My Good Adventures

New bunny...again!

2012-06-10T20:59:00.001-07:00

Even since I got my little girl bunny, I knew she needed a friend. I was checking the Los Angeles animal shelters almost daily to find the perfect little boyfriend for her. After two failed attempts (I got there too late and the one I wanted was already claimed)...I found him.

I kept them separate for the first week, then began to introduce them to each other. That did not start out well. Chasing, light biting...my girl bunny wanted new boy bunny to know that she's in charge.

Meeting in the bathroom

But then, magically, last weekend...

My bunnies are now totally in love. They are side-by-side almost every time I give them free reign of the apartment. Today they took a nap, with little gray boy bunny so stretched out and sleepy while girl bunny licked his face.

From initial meeting until cuddling, it only took three weeks. I am a surprisingly great bunny bonder.

My second "Mythbusters" episode aired!

2012-04-25T20:43:00.000-07:00

Mythbusters "Battle of the Sexes" finally aired on Sunday, April 22! So now I can finally talk about it...

I really should have been better prepared for this. Who can more efficiently pack a car for a roadtrip in under eight minutes? All those years of my life playing Tetris!—but seriously, who packs two dozen eggs, a piñata, and a large cardboard tube on a roadtrip? I packed those rectangular suitcases into the trunk like nobody's business, but the rest of the random stuff...forget it. I threw the last item into the car when they called time.

...and that's all they showed of me this time!

10K - I DID IT!

2012-04-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

I did it! I completed the Hollywood 10K! I didn't run in the four weeks before the race. I still hate running. But I did it!

I left home at 6:00am, anticipating street closures and parking issues. I meant to park at Hollywood & Highland, entering from Orange...but once I took my 101 exit, I couldn't find Orange with all the closures. Then, somehow with my detours, I ended up in Burbank. There I was, driving past Warner Bros studios...clearly not where I wanted to be. After a forty-minute excursion, I gave up parking in Hollywood, went to the Universal Metro parking lot, and took the Red Line one stop to Hollywood/Highland. (Why didn't I just do that in the fist place?!)

I finally got where I needed to be and waited. Once I arrived, I was glad to be there...but throughout the night, I definitely considered skipping it. A bottle of wine and four hours of sleep the night before definitely made sleeping in pretty appealing. I knew I'd regret not going. I felt fine, though, and I got more excited as we approached the start.

Then it happened! I started running a 10K! I thought I was doing well...then looked at my watch. Only six minutes into it. Not even a mile into my 6.2 miles. Oops. I did a bit of a run/walk for the first half, which was fine. I reached the halfway-point turn-around at thirty minutes...and then I kept running. I ran 20-25 minutes straight after that! It was a slow little mini-jog, but I didn't stop that pace! I only walked for a minute or two once I saw the finish line in the distance, so I could prepare for my glorious finish.

AND I FINISHED PRETTY WELL! I almost sprinted the final thirty seconds or so. I felt like a gazelle. Or a Kenyan. I ran and ran and I finished a 10K!

Running update

2012-03-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

I still hate running, so this is not going well. My 10K is two and a half weeks away...and I haven't gone running in about that same amount of time. Alexa and I started a plan to hold each other accountable for running/gym time. We have a shared Google Doc to track our runs, and decided we'd compete for total distance—run/walk three days a week, for minimum twenty minutes each time, and log our miles. It was working for awhile...then she temporarily stopped due to injury, and without racing her for distance (I like winning things!), I stopped going too. Bad.

I have to run over six miles soon! And then I have to run over thirteen miles in a few months! RARH.

TITANIC 3D

2012-02-15T18:17:00.013-08:00

Yesterday I saw Titanic 3D. I got advance screening passes and went alone.

I never got to see Titanic in theaters originally—I didn't see it until a few years later when my family rented the movie. Seeing it on a big screen...and in 3D!...made it even more visually stunning. The grand scale of the ship, the costumes, even the background people.

It. Was. Awesome.
Go see it in theaters in April.

