Today was a packed day. I watched Pixar's UP at Century City, which is a-mazing. It's such a heartfelt story, it will make you choke up and your eyes will well up with tears. My friend Rachel was in town with her two boys and today they went to Universal Studios, I couldn't join them in the park, but met them outside at Universal CityWalk. It's such a different part of LA to be in a tourist spots, but still fun when you're around kids.
Today was a packed day. I watched Pixar's UP at Century City, which is a-mazing. It's such a heartfelt story, it will make you choke up and your eyes will well up with tears. My friend Rachel was in town with her two boys and today they went to Universal Studios, I couldn't join them in the park, but met them outside at Universal CityWalk. It's such a different part of LA to be in a tourist spots, but still fun when you're around kids.
My gay husband, Nicholas, turned 30 on May 24th, but celebrated his birthday on the 30th. The tag line for his party was: its the TRIFECTA! may 30th . 30 years old . 30 inch waist. To celebrate I brought along my gay boyfriend, Ritch. Whose eye do you think this is?
With a commanding win over the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers solidified their spot in the 2009 NBA Finals. As a celebration, we ordered a pizza from Vitello's Express in Studio City, and enjoyed two pieces of Cake (Red Velvet and Coconut). We never finished the two pieces of cake, but we gave it a good effort. Don't worry, there were four of us trying to tackle this feat and we failed. FYI Sweetharts recently opened up, it's a yogurt spot right behind Vitello's Express. They are having a grand opening on Saturday and will serve free yogurt from 2-5pm.GO LAKERS!!
Wings, ribs, a bucket of Coronas, and a hot dog (?) were all we needed to watch game 5 of the Cavaliers/Magic series. Although a Magic win would have been awesome, we'll see how it turns out on Saturday. I'm not complaining too much, another game to see Dwight Howard play is fine by me. Are his guns for real???
I hiked in Wilacre Park with Ritch this morning, but then decided to hike Fryman Canyon afterward. Last week I didn't complete the entire Betty B. Dearing trail, so I thought I would do it today. I got a little lost, but if that wouldn't have happened, then I wouldn't have found this beautiful bed of flowers. Luckily the trail is mostly shaded and crosses some small streams, so it was bearable. Being out on a trail for 4 hours is tiring. Luckily I tried the 5 hour energy drink, and, I think, it kept me going. I inhaled my PB& J and protein shake when I got back to the car.That's me in the reflection of the stream. :)
When I started discovering the trails in the Hollywood Hills, I wanted to share them, but the trail I hiked this morning: I want to keep it for myself. It's so beautiful and is not used as much as the other trails. You can find it if you do a little bit of research or if you persuade me to take you on it, but for now it will be my peaceful sanctuary in this crazy city.
Joanna and Bianca hosted a gourmet BarBQ. It was the perfect way to end a perfect day. I conquered Nichol's Canyon on my bike and my two feet. I deserve this meal. :)Thinking of all veterans and those who are on active duty. Thank you. :)
We went to Westlake Village (I know) for a BarBQ/Laker game party. Jamie and I performed our rendition of American Boy by Estelle featuring Kanye West. I'll leave it at that.
I woke up and decided to hike Mt. Hollywood. I've become obsessed with the Hollywood Hills, lately, but it's so beautiful and so close. You can hike near the Hollywood sign, but you can't get closer than the picture I took. This was not a strenuous hike, it was actually quite easy. The hardest part was the beginning, because it's a steady up hill for about 2 miles. Then it flattens out for a bit and then a short steep uphill to the top. I kinda wandered around with my map in hand and found another trail that I would like to try, I believe it goes up to Cahuenga Peak.
When I set my mind to do something, there is little that will dissuade me from accomplishing it, call it determination or insanity. Today, I wanted to tackle the Beachwood Canyon staircases (and I was crazy enough to add in the 5 mile run around the Hollywood Reservoir). The staircases are intense. There are six of them, and even if I was supposed to only descend them, I would turn right back around, ascend them and then descend again. The last stair case was killer. It was one of the descending stairs, and it took everything in me to turn around and march my burning thighs up those steps. As soon as I got back to my car I inhaled my PB&J and protein shake.
