And Onto Other Things

Okay, so my big plan for November was to write a novel, or at least get deep into a first draft of one.

Well, that didn't happen. As usual, I'm full of excuses, but I don't feel like this has been a failure. My job is still long hours. My commute is still awful, and seems to grow a little worse every day. But my creativity, well I'm feeling a little better about it.

I started strong. I was really going to write those 50,000 words. And after my second writing session I had an idea for a screenplay. So I dropped the novel and wrote the screenplay instead.

No, not exactly.

I'm still percolating on this screenplay idea. It's a thriller and I usually write comedy, so I find this interesting in the same way that I thought trying to write 50,000 words in 30 days was a good idea. But the point is that trying to write the novel opened something in my brain and I came up with this idea that will eventually turn into something grand. I just know it.

And I'm not done with the novel. I'm just done for now. I actually really loved the adaptation process. I didn't have to think so terribly hard as to create a new world since I had the screenplay written, I just had to reimagine the telling a of a world I already created. Extremely challenging, and the few days I did work on it just left me wanting longer stretches of time to work on it. I know during my next break from unemployment, I'm going to crank out that first draft and it's going to feel great.

I wonder if I'll end up writing the novel before this new screenplay. We shall see. Another new project added to my internal To Do list.

A New Challenge

I haven't been blogging much lately. I started a job in August that requires long hours and a substantial commute. It's been draining. I haven't been writing. At all. I even have a sit com pilot outlined, an idea that I like, but I just don't have the taste for it right now. I don't feel funny. Most of the time, I just feel tired.

So I'm going to participate in NaNoWriMo. Yes, I'm going to try and write a novel in 30 days. A little crazy, but I'm going to adapt a screenplay I wrote around this time last year, so I have a pretty solid outline working for me. I think it will help free my mind and make me use my creativity in a different way than I'm used to, hopefully expanding my skills. And I don't have to be funny in the same way I do when writing dialogue that's supposed to make people laugh out loud, and that is a relief. I've written 3 pages, although in novel writing pages don't count like screenplay pages. It's all about the words. 832 down, 49,168 to go.

I love the idea of so much creative energy going towards the same place at the same time. Good luck to everyone participating!

An A-Lister Who Loves Organic Tacos

Living in L.A. for more than a few years, I've run into a few celebrities. It happens, we all live in the same town. And I'm not talking about movie screenings with Q&A panels, those don't count. I'm talking about random run-ins in the produce section, hearing famous voices while buying fluffy towels, and spying one of my favorite musical artists at the best strip club in Los Angeles.

I don't get all star-struck about celebrities. They're just normal people who happen to have a lot more money than me. Kind of like all of my bosses. So, I try to make a point about not being an a-hole, and if I see anyone, I give myself one long look, take a satisfied breath of enjoyment at the surreal moment of someone larger than life all of a sudden being so much smaller than myself (literally, most celebrities are tiny), and then be on my way, letting them try to live their lives as normally as possible.

My first celebrity was a little lame. I'd been in L.A. for about a week and was scoping out towels at Bed Bath and Beyond when I heard a familiar voice around the corner. Who is that? I took a peep. Oh, it's just John Tesh. I was more embarrassed that I knew John Tesh's voice than excited about seeing him. I think it was from all of the gymnastics competitions I watched as a child.

My local Whole Foods has been a good spot. I've seen Wayne Knight (Seinfeld's Newman), Mario Lopez (he is very short, no taller than me) and Sarah Chalke (who is very thin and pretty without a drop of makeup).

At Trader Joe's there was a very tall man in front of me in line. He looked average with a hint of creepiness, and, oddly, familiar. He smiled with unbleached teeth, and just when I started to doubt my celebrity radar, he started chatting with the cashier about how Rainn Wilson gave him his hat. Ah, it was Creed from The Office. Also at Trader Joe's, I've seen Kevin McKidd loading groceries into his car with his parents. Adorable.

While serving jury duty, I was on my way to the courtroom when a very tall (at least 6'4") Jon Voight stepped into the crowded elevator. Even celebrities have to serve jury duty! This was right after he and daughter Angelina Jolie went through a very public falling out. There was that nervous hush that comes when everyone wants to ask the same thing all at the same time, but no one has the courage to.

When Conan O'Brien was being courted to take over Jay Leno's job, I saw him on the Universal Lot and I couldn't help but smile at him. And he smiled back and got into his completely unassuming car. I love you Conan!

One Sunday Hubs and I had a Glee day. We went hiking and passed Jane Lynch. She has great skin, beautiful. Then we went to brunch at Hugo's and saw Chris Colfer, who looks exactly like Kurt.