Registered for my half-marathon...and a 10K

2012-01-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

So...I'm registered for the Disneyland Half-Marathon now. Guess I'm really doing this.

Also registered for the Hollywood 10K in April. If I have to run to train for the big race...I might as well get a cool star medal from them, too.

I still hate running.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

2012-01-14T19:34:00.011-08:00

I did it! I went on vacation, and I did Vegas with my lifelong best friend!

And if I may say...we did it well.

We had been planning this trip since the summer—her boyfriend's friends were coming out to Vegas for CES, and we were going to join them. I arrived on Monday, after a rushed departure from work and a little craziness at LAX. When I landed at McCarran International Airport, I was greeted with a text message instructing me not to take a shuttle to the hotel...because they were on their way to pick me up in a convertible. A red Eclipse convertible.

We met the rest of the boys back at the hotel and came up with a game plan. Night 1: Let's hit the strip! We all got dressed up—us girls in little dresses, and the guys wore full suits. Kept it classy, with the guys rolling Entourage-style. First up was the Cosmopolitan, followed by Paris, followed by the biggest slot machine I've ever seen! We all took turns pulling the big lever, but no big win. Eventually, we ended up taking a limo from Bellagio back to our hotel—with eight people, it was cheaper than taking two or three cabs (and far classier).

Our well-dressed entourage at Fremont and in front of Paris...and giant gambling!

We got back to the hotel and went in search of food—after seeing posters in elevators and billboards advertising steak and shrimp specials, that was my mission. One of the guys headed up my "steak and shrimp" mission...eventually settling on a prime rib buffet. I'll take it!

The next day was the start of CES, so we went early, right when it opened. The boys kept getting distracted by things and leaving us behind, so she and I went off on our own adventure. After a bit of exploring the booths and gadgets, we left early to go back to the hotel to plan our evening.

We previously wanted to see Cirque du Soleil, but had also mentioned Penn & Teller...which we ended up being way more excited about. We found some discounted tickets, got all dressed up again, and prepared for another great night!

The show was absolutely fantastic. Penn and Teller are hilarious, and their personalities and commentary totally made the show. We had so much fun, laughing and cheering throughout the entire performance. And after the show...

...we totally met Penn and Teller and chatted with them in the lobby. YES.

The rest of our vacation was fun, but not as exciting as P&T day. We had a failed attempt at meeting Justin Bieber at CES...dinner at Heart Attack Grill...playing slot machines that actually paid out in nickles...final night out at Caesars Palace...seeing Jim Carrey film a movie on Fremont...and visiting the Pawn Stars shop.

I had a perfectly wonderful time. Vacation, lifelong best friend, food, fun, and adventures. I need to take vacations more often. (Like, more than once every 4+ years.)

Michael Jackson estate auction

2012-01-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

I love Michael Jackson. I remember already being a fan when he had the Free Willy footage in his "Will You Be There" music video in 1993/1994. I remember celebrating his acquittal in 2005. And I was outside UCLA hospital after he died in 2009, and went to the makeshift memorial outside the family home the next day.

So who's shocked that I was interested in the auction of items from his rented house?

The auction house was open to the public for viewing, so I went after work one day. They had it set up like a real home, with the furniture arranged in little formal groupings. The whole thing was very formal—I felt out of place in my yoga pants and hoodie. There were only a few people in there, and I felt like the staff was watching everyone. I can't really blame them when some of the furniture was valued at $5,000+. BUT...some stuff was valued at under $100. I could afford something small!

I looked through the online catalog, made a list of all sub-$200 items, and registered to bid. On auction day, I logged on for the live online bids and watched a stream of the proceedings.

AND I WON SOMETHING.

Yesterday I went to the warehouse to pick up my handblown Italian glass vases. They are beautiful and they are mine. I made a grown-up estate auction purchase, and now I have things from MJ's final home. An all-around excellent deal.

My Big List of Goals for 2012

2011-12-27T08:37:00.000-08:00

As I already began to mention it in my last post...let's establish some goals for the new year.