If that wasn't enough I drove to Franklin Canyon and hiked the Hastain Trail. Franklin Canyon is literally 15 minutes from my apt, and I can't believe I've never hiked it before. It's absolutely beautiful. It's so peaceful and quiet...it's like a hidden treasure in the Hollywood Hills.
This me almost near the top... don't I look exhausted?
I had to catch up on some personal stuff today and clean my apt. Here is a picture of my jalousie kitchen window. I love that southern California has these windows. :)
I've hiked Runyon Canyon extensively, but have never looked into the other canyons in the Hollywood Hills. Today, I went for a hike in Coldwater Canyon Park/Wilacre Park/Fryman Canyon. I will have a lengthier post on another website that will detail the location, parking, trails, and an overall review, but for now this will be a short post. While this is not as challenging as Runyon Canyon, it is quiet and peaceful. If Runyon can be compared to a Hollywood Club (to see and be seen), Wilacre Park/Fryman Canyon is a nice hotel bar. The trails were not desolate; I encountered some runners. I opted not to run, because I didn't know the length of the trail. Next time I will run. It can be a quick hike or a lengthy small trail hike. It's versatile because of the parks adjacency to each other. There is a longer trail that I will do at some point, I only did part of that trail, because the map I had was not very detailed. Next time!
I walked up to Sunset Blvd today. At the beginning of the month CB2 opened a new store at 8000 Sunset Blvd. (Crescent Heights & Sunset), and I wanted to check out the new digs. CB2 is the younger (more affordable) brother of Crate and Barrel. This is the first outlet store in Southern California. A Trader Joe's also opened in this complex a few months ago, and I just haven't been able to make it up here. I continue to shop at my local TJ's. Unfortunately, I forgot the battery to my camera in the wall charger, so I wasn't able to snap any shots. This one is taken with my cell phone. I think it calls for another trip. After checking out the complex I walked over to H&M on Sunset: pure torture. Why do I do this to myself? It reassured me that I need a job. It's so sad to see so many cute clothes, hanging on the rack... just waiting to be taken home, wanting.
We (Chadonna, Ken, Angela and Ritch) went back to Busby's to watch game 7 of the Lakers/Rockets Series. I still love this place. I'm so happy that the Lakers won. Bring on the Nuggets!For the Magic/Celtics game we went to Ken's apartment, which is where I was when the earthquake hit. I had flushed the toilet and thought the pipes were old, but then the glass on the shower doors started shaking. I opened the door and stood in the doorway. I'm so proud that I actually did the right thing.
Took a small ride down to Marina del Rey today. I haven't been logging too many miles on my bike, lately. I need to remedy that.
We also watched 17 Again. OK. I finally understand the whole Zac Efron frenzy. Holy ripped body! I had to imdb him to make sure my thoughts were legal. Hahaha. I had heard an interview with Leslie Mann and she said "I thought it was creepy when older actors had really young love interests, but now I totally get it... I get Michael Douglas" Yeah, I do, too. The movie was actually better than I thought it would be.
Today is my mom's birthday! yeaaay! I called her and wished her a happy birthday. These flowers were heart shaped so I thought it was appropriate.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!
I love my life.I love that I have friends in LA who have kids, because I can spend a few days with them and then the very next day go out with friends. Today, I went to the Ellen Degeneres show in Burbank with Meredith. I followed it with watching game 6 at Busby's with Chadonna. This series is frenetic. Lakers are playing... not very honorable, and Rockets well...I can't believe there is going to be a game 7.