Also at Hugo's, I once sat at a table next to James Cromwell who was reading a script. Part of me still regrets not gushing to him how he played such a great bad guy in my favorite movie, L.A. Confidential. But I'm sure he appreciated that I let him eat his lunch and read in peace.

Perhaps my most unexpected sighting was at Jumbo's Clown Room, an awesomely divey faux strip club in Hollwood, where girls just wanna have fun while dancing in their underwear. It's a fun time for all (except if you're a dude expecting full on nudity, as was the case with one person at my table, and he did not stop whining about it all night). We were sitting up in the back (the place is small) and I recognized the swallow tattoo on P!nk's shoulder before I saw her face. She was sitting in the front row with her husband and it turned out to be her birthday. I love her music, her voice, and now I like her even more.

A couple years later, Hubs and I were walking into our favorite sushi restaurant when I saw a cute, short-haired blonde sitting outside waiting. It looked like P!nk, but there was no way this place would make P!nk wait for a table. I went and checked in. Sure enough, P!nk's name was on the waiting list. And now I love my sushi place even more because if you don't have a reservation, it doesn't matter who you are, you're going to have to wait.

As previously mentioned, Hugo's Restaurant is a celebrity goldmine, but, really, their taco stand across the street? Yes, yes, and yes. One day I walked over for lunch and a really scruffy Sam Trammell from True Blood was there. And as I moved over to pick up my food, Melissa Gilbert was seated at the nearest table. But last night, I had my favorite celebrity siting yet, courtesy of Hugo's Tacos.

As we crossed the street, we passed the pick-up window. I was yammering on about something pointless and as we stepped up to order, Hubs said vaguely, "Is that someone sitting there?" After a brief scan and seeing no one, he said, "Nevermind. I don't think so." As we started ordering, a number was called and Hubs nodded at the pick-up window. I looked over. A chiseled nose poked out as a tall figure in an enormous, black, down-filled coat pulled a hood over his head. Much like Jared Leto and his ridiculous trapper hat, it is never, ever cold enough in L.A. for a huge black snow coat. Unlike Jared Leto, this guy was clearly trying to hide. I stared at the hooded man. Is it him? I mean, why else would he be hiding in the giant hood? And then he turned, coming directly towards me, locking eyes as I stared at his face. Yes, it was him. And Ryan Gosling was looking back at me with his steely Ryan Gosling eyes, probably wishing I would die, because, really if you're going to wear a hood that big and people like me who usually make an effort not to gawk at celebrities was hard-core gawking, what hope does he have?

He drives a big SUV (disappointing) and his eyes weren't nearly as blue as I expected, but I think that can be blamed on the terrible Hugo's lighting. However, the good outweighs the bad. He actually looks better in person. Yeah, I know, how is that even possible? He looks younger than he does on screen. I don't know how old he is, but I would've guessed max 25. So...props for looking so young and healthy, as if he needs it.

I'm sure these aren't all the celebrities I've seen, but they're the ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Oh, and speaking of Ryan Gosling, I just saw Drive and I kind of loved it. Go see it.

Field of Dreams

Last weekend we drove out to Rancho Cucamonga to watch the Single A Quakes play baseball. We try to catch at least one game per season, because it's always so much fun. There's not a bad seat in the house and the most expensive ticket is $12. Hot dogs are only $4. Compared to a major league game, it's a steal.

Of course, this isn't the majors, and there were five errors committed, some terrible base running at crucial points in the game, and a new pitcher practically every inning. But the good far outweighs the bad. The most amusing part being that the Quakes used to be part of the Angels organization, but somewhere in the last year they became affiliated with the Dodgers. So half the crowd is in Dodger blue, and the other half who didn't get the memo are in Angel red. Luckily, there are no beatdowns in the parking lot in the minor league, another plus.

The Quakes mascots are fabulous as well. I thought Barney had turned me off of dinosaur costumes forever, but then I met Tremor and Aftershock who pump up the crowd, mostly dancing and razzing the umpires. They're hilarious and make me feel like a kid again. Those dinos earn their paychecks.

And boy did they earn them last Saturday. The game went 14 innings, 4 1/2 hours. Now, I love me some live sports, but 4 1/2 hours is way too long. And we would've left, but the other great thing about weekend Quakes games is that there's a fireworks show after the game. So we waited around for it. And the Quakes won, beating the best team in the league, the Giants! It's always nice when your team wins. Of all the times we've seen the Quakes, it's definitely been a losing record, so maybe this new Dodger affiliation is for the best.

My top prospect, Ramon Jean. And the manager's last name is Bustabad. How cool is that?

My pick for most likely to have a career in the majors:  Ramon Jean. He's right fielder with a great arm, right on the money, which he showed off twice during the game. He hit the only homerun of the game, made it on base a number of times, and ended up scoring the winning run.