First, a review of my 2011 goals:

Get a "real job"
Success? Though I'm not in my ideal career field, I was promoted from part-time hourly to a full-time, salaried position at work.
Learn Spanish
Obviously, this wouldn't be an overnight thing, but I bought the software, made the flashcards, bookmarked some educational websites...and never really did anything with them. Fail.
Finish reading War and Peace
Fail. I'm 136 pages into my brick-like copy. I blame this mostly on the job situation—I transferred offices at the beginning of February, then the promotion, and busy, and not wanting to commit to it after work (I'm in the office by 5:30am and go to bed early)... Plus my copy is truly the shape and size of a brick. Not very convenient or portable.
Photo-A-Day
Success, mostly. I have the photos, but sometimes I'd get a week or two (or three) behind in uploading and organizing them by date. But the daily images exist.

New goals for 2012:

Really, actually finish reading War and Peace
I do want to read it. I enjoyed Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. I think I just need to actually schedule time for myself and this book.
Really, actually work on re-learning Spanish
I did well in high school, and still remember a lot of grammar and verb conjugation rules...but I've forgotten most of the vocabulary. Seriously, I need to do this. I'm now a year behind where I should be now, had I actually been serious about this in the past year.
Become a real adult. Or at least act the part.
Again, see this post.
Continue my Photo-A-Day
I really like having a visual reminder of each day. Sometimes it's an event, sometimes it's just food...but it's something tangible for every single day.
Run a Half-Marathon
Something big to mark my next birthday. I still really hate running.
Do more worthwhile and noteworthy things
I want to do fun and exciting things.

Goal for 2012: Adult Things

2011-12-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

Please allow me to introduce you to Adulting. (You're welcome.)

This shall be my goal for 2012. I need to "adult" my life. Steps 1 and 2: assemble an "emergency box" for my car, and organize recipes somewhere that's not my laptop and is easier to use in the kitchen. I also need to organize (majorly), upgrade, and otherwise classy-up my life. Little steps, as the blog suggests. Personalized stationery. Actually writing thank you notes. Handling things like an adult.

Alexa, I'm dragging you into this too.

Another Frederick's of Hollywood party!

2011-12-15T21:48:00.000-08:00

Tonight was another Frederick's of Hollywood flagship store party. After seeing how busy it got last time, I decided to leave extra early and arrive as doors opened.

Excellent idea. I got there right at 6:00 and that was such a great decision. I dressed up more this time: short dress, black stockings, and heels. And it was cold outside. I'm glad I only had to wait outside long enough to have my ID checked and name found on the guest list before I got inside. No line, no real waiting.

They were doing manicures this time, so I went right upstairs to that station and waited behind just three other girls. Within minutes, the line had grown to at least ten people behind me. (Ha! I win!) I always do my nails red, so this time I went for an awesome taupe color...and already began to ruin it as I left the chair and grabbed my bag. Oh well. I am not meant to get manicures—the last time I tried, I ruined that one too, even after waiting. At least it already happened before shopping. Now I didn't have to worry about them anymore.

Just like last time...discounts! I got a cocktail, went right to the party dresses, and found two great ones...plus an excellent plaid Christmas corset. I actually asked the dressing room girls to talk me into it. I picked up a few more things and accidentally ended up spending half my rent. Oh well. Totally worth it. I love Frederick's, and that is why I'm a shareholder.

And again, like last time, I got a gift bag with all sorts of goodies.

Lucy Day at The Hollywood Museum

2011-11-12T19:48:00.001-08:00

Today was Lucy Day at The Hollywood Museum. They've had a large Lucy collection there for a few months already, but today was their big symposium including a panel of Lucille Ball's friends and colleagues. I got there as doors opened so I could spend enough time in the actual museum and see all the displays.

