Day 100: Pole Dancing at LACMA

Today my son and I spent the day at LACMA to check out the Tim Burton exhibit.  The first thing we saw as we walked up to the famous Lightpost installation is a random flash mob of people dirty dancing in the poles.  It was awesome! Their friend was filming them.  I have no idea who they were or why they were there.  Only in L.A.

We took a few photos and then Beckett wanted to play tag.  We ran through the lamp posts until we were exhausted.
After tag, we bought tickets for a 4:00 entry to the Tim Burton exhibit.  We were both sort of starving, so we decided before art there would be lunch.  We ate at the grown up cafe, Ray's next to this incredibly groovy lounge area (note to self:  looks like an awesome place to hang out with grown-ups!  A cross between the lounge area of the old TWA building at JFK, and the sculpture garden at MOMA.)  There was no kids' menu, so Beckett decided to order a pulled pork sandwich (?) I asked him if he had ever eaten pulled pork, to which he replied no.  But I supported him ordering something totally out of his wheelhouse and just warned him if he ended up not liking he could share mine, but we would not be ordering a third thing.  (He is not a cheap date.)  He had a few bites and decided he didn't really like it.  I on the other hand, who have also never really had a pulled pork sandwich, thought it was yummy.  We traded half-eaten meals.  So between the pound of fresh-baked bread we both ate, neither of us starved.

After lunch we checked out an exhibit or two, including an installation Beckett liked with hundreds of tubes/strings dangling that you could walk through.  At four, we headed into the Tim Burton exhibit, armed with our headset guides.  The exhibit was awesome!

It starts with Tim's painfully boring, detached, and yet inspiring youth in Burbank.  The exhibit takes you through his earliest sketches, inspirations, musings and cartoon strips he made as a teen.  Throughout every phase of the exhibit there are fantastic drawings, puppets, film clips and sculptures from the prolific brain of a weird, dark genius.  We loved the audio guide, complete with snippets of interviews with Tim about what goes on in his brain.  His characters are tortured, odd - they have scissors for hands, buttons for eyes, they are disenfranchised outsiders.  But at their core, his protagonists are vulnerable, human.  I love this quote from the irrepressible Ed Wood:
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: And cut! Print. We're moving on. That was perfect. 
Ed Reynolds: Perfect? Mr. Wood, do you know anything about the art of film production? 
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: Well, I like to think so. 
Ed Reynolds: That cardboard headstone tipped over. This graveyard is obviously phony. 
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: Nobody will ever notice that. Filmmaking is not about the tiny details. It's about the big picture. 
Ed Reynolds: The big picture? 
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: Yes. 
Ed Reynolds: Then how 'bout when the policemen arrived in daylight, but now it's suddenly night? 
Edward D. Wood, Jr.: What do you know? Haven't you heard of suspension of disbelief? 


As we left MOMA, without a dinner plan or any exciting groceries to go home to, we were thrilled to see the Galbi NYC food truck, and the topper, a powder-puff blue cupcake truck.  As Ed Wood would say:
"Cut, print, it's perfect!"

Day 99: SUP getting the cobwebs out!

OK, I have been a horrendously inconsistent blogger.  If you haven't unsubscribed by now, tune in because I am loving my staycation in L.A!  My sister Madeleine, and nephews Nick, and Jack came to visit, The Anderson clan came back from Fargo, Hollie and Carley came from New York, Lauren has been surprising me with pop-in visits for work and fun, so we have been non-stop entertaining, and in exchange we have been very entertained.