I love minor league ball. These guys are getting paid next to nothing, hoping, praying, working to get their shot at making a living doing what they love. Kind of like me. It's inspiring to watch it play out in a different venue.

Getting Closer

Today I opened my rejection letter from the Warner Bros. Writer's Workshop. I've submitted dramas the past two years with no luck, so this year I sent my new IASIP spec. And I got that little note, that little light at the end of the tunnel that keeps all of us writers going; I made the top 5%, but did not make the final round.

I haven't gotten this note before, and it's encouraging. Obviously, it would have been great to actually make it to the interview round, but I'll take the top 5%. Somebody thought it was funny. Fingers still crossed for Nickelodeon and Writers on the Verge.

Bingo, West Hollywood Style

A few weeks ago, I got to do something I've been wanting to do for a long time...Drag Queen Bingo! One of our friends had a fundraiser for Susan G. Komen for the Cure at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood. So I was able to support a great cause, and also cross something off of my L.A. To Do Checklist.

The restaurant was packed. Calpernia Addams hosted the event. Her life story is pretty fascinating, ranging from earning numerous commendations for her service as a Navy Medic in the Gulf War, to being thrust into the national spotlight after tragedy, and evolving into a trusted spokeswoman for the LGBT community. But beyond her obvious resilience, she's incredibly witty, and just mean enough to the ridiculous people who don't listen to the rules and call out Bingo when they don't have a Bingo. I'll give you a hint: she has a leather belt.

I had a great time, really should have brought my camera. Now I need to go to the drag/burlesque show Calpernia does on Saturdays. Should be a blast. And I'll be sure to bring my camera.

Calpernia's Saturday show that I will be attending sometime soon.

Ponies & Weezer

Keeping with the horse theme, a few weeks ago Hubs and I went to Del Mar. Always have wanted to go, never been.

I love Santa Anita. It will always be my favorite racetrack because it's my home track. I love how it's a little grimy, crumbly, and the bathrooms haven't been updated in decades and I always feel like I'm in a church bathroom from my youth. And because of this lack of updating, the admission is dirt cheap and there aren't hoards of people unless it's Derby Day or the Breeder's Cup. Oh, Santa Anita, I miss you. Is it time for the Oak Tree yet?

Hubs took this stunning photo.

But back to Del Mar. Del Mar is a little more put together, and pricier. You have to pay to get in, and pay more if you want to sit down. But the food options are much better, and they have events. Currently, they have a not-too-shabby summer concert series featuring a bunch of solid bands, the two standouts being Jimmy Eat World and Weezer. Both bands are great live, but JEW was playing on a Friday and trying to get from LA to Del Mar after work on a Friday...it's not going to happen.

So we went on a Saturday and it still took freakin' forever to not go very far and we missed two races. But, alas, Del Mar is lovely. There were a bunch of close races. My sentimental favorite Switch (who almost beat Zenyatta at her last race at Hollywood Park and gave me a heart attack) did not win, despite being a heavy favorite. And that was the betting story of the day. We won absolutely no money, which was depressing, because we usually win enough to cover food. Sigh.

But then there was Weezer. As always, they brought it. Highlights were "My Name is Jonas" and their covers of "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People and "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead. I mean, "Paranoid Android"? Awesome. We were inspired to listen to OK Computer on the ride home.

Their show got me thinking. I haven't been a huge Weezer fan since Pinkerton. But they've had A LOT of radio songs since then. It's actually pretty impressive that a band that's been around that long can still keep cranking out hits and remain relevant. Their coolness is transcending decades. And I like knowing I was there at the beginning. And then I was there at Del Mar in 2011.

R.I.P. Nancy Wake

Move over Rosie the Riveter. Nancy Wake would've kicked your ass.

This inspires me. Everything about this woman is fascinating. There is an amazing film in here somewhere. Though there have been miniseries, I don't think anyone has seen them, and the subject could be covered again.

I don't know why, because this obituary was awesome, but reading about Nancy made me think of Sucker Punch. Yes, I just put the White Mouse and Sucker Punch in the same sentence, and I apologize. But I couldn't help thinking while reading that the story of those elite British women trained to go behind enemy lines during WWII should have replaced the burlesque babes wielding samurai swords. If I was Zack Snyder, I know which movie I would've made.

Friesians, Sort Of

I work on a studio lot, and the best part of my work week has been the beautiful Friesian horses that have been filming on the stage across from my office. At least, I thought they were Friesians. Looking at this photo, I'm not so sure. The horses on the lot are black and have thicker legs than your average thoroughbred or quarter horse, but I'm not sure they're as thick as a Friesian's. Anyway...