A sample of some of the collection

After a good amount of time in the exhibit, I went upstairs to where they panel would be held. There, the first thing I saw, was Michael Stern's booth. He's known as "Lucy's #1 fan" (given the title by Lucy herself). He signed my copy of his book, and maaaybe I spent a lot of money on an autographed Stone Pillow limited-run posted. (Hey, this was my chance to get a guaranteed authentic Lucy autograph.) There were several other tables with old magazines and collectibles too.

Bob Schiller, during autograph line

The main event was the discussion panel, and the meeting/autograph line following that. A few people weren't very talkative (or were busy having conversations with each other, just going through the motions of "meeting"/signing for us...), but there were a few highlights. Frank Gorey (Lucy's driver/household manager) loves my red hair. Jimmy Garrett is a top-notch dude. (I hope he or his family Googles him and sees this.) Carole Cook is hilarious and a sassypants and now I want to be her when I grow up. She said I can be. Bernard Weitzman (Executive VP of Desilu Productions) was super informative during the panel, and came prepared with extra documents and photos to share—he showed me the first photo of him and Lucy together on his first day of the job. And Bob Schiller (I Love Lucy writer) was adorable and reminded me of my grandpa, which I told him. "But was he wonderful?" (making sure it was a positive comparison!) Quiet, but so fantastic to have met him.

After going through the autograph line, I hung around to sneak a few more photos. We couldn't photograph during the panel, so I got what I could after it. The panelists began to clear out as the lined died down. Carole Cook was the last one remaining—so I approached her again and asked if I could get a photo with her.

Super exciting day, and some of the inspiration I've needed lately. I need to be more interesting like these fine people.

I filmed Mythbusters again!

2011-10-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right, again. In January 2010, I did a crazy 21-hour roundtrip drive to San Francisco to film an episode of Mythbusters at the workshop. It was excellent...but really not a super smart idea to do it that quickly, essentially pulling an all-nighter-and-a-half.

This time, I planned ahead. I got confirmation on a Tuesday for a Thursday (September 29) shoot day, and immediately booked a cheap motel room in Oakland for Wednesday night. I drove up to SF from LA after work on Wednesday evening, and made it easily by 10:00pm. I got to sleep this time!

Driving up in the evening wasn't so bad

My classy, classy motel room matched my bags

On Thursday, I did a little exploring before meeting the crew on Treasure Island. I drove over the Bay Bridge and found a television icon.

The Full House house!

View of SF and the Bay Bridge from Treasure Island

There were eight of us invited to film...and we did a lot of waiting. They took us two at a time, apparently a men vs. women experiment. Those of us left behind kept trying to figure out what we were going to have to do, based on some of our survey questions earlier. Or maybe it was mainly me who was trying to figure it out. I was impatient.

There's been some press already on the episode, but I still can't talk about the details until the episode airs. Boo.

Because we wrapped relatively early, and it was still pretty light outside, I did even more exploring. I tried to find Lombard Street's craziness and the Golden Gate Bridge. Yeah, should've researched an address or something earlier. Found 'em eventually, though!

I DROVE DOWN LOMBARD STREET

I finally headed home after that. I got back really late, and probably could have left two or three hours sooner, but I'm so glad I did a little extra exploring this time.

I Hate Running

2011-10-19T19:00:00.000-07:00

I seriously hate running. I've done two 5Ks with my friends within the last year and a half (Warrior Dash and Spartan Race)...but I was in it for the obstacles. And the beer at the end. That is the way to motivate us: hijinks and beer. But even on those "fun" courses, I remember asking (several times), "Why am I running? No one is chasing me..."

Here's the thing: I will be turning 25 next year. Twenty five. That's a grown-up age. I need to do something big to mark the occasion.

So I'm going to run a half-marathon.

The Disneyland Half-Marathon is held in September. I don't want to run a random course just for the sake of running, because I hate running. But I love Disneyland. The timing and location are perfect.

I kinda-sorta started going to the gym to take spin classes with my roommate (maybe I've only done that twice), and sometimes I get on the elliptical machine. Last Friday, I got on the treadmill and ran 2.1 miles in 22 minutes, and on Sunday I did 1.6 miles in 16 minutes. So I'm like one-seventh of the way there already.