My sister Lisa and I have had a summer wishlist for two years, so we decided to start knocking off the activities we've been dying to try: top of the list - SUP (stand up paddleboarding).  This sport combines everything I love:  surfing, kayaking, ocean, Malibu.  What really also attracts me to this sport is you are on the water, but you are not really wet, and you are working out so much you never get cold.  When Mad and the nephews came we tried it for the first time and we were hooked.  We drove up to the Malibu pier, parked on PCH to avoid the rip-off parking lot, rented at the surf shack across the street from the pier.  They are really great at this shop -- they will hold your phone, credit card and keys in a drawer so you don't have to leave any valuables on the beach.  They give you paddles, then across the street at the truck they unload the boards, which you bring down to the beach.  They look like they are light but do not be fooled -- they are heavy as all get out.  Once on the water, the board is free to glide.  You float out either lying down or kneeling as you paddle out away from the shore.  The ideal conditions are glassy.  Today we started out glassy, and wound up with slightly choppy water.  I didn't mind it at all -- it's a great workout because you are constantly engaging your core to stay centered and balanced and not have a Three Stooges moment of physical comedy as you plotz on your ass.  Both times we tried it, first with the nephews and my two boys, and today with Abby, we paddled out west, then north of the pier toward the surfers, then south and one or two more circuits.  I love the serenity of being out on the glassy water.  Malibu seen from out there looks green and hilly and beautiful.  If it were a little greener and hillier you would think you were in Maui.  After my first attempt, I thought I looked so cool.  Then I got a look at the photos and ran to ZJ Boarding House to get myself a sporty mom water outfit, which consists of a mom rashguard and hot Hurley short shorts.  It was awesome having Abby as our tour guide today.  She gave us important tips: don't get too close to the pier as you don't want to get tangled in fishing lines.  Hold your paddle the correct way, so it angles out slightly in an arc in front of you, which for me meant the letters and logo faced the shore.  She said narrower boards are harder to balance on -- the ones we rent are perfect because they are nice and sturdy for us beginners.  Today we made another beautiful discovery -- after returning the boards, thirsty and ravenous, we treated ourselves to kick-ass fish tacos from the fish shack underneath the surf shack.  We toasted our new discovery with cold bottled water and I managed to wolf down a few bites with my sister before zipping home to pick up my kids from camp.  Today, I took a mini-break from my kids, squeezed in a little me time -- balance was achieved in more ways than one.

Day 98: Whale Watching and Hangovers Do Not Go Hand In Hand...

Three days into Spring Break we had Groupon tickets to go whale watching out of Newport Landing in Newport Beach.  Two days into Spring Break Mark and I celebrated our 14th anniversary at our favorite restaurant, Osteria Mozza in Hollywood.  I thought I only had two glasses of wine, but as Mark pointed out, those demi caraffes they give you when you order a glass are large, so it's more like I had half a bottle. Damn, though it was great wine.  We shared three appetizers -- prawns, and two of the mozzarellas from the mozzarella menu which were out of this world.  Then, I get the pasta I always get that sounds really plain, but made with fresh pasta, lots of cheese and lots of pepper, it is simple perfection.  We were going to blow off dessert, but the cute waiter offered us something we could not refuse -- flourless chocolate cake (right up Mark's Celiac alley!) so we caved.  Needless to say, the next morning I was not moving too quickly.  But I had promised Aidan, Beckett and Jack we would go whale watching, so whale watching we went.

We got down to Newport in about an hour, parked and walked toward the dock.   There were all kinds of unexpected amusements at the dock - a mini ferris wheel, bungee jumping, and all kinds of tourist traps selling sharks' tooth necklaces, churros and "Newport Beach" shot glasses.  We presented our tickets (which included binoculars) and boarded the boat.  Usually, I love boats, but things were just a little off that day.  It was chilly, our whole area of the boat was shaded, so we were not in direct sun.  The water was rough, and overall, the whole thing was a bit of a bust.  We saw some sea lions and seals, but apart from that, nada.  With all the white caps on the water it was really hard for the captain and his crew to see shinola out there. I snapped a few pictures of sea lions only to realize there was no memory card in my camera - doh! To top off our misadventures, I had heated up some chicken nuggets for lunch, only Mark bought a new brand -- (usually the frozen ones I buy are pre-cooked, but these were raw).  So I heated them up and threw them in a tupperware.  Beckett, Aidan and Jack were munching away on them when Aidan said these don't taste the best.  I took the nuggett, looked at it, saw that it was raw and frantically ripped the other nuggets out of Beckett and Jack's mouths.  A few minutes ago I had been worried about feeling queasy, now I was in a mounting panic that I had given the kids salmonilla for lunch.  This was really not helping my mood, or my general queasiness.  The kids went on to eat hot dogs they purchased on board, (I know, don't ask) along with the rest of the untainted bits I packed for lunch, and they were totally fine.

After the 2 plus hour boat ride I was so thrilled to see the land mass growing larger and larger as we approached shore.  Halle frickin lujah.  They offered us coupons to come back for free since the whole thing was such a bust, and all I could think was you could not pay me enough money to come back next week and do this again.  The whales blew us off, alas.  I'd be willing to try again in Hawaii or possibly Malibu, but I am a bit soured on Newport Landing.  I was glad the kids had a good time, and I was glad as hell to get back in my Highlander and get out of there.