On Monday, only one horse was brought in, and he neighed or whinnied loudly at least every half hour when he wasn't filming and was tied to the horse trailer outside. Loud enough to clearly hear through all our closed windows, and echoing in my cave of an office. I'm sure he was very bored, as bored as I am on film sets. And he was probably confused, being that he was covered with the blue dots they use for motion tracking. Festive.

On the days since, there have been two horses, and much less neighing. They both get the lovely blue dots. Hopefully they'll make a good movie. If not, it's hard to blame the beautiful talent.

a tiny death

Yesterday I called to make an appointment to get my bangs trimmed and heard words that strike fear in the hearts of all girls who have found their perfect hair stylist at the perfect price: "Oh, she no longer works here." And so that's that. Where did she go? Is she at another shop? Is it appropriate to ask these questions?

I know that L.A. is big and beauty centric, therefore, it seems that it would be easy to find a person that can cut hair well and do so affordably. I have not found this to be the case. I've had $100 haircuts and $10 haircuts and everything in between, but was never completely satisfied until I found my formerly current stylist. And, astonishingly, until very recently, the haircuts were only $25. I had seriously hit the jackpot. Now the prices have gone up significantly and my stylist is gone.

I don't know why I liked my stylist so much. She had crazy amounts of energy and was a little kooky. Mostly she just cut hair really well. The last time she cut my hair, I had to wait ten minutes because she was off crying somewhere, perhaps this has something to do with why she's no longer at the salon. But girlfriend came back, pulled it together, was chipper, and gave me a great cut. Props to her.

I hope she's gotten a great new job somewhere else, or is just taking some needed time off. I wish her all the best. I hope my fill-in stylist does as good of a job as she did.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Be careful what you wish for.

A few days ago I posted about how excited I was about seeing Crazy, Stupid, Love. I was elated at its PG-13 rating and wanted all the teens to go see it. Apparently, the filmmakers wanted the same thing because in a movie that starred Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Ryan Gosling, and Emma Stone, there was way, way too much time given to the storylines involving the unknown teenagers in this film (although I admittedly watched America's Next Top Model when Analeigh Tipton was a contestant, and  was rooting for her to win because she was the cool, open-minded girl who gave that transitioning girl her hormone shots). I felt like every time I was invested in the Carell/Moore/Gosling storylines, slam! We'd be back on those damn kids.

I thought the movie seemed a little choppy in places. The tone of some scenes didn't seem to flow with the previous scene. Perhaps the scenes were rearranged during editing, I don't know. I didn't read the script, though have heard it was quite good.

Steve Carell was pretty fantastic. I could see him getting a Golden Globe nod for comedy on this one. It wasn't an easy part to play, and I think he nailed it. Ryan Gosling is suprisingly funny, still seems a bit weird, and gorgeous as ever. I thought he and Emma Stone had great chemisty, and I wanted to see more of them together.

There were definitely some moments and situations that I didn't see coming. That's always refreshing, and worth the admission price. Overall, the film was actually funnier than I thought it would be. There were even a few laugh out loud moments, which are becoming more and more rare.

I think I'm being harder on this film because I had hope that it could be one of my favorites of all time, a rom com that I would watch on Sunday when it plays all over cable and I don't even care that there are commercials. This was not that movie. The film was good, but it didn't leave me with the warm, fuzzy feeling I wanted, and I'm not itching to see it again anytime soon.

Weather

It was a typical July morning in Los Angeles. The sky was overcast; sometimes the June gloom seeps into other months. But then the skies opened up and it poured for ten minutes, just like a winter storm. Strange.

Nicholl Fellowship - part over

I officially received my three Nicholl rejection letters. My script that I had the most hope for (the only one that was really ready to send in the first place) received two positive reads, which is nice to know. What's not nice to know is that it didn't receive high enough positives to garner a third read, therefore, it did not make the top 20%. Bummer.

Part of me is relieved that this is all over for me. I would have loved to have been named a Quarterfinalist, it would've been a big confidence boost. But not making the cut makes me reevaluate what I do have going for me: I write commercial stuff, stuff that has a chance of selling. And that's what I need to focus on.

Time to start sending out query letters. One of my goals is to get a manager this year, and I still have five months left to do that. The time to start is now.

 Congratulations to everyone who advanced in the Nicholl, and to the lucky, lucky people that manage to win.

This is Awkward.

I love me a good teen dramedy, and Awkward. on MTV fits the bill. It's well written and the characters are fun. I'd describe it as Gilmore Girls meets Glee, but darker and no singing. And it's only half an hour, which I love, because even though I like the show, sometimes shorter is better and 22 minutes of commitment is much easier than 42.