I know I should be running outside for real terrain, but it's so easy for me to stop then. I can't as easily stop on the treadmill because it's moving. And people will judge me for walking on it. So until this becomes a habit, I'm sticking with the moving treadmill in a judgmental environment.

I'm heading over to the gym again now. And I really, really hate running.

Muay Thai fight

2011-10-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last night, my friend Patrick had his second muay thai fight. We used to train together in Krav Maga (he even came in to beat me up in the sparring on my Green Belt test last year), but his passion was always more for the fight than the self-defense element. He left our training over the summer and went to a muay thai academy to focus more on that.

He won his first fight a month or two ago, and last night, he won his second.

Frederick's of Hollywood party

2011-10-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, I received an invite for a special event at the Frederick's of Hollywood flagship store in Hollywood. As this store has taken a lot of my money (alllll those shopping trips), I had to go: Cocktails! Discounts! Gift bags!

Emphasis on discounts! Time for a shopping trip again!

I arrived about a half hour after it started, and there was a line from the door around the corner. I did not expect that. I also did not expect the girls in line to be dressed as if they were going into a club. Little party dresses all over...making my long sundress look lame by comparison. There were a few people in "regular clothes," so that did make me feel a little better.

On all my other trips to the store, there were a handful of other customers, but never anything overwhelming. Employees were always on top of things and offered assistance, dressing rooms, "let me hold this at the register for you..."—but last night, it was busy.

The staff was definitely doing the best that could, though. I had a drink in one hand, a few items in the other, and several times I was offered help in finding a size so I didn't have to juggle a way to look through the clothing rack. The line for the dressing rooms was insane, but the staff there also was good about running out to grab a different size if necessary. It was very well-organized...just busy.

After an hour and a half, I spent far more money than I should have. (But I'm a shareholder of FOH stock, so eventually they may pay me back...right?) Whatever, I got some fabulous stuff and felt all fancy at the store party/event, so I win.

My shopping bag + gift bag (and all the gift bag goodies)

An evening at La Descarga

2011-10-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Last night, we celebrated a friend's birthday at La Descarga, a Cuban rum and cigar bar in Hollywood. So.much.fun. It was a classy affair—ladies in cocktail dresses and men in jackets. And of course, I enjoy any chance I get to feel a little Lucille Ball-esque...redhead at a Cuban rum bar, close enough connection to Lucy/Desi.

First of all, when you get into the door, you're led upstairs to a little room...and enter the main bar room by walking through an armoire, pushing a few hanging guayabera shirts aside. You step through onto a raised platform that reminded me of a theater catwalk, then down the metal spiral stairs to the main floor. We were a large party, so we had a reservation for a table and bottle service, and we were escorted to our corner.

So. Bottle service. It's a Cuban rum bar, so of course we went with rum. A $300 bottle of rum. Fancy glass pitches of soda and a glass of limes were also delivered to the table, but the rum was so smooth (with hints of vanilla and cinnamon) that most of us drank it on the rocks.

Every hour, there was a short burlesque performance, and the dancer can really move. I was so impressed with her quick footwork and swinging of her hips. She was obviously a trained dancer. We sneaked off to the cigar lounge after the first performance, and though I didn't partake in that, it was quite a sight to see another retro room filled with dressed up people.

After we finished the bottle, there were a few more cocktails and a lot more fun with friends. It was such a great group of people, and of course we ladies took turns dancing to the latin music with our birthday boy. So.much.fun. We already were asking who has the next special occasion so we can have an excuse to return. Because, you know, you kinda need more reason than "just because" when you order a $300 bottle.

I got a bunny!

2011-09-04T20:57:00.001-07:00

I got my first bunny from the fair when I turned eight (my sister got one at the same time too). I got my second (the family's third) in 2002 or 2003. I moved away for college in 2005, leaving my bunny with my family...but as soon as I was able, I wanted one again. I've been the official bunnysitter/godmother to my friends' bunnies for the past two years, taking care of them when my friends go out of town. And now...I have a bunny of my own once again!