Day 97: Doing jury duty with Phyllis from "The Office"

 
Oh I have been a lousy, remiss blogger.  My life has gotten in the way of my blogging, I do apologize for those of you who tune in.  I have to tell you all about doing jury duty with Phyllis Lapin (her real name is Phyllis Smith) from "The Office" fame.  I first got the jury duty notice, called in, was all scheduled for the week of March 14th.  Then, March 14th came and went.  Somewhere around March 21st I said, I better check that jury duty slip and put the dates down in my calendar - doh!  Missed the whole thing.  Now I was nervous.  Even a little clammy.  Bad memories and associations were flooding in...the time I got a notice from the library that I owed 12.00 when I was ten years old and I wailed for an hour.  This seemed exponentially worse.  My husband assured me I would not be arrested for contempt of court.  So I called the number and the robot scheduled me a date to commence jury duty.  The only problem with this date?  It was smack dab in the middle (well, toward the end) of Spring Break.  So after an awesome hang on the beach at the Hotel Del Coronado last Wednesday, I called in after 5:00 p.m. as instructed.  Nooooooooooo!  I was expected in downtown L.A. at 7:45 a.m.  Lauren had generously invited us to crash another night in her hotel suite, and I had to turn it down.  I left Beckett with his pals to stay and enjoy one more day, but after fortifying myself with a yummy crabcake dinner and a lot of iced tea, I gassed up the Highlander and hit the road.  It's been years (a decade??) since I drove 2 1/2 hours at night by myself, and I have to say, even with Ryan Adams and Stevie Nicks belting away, it was lonely and crummy.  And the 405, usually a nightmare at any time of the day or night, did not disappoint.  Road work (?) was happening, so I ran into one or two nasty traffic jams.
But back to my point.  Wait, was there one?  What was I saying?  Oh yes, Phyllis!  On day one I was in the wrong cattle line in the wrong building, went to the wrong floor and was listening to the spiel when I felt something wasn't right...the kind woman who I showed my slip to told me to go one block down and one block over to Temple and Spring.  Whoops.  So, in the big room where you wait all day to see if you will be picked, I recognized Phyllis.  But from where I had no idea.  Was she someone from Santa Monica -- the lunch lady at Beckett's school?  Someone who worked at Ralphs?  We were both picked on day one at 2:00 to be part of a jury pool for Judge Ohta's court, the same room and the same judge I had jury duty with almost exactly two years ago. Deja poo.  I kept glancing over at Phyllis and thought...maybe she is a character on one of the shows my kids watch...
Well, on day two I was sitting next to her waiting to be called in and I overheard a conversation and understood she is Phyllis from the office.  I struck up a convo, as I am friends with two writers and one actor on that show.  She was very sweet, and I enjoyed passing the time talking to her about writing, and the show, etc.  I'm not going to say much about the case except to say that it was an incredibly disturbing criminal/sexual case, and we were all relieved when, toward the end of day 2 the case was settled behind closed doors and we were all released of duty.  Phyllis and I hiked back to the parking lot at Disney Hall, and had a nice chat about New York Theater, and my writing, my husband's writing, her trip to St. Louis to go home for a visit the next day.  It was sort of the bright spot in my 2 days of servitude.

On a side note, went for the first time to an amazing dive in Chinatown called Yum Cha Cafe.  I would even go so far as to downgrade it from dive to dump.  BUT, in this flourescently lit cafe with beaten up communal tables, where I was the only non-Chinese speaking person, I had an AMAZING dim sum meal for 3.71.  The next time I am downtown on jewelry errands I am making a bee-line for Yum Cha!
Another silver lining, i got to hang with Nnogo, whose office is steps away from Disney Hall.  I met her for lunch on day 2 at the Disney Hall cafeteria.  However in a typical Rebecca/Nnogo plan, all did not go necessarily as planned!  By the time she got there I had to leave 5 minutes later and sprint back the 4 blocks to court.  Our timing was a little f'd.  But it was nice to see her, however brief.  I can only hope my duties for the city of Los Angeles were appreciated.  Translation:  Take me out of the rotation folks!  Give me a break!  Lose my number, L.A!

Day 96: Front Row at Walt Disney Hall

When Karen offered me front row tickets for Walt Disney Hall I had no idea who I was going with or who was watching my kids, but I said yes!  I ended up taking Kalli.  Neither one of us have ever seen a show there, so it was a real treat.  When we got to our seats, they were amazing.  We were practically on stage.  The show was part of the Aspects of Ades festival, with the amazing Thomas Ades conducting the L.A. Philharmonic.  Unfortunately, the L.A. Phil that night were backing up opera singers, who stood at the front of the stage singing their way through this snoozer of the Victorian era comedy of manners and propriety -- The Importance of Being Earnest.  They prattled on and on (operatically!) about names, and courtships, and muffins.  Yes, muffins.  There was a five-minute back and forth exchange about this man's preference for muffins, which when sung in opera is sorta ridiculous.  So at intermission Kalli and I had a good laugh, and we decided to give up our unbelievably amazing seats at Disney hall to go get a taco and marg at Lares.  Having free front-row tickets is incredible.  Having a girlfriend who shares a look with you and you both know you're going to sneak out at intermission -- priceless!