My only gripe about the show is that it relies too heavily on the lead character's narration. The lead actress, Ashley Rickards, is talented and doesn't need the help; she should say something funny rather than think something funny. The show would end up being, well, funnier.

If you haven't checked out Awkward., it's worth your 22 minutes.

Captain America: The Mediocre Beginning of Another Hopefully Uncrappy Franchise

I haven't seen any comic book movies this summer. Not even X-Men, which was well-reviewed, and I loved the first X-Men movie, so I've been upset at myself for missing it. Since all the critics seemed to enjoy CA, I thought it would be a last ditch effort to see a good summer popcorn movie.

Okay, it's been a long summer season, and I think the critics' brains have been fried. My expectations were raised due to all the good buzz, and boy was this disappointing. I don't think I've ever seen Chris Evans in a movie, and I know all the young hot guys in Hollywood competed for this part, so I expected his charisma to just leap off the screen at me. Nope. Not that he was bad, but I didn't feel like this guy was a star. (Oh, I just remembered, he was in Scott Pilgrim, not that it matters.) And Hugo Weaving doing his best Werner Herzog! All I could think of was Werner Herzog reading Go the Fuck to Sleep (the best celebrity reading so far). It was so hard not to get the giggles every time he was onscreen.

The movie starts out slowly, ahem, boring. Just as it gets interesting, it becomes a montage. Captain America is never, not even for half a second, ever in danger. There is no tension at all. No big obstacles for him to work around and outsmart. No suspense. Isn't that what action movies are all about? Halfway through the movie I turned to Hubs and said, "I set my expectations way too high." He thought the movie was even worse than I did.

I will keep Captain America in mind when writing action in the future. Your protagonist needs to be in peril. Preferably more than once. The audience shouldn't be able to figure out how he/she is going to escape. There must be tension. The opening scene should be awesome in some way that's unexpected. The last scene should be solid and feel like a real ending. The best part of the movie shouldn't be a trailer for another movie.

A Few Thoughts on R-Rated Comedies

The cineplexes have been filled with R-Rated comedies this summer. I saw Bridesmaids, Horrible Bosses, Bad Teacher, and No Strings Attached and Going the Distance (which came out earlier this year). I have not seen Hangover 2 (I saw the first one, so I think I already saw the second one) or Friends with Benefits.

Okay, I loved Bridesmaids. Yes, it had its moments of raunch, which usually aren't my thing, but they made the movie funnier. Therefore, it's R-rating was earned. And, this movie, whether it was rated G or R, had a soul. The characters came first. I cared about them and wanted everything to work out for them. Even the moments of raunch were character driven, not just stuck in there to be gross for the sake of being gross. Future R-rated comedies take note.

Another R-rated comedy that worked for me was Going the Distance. The dialogue was witty and frank. The cursing was funny and natural sounding. The nudity was comedic. Good chemistry between Justin Long and Drew Barrymore. R-rating earned. However, I think the R-rating hurt this film. It was promoted as a simple rom com, not the raunchy R-rated comedy that it was. The rom com crowd didn't want it, the raunch crowd didn't know about it. Ironically, it's one of the best rom coms I've seen in a long time, it just happens to be rated R. It was much, much funnier than the more successful No Strings Attached, which lacked in chemistry and character development.

I enjoyed Horrible Bosses, but I didn't think it needed to be rated R. I mean, Aniston didn't even get naked. No R-rating there. Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, and Charlie Day have all proven to be hilarious on network television with no swears. Plus, there should have been more Golden-Globe-Winner Colin Farrell. He was hilarious. And sorely underused.

Bad Teacher definitely didn't need to be rated R. Take out an unfunny dry humping scene and a couple out-of-place f-bombs and it could've easily been PG-13. Why is it so uncool to be PG-13? Maybe I'm biased because I tend to write PG-13 comedy. In real life, I love to swear. It's a vice I relish in. Oddly, I always find it hard to make my characters swear. In my writing, profanities are like exclamation points; I use them sparingly for emphasis.

This pattern in my writing stems back to my teenage years. When I was in high school, all I wanted to do was go see movies. I lived in a small town and there wasn't much to do if you weren't causing trouble, so I spent a lot of my free time at the movie theatre. And the box office lady, nicknamed Skeletor, was the Guardian of the Realm of the R-Rated. She knew exactly who was seventeen and who wasn't, and it was her sacred duty to protect our innocent eyes. And, shockingly, my entire adolescence I was under seventeen. So movie options were limited.