Los Angeles Rabbit Foundation hosts an adoption event every Saturday, where they bring in their rabbits from foster homes and show them off so they can find new permanent, loving homes. I finally really asked my roommate if we could have a bunny (beyond "I want one..." and actually talking logistics), and getting the OK from her was much easier than expected. So a few weeks ago, I emailed my adoption application and went to go look.

Meeting bunny at the adoption event

Lots of rabbits, mostly big ones, but then there was this one in a cage on their main table. They said she was from a shelter and "needs some work," but "has potential"—she apparently came from a bad environment earlier (and she got left at a shelter!). Once they put me in the gated pen with her and she sniffed around, I couldn't leave her there.

So she came home with me that day! I locked her in the bathroom while I ran to Target, three Petcos, and Home Depot to set up a nice, safe home for her. The organization called her Cocoa, but now she is my little Ellie.

Naptime, all the time.

Today I went to a craft store to get wooden beads and twine so I could make a little chew toy for her...and found a few other goodies. She's my spoiled little child.

She figured out how to play pretty quickly.

She's lived with me for three weeks now, and she's wonderful! She's an excellent little explorer and roams around with a lot of hopping and dashing and sprinting. Then she puts herself away in her litterbox. The only thing "wrong" with her is that she won't sit in my lap and runs if I approach her to pet her...but she's a prey animal, and I am much bigger than her, so that's okay. I'll just keep trying to buy her love with treats and toys.

Recess for grown-ups

2011-08-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

Last night, a group of my friends got together to watch the UFC fights...and afterward, Dave suggested we go play at his gym.

I promise, this was more fun than it initially sounds.

Dave's gym is Monkey Bar Gym, and it is like playing at recess in elementary school. Except we're grown-ups...playing with monkey bars, oversized tires, and other fun toys.

Gym? Or playground?

Hula hoops! Like recess!

Jeremy is going through their instructor training program, so of course he was the master of everything

Giving Jeremy some extra weight to push

Weeeeeeee!

Music in the Zoo

2011-07-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

I like music. I like the zoo. Therefore, I like Music in the Zoo!

The L.A. Zoo hosts an annual after-hours event with several band stages throughout the zoo, and you can wander from stage to stage...and exhibit to exhibit, since many animals were allowed to "stay up past their bedtimes" for it!

Naturally, we stopped at my seals first.

With the lazy, sleepy seal

Gorillas freak me out

Giraffes lined up in height order!

These guys freak me out too

Oh, right...there was music too. We actually sat down for the full HoneyHoney set at World of Birds.

Saying goodnight before we left!

Hollywood Sign again

2011-07-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

I went back to the Hollywood sign again on Sunday. I love that I can do that. It's a nice, easy "hike" with enough people to take away the murder mystery thought (see Temescal), but not super touristy crowded. It probably took me an hour and a half round-trip, including some time spent at the very top—there's a little dirt hill next to the tower that I had never climbed up before.

I love this hike, and I love living by Hollywood.

A Belated Happy 4th!

2011-07-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Wow, I'm late with this. So, um, Happy Independence Day!

I LOVE the Fourth of July. From the time I was fourteen or so, until I was eighteen (and no longer in the area in July), I'd spend the holiday in Washington, DC—right on the west lawn of the US Capitol. We'd always get there super early (9:00am?) to camp out for a spot just to the left of the stage they set up for A Capitol Fourth. Most years, we'd also go the day before for the rehearsal. During the full day of waiting around, my sister and I would disappear elsewhere on the lawn to take pictures and goof around.

Rehearsal day - July 3, 2005

Now that I'm an "adult" and live on my own (and not on the east coast), I've had to find other things to do. This year, I started the day off with a stop at a friend's pool party in Calabasas. After two hours or so, I left with another friend to meet a third friend for a beach day.

We cut through the canyons and ended up at a nice little spot in Malibu. Veronica specifically chose this stretch of beach for the seafood restaurant across the street.