Day 95: Rockreation

I took Beckett and his buddy Jack to Rockreation today, since it was raining and they were climbing the walls at home.  I figured we would switch it up and climb the walls over there, with harnesses and make it official.  We signed up for kid's climb, $15 per kid for an hour with a belaying guide.  We walked in and the familiar smell of smelly feet/rental shoes/lysol kind of hits you in the face.  It's the bowling alley/ice skating rink smell.  Or if you have boys with smelly cleats of all variety, it is the familiar scent of home.  Beckett and Jack were sure the shoes were too small, but our guide assured us you want to be able to feel the wall and feel your way along with your feet, so eventually they quit complaining.

We got lucky because we were the only ones signed up for the 1:00 session, so it was basically a private lesson.

Our guide, Dylan started them out on an easy climb, which they mastered, then they worked their way along to some of the more challenging areas.  Beckett and Jack took turns , each one cheering the other on and encouraging him as he tried to make it to the top. We watched in amazement as some of the experienced climbers climbed like Spiderman all along the walls and up across the ceiling.  I found the gym overall had a good vibe.  It was a little bit grungy, and so were most of the climbers, but they had a warm fuzziness about them -- the grunge was part of the charm.  This is a no-frills place that is not really concerned with impressing anyone.  If you want to come and climb and use the workout equipment, great, if not, no worries.  Go somewhere else!  After the climb the boys shared a chocolate bar and had vitamin waters.  They were thoroughly satisfied, beginning to end with the entire experience.  And that kinda says it all.  I posted a few pics I took, one of the Impossibly White Guys.  I did not need a flash - they were aglow from within.

http://www.rockreation.com/

Day 94: Beyond The Olive

In December, I was selling jewelry at Chiat Day's annual holiday bazaar, and located conveniently behind my table was the olive oil man.  I got to overhear a little of his spiel as he told people about his products, and his shop in Pasadena.  Eventually I got really hungry and sauntered over for some samples.  Being sort of a freak for olive oil, I was really impressed by the quality of the samples I was greedily gobbling up.  But what really blew me away was the aged balsamic vinegar.  I have yet to venture out to Pasadena to Beyond the Olive, but I have become a die hard fan.  This is the mission statement (they have a mission statement - it's so Jerry Maguire!) found on their website:


Our Mission The mission of Beyond the Olive is to provide our customers with the knowledge to accurately assess the quality of extra virgin olive oil and provide them with access to the greatest extra virgin olive oil that California has to offer. We accomplish this by providing education on the production, varieties and attributes of extra virgin olive oils and allowing consumers to taste the subtleties in a comfortable, inviting atmosphere. 


I have ordered a few different things from Beyond the Olive's website.  I enjoyed reading about Chip and Crystal Reibel, the owners.  They have a work ethic, and a philosophy, which is mainly about insuring high quality from local, Northern California olives.  I actually learned a lot about olive oil - how to store it (cool, dry place, tightly sealed).  Best not to buy in massive quantity, because it really needs to be consumed while it's fresh -- it can actually go rancid.  Also, there is a long-winded explanation of what extra virgin means.  Next time I find myself in Pasadena I can't wait to check out this couple's fantastic shop.  For now I am enjoying the hell out of my 25 star (formerly known as aged 18 year) balsamic vinegar.  I dip toast in it, make salads with it - today it was excellent drizzled on a turkey arugula sandwich with parmesan and tomato.  Yum.  Thanks Chip and Crystal for elevating the condiments around here.