I think I'm always writing for my sixteen-year-old self. Yes, I write scripts about adults, for adults. But I remember when I was a teen I wanted to see movies about adults. I wouldn't have wanted to see Selena Gomez and Leighton Meester trouncing around Europe (not that there's anything wrong with that). I would've wanted to see Bridesmaids. I would've wanted to see Horrible Bosses. I would've wanted to see Bad Teacher. And I would've wanted to see Crazy, Stupid, Love.

As an adult, I'm still excited to see Crazy, Stupid, Love. It looks like it has soul. I hope all the high-schoolers, and everyone else, show up and prove that it's profitable to make a funny PG-13 movie so Funny = R is no longer the law of the land.

Battling Writer's Block

I have not been nearly as productive the last few months as I should have been. I've had the luxury of taking some time off of work and in the last half of 2010, I wrote like a madwoman. I completed first drafts of two screenplays, did a major rewrite of a third, and wrote a drama pilot. Not too shabby. Even better, I think all those projects are solid pieces to enhance my portfolio...after I do one or two more rounds of revisions.

2011 came around and I was still on fire. At the beginning of the year, I wrote a comedy spec, which also turned out well. And then I was done, spent. I missed bringing home a paycheck, and I missed the socialization I got at work. Who would've ever thought I liked people so much? But, worst of all, my enthusiasm for all my half-ideas dried up. Yes, I had writer's block. And it sucked. All spring, I wrote nothing. I'm sure I could've done a better job of pushing through it, but I felt uninspired and helpless. This was the first time I've had such a creative block. It was my worst fear, and wallowing in it felt like I was confronting it, I guess. I don't know. I don't have any great advice on how to get through writer's block. But it's over, and hopefully it won't return, ever. But that's a lofty goal. Part of me is glad I've gone through it. I survived. I didn't even need to go on anti-depressants.

I just landed a new job that starts in a couple weeks. It's going to be hard. It's going to be a lot of hours. The commute is not going to be fun. But I'm happy to be collecting a paycheck again. I'm relieved to have a set schedule. And I'm really unafraid of writer's block now. Whenever I'm working and don't have the time I'd like to have for writing, that's when all the ideas come. Oh, cruel, cruel creativity. So I'm looking forward to having little time to write and making the most of it. Creativity, bring it on.

Rivera

Hubs took me to a wonderful birthday dinner at Rivera in downtown L.A, a restaurant that specializes in upscale Central American cuisine. I've been wanting to go there for a long time, and I wasn't disappointed.

Let's start with the drinks. I had the best drink of my life, the Barbacoa.

This drink is made with mezcal, something I'd never tasted before. Mezcal is made from agave, the same plant used to make tequila, but where tequila is spicy, mezcal is smokey. Add some chipotle, red pepper, ginger, simple syrup, and I don't know what else, and you have the best drink ever. Smokey, spicy, and just a little sweet. And a chunk of beef jerky to garnish. So, so good. Whenever I go to L.A. Live or Staples Center, I'll be sure to run across the street to Rivera and have one of these.

Hubs had a good drink, too, though I don't remember the name or what was in it, besides tequila. But it had this amazing chunk of ice that slowly melted. So pretty.

Rivera has a lot of small bites, so we ordered two. The Equadorian Crudo was very fresh. A perfect, light summer starter.

The Arepas, dense corn cakes, with Soft Shell Crab were also delicious. Small but hearty and served with a good sauce. Plus they wrote on the plate in celery salt or something which was cool.

For entrees, I ordered the Puerco Pibil.

It was good. The sauce was fine, not too sweet, not too smokey. The pork was fine as well, could've been a little juicier. Nothing amazing. Hubs ordered the Duck Enfrijolada, which was duck and goat cheese tucked between two blue corn tortillas. This was pretty darn good.

We ordered a side of black beans. Our waiter warned us they were spicy. I feel restaurants always over-warn about the level of spiciness. But I have to hand it to Rivera; these black beans were spicy. To the point that I wouldn't have wanted them any spicier or I think my taste buds would've been numb. The beans were also quite sweet, so having sweet combined with hot was unique.

My favorite food of the night were the tortillas. Yes, plain and simple tortillas served with a guacamole that had a little kick to it. But these were the best tortillas I've ever had. Soft, yet sturdy, with pure delicious corn flavor. And gorgeous presentation with a beet shaving.

For dessert we shared the bread pudding. Loved the roasted, salted peanuts, but it wasn't overly special. Looked gorgeous, though.

I don't know if I need to eat another meal at Rivera. The food was good, but my favorite dishes, the tortillas and those black beans, could be ordered at the bar over a Barbacoa.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Football is coming back! Yeeeeaaaahhhhh!

Okay, confession time. I have not been a lifelong football fan. I played softball growing up. I watched Cubs games everyday. I worshipped Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace. Walter Payton? The Fridge? Who? The '86 Bears and the Superbowl Shuffle? I was oblivious, no memory whatsoever.

I think a lot of people get into football in college. The huge tailgating parties, the drunken camaraderie. Well, I went to art school. We had an ultimate frisbee team and that was the extent of our sports program. Football was that thing they played in that spaceship they built on top of Soldier Field a few blocks away.

Hubs is from Boston and a big Patriots fan. I only started watching football after meeting him, but I fell in love. With him and with football.

Football makes me happy. It's aggressive, yet athletic, something is always happening. It's my favorite way to waste a Sunday, and the thought of not having that option this year was depressing. But no more worries. The season will now go on. The lockout is over.

And, finally, Go Bears?!

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

Though Amy Winehouse's death doesn't come as a complete shock, that doesn't make it any less tragic. Her music and her amazing, soulful voice had a unique, honest vibrance and vulnerability that pop music hasn't had in a long time. And it stinks that we won't get any more of it.

Happy Dogs

Sometimes we just need a little doggy pick-me-up. These photos were taken at the Pasadena Kennel Club Dog Show on June 5. Happy procrastination!

A Quick Note on the Last Harry Potter

I've quite enjoyed the Harry Potter franchise. The Prisoner of Azkaban was by far the best film, and a few of the other ones have been good as well. But I'm ready for it to all be over. Let these poor kids move on with their careers, if that's even possible at this point. I do believe it will be possible for Matt Lewis.

Seriously, who would have thought that out of all the HP kids, Neville would grow up to be the most dashing? He looks like a young Clive Owen. Note to studios: the ladies are definitely down with young Clive Owen.

A-Frame

A-Frame used to be an IHOP in Culver City. Its current form is much improved. No booths line the walls. Instead, it's communal eating; large tables seat multiple parties. All in all, the food was really fun and I'd love to go back and try all new items, since our stomachs were only so big.

We started out with some fun appetizers. The Kettle Corn sounded interesting.

Hubs loved it: crunchy, sweet, salty, tangy. Something in this kettle corn tasted too fishy for me. Not a fan.

But the Heirloom Pickles were amazeballs.

This was my favorite dish of the night. Pickled carrots, cucumbers, radishes, pears, and fennel. With a creamy sesame sauce. Loved the sauce, and I'm picky about condiments. I'm all inspired to pickle now.

After our neighbors raved about the Beer Can Chicken we decided to order that.

The chicken was fine, juicy meat and crispy skin. The two sauces it came with were the selling point. One was a sweet cilantro sauce, the other a spicy, smokey chili. Hubs preferred the cilantro, I liked the red chili, so that worked out.

I wanted to try A-Frame's version of Clam Chowder. If you love Thai green curry (minus the curry) and clam chowder, this might be your new favorite soup. Lots of clams. The portion was much larger than I expected, almost too big. I liked this dish, but it tasted exactly how I thought it would (which was quite delicious), but I wouldn't get it again because there was no element of suprise.

I'm over churros. I'm fairly convinced I've already had the best churro of my life at Senor Fred's, and the main reason it's the best churro is because it comes with the most amazing hot chocolate ever. But everyone around us was getting the churros, and our waiter was raving about them, and my pick of a black pepper schezchuan ice cream sandwich suddenly seemed less exciting.

Meh. Fried pound cake rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Served with a chocolatey malted milk with ice cream. It wasn't very exciting. Again, no suprise flavors to make it special. Next time I'm trying the ice cream sandwich.

Chocolatey Delight

Last night I saw a comercial for Chocolatey Delight. It goes something like this: It's after dinner. A woman sits on her couch. She's craving chocolate. Her chihauhua turns into a chocalate bunny rabbit. The woman goes into the kitchen and has a bowl of corn flakes with chocolate chips in it. Craving curbed. Chocolate bunny turns back into chihuahua. Crisis averted.

And Chocolatey Delight is healthy! Only 120 calories per serving. That doesn't include milk.

Here's a thought. If you're craving chocolate, eat a piece of chocolate, dammit. If you eat of bowl of cereal just for a few bits of chocolate, is that really satisfying? Plus, cereal is expensive. So is milk. For $2 you can buy an organic dark chocolate bar, eat two pieces of it after dinner every night and it will last you all week. It's better for you than a bowl of cereal; less calories, less sugar, and dark chocolate in small quantities is good for your heart. But the best part? It's chocolate. Real, delectable, delicious chocolate. Satisfied.

New Favorite Breakfast

I'm completely hooked on my new favorite breakfast, savory oatmeal with egg. I don't like a sweet, sugary breakfast and I wanted to enjoy oatmeal, so this is the perfect marriage. The fiber and the protein in this meal keep me feeling full for hours.

Savory Oatmeal with Egg

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 egg
1/3 oz. grated cheddar
1 chopped scallion
pepper

In a small saucepan, combine water and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add rolled oats and stir. Reduce heat to medium-low. Let oats cook for a minute, then crack the egg into the pan. Continue occasionally stirring oatmeal and egg whites, leaving yolk intact. Cook about 4 minutes, until oatmeal is cooked and thickened and egg yolk is set. Pour oatmeal and egg into a bowl. Add cheddar. Add pepper and scallion to taste.

Serves 1. About 270 calories.

Paris-Belgium-Amsterdam Misc. Expenses

Here's a list of some of our transportation and attraction expenses, along with other tidbits of information that might be helpful. All information is as of April 2011.

Paris

* The train from Charles de Gaulle Airport to downtown Paris is 8.70 Euros/ticket.

* The Metro is 1.60 Euros/ride. You can buy packs of 10 tickets for 12 Euros at any Metro station if you plan on using the subway a lot like we did. We went through 20 tickets during our five days.

* Saint Chapelle admission costs 8 Euros/person.

* Versailles plus Hamlet admission costs 18 Euros/person.

* Arc de Triomphe costs 9.50 Euros/person to climb.

* Notre Dame costs 8 Euros/person to climb.

* Musee D'Orsay admission costs 5.50 Euros/person. Our tickets were purchased at 8:30 pm. I think they're normally more expensive, but you can save money by going late on Thurs., the day the museum is open late.

* Louve admission costs 10 Euros/person.

Ghent

* Castle admission costs 8 Euros/person.

Amsterdam

* Admission to the Anne Frank Museum costs 8.50 Euros/person

* Admission to the Van Gogh Museum costs 14 Euros/person.

Day Fourteen - Last Day in Amsterdam

Aw, it's our last day in Amsterdam and of vacation (sniffle). For breakfast we had pancakes somewhere not worth mentioning. They weren't good. Should have gone back to The Pancake Bakery.

We went to the Van Gogh Museum, which was fantastic. Besides all the amazing Van Gogh's, there was an exhibit going on called "Picasso in Paris 1900-1907," which helped to make up for the Picasso Museum in Paris being closed for renovations. The exhibit was all about Picasso's works when he was living in Monmartre and some of his blue paintings were there, which I love. My favorite was Poor Couple. Sad but beautiful. Not a drop of cubism in this exhibit.

Two floors were dedicated to Van Gogh. It is his museum after all. My favorite paintings were a very detailed self-portrait that was signed, the Sunflowers, and the Cherry Blossoms. The darkest personality paints the prettiest flowers.

The rest of the museum is filled with Van Gogh's mentors, contemporaries, and other artists working in Monmartre when he lived there. Very cool to see the original posters by Henri Toulouse-Latrec and Steinlen's Chat Noir.

After the museum, we walked to The Pantry for lunch. It's a cozy little restaurant and the traditional Dutch food is great. We started out with goat cheese croquettes that were ooey-gooey on the inside.

Hubs had a meatball with mashed potatoes 3 ways: with sauerkraut, beef and carrot stew, and kale. The sauerkraut ones were the best. One of these days I'm going to try and recreate those.

I had a dish that was like shepherd's pie, but the meat was curried and the potatoes had cauliflower mixed in. So good. My kind of comfort food.

For dessert we shared little pancakes, not like the pancakes at The Pancake Bakery, more like little abelskivers. Little bites of puffy sweetness.

1 set menu with croquettes, shepherd's pie dish, and pancakes + meatball and potatoes + 2 beers = 43 Euros

After lunch we walked over to Vondel Park, a huge park near the museums.


The park was packed on a warm and sunny Saturday afternoon and made for great people watching. People sprawled out on the pond lawns, dogs swimming, bicycles coasting by. It was beautiful. Great place to relax, read a book, maybe get some of those pages written.

We strolled over to the quiet Jordaan and walked around the neighborhood. Not a tourist in sight, it feels like a real city. We passed a woman feeding some waterbird standing on the roof of a car. The bird did not belong here. It was bizarre.

Though we weren't starving, we wanted to eat something that could loosely be considered dinner. I don't know where we ate, but it was a little bar on the border of the Jordaan and we sat at a table outside. After a few days in Amsterdam, Amstel starts to grow on you, so we had a couple and split a cheese, sausage, and liverwurst plate and some meatballs (which were actually more like croquettes). The food wasn't spectacular, but it was a fine last meal. Sitting outside, enjoying the beautiful weather, having a cold beer. Ah, vacation.

Back at the hotel, we packed, finished watching Shakespeare in Love, and ate the rest of our Dumon chocolates in bed.

Goodbye, Europe. Until next time.