After our late lunch, we laid out in the sand for the rest of the evening. The plan was to stay until it got dark, and watch Santa Monica fireworks down the coast.

We brought out Apples to Apples and played a never-ending round, which resulted in some awesome pairings. As the tide came in, Veronica and Jeremy claimed to see a seal not too far out...but I swore it was just the rock we had seen protruding from the waves earlier. (I wish I could say I knew it was a seal, because I love seals!) We ended up calling it a day around 7:00pm, as it was getting colder and we could no longer see very far down the coast. Fireworks-viewing wouldn't be successful.

However, when I got home, I went to my rooftop and saw over 180° of fireworks shows across the horizon. There was a big one close by, as well as other shows farther in the distance, all across the valley. I even synched up Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture from my iPod during the finale of the big nearby show. Super fun "chill out" day.

Hollywood Forever (and ever and ever!)

2011-07-05T23:36:00.000-07:00

Movie nights in a cemetery: brilliant, or fantastically brilliant?

Hollywood Forever hosts summertime movie screenings, and it is amazing. Bring your blankets, bring your snacks, bring your booze, and hang out. Two years ago, I went with a friend (and her friends) to see Jaws on the Fourth of July. A week later, I went with another friend for The Bride of Frankenstein, and maybe two weeks after that, we returned for Some Like It Hot. I didn't make it to any screenings last summer, but I'm determined to not let it slip by again.

Sunday evening was Ghostbusters. Though neither of us was sure if we'd even previously seen the movie all the way through, my roommate Lisa and I were excited for movie night. I made guac, packed a cooler, gathered some blankets, and we were off to fight for some grassy space.

We ended up scoring an awesome spot right up front and slightly to the side. It was slightly obscured from our view when walking up to the screening mausoleum, thanks to my new buddy Douglas Fairbanks and his elaborate resting place. We laid out the blankets, dug into the snacks, and waited.

"Wait, I wanna be eating guac in every picture! It'll be my thing!"

The movie itself was improved by the crowd. People sung along with the theme song and all "Ghostbusters!" chants, and even got into yelling, "Noo, don't! Ahhhh!" at times. Super cool atmosphere. And, bonus! At the end, as we got up and walked out, the DJ immediately played "Thriller"...so I had no choice but to get my Leo Strut on. If my hands weren't full with a cooler and bags, I probably would have needed to rock out the "Thriller" dance (like I did on Jaws night).

On the drive home, I decided to take us down Sunset Blvd, rather than the normal, less scenic route. I pointed out the Hollywood Palladium, Hotel Café, fun billboards, and finally the "real" Sunset Strip. Lisa had never been to the Roxy, or Key Club, or anything down that way. Eventually we hit Beverly Hills, and I really turned into a high-class tour guide. "And on your right, we will soon be passing a classic Beverly Hills neighborhood sign." I tried to throw in a lot of fun facts and tidbits, communicated in a sweet tour guide announcer voice. Or maybe I sounded like a game show host.

I decided to take a minor detour, and we turned on to Roxbury Drive so I could show off Lucille Ball's former house, "and next door, you'll see Jack Benny's house! Oh wait, is that a dude in Lucy's door??" Yep, there was a silhouette of a man standing in the glass doorway as we drove by...so I sped up a little to not be that creepo who's driving by super slowly.

I also tour-guided our way past Bel Air and UCLA sorority/fraternity houses, then we were dropped onto our northbound route home. I suggested a final detour: the Jackson family home, conveniently located within (long) walking-distance of our house...or a short drive. I told her about my evening outside the gate the day after Michael Jackson died and everyone created a nice memorial, and seeing a family car drive out and be mobbed by reporters.

Nights like that remind me exactly where I live. For my first 2+ years in Los Angeles, I was stuck in a little bubble surrounding my apartment due to lack of car (and low-quality public transportation). Getting to Hollywood and Highland took a bus transfer to a train, about a half hour from my door to tourist central. It's not that I would forget where I live, but I didn't realize how close I am to all the cool stuff. Now I am mobile and able to explore. And I love Los Angeles.