http://www.beyondtheolive.com/

Day 93: Mr. Cecil's Rib joint

This joint, opened by a rib-loving former Hollywood studio exec. in a funny circular hatbox of a building in West L.A., is apparently The Bomb if you like ribs.  I don't, but my husband does, so this blog is for him.  According to the New York Times, "The meaty, tender St. Louis-style ribs are particularly outstanding, with a spirited but not overpowering sauce.  Afficionados of pecan pie should also keep this place in mind. Plus, it's the only rib joint in town where you can order a bottle of Chateau Lafite Rothschild."  Now that I've read that, I may be able to get behind the concept of Mr. Cecil's after all...I do love me some pecan pie...and Chateau...still, this strikes me as more of a guy place.  My sister went on a date with some guy a few months ago -- when they walked into this rib joint she knew this would be their second, and last date.  The great thing about Mr. Cecil's is that it is half a mile from my house.  On Valentine's Day I got Mark the best gift he's ever received from me (he's not easy to shop for.)  It was a full plate of ribs with all the fixins.  So if I'm ever in the dog house, it's off to Mr. Cecil's I go.  It is hard to scowl through all of that gooey spirited but not overpowering sauce dripping off your happy face...

http://www.mrcecilscaliforniaribs.com/

Day 92: Gjelina

It was my sister's birthday, the Ides of March.  We almost blew our reservation for Gjelina.  Traffic and road blocks and family drama conspired to make it almost impossible to get there...everywhere I turned there was a detour, and then more traffic.  After I picked Lisa up there was traffic on Main Street due to the food truck Tuesday night crowd.  Once down there, I dropped Lisa off and attempted a few futile parking situations.  I finally pulled into the Brig, where the sign said $6 parking.  Fine.  Then the attendant informed me there were no spots left, but upon seeing my dejected face he offered to move his car and have me take his spot.  But where will you park?  I asked.  He said he would double park in the valet lot and be fine.  OK!  I forgot my sister's card, forgot to go to the bank, got in a huge fight with my husband and wanted to brain him. Other than that it went really smoothly.  I re-gifted a blow dry at the Dry Bar in Brentwood, only to discover that my sister's girlfriend Nichelle also gifted the same gift!  No worries -- Lisa will have good hair for close to two weeks!  Our hippie-dippie groovy waiter was so laid back -- sometimes we did not see him for 20 minutes or so, but for the most part he was really sweet and helpful.  He took 2 or 3 pictures of us but they all ended up with red devil eyes.  Damn  Iphone.  The best things I had tonight were: 1) 2 glasses of Pinot, 2) sunchokes, 3) buratta with artichokes, and 4) rhubarb tart.  Oh, I almost felt relaxed there for a moment.  Aaahhhh.

Day 91: Ritual Adornmnets

I was saving Ritual Adornments -- I was going to blog about how it is my favorite store in the world. It is so much more than a bead store. When you walk in, Joni Mitchell or Spearhead is cranked up - that's when you know this is not Michael's craft shop. You take a gourd, write the price of things on little plastic baggies as you add them to your gourd. There is a wall of beads, stones, wood. There are spools of wire and chain. There is a vast selection of pearls and semi-precious stones. There are pendants, lockets, Thai silver, vermeil charms and findings. There are cases of high-end semi-precious and precious stones, and there is a case of finished jewelry ranging from the stuff the women who work there make, to gorgeous, unique 22k pieces from India.

Last night Nnogo stopped by and asked if I had heard that Ritual Adornments is closing its doors. I was shocked. I made her show me the email that says they are moving to Santa Fe. This bead store opened 18 years ago, and I have been shopping there for 18 years. I've become friendly with the owner, Joel, although his wife is a prickly pear and not quite as approachable. Joel hugs his old-school customers (people like me). He will sit there and rap with you about his latest buying trip to Bali, or about the ordeal of trying to find a good preschool for your kid that is not impossible to get into. He has always extended the designer deal to me - 50% off on strands, and discounts on price per gram of silver, etc. They offer jewelry making classes which have been a big hit.

A few years ago Joel and CeCe moved to Santa Fe and opened up a branch of Ritual Adornments there, but the Santa Monica store remains their core business. I have never been in there when there is not at least a handful of beadaholics, like me, who know that this is not your run-of-the-mill bead store. I have come, in desperation with kids in tow, when I needed some findings or some chain and I couldn't wait. But I prefer to come by myself and indulge in browsing around. Depending on how much money I drop, it is either a guilty or guilt-free pleasure. When my mom comes here from New York and we plan our week, she says we have to stop by Ritual Adornments at some point!

SO now I am dying to know why they are leaving. I'm guessing it is because they have settled in Santa Fe and want to focus on just having one shop. Maybe the rent is being raised in the building on Main Street. I am so sad to think of a Main Street without Ritual Adornments. It's a bit like Fifth Avenue without the Plaza.  I may have to lay my body down in protest, or wire-wrap myself to the register, demanding that they keep on doing what they've been doing so nicely all of these years.  Ritual Adornments, why?  Why?

