about just how lucky I, MYSELF, am.  I thought about how my man, M.C. Nugget would do anything for me.  He’s just that type of guy who comes from good stock… his mama brought him up right. He is loving, loyal and a true friend – to men and women alike.  If he knows of hard times in a friend’s life, and can do something about it – he does. It’s that simple.

So, in that moment I thought… ‘hmmm… that’s kinda how Nuggie and I are…’

Over the next day or so,  that very thought is what brought a smile to my face more than once – even in my pain. I felt so very lucky – and felt that Nuggie was pretty lucky too.

On one such occasion, when I had a silly grin on my face for no apparent reason, and Nuggie gave me a curious look, I retold the story to him — of how I knew he would follow me to the ends of the earth… with a few qualifiers, of course, like “Not that you would ever NEED to follow me to the end of the earth, honey…ha ha!”

And in a flash – in true M.C. Nugget form, he said, “Well, I might follow CLOSE.”

I laughed and added, “Yeah, and I might STALK you to the ends of the earth, if you’re not careful!”

He continued with the pièce de résistance, “Is there a BAR at the end of the earth? I’d follow you if there’s a bar!”

I laughed and said, “Ya’ gotta figure, anywhere I go, you can count on there being a bar, honey!”

“Well, if not, at least I would be able to SEE you from the BAR closest to the end of the earth.”

Ahhh… true love.

We laughed a lot from that, because that’s who we are.  We love to laugh.

And that was Maven and her hubby! They laughed, and joked, and enjoyed life.  Every ounce of it.  She CERTAINLY skidded to her death sideways, her body worn and tattered… but DEFINITELY able to say “WOW… What a ride!”

Her love for life and her spirit lives on in everyone she knew and touched.  Everyone who was privileged to joke and laugh with her… to dance with her at a party – when she would make fun of herself and try to look like a 60’s go-go dancer, or when she would razz people and get a chuckle out of it…. or talk baby talk and whine to get her way… then chuckle about it.  Anyone who knew her generosity, thoughtfulness and deep love and devotion for her close friends and family – well, they were all blessed tremendously.  We all knew it was just who Mimi was… warm, accepting… fun… and infectious.  And we all wanted to be a part of it.

Maven. Vibrant. Vivacious.  Zesty. Full of Life.

I hope to live life as full and as vibrant as Maven did.  I vow not to let things slide or put important things off for another day —  I promise to LIVE as if every moment is my last — and to make SURE everyone in my world knows that I love them.  I am determined to go after my own personal “bucket list” and not put it off for the last chapter in life.  I don’t know when that last chapter is, and I’m not taking any chances.

Mimi Sherwood Larimore - a.k.a. Maven

You live on forever in my thoughts and in my heart, and in the thousands of things that remind me of you, Mimi. It hurts my heart deeply and sharply to even say that.  I still don’t truly believe you are gone.  You were and are an inspiration.

Love you sissy!  Mmmmmmphhhuuuuuuhhhhh!

xoxoxo,

Ms. Cheevious

a.k.a. Your baby sister, Lisa

——————-

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

Register to receive these posts via email!
Go to the Ms. Cheevious Home page, and enter your email address where it asks for it, then click subscribe.  It’s that easy!

Follow Ms. Cheevious on Twitter. Fan her on Facebook!
Follow my man M.C. Nugget on Twitter

Blog content copyright 2009, LISA JEY DAVIS a.k.a. Ms. Cheevious

Ms. Cheevious On the Hunt…

by

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

…for more people in her life that like to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest, for more chocolate to eat and fine wine to drink, for more opportunities to travel to interesting and exciting places, for more parties and events with free stuff, for more of that lap of luxury lifestyle she is accustomed to… and of course, Ms. Cheevious is on the hunt every day for MORE WORK.  Or any work will do!

That’s the main reason I’ve not posted in forever.  I am so sorry my pretties.  I know I should be more disciplined and I definitely should not promise content I can’t deliver.  I know I promised oodles of creative entries on the “Desperate Measures” front, and in my defense, I did shoot and record a cute video that would have personified every man (or woman’s) modern-day job hunt hilariously, but as I mentioned on my “author” facebook fan page, the parents of the girl I used vetoed it. HA! Who knew? Actually, as a single mom, I do get it. I use to black out the faces of any pictures I posted online of my kids, because I didn’t approve of putting them up in cyberspace, right there for pedophiles to fantasize about. 

It was a fun little video though, and believe me, I’ve been toying with re-editing it to include only me… 

I just have had NO TIME, literally.  Here’s a quick laundry list of what I’ve been doing:

  1. Las Vegas for Daytime Emmys
  2. Boston for the Fourth of July
  3. Home on a Wednesdaycoincided by a two week visit from my 15 year old son (who lives out of state with his dad).
  4. My Birthday Party on the following weekend.
  5. Entertaining the teenager.
  6. But above all…. that which consumes me night and day:  JOB HUNTING…

It all started back near the end of June.  My boyfriend (M.C. Nugget – and for you newbies, I change the names off all my peeps here to preserve their anonymity, unless of course, they are famous and misbehaving… then I dish it out baby. You can get a list of “aliases” on my “About This Blog” Page) and I traveled to Las Vegas a few weekends back because we had a friend who hooked us up with a virtually FREE room at the Bellagio, and we had a very good friend who was nominated for a Daytime Emmy.  We couldn’t miss it, and Nuggie footed the bill (the lovely specimen of male human flesh that he is) – so I was off!

We were home ONE day, and hopped a plane to Boston to visit his family for a week over the Fourth of July.  Boy was it FUN.  That’s where we shot the video for my little “Desperate Measures” series…. the one that got lost on the cutting room floor… ha ha.

Well, from the list above – you know the rest…  It’s been a litlte crazy.  Here is a fun picture of me  at my birthday celebration (which also coincided with my bff’ Sheila’s birthday – so we joined forces and painted the town RED) with just a few too many cocktails in me, and Nuggie – well… the same… ha ha.

MC Nugget and I - A Few Drinks In... Visit www.mscheevious.com to view

So there you have it lovely ladies and gentlemen.  Fun on the not-so-sunny-these-days coast of Southern California…

I will ABSOLUTELY do a new installment very soon.  Until then: Keep getting up, Keep a good attitude, Keep Eating Chocolate and Drinking Fine Wine (but of course), and Love your People!

Love YOU People!  Mmmmmphhhhuuuhhhhhhh!

xoxo,

Ms. Cheevious

——————-

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

Register to receive these posts via email!
Go to the Ms. Cheevious Home page, and enter your email address where it asks for it, then click subscribe.  It’s that easy!

Follow Ms. Cheevious on Twitter. Fan her on Facebook!
Follow my man M.C. Nugget on Twitter

Blog content copyright 2009, LISA JEY DAVIS a.k.a. Ms. Cheevious

Dependence is Key

by

Just sayin.

I know everyone talks and is writing creatively about the importance of exerting our own “independence” – especially in regard to women, but I’m kinda tired.

Oy.

I’ve been working so hard lately (no joke – like 6 am to 11 pm every night), I figure if you’ve got good people in your life you can depend on, it makes it all worth it.  The getting up, the emails, the running around, the worry.  Oy – the worry.  But with good people to depend on, my my, how sweet it is.  It brings to mind once again how life is not really so HARD, per se, but one great big adventure.  And no one said adventures would always be EASY.

So, on this Fourth of July be sure to tell those you depend on how happy you are they’re in your life.

THEN you can be independently happy you’ve got it so good.

Now, get out there and create your own fireworks, but be safe my lovely male and female adventurers! 

Stay tuned next week for Desperate Measures II – the first video installment in my light-hearted series about a serious subject: unemployment and economic hard times. 

Love you people!!! Mmmmmppphuuuuuuhhhhhhh!!!!

xoxo,

Ms. Cheevious

——————-

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

Register to receive these posts via email!
Go to the Ms. Cheevious Home page, and enter your email address where it asks for it, then click subscribe.  It’s that easy!

Follow Ms. Cheevious on Twitter. Fan her on Facebook!
Follow my man M.C. Nugget on Twitter

Blog content copyright 2009, LISA JEY DAVIS a.k.a. Ms. Cheevious

Nada Mama.

by

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

I am a mom.  A mother, mama, madre… etc.  And I am truly celebrating that today.  But I’m also celebrating my super-hero ability at this particularly unique juncture in my life to do – – – well – – –  absolutely nothing.

Zip.

Nada.

This super-hero ability transcends traditional thought, and enables me to love doing nothing, to cherish it, to step outside of myself at times and analyze and see my nada state of being for what it is – to relish and be thankful for it.  And THAT is amazing.  The really super-power trick, however,  is not to let the nada-ness be cause for worry, self-defamation or fear.

Mother’s Day 2002

My two boys are older now- one fully grown up (I know… I was six when I had him.  It was in all the papers), and one who is 14 and lives with his dad in another state.  I love them so much (and so often) it hurts – in a good way most of the time – but that is another story — one that is so very much more than nothing or nada, and to even try to do it justice in my nada frame of mind, just wouldn’t be fair or right.

So – I’ll tell you about my realization that I actually relish being a Nada Mama on this beautiful Mother’s Day, 2010.

You see, though I own my own business, and love what I do (marketing and PR – spinning and pitching stories for the media, getting my clients on red carpet at some fabulous events, making deals for them, etc.), things (and by “things” I mean paying clients) have been very scant lately.  So much so, I’ve been keeping myself ultra busy, spinning plates/wheels, doing tricks, “putting it out there” – pitching myself to friends, acquaintances — sending resumes around since October – and still nothing has changed (my bank account notwithstanding).  As busy as I’ve been – even up until this past week – trying to “make things happen” – there is still – – just – – nothing, it seems.

Oh, I’ve gotten a new client here and there, lost a few along the way – but things everywhere in this universe just seem to be —  STUCK.  And I feel for others out there!  I’ve only been trying to elicit some serious change since last October.  Many more have been battling far longer.

So, I’ve just decided this week to just go with it.  To love the nada-ness.  Embrace it.  Hold it.  Cuddle it.

And now it’s official.  I am a bonafide nada queen.  A lounging fool.

It’s Sunday, and I spent the day yesterday lounging on the beach with M.C. Nugget.

I love the beach. Love laying in the sun (with appropriate SPF properly applied, of course), riding my bike along the strand in Santa Monica, watching the sunset over the Pier. It’s quite relaxing and amazing.  I may not be raking in the dollars right now, but I am certainly raking in the sunshine and reaping the benefits – the soft, golden skin that comes from the balmy sea air.  I may not be making power deals at every moment, but I am powering up the little hill on Ocean Park Boulevard peddling my bike as fast as possible to make the green light, and reach my final destination — the friggin OCEAN people! Hello?  How lucky am I to be just a couple of blocks from the great blue sea?

So, it’s been an incredibly challenging year for most folks.  I can’t even begin to detail the types of difficulties my friends and family have encountered.  Yet, even still, for every person who’s struggling (financially, health-wise, etc), I know someone who at least seems to be doing just fine.

So I’ve decided that I am too.  And I am actually GRATEFUL for the NADA MAMA I am!

Right here.  Right now.

Carpe Diem, people!  I gotta seize the day, because, hey – life is short – and I may never again be able to simply wake up, attend a 5-day-a-week pilates class, answer a few emails, check in on Facebook, handle a few details for my clients, and then – if I so desire – take the rest of the day off to lay in the sun or ride bikes with my man.  Granted, I don’t do that every single day (I’m still in Nada Mama training) – but believe me, as of late, I’ve done my share.

No matter how difficult things get, I have to realize that I’ve got it pretty stinkin’ good to be able to just stop, dead in my tracks, along with the seemingly STUCK UNIVERSE, and smell the roses, sip the coffee, soak in the rays, etc.

Ahhh.  To do absolutely nothing.  Everyone should be so lucky.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!  Yes – EVERYONE.  Even you, who are not female, or mothers.  Yes, even you have a mom, or have had one.  Everyone has.  And I bet they all learned to enjoy being a Nada Mama once in a while too.

Stay tuned next week for some more tales of — well — how about nothing!  It’s either that or I’ll have to give away some of the fun and frivolity that occured at the Baja Cantina, The World Cafe and more on Cinco de Nuggie (M.C. Nugget’s Birthday)!  But until then, people… just do this for a while:   breathe in…. and breathe out…. ahhhhhh.

Love you people!  Mmmmmppphhhhuuuuhhhh!

xoxo,

Ms. Cheevious

——————-

Don’t be Shy!  Leave a Reply!

Register to receive these posts via email!
Go to the Ms. Cheevious Home page, and enter your email address where it asks for it, then click subscribe.  It’s that easy!

Follow Ms. Cheevious on Twitter. Fan her on Facebook!
Follow my man M.C. Nugget on Twitter

Blog content copyright 2009, LISA JEY DAVIS a.k.a. Ms. Cheevious