I must say that I love Busby's. It has become my new favorite venue to watch sports. I can't believe that I've never discovered it before. First time I came here was with Fish and Carla last week. I live near Barney's Beanery, which if you have a good seat, it's great for watching sports, but if not, it kinda sucks. We arrived late, because I got out of Ellen at 6 and Chadonna just got off from work. We rushed over in time to catch the half time report. Even thought we were in standing room, it was not a bad spot. Drinks are reasonably priced $5-$6 for a beer (I know! in LA!) and that's not a happy hour price. My next statement will solidify the decision for most of my friends: They have Boddingtons on tap, FTW! Seriously, I'm surprised that I have not discovered this place before. I've lived in LA for 8 years! The crowd was a nice mixture of Lakers and Rockets fans who were chanting, cheering and high fiving. Awesome! Too bad the Lakers couldn't pull it out, but we'll see on Sunday. They're back in our house, and you know that we'll be back in our new house, Busby's, on Sunday. On the downside, parking can be problematic. They have a $5 valet lot in the back and neighborhood parking is permitted for the 2 blocks, but if you're willing to take a little stroll, we parked on Cloverdale 2 blocks south of Wilshire on a nice neighborhood street for free. Go Lakers!
I'm not sure what time Kristy and Steven woke me up this morning, but it seemed early. Today we enjoyed breakfast, got dressed, played with Tinker Toys, enjoyed a snack, played in the garden, popped bubble wrap, played with Legos, enjoyed lunch, and then it was nap time. Whew! After nap time, we went to preschool, played at the playground, came home played with Legos again, then it was time for Auntie Prue to take a nap. Then we played with Play-doh and all of a sudden it was dinner time. After dinner I had to come home and check on Percy. Watching a two-year-old and a three-year-old can render one exhausted, and I only did it for 32 hours! hahaha I think I'm going back for more next week. :)
On Tuesday, I went to babysit Kristy and Steven. Mark is out of town on business for this week, and I know that two small kids can be difficult, so I offered to help Tim with the kids. For a couple of days, Carla would be watching Percy (Fish and Amery are also out of town for a week and I was taking care of their rabbit), so that gave me the freedom to spend the night at Tim & Mark's house. It was also a great way to get out of LA without getting out of LA.On Tuesday, Tim ran errands as we played with Tinker Toys and Play-doh. Aahhh the days of playing with Play-doh. We made ice cream, an aquarium with flower decorated animals, a man with a tie and various other psychedelic colored objects. I was so busy I didn't even think to pull out my camera on Tuesday, until after dinner when they had 1/2 an hour of television before bedtime. This was taken with my cell, sorry for the crummy picture quality. This is them mesmerized with Hello Kitty.
Tonight, Patricia, Jamie and I went to Geek Out at the W Hotel. We sipped on Geektinis and Stella Artois. We met some cool people, some we knew and others we didn't. Overall we had a wonderful time. We took a picture in the photo booth. I will upload the picture, so check back.GeekOut, hosted by Shira Lazar, is all about celebrating your inner geek. We're bringing together geeks from the entertainment and tech worlds for this invitation only event to celebrate what it really means to be passionate about the things we do and the people we do them with.
I volunteered this morning with Project Angel Food. I chopped celery & onions while getting a mini facial. The kitchen can be steamy! I was also stationed at the chicken breast for the packaging of food. Time flies at PAF. Volunteer time is 4.5 hours, but it goes by in a flash.The Project Angel Food mission is to nourish the body and spirit of men,If you want to get involved with Project Angel Food, you can donate your time or your money. If you want to volunteer you have to attend an orientation meeting. It's short and informative.
women and children affected by HIV/AIDS, Cancer and other serious
illnesses. Project Angel Food delivers free meals prepared with love.
Happy Mother's Day!
It's difficult to exercise the day after a night out, unless your friend makes you go. Thanks, Brain, for making me get on my bike today. I would've been a total bum if it wasn't for you.
Jamie, Ritch and I went to the Penthouse Restaurant in Santa Monica on Friday. The Penthouse Restaurant is at the top of the Huntley Hotel. It's on Second street north of Wilshire Blvd. I first visited the Huntley with Sandy & Adrian for Adrian's Birthday a few years ago. At that time it was 70s interior, but not 70s swank...bad 70s. A few years ago they remodeled the bar and opened it up, and voila it's a trendy new bar which is great for people watching. It's a mixture of the LA trendy crowd, local swanksters, and tourists. I highly recommend the Mojito, it's one of the best Mojitos I've had, but you're gonna pay for the quality. $$$ Check out the last stall in the bathroom. It has the best view of Santa Monica...absolutely amazing.This is a picture of Lola, Jamie's dog. Isn't she the cutest thing?
I was in Westwood today. And you know you're old when stores have closed that were open when you went to grad school. Westwood is constantly changing, I think, because of the high rent for the commercial spaces. It's adjacent to UCLA, but the college clientele cannot sustain the market in that area. It was nice to persuse my old stomping ground, that seems like a world-away. Don't worry the Hammer is still there, and so is Diddy Riese, but the ice cream sandwiches are now a buck fifty! wtf?Rod, Chadonna, Chris and I watched Star Trek today. AWESOME!
What can be better than 3 ladies, the Lakers, and libations? Carla, Fish and I went to Busby's on Wilshire for some girl talk and playoff action. We watched round 2, er I mean game 2, of the Houston Rockets/LA Lakers playoffs. Talk about a rough game: flagrant/technical fouls, bleeding, and ejections. Everyone better chill out and play ball. :)Sorry for the bad picture, it was the only one I took other than the one with my cell phone.
Provecho, Cazadores Blanco, Sangria, Bottega Louie, and Casa Enrique all make up my Cinco de Mayo. It was a discovery of downtown LA hotspots. I hope you enjoyed your Cinco de Mayo.
It should be restated that my Top 5 are: George Clooney, Gael Garcia Bernal, Tobey Maguire, Johnny Depp, and Christian Bale. One of these may be off the list after meeting him (and you can probably figure out who that is, well those of you who are close to me will.) BUT tonight I met Gael Garcia Bernal at a screening of Rudo Y Cursi. Yeah, he's still on the list. Diego Luna, in my opinion, should be a given when you have Gael on your list, like two for the price of one. hahahaThis picture is hilarious, because it reminds me of "Forget Paris" and the picture of Debra Winger and Billy Crystal's foreheads in front of the Eiffel Tower. I swear that's me! hahaha
Waking up this morning, my first thought was "sh*t, I forgot to turn off my alarm from yesterday." Followed by, "sh*t, I gotta get going: the race is today!" When I signed up for this race, I figured that I would be able to run 6.2 miles, because I would put the mileage and distance in. I think I've put the mileage in, but the longest that I've run is 3 miles.I happy to say that I ran it, and finished it. This is 4 months after my surgery, so I'm am super happy! My next race: hmm? I have no idea. I want to finish a triathlon, so that is my focus now.
Fish & Amery ran the 5k and waited for me to finish my race. It was a beautiful day in Santa Monica. Why is it that every time we run this race there is a party the night before?
I had the crazy idea to do this challenge today. I got the idea when I read a comment (somewhere, I think it was Youtube) where someone asked, "I wonder which is harder Sand Dune Park or Santa Monica Stairs."Instead of waiting a week, when I didn't have a race to run, I decided that I would do it this week. Call it impatient or competitive, I couldn't wait. In addition to doing the challenge, I rode my bike to both of the locations. The ride was 42 miles round trip and, of course, was accompanied by two flat tires at about miles 28 and 33. It was due. The first flat tire was fine, it was the front tire. I had one CO2 cartridge, but the second was my back tire. By this time, I had finished two courses of the Santa Monica Stairs and was spent. The physical pumping of the tire was exhausting. Those last 9 miles on my bike were killer.
Ok, so which is harder? I can't quite tell right now. They are both physically challenging. Sand Dune Park: the picture doesn't do the hill justice. It's STEEP and every step I took I would slip down half a step. My calves were on fire. The park was also about 5 blocks in from the beach and a steep hill up from the coast. So my ass was already tired from the long ride and the steep climb. Santa Monica Stairs: 142 steps of pure (ass) hell. My butt/thighs were burning. After the second climb my thighs felt like they were in complete atrophy. hahaha Try it! It was tough, but I'll probably do this challenge again. What can I say, I'm a masochist. haha
These are my running shoes. They are Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9. I started wearing Brooks when I was training for my first marathon in 2004. We had a shoe clinic where they would observe your stride on a treadmill and fit you with the proper shoes. I didn't have any feet problems: no lost toenails, no blisters, no stress fractures, so I swear by these shoes. I change them out every 4-6mos.
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