Day 90: Larry David stalks me

When you live in Santa Monica, you're never more than a stone's toss from a celebrity.  One time on a playdate at Britta's house, Britta and I started to get really creeped out by this man parked in his car in front of her house.  He sat there for over an hour, tapping away on his hand-held device.  We decided he was casing the neighborhood.  Britta called the police.  When they came and questioned him, it turned out he was a papparazzo stalking a pregnant actress who lives up the street.  I'm not sure who she is -- she is on The Hills or Gossip Girl.  I do, however, know the old school Thirty Something peeps who live on Britta's corner - Ken Olin and his awesome wife, Patricia Wettig, lately of Brothers and Sisters fame.  In fact, my life is like six degrees of Thirty Something.  Peter Horton is a dad of two adorable little girls at my son's school.  My friend Carmen is friends with Ken Olin's brother, Doug.  And when Carmen was house hunting, she took me to see a home she was considering buying, then owned by Mel Harris.  Apparently if you throw a stone in the Palisades, or Santa Monica, you will hit a cast member of Thirty Something.

And now Larry David is following me around.  First I saw him last week at AK, when he assured all of us the bathroom he just vacated was the safest bathroom in all of Los Angeles to enter.  Tonight, he inexplicably showed up at my son Beckett's baseball game.  I will assume he has a boy on the team we played.  One time Bruce Willis, friend and collaborator of my husband's, showed up to watch my son Aidan's baseball playoff game.  Bruce has three daughters - I don't know if they play baseball, but boy, did he did dig watching my son pitch!  Oh, and Owen Wilson likes to watch my son play soccer.  He is Aidan's pal Joey's uncle.  Sometimes he or Luke will show up on the sidelines.  Within moments of their arrival, young women come out of the woodwork and start drifting closer and closer, until they are surrounded.  They usually say their goodbye's or just slip out in the second half of the game and disappear.  Brian Grazer and his ex, Gigi Levangie-Grazer are also regulars at the baseball field, and basketball court where my sons play.

On a sunny day you can see Sean Young peddling around town with a scarf on her head -- something slightly off-kilter and unravelled about her that is hard to put your finger on.  I'm not sure what it is, but if Glenn Close was busy and had to pass on Fatal Attraction, I feel like Sean Young with a bad perm could be extremely believable as the rabbit-boiling, overzealous lover of Michael Douglas.  My friend Steve, a traveling vet (http://www.911vets.com/) inoculated Paris Hilton's puppies, and euthanized (in the same week!) the elderly dogs of Stevie Nicks and Carole King.

But my favorite celebrity citing by far was one someone pointed out to me which I never would have guessed in a million years.  When I was moving out of my little studio on Euclid to move in with Mark, a few of my neighbors and I had a collective yard sale.  A tall, older blond gentleman who I recognized from the hood came across the street to peruse our albums and ashtrays.  He was friendly-- we chatted for a minute.  After he left my friend Abby said, that was Troy Donohue.  I stared in amazement as he mosied back across the street into his non-descript apartment on Euclid.  Sometimes you go out like a lion, and sometimes you go out in garage-sale dwelling, rent-controlled apartment anonymity.  I'm guessing fame, for some is not all it's cracked upped to be, and it's more appealing to be left alone to do the mundane crap the rest of us get to do, unaccosted.

Day 89: Pierson Playhouse

Today Aidan, Beckett, Carmen, Zack and I went to see Zack's twin sister Chloe perform in Theatre Palisades Youth's performance of "Piggy Nation, the musical."  I have passed Pierson Playhouse on Temescal many times, possibly even performing illegal U-turns in front of it, without really noticing it.  It is right across from Pali High - a cute little theater and "Piggy Nation" was a cute little show.  It stars local kids, including the fabulous Chloe Lynch as Bunny.  It is a tale of bad behavior, and how we might all be guilty of it at one time or another.  I loved the costumes, particularly one little tike who wore a sky-high black and white wig worthy of the Bride of Frankenstein.  Also a dreadlocked dog who walked his silver-painted porcupine.  Aidan was pretty impressed, Beckett less so, although he did like the sugar cookie he purchased at intermission.  Chloe's extended family was all there to support her.  Carmen's ex father-in-law reminded me of Grampa Simpson, muttering his comments way louder than he imagined during the show ("is that a little girl dressed as a boy?  I thought so!")  I hope Chloe pursues her career in musical theater - she was a star!