PS: I just asked Lisa, "If I was on Yelp, how would you rate my tour guiding?" and she said she liked that I knew where things were, and I was very lively. So there you go. Hey tour guide companies, I'm willing to learn your route and tour highlights. Also, I am likable and energetic and available for hire!

Sushi challenge preparation #2

2011-07-01T20:12:00.000-07:00

Woo-hoo, three day weekend! I had a good day at work, the weather is finally summer (seriously, 70° in June wasn't quite enough...85° is more like it!), and I have plans lined up for the long weekend. I was in a good mood this afternoon, and I was ready to take on my next step of spicy sushi challenge preparation.

Back to Yagumo for a #7 and #8 roll. Last time, I did a #5 and #7.

Pretty presentation again (shifted a little on the drive home), with nicely labeled #7 and #8

Close-up detail on the #7

My strategy is to devour the rolls as quickly as possible. It's going to burn anyway, so why drag it out? Both were gone in about 2 minutes...but the deadly burn lasted longer. I downed a shot glass of half-and-half, which did very little. Back to two shot glasses of coffee creamer, and a giant glass of water.

After ten minutes, my lips were still tingling and I still felt the heat, but it was tolerable. Ten minutes after that, I was good...until about forty five minutes after eating, when I started to feel sick. I think that's due to the spicy and coffee creamer combining in my stomach. I might not "train" for this challenge anymore and just jump into it next time—I have a plan and a technique for the actual eating, and I'll just have to handle the afterburn consequences.

Surviving Temescal Canyon

2011-06-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day for summer weather to finally return (seriously, 65°F last week was dumb), because today was also a day off from work. I've been meaning to go "hiking" (AKA walking on a canyon path) for awhile, so I looked up Runyon Canyon.

Yeah, no. Runyon is known for being dog-friendly, and I am not. Not going to hike at an off-leash dog place. What other canyon have I heard of?...Temescal is the winner!

After lathering on sunscreen (I don't mind getting sun, but I do not want bad tan lines from my shirt) and driving all the way out there, I arrived just after noon. I tweeted my location and choice of path, because maaaybe I watch too many 48 Hours Mystery about women who go missing as they go for a solo run, and are found months later all murdered and buried. This way, they would know exactly where to send a search party in a few hours.

ANYWAY.

I'm kind of new at this whole "canyon trail" thing, and even though I read suggestions on Yelp, I didn't exactly know where to go when I got into the park. I just kept walking straight, until the paved roads turned into a dirt path option. There were a few signs for different paths, but I didn't know what they meant. I just followed the arrow to the waterfall path.

The rest is best told through photos...


Lots of chunky rocks

Wait, what does that say?...

SUPER. A warning about rattlesnakes.

Finally, I found other people at the waterfall!

The, uh, "waterfall." That's it.

Lots of colorful wildflowers...and lots of uphill.

Right when I think I might be lost forever, I find a sign directing me to the path home!

MORE uphill? But how will I ever get down and go home?

The third or fourth little lizard I saw on the trail. MUCH more welcome than the monster snake that tried to sneak in front of me!

I really liked that tall flower thing.

Look, another one of those tall flower doo-dads.

Wild wall of cacti

Back to civilization! I was so happy to finally see signs of "park" rather than just open wilderness.

It took me about an hour and a half to do the full "loop," though I wonder if I did it backwards. I saw far more people walking towards me—I actually think I only ever passed four people walking in the same direction as me. There were easier, flatter sections that I tried to jog, mainly in an effort to get back faster. But overall, lots of on/off uphill, followed by lots of downhill all at once. I had to slow down on the downhill so I wouldn't slide and fall (you know, momentum and gravity working against me).

Next time, I'm searching for Skull Rock. Apparently it's about a half mile off a branch-off path. I'll do some more research before so I can keep my "not getting lost and/or killed" streak intact.