Day 88: First Fridays on Abbott Kinney

Mark and I decided to head down to Abbott Kinney tonight for First Fridays.  The first Friday of every month is food truck night on Abbott Kinney - an awesome mingly, people-watching street festival evening when you feel like you actually live in a walking city.  This is the first time we made it to First Fridays together.  I did come once with Stefanie, which was a great night, but we ended up at Primativo, not eating food from the trucks.  The only time Mark and I ever came down and attempted we gave up when we couldn't find a parking spot.  Well, tonight the weather was not too cold, so our strategy was to park half a mile away, behind Main Street, and just walk over.  We checked out two or three trucks until we got to a Korean BBQ(the first of three!).  Mark got a barbecue beef taco (only 2.50) which took forever to make.  We were a little annoyed waiting, but we noticed an "A" in the window of the truck, and it seemed like they were specially preparing each order, so we cut them some slack.  It turned out the taco was delicious.  We wandered on, pushed along in a sea of groovy young hipsters.  We window shopped, and checked out the street vendors.  First Fridays, as I also noticed when I was here with Stefanie is a major hook-up singles scene.  Still, great people watching.  There were a few troubadors and I also noticed this funky, furry, tricked-out red pedi-cab -- something I've never seen in L.A.  (See pic.)

The truck I decided to give a whirl was India Jones.  I ordered a shrimp Frankie and some samosas.  Unlike the truck Mark ordered from, the food was incredibly fast.  The man told me not to go far, it would be ready at the next window very soon.  He said we only call it out once or twice, then you're out of luck.  I was getting really hungry, and I was going to go Brooklyn up in this guy's face if he gave away my frankie.  Well, I stayed close, took my food from him when he barked out my order.  It was excellent.  A frankie is a roll/wrap type of thing with egg, onion, and incredibly tasty shrimp.  The samosas made me remember with a smile the ones I got on street corners in London long ago when I was a student there.

It turns out we arrived just about at the hour (8:00) where it was starting to get crowded.  We did fine on the lines, but when 8:30 rolled around the lines got longer and longer.  When we got to the Brig parking lot, the lines were completely insane.  There is a truck that serves a grilled cheese with macaroni and cheese inside, and a layer of pulled pork.  People were lined up for a quarter block for this concoction.  I asked a girl on the end of the line if she had actually had this grilled cheese.  Yes, she assured me, it is amazing.  I asked how long she thought she might have to wait, and she told me probably an hour.  Mark and I were floored.

We ran into a director friend, and his friend, and meandered back with them.  It turns out it was already 9:30 when we got to our car. We considered going out to an actual sit-down place, but we decided instead to go home, have some leftover kick-ass risotto that I made, and watch Bill Mahr.  Mark told me that his brother told him no matter how long that wait was for the grilled cheese, it was worth it.  It's one of those you've died and gone to heaven plates of food.  Hmmm...I can only advise get there at a really uncool, early hour and you just might get to the order window in less than 20 minutes.  If you get one, save me a bite.

Day 87: RFD WTF

I want to say nice things about Real Food Daily.  In fact, this vegetarian restaurant with lots of vegan choices is a fantastic little spot on Santa Monica between 5th and 6th.  When I first stopped in to check them out, being a bit dairy-challenged, I was thrilled to find them.  The reason why they suck is their prices.  Every time I go in there I am bummed out by the bill.  I often write across the street at the library, so RFD seems like the perfect place to pop in for a cup of soup.  Today I ordered a cup of soup to go (3.95 - not a bad price at all).  I wanted to get a chocolate chip cookie, but at 3.25 I just couldn't bring myself to do it.  When the soup came, it was in a thimble.  I suggested they change the menu to read thimble instead of cup.  (Yes, I have become that lady.)  But I'm sorry, it's just such a gynormous rip-off.  A few times I ordered  the two vegetable combo with rice - you get to choose your own veg and rice, or quinoa, or whatever, and you pick a sauce.  It's not bad, for uber-healthy food, but again, the price of 7.95 did not really reflect what was on the plate.  Alas, they lost me today with that thimble of soup, it just felt like a slap in the face.  Even if you slap someone with tofu, it still hurts.

Day 86: Parking Lot Rant

Ok it's about time for another rant.  It's true we Angelinos live in our cars.  Which means, in the course of your day you will encounter many parking lots.  There are parking lots with narrow slots that would be perfect if we all drove Smart cars.  At Equinox I have to drive down and down, into the dungeon until I get to the bottom 3 levels - designated for gym members.  Then good luck finding one that is not kitty corner and does not require a 17-point turn to get out of.  There are destinations I avoid all together (Laemmle Royal on Santa Monica Bl, the entire town of Westwood) because I know parking will be a headache.  There are the poorly designed lots - hello Fred Segal Santa Monica, Starbucks on Bundy and Santa Monica Blvd.  If you pull out of your spot at this Starbucks, you basically are inches away from hitting the cars parked across from you.  Oh, and there are 8 spaces, 2 of them are handicapped.  It's not so much a parking lot as it is a parking spot.

And then there is my pet peeve, the forced valet parking.  My bank, City National apparently has one bank per fifty square miles.  EVERY time I want to go to my bank - even if I just want to use the atm machine, I have to pull up and valet.  Then, when I come out, if they are busy, I have to stand around and wait for my car.  Just to get 20 bucks out of the machine!  I used to tip these guys, then I realized, I am either going to pay a fee for using another bank's atm, but paying a tip here to use my own atm was defeating the purpose of schlepping all the way over here.  The bank manager assures me the drivers get paid well and we do not need to feel obligated to tip them.  The Whole Foods on Wilshire had to pay an additional $1million bucks and push back their grand opening because they were forced to re-do their entire parking lot.  It's not bad now, I can only imagine what a nightmare it was before the renovation.

And finally, to those that got it right.  I love Yummy.com on Pico and Euclid!  If you need a quart of milk or a red bull for your husband who has a deadline and will be up all night writing, you pull up, literally in front of the door of the store, go in, do your business, leave.  The new Santa Monica Place - not too shabby.  Century City gets my vote because there is a little light above each space - if it's green you know there is an opening, if they are all red you know you need to go down to the next level.  I do wish there was better public transportation here, it sure would be a dream.  We would save money on gas, it would be better for the environment, and maybe we could eliminate road rage (and parking lot rage.)

Day 86: Parking Lot Rant

Day 85: Westridge Hike

Today I met Kalli and her dog Teak at the Westridge hike in L.A.  Westridge is the first left off of Mandeville.  You drive all the way up to the top and park at the trailhead.  Lucky howled and yodeled all the way from home.  The howling got louder and more excited as we got closer to our destination.  I ran into Kirk and Zelly (one year old) in the parking lot.  She was going for a hike strapped to her daddy's back.  When Kalli got there we let the dogs off leash and they shot up the hill, jumping over each other, so excited to finally be free.  Lucky's freedom was short-lived however.  He always takes it a step too far and plays too rough.  This time it was poor Teak.  She was playing with Lucky and all of a sudden he had her pinned and she was whimpering for mercy.  I had to put Lucky on his leash - he blew it!  Alas.   I love that mutt, but he is not the world's most civilized dog.  I quit taking him to the dog park a year ago, after being on the receiving end of a few diatribes by disgruntled (bitchy) owners.  Anyway, Westridge is the in spot for Angelinos and their dogs to see and be seen.  Last time we saw Jennifer Gray, another actress and Canyon Elementary mom just like Kalli.  It was a chilly morning but a gorgeous hike.  Being a bit of a freak about ticks and Lyme disease, I bathed the dogs when I got home, and then had to deal with their gross beds, so I washed their dog beds.  I could have starred in my own episode of "Dirty Jobs" on the Discovery channel.

Day 84: Coyote, Hammer Boy, Jump Sky High

Yes, we were back at Jump Sky High in Camarillo today - the place that is all the rage for 7 year old boy parties.  Today we celebrated Cade's birthday.  On the way home we took the scenic route, blowing off the 101 South for Kanan road.  We passed through Calabasas, Agoura Hills, and as promised, some amazing scenery in the canyon.  The best part was sighting a coyote that ran out in the road.  Beckett was thrilled.  We passed through a few of those cool round tunnels that were blasted through the mountains, and there were some amazing ocean vistas.  In Malibu we stopped off for an iced tea and snack at Starbucks, and Beckett wanted to go on the swings in the playground for a few minutes.  Mark and I used to make a day of it and take the kids to this playground, then to the Ben and Jerry's, the pet shop (neither of which are there anymore) and the beach.  The playground has the least frumpy poser parents I have seen at any playground anywhere.  It's actually quite entertaining to see the who's who of stars, rocker wives and "real housewives of Beverly Hills" in the sandbox. One time my kids were running around playing touch football with a bunch of kids at the playground and some kid's dad, who on closer inspection I noticed was Jim Cameron.  I was going to blog about Howdy's, a cute little taco joint by the playground, but I got some guacamole and chips there today that was so bad I had to throw it out.  This is Beckett posing next to Hammer boy: