So You Think You Can Blog

The Two Restaurant Rule

2009-08-29T10:37:00.000-07:00

Do not read on an empty stomach.

It begins like this: I'm waiting for the elevator at work talking to my colleagues about the Farmer's Market. It's a Friday afternoon, and so we are all headed there for lunch. We are unanimously on a Brazilian food kick - so the plan is to meet at Pampas Grill.

The elevator arrives, and I climb inside with a woman who works on our floor. Though I've seen this woman time and time again for the last three years, we've never spoken more than the word, 'Hi' to one another. Usually in the restroom. But she turns to me and says, "Brazilian?" So I explain where we are headed and how we've been looking forward to this lunch all week.

The woman is prompted to tell me her Rule: She commits to trying two new restaurants every month. Generally they are chosen based on reviews she has read, I think she said in the L.A. Times. This got me thinking.

Two new restaurants a month. I'm pretty sure Jamie and I do this without trying... It's not like this is a difficult feat in Los Angeles. But still - I decided to be more aware of it, if not more deliberate.

It has been a couple of months since the aforementioned elevator ride, and sure enough, Jamie and I have eaten at many restaurants new to us. (And after last night's adventure to the Westside Tavern, I decided it would be fun to document where we have been.)

STREET

STREET is Susan Feniger's latest foray, and as she describes it: "Even though I've had formal training as a chef, the single greatest influence on my life's work has been through the food I have sampled from street vendors throughout the U.S. and around the world. These unsung chefs cook food that excites the palate with unexpected flavors and exotic ingredients."

Indeed.

Jamie ordered the Singapore Kaya Toast (thick coconut jam on Malaysian white toast with soft fried eggs drizzled in dark soy and dusted with white pepper) and I enjoyed the Mediterranean Breakfast (toasted olive bread with warm feta, sliced avocado, cucumber, fried sage and marmalade -- it comes with marinated tomato, but I obvi held it). Our friend Sarah ordered the All American (eggs, Smokey Mountain bacon, wood oven country potatoes, toast and marmalade) and for the table, I ordered Jaggery Sugar Stuffed Paranthas (sweet flatbread griddled with butter until the sugar inside turns to caramel; split open and topped with fried bananas.)

If aesthetics matter to you, this place should pass your test. Though maybe I'm partial because of all the burnt orange in the place... There's indoor and outdoor seating, half the menu is vegan-friendly, they have an impressive selection of rare beers, and according to Out Traveler, Feniger is the finest lesbian chef in the world!

Shout out to Kathleen for sending us to STREET!

Jen and Sarah under the orange umbrella

Simpang Asia

Simpang Asia is an Indonesian Cafe and market down in the Palms part of town. Our friend Caroline - who also likes to try new restaurants! - had her birthday dinner here. I had the Nasi Uduk Jakarta (aromatic rice enriched with coconut and a hint of lemongrass, turmeric yellow fried chicken, tofu and tempeh, shredded egg, and veggie tamarind soup) and Jamie had the Nasi Rames (spiced chicken curry, tofu and tempeh, and beef rendang). We also tried the Siomay Bandung (steamed fish cake with egg, tofu, cabbage and potato, served with peanut sauce). Though I did not care for the soup, everything else was unbelievably delicious. I would go back there for the rice alone!

One cool thing about this place is the grocery store right beside it. It is a traditional Indonesian market with everything from teas to noodles to milk fish. At the risk of appearing culturally insensitive, we took a lot of photos in the market.

From L to R: Joe, Lori, Jason

For dessert we all shared the two desserts they offer: Pisang Bakar (grilled banana with chocolate sprinkles and cheese) and Roti Bakar (Indonesian sweet grilled cheese bread with chocolate sprinkles and condensed milk).

Pisang Bakar

Fred's Mexican Cafe

Earlier in August, my family was in town from Colorado. One evening we all met in Surf City, USA - Huntington Beach - and spent a LOUD evening overlooking the PCH and the ocean. This place also had indoor and outdoor seating, killer fire pits, and your traditional SoCal Mexican fare. I had some shrimp enchiladas and Jamie went for the cheese enchiladas. (Jamie: remember when you asked the waiter to hold the cheese, and he said deadpan, That's what an enchilada is.)

The best part of the evening was watching my three year old nephew Brian absorb the frenetic energy of a beachside bar on a Saturday night and go a little nuts.

Brian (L) and Daniel

Golden State

Thanks to our friends Paul and Jess, we went to a "talent show for the best makers of food and drink in California." Quaint and (my favorite) enclosed by exposed brick, this little place is a part of the hip stretch of Fairfax. Burgers, dogs, beer and Scoops - simple and done well. I had a Spicy Dog with caramelized onions and fried sweet potato wedges, and Jamie got the Chicken Apple with sauerkraut; Paul and Jess went for burgers. I attempted to enjoy a beer that evening (because of their extensive selection), but as usual, I didn't like it and had Paul finish it.

Chicken Apple (L) and Pork

Scoops, if you have never heard of it, is a gelato place in Hollywood/Silverlake with unique flavors including Brown Bread, Strawberry/Balsamic, and Pistachio/Saffron, as well as some "traditional" flavors such as Horchata, Peanut Butter/Chai, and Salted Caramel. (Not to mention it's pretty great for celebrity sightings... during my last visit there, Weird Al showed up with his kids.) Well, The Golden State has a small selection of Scoops right there at the counter - so we were able to follow our meal with some deliciously odd frozen treats.

Red Lion Tavern

Jamie didn't come to this German Gasthaus with me, but I think I ate enough sausage and sauerkraut for the both of us. The infamous beer selection was wasted on me, but the bratwurst and German fried potatoes went down nicely with my old lady vodka drink. To any local readers: try this place (and call me if you're going). But be warned: the parking situation can be annoying. There is a small lot and it's bound to be full when you get there.

Westside Tavern

I deem this one 'winner of best restaurant in a mall though not really in a mall.'

They deem this: 'chef-driven yet affordable interpretations of California Tavern Cuisine alongside a complementary selection of fresh cocktails, craftsman beers and thoughtful wines. Encompassing 10,400 square feet and 300 seats, Westside Tavern is designed to be used as a casually upscale gathering place."

It's totally connected to the Westside Pavillion (which allows for plentiful, free parking) on Pico at Westwood. This place is special to me for reasons other than the menu and the parking, though. Jamie and I went last night and met up with some of my nearest and dearest friends from back east - a couple of whom I hadn't seen in far too many years. (Shout out to Amy, Michelle, and David!)

The best thing about last night's group - aside from the amount of laughter we shared - was everyone's appetite and willingness to sample A LOT of the menu. I'd say we ordered about 12 things "for the table" in addition to our individual entrées:

- Farmstead Cheeses & Cured Meats Board

- Crispy Ricotta Filled Zucchini Blossoms

- Grilled Three Cheese Sandwich with Tomato-Basil Soup

- Nueske's BLT with Soft Fried Egg

- Spring Pea & Ricotta Pillow Pasta with Wild Mushrooms and Bloomsdale Spinach (this was my main dish and one of the best pasta dishes I have probably ever tasted)

- Lamb French Dip

- Balsamic Steak & Roasted Onion Salad (Jamie's beloved dinner)

- Grilled Salmon with Sweet Corn and Summer Squash

and

- Warm Sticky Toffee Cake with Mascarpone Cream

- Peach Cobbler with Butter Pecan Ice Cream

- Bread Pudding with Vanilla Malt Ice Cream

and

- Some yummy cocktails

...

Tonight we are off to Little Toni's in North Hollywood. Though it is practically in our backyard, neither of us has ever been.

I can't wait to try the pizza!!!

And we're live!

2009-07-26T15:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our dear friend Allyson who works at E!, jen and I got to attend Thursday night's live taping of the SYTYCD 100th episode. (Yes, we know how lucky we are.) (And yes, we know this picture is backwards.)

Because of the celebration, most of the choreographers and tons of dancers from Seasons 1-5 were in the audience - literally sitting right in front of us. So for all of our So You Think You Can Blog followers, we put our mental note-taking skills to the test so we could deliver the goods about our beloved show and dancers.

Here are some fun facts from the evening...

-Nigel drives a big, blue Bentley with a vanity plate reading: SYTYCD

-Will, from Season 4, drives a silver Jag.

-Katee, from Season 4, drives a Honda.

(You can discover so much just walking through a parking lot!)

-Cat Deeley looks just as amazing in person, and seems just as nice.

-If you become friends with a page, you can get moved to kick ass seating right beside the judges.

-Most of the dances were pre-recorded the previous week. We were kind of disappointed by this, but luckily we got to see the them tape the two dances that will be on next week. (no spoilers...)

-The solos were live and it's very fun to do the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 countdown!

-It's equally as fun to participate when Cat tells everyone to welcome their "JUDGES!!!"

-Toni Basil paints her toenails blue and talks incessantly through the taping.

(jen was not pleased to be sitting beside her.)

-Shane Sparks texts incessantly through the taping.

-Brian Friedman wears long (ugly) Victorian blazers and tries to (very loudly) predict who's going home during the taping.

-Katie Holmes was definitely not performing live.

(But I'm sure everyone figured that one out themselves.)

-Jamie peed in the stall beside Comfort.

-Jen said hi to Gev.

-Benji, winner of Season 2, turned around during the taping and said to Shane Sparks and Lil C "hey you urban guys, can you keep it down." Luckily, the "urban guys" laughed.

-Joshua, winner of Season 4, did the head nod at jen.

-All of the dancers from past seasons were sitting together and appeared to be genuine friends. At one point, they all passed around a copy of the show's recently-released workout DVD and made fun of each other posing on the cover.

-Twitchington shared a minute-long hug.

-Jen shared an "emotional point" with Kayla.

(okay, not that emotional.)

-Travis, much to jen's dismay, was not in the building.

-Jason & Jeanine, who were rumored to be dating (by Christine), don't seem to be. After he was voted off, she continued dancing in the confetti and never went over to console him. If they are in fact dating, he should dump her.

-Mia Michaels is stunning.

-Pasha, from Season 3, is a great dresser and went on stage to dance with an audience member before the taping.

-Kerrington bought her dress at American Apparel.

-No cameras or phones were allowed (unless you're Shane Sparks) so we have no proof of any of this.

The Cotton Anniversary

2009-06-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

The month of June holds a lot of meaning for a variety of reasons: we celebrate Father's Day, Flag Day, Juneteenth, Mary Kate and Ashley's birthday, National Donut Day, the first day of summer, and the invention of the toothbrush (in 1498!)... just to name a few.

But two years ago, June became an even more special, unforgettable month for me - it was when someone with the screen name of 'Jamesey' sent me a message on MySpace. You all know the happy ending of that little exchange, so let's jump ahead to the weekend of June 21, 2009 - our second anniversary.

Jamie surprised me with a trip to Ojai (pronounced oh-high) up in Ventura county. All I knew when we left Saturday morning was that the bikes, the dog, and our bathing suits were coming! I didn't know if we were camping or pet-friendly bed and breakfast-ing or what! (One of the few surprises that Jamie has actually pulled off.) ; p

After cruising up the 101 and across the 33, we entered... Shangri-La. And by this I mean... a gated community of rolling estates! We drove along the twisting and turning roads of the Oak View neighborhood and finally reached our very own Zen Bungalow. (No really, that's what it's called.) We explored the place and all its amazing features - wrap around balconies, breathtaking views, and even a record player with a decent vinyl collection - and eventually got Katie all settled in.

It wasn't long before we were unpacked and ready to go see downtown Ojai. We took a drive into town and had a really yummy lunch at the local pizza place. Jamie said it reminded her of places from back home. Afterward, we took a quick walk on the main strip, but could not stop thinking about our gorgeous little retreat that was waiting for us! So we grabbed groceries for dinner and headed back to prepare ourselves some salmon, broccolini and baby potatoes... Mmmmmmm. (Full disclosure: I was in the hot tub while Jamie cooked.) Following some wine and Fred Clause, I believe we passed out in our jungle-themed room.

Day two began with breakfast under the tiki cabana. Nothing like fresh-squeezed orange juice and egg whites with zucchini from your own garden to start the day. I believe Air Supply was wafting from the living room and Katie was sitting beside us on her blanket. And if that's not a glorious memory, I don't know what is!!

We finished up and agreed it was time to go find the famous Ojai bike path. Something to note the next time you find yourself wanting to ride there: Elevation. What a workout! Fortunately, there were countless photo opportunities (er, reasons to rest our legs).

After that cardio adventure, we headed back into downtown to wander around some more. We sampled the ice cream, the used bookstore, the local hippies at Libby Park, and the blooming flowers of Rotary Community Park. We even drove through the stunning grounds at the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa (which is, apparently, one of the 1,000 Things to See in the U.S. Before you Die, pp. 835-836).

Our night was filled with more fine dining, an embarrassing UNO tournament (embarrassing because of how severely I got my ass kicked), and starlit swimming. Hard to believe that tomorrow was Monday and there was a city we had to get back to.

I won't say that, "All good things come to and end" because for me, that's just not true. Even in North Hollywood, I have my zen moments in our little zen bungalow... and despite the stresses of work, the economy, and loud neighbors, life with Jamie can feel like Shangri La.

Happy Anniversary. I love you.

Let the music take control...

2009-05-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry we've been out of the blog spotlight for so long. But with a new season of So You Think You Can Dance comes inspiration, hence the blog update! If you guys, our loyal followers, (or those that we force to follow by putting you on the email list) are not watching SYTYCD, please do so. This show, as cheesy as it sounds, moves us. I've always loved to dance since I was in junior high. And even in my 30s, I find myself in the middle of a dance circle more often than you would think. One of the things I love most about jen is her ability to let loose on a dance floor. But it wasn't until I started watching SYTYCD that I discovered my love of watching dance. The passion, the choreography, the music...it's all extremely moving. So give it a shot people. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Anyway, in honor of a new season starting, I thought I'd post a blog about a fun dance-related activity we did back in March called A Taste of Dance. Because we were itching for our beloved art form, when we received the flyer in the mail for A Taste of Dance, we truly couldn't wait to check it out. Basically, it was an event going on at the Music Center in Downtown LA where you could "taste test" a variety of dance styles at just a dollar a lesson. $1 bought you a 20-minute lesson. And the most important part...no experience necessary! So we biked to the subway, and headed downtown.

First up was the Dunham Technique Warm Up. I think this one was both mine and jen's favorite. The instructor, Sarah Anindo Marshall, was incredible. Basically, she led a fusion of Caribbean and African dance with modern and ballet. In this 20-minute warm-up, we used more muscles than we had in years. The second we got home we researched the internet for places we could take a Dunham class, but our search came up empty unless we joined the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. And um, that's not really an option. So if anyone that reads this blog knows of any place we can take a Dunham class, please let us know!

So since we were all warmed up, it was time to hit the various dance floors that were set up all around the Music Center. While crowds of people watched on, we attempted to Breakdance first. I did okay until we got to the backspin. After getting kicked in the head by a teenager, I excused myself from the floor. But jen stuck it out and actually did quite well!

I was beginning to feel a little out of my element, but then we did the Praise Dance class which was much easier to follow. Very lyrical and expressive. We had a hard time following the Afro-Brazilian class, but my forte was Krumping. Lil' Tommy the Clown, who was featured in the movie Rize, taught us a routine and it was a blast! I still do the "krump clap" regularly in our living room.

Christine and Starr met up with us and tried their hand at Chicago Steppin' and something else that I can't remember.

All in all, it was a great experience and I can't wait to do it again. I'm pretty sure they have A Taste of Dance twice a year, so all you LA peeps should check it out!

This experience also inspired us to try a Zumba class at the gym. Jen's not as crazy about it as I am, but I openly admit to LOVING ZUMBA! It's an aerobic class that combines movements from merengue, salsa, mambo, etc. into one kick-ass work out. Zumba is getting more popular, so I encourage you to find a class. At LA Fitness it's actually called "Latin Impact" but it's the same thing.

So please tune in to this season's SYTYCD, and in the words of C+C Music Factory...everybody dance now...da da da da...

Counting blue cars...

2009-01-28T14:35:00.000-08:00

No, our latest blog is not an ode to Dishwalla...but it is about counting cars so to speak. Last night, Jen and I participated in the 2009 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count. We've gotten out of the habit of blogging lately, but I have to say, after the experience we had last night, it's time to start talking.

I'll start at the beginning. The last two years, we've participated in the United Way's HomeWalk, a 5k that raises money and awareness to prevent homelessness in Los Angeles. At last year's walk, we got recruited for HC09, and we've been looking forward to helping ever since. So what is HC09? Well, basically, every two years all the homeless people in LA need to be counted in order to get the proper federal funding they deserve. In 2007, 73,000 people were counted. That number is so large, I don't even know how to process it.

As the count started approaching, I remembered that I had signed up to be a team captain, meaning I needed to recruit just 4 other people. No problem, right? I've got tons of friends. Um. Yeah. Not as easy as I thought. I sent out roughly 200 emails asking for volunteers, and got only 4 replies - two of which were a "no." This hit me pretty hard. One of my goals this year was to help more. Give back. Make a difference in any and every way that I can. And it was hard to accept that just because I'm in a giving mood this year, everyone else may have other priorities and be giving back in other ways. So basically, recruiting was a bust. But luckily, a few people came out of the woodwork, and I met my quota. (A big shout out to Lauren, Alex, Roxanne, Russell, Catherine, Jessica & of course jen.)

Cut to the night of the first count. Jen, Lauren, Alex & I signed up in the San Fernando Valley. We drove out to our deployment center and got geared up to start counting. We sat through a short training session and lined up for our assignment. Basically, they were handing out 3 types: walking, biking or driving. Since it was the coldest day of the year, we were hoping for a driving assignment, but by the time we got to the front of the line, it was slim pickin's. We almost got sent to Sylmar, but luckily, we got one of the last local assignments. Problem is, it wasn't in one of the safest areas, so they decided to send two men with us. Fine by me!

We loaded into our cars, with the two guys, and drove to Pacoima. Now when I signed up for the count, it never crossed my mind that it might be dangerous. Homeless people don't hurt you. But I wasn't factoring in the neighborhoods we'd be walking through. Lauren mentioned right away that Pacoima was known for its gang activity. But there's safety in numbers, right? And there were 6 of us. Wearing black. Wandering the streets at 10pm. Waking up every dog on the block. And definitely turning heads. Hell, if I saw a group like ours walking down the street, I would call the police. But we marched on...

Then, a white car drove by. What are you looking at? We're volunteers. Yeah, I know it's late and we're on your turf, but we're helping. I swear. After a few minutes he drove by again. And then a third time in which he asked if we were vampires. (I wish!) Then, a girl in his car asked us what our problem was. Ugh. I don't want to get in a gang fight. Homelessness is all I'm trying to fight. Obama told me to! We b-lined for the car.

After an hour, and no sign of a homeless person, I started feeling useless. If I wasn't counting anyone, was I really making a difference? Despite the training that "zero IS a valid number," I was feeling like a failure. And then, low and behold, we spotted an RV. Is there anyone in there? I don't know... Don't shine the light in it! Well, there are sheets hanging in the front window. Surely someone's in there. Let's count it!

And that is as high as our count got. 1. I guess I should be overjoyed that our count was so low. That means there aren't that many homeless people on the streets in Pacoima. That's a good thing. But I feel like I've been taught the whole points system...you know, the higher the number, the better. I had to take a deep breath and realize that in this case, a lower number was a good thing. So we drove back to the deployment center and called it a night.

As jen and I drove home, we debriefed. The weather, the late night, the could-be gang bangers, the low tally...was it all worth it? You betcha. Even though my mind had been all over the place the whole night, I know that we were just 6 of the 3,000 people counting. I realized that I was just a small part of a greater picture. Our one RV was going to boost the count and get these people the funding they need and deserve. I made a difference. And I will keep on doing it. Oh, the things we'll do for Obama.

Curiosity cultivated the cat.

2008-11-29T10:51:00.000-08:00

When I was in tenth grade, I had an English teacher named Mrs. Zuzga. I will save the numerous wonderful things that came out of that class for another time (e.g.: Siddhartha, Brave New World, The Bridge Over the River Kwai) and get right to my point. One day during the school year, she made us promise that if we ever came across a word we did not know, we would look it up. I thought that was a pretty good promise - and so 17 years later, I not only remember that unofficial oath, I continue to uphold it. (Don't believe me? Check out the margins of any of my books!)

Somewhere along the way (probably with the advent of the Internet) this vow of mine developed into something more. In short, why stop at words? There are far too many things that make me say, "I wonder why," or, "I wonder how." And it is far too easy to discover the responses to let these questions simply go unanswered. So today's blog is not only to encourage you to go out and look for the answers to your burning curiosities, it is also to share with you the two things I found myself wondering about this Thanksgiving holiday:

Q: Why aren't turkey eggs available at the grocery store? Why is it mainly chicken eggs??

A: "Barnyard economics. Turkeys don't lay that many eggs, and the ones they do lay are used to produce more turkeys. The average egg-laying chicken lays 300 or so eggs per year, while the average turkey produces only 100 to 120. Chickens come into production at 19 to 20 weeks of age, but turkeys don't get going until 32 weeks. Turkeys are also much larger, averaging 16 to 17 pounds compared to 3.5 pounds for chickens. So you'd need a lot more room for a bird that would take a lot longer to produce a lot fewer eggs. Another problem is that turkeys go 'broody' easily - they want to sit on their eggs and incubate them. In contrast, egg-producing white leghorn chickens have had the broodiness bred out of them. They lay and lay and have no desire to incubate their offspring or otherwise be maternal."

Awesome.

The other thing I wondered about, as Jamie stood crying in the kitchen while making homemade winter squash soup...

Q: Why do onions make us cry?

A: "As onions are sliced, cells are broken, allowing enzymes to break down amino acid sulphoxides and generate sulphenic acids. These acids are unstable and spontaneously rearrange into a volatile gas. The gas diffuses through the air and eventually reaches the eye where it reacts with the water to form a diluted solution of sulphuric acid [holy shit!]. This acid irritates the nerve endings in the eye making them sting. Tear glands produce tears to dilute and flush out the irritant."

Sometimes my initial searches lead to other searches...

Q: How can I reduce the painful stinging when cutting onions in the future?

A: "Reduce tearing when cutting onions by first chilling the onions for 30 minutes. Cut off the top and peel the outer layers leaving the root end intact. (The root end has the largest concentration of sulphuric compounds.)

Killer.

Obviously the Wikipedias of the world must be read with critical eyes but, that being said, they are wonderful tools for those nagging questions that just need superficial explanations. (Which brings me to another caveat: beware of talking about your new found knowledge with too much bravado...)

I'm pretty sure this path of curiosity I am on is why I love doing research, why I love my job ... and why I long to do it professionally in other fields. But it is Saturday, and I'm on vacation, so I will leave work at work and look into things I am thinking about today. Namely the disposition of french bulldogs and what exactly the 15 executive departments of a President's cabinet do.

(And by the way, I had been composing this blog in my head for days now, but was compelled to get my thoughts out today because... Mrs. Zuzga sent me an email this morning! How crazy is that?!?!)

The 'D' in GLAAD

2008-11-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

Plenty of jokes are made about the acronym for which I work... Many people, upon first asking me what I do and where I work, believe I sell reusable plasticware. Many others know that it's a gay organization, but don't really think about what it stands for or what we do... beyond helping the gays.

Well, in case anyone reading this isn't clear, I'm going to clarify a couple things right now. I don't mean to take this blog in any kind of political direction, but as I sit at my desk and process the phone call I just had to overhear, I need an outlet where I can vent. (And fear not loyal readers, this blog will go back to "fun stuff" in no time - Thanksgiving is fast approaching, after all.)

GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

We exist, and have since 1985, to promote and ensure fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. I am the Grants and Research Manager here, and I just celebrated my two year anniversary at GLAAD with a nice promotion. Like any other organization, we have our ups and downs and group dynamic dysfunctions - but no matter what, I love the mission of this place, and I know firsthand how important and necessary our work is.

It's sometimes hard to sum up what we do because we're an advocacy organization. Meaning, we're not feeding or clothing anyone, nor are we teaching kids to read... Instead, we are in the business of shaping media images -- whether it's national news (CNN, The New York Times), regional news (your local CBS affiliate, your local newspaper), entertainment media (Grey's Anatomy, People magazine), media outlets in communities of color (Sing Tao Daily, La Opinion, Washington Informer), for people of faith (Associated Baptist Press), or for young adults (CosmoGIRL!, ABC Family) -- because we know that whether its consciously or subconsciously, what people see on TV or read in the paper shapes how they view and treat gay people. We at GLAAD see that as an opportunity (and a responsibility) to make sure those images foster awareness, understanding, and respect.

Sometimes people come to us - reporters, producers, editors - they come to us to look for story ideas about gay and transgender people; or maybe they want to interview a newly married California couple with kids (and yes, we have a database of people that fit a variety of criteria that we have provided Media Literacy Training to for just these occasions); or maybe they are unclear about terminology and want to make sure they don't use an offensive term (did you know that the terms 'gay' and 'lesbian' are preferred over 'homosexual?' Why? Because of the clinical history of the word. It has been adopted by anti-gay extremists to suggest that gay men and women are somehow psychologically disordered - a notion discredited by the APA in the 1970s.)

But sometimes (dun, dun, duuuunnn) - we have to reach out to reporters, producers, and editors. Every day at my office (and at our sister office in NY) people are monitoring every type of media you can imagine. People here get paid to read stuff and watch stuff. (And we have a volunteer army of media monitors across the country.) When we see or hear offensive things - for example, terms like sexual preference, homosexual lifestyle, admitted homosexual, gay agenda, special rights, fag, dyke, tranny, he-she, deviant, perverted, or equating same-sex relationships with pedophilia, child abuse, adultery or incest - WE STEP IN!

GLAAD believes absolutely in the freedom of speech - but we draw the line at hate speech. If someone writes or airs a defamatory piece of journalism, it is time to pick up the phone and educate the powers that be what they did to offend. (I don't know the statistics off hand, but a great many of these phone calls go very smoothly - often times the person on the other end is apologetic, did not know the correct terminology, and makes the requested changes immediately.)

An hour or so ago, the friend and co-worker that I sit beside had to make a defamation call to The Daily of the University of Washington. This was my first time witnessing a defamation call. (I have only been sitting by this man since the beginning of the month - my promotion came with a bigger cube on this side of the office.) I did not expect to be so affected. I mean, sure, I have good days and bad days at GLAAD - sometimes I can just come in and do my work without dealing with too much homophobia - but other days are downright shitty. This was pretty shitty.

The title of the piece is called, "Gay Marriage? Let's stop and think about this."

This is the accompanying picture:

The piece is an opinion piece, and it is so poorly argued it should not make me mad... I get that... but the conversation I had to hear... it lasted approximately 25 minutes or so. I was sealing 200 envelopes at my desk, a mindless, redundant task that practically forced me to eavesdrop...

And so I endured listening to my co-worker repeatedly having to explain why it is defamatory to equate two consenting adults who love each other and want to marry to bestiality and child rape... I had to listen to him explain that being gay is actually NOT an "emotional condition"... I sat here and heard him defend gay people from the description that they are "a problem that needs to be dealt with."

So here I am an hour after I should have left work... blogging. The only things that bring me solace are the comments left for the "writer," and the tenacity of my awesome co-workers who deal with these issues so professionally day in and day out. (Though I must say, as time goes by, and in no small part thanks to GLAAD, the defamation calls grow fewer and fewer.)

It did not sound like a happy ending from this side of the cube wall - I don't think the editor over at The Daily agreed to remove the offensive piece.

It's just so disturbing to me - I may have the privilege of being a well-adjusted and secure gay adult who knows fallacious arguments when I see them... but there are plenty of others (straight and gay) who see these words and take them to have value because they are in print.

The 'D' in GLAAD stands for defamation, and tonight, I understand a little better what it feels like.

Did somebody say 10K?

2008-11-09T15:13:00.000-08:00

One day this summer, Jamie received a mysterious text message from an unidentified 626 number: "You and your girl should do the muddy buddy."

Puzzled, Jamie looked at me and asked, "What's a muddy buddy?"

Our minds began trying to make sense of this... Well, we had just purchased a Buddy scooter... so it must have been some type of scooter rally! But who on earth was this faceless 626 knower of scooter events? The friendly lesbian salesperson from NoHo Scooters?! That's weird... and kinda creepy...

Eager to know more, I turned to the world wide web.

Muddy Buddy - (noun) A race consisting of teams of two running and mountain biking through 10 kilometers of trails, challenging obstacles, and a mud pit.

You had us at mud pit. (Clearly we chose to ignore the parts about 'race,' 'running,' 'mountain biking,' '10 kilometers,' 'trails,' and 'challenging obstacles.')

And before I go any further, I should clear up that the sender of the text turned out to be a friend of Jamie's who had simply changed her phone number - sorry there was no big shocking reveal there.

After reading about the event and watching video clips from previous events on MySpace (this thing's been around for years and shows up in Chicago, Dallas, Boulder, Atlanta, and Orlando, among others), we decided we actually wanted to give this thing a shot - what a great motivator to get in shape!

But because as partners, you're alternating throughout legs of a race, we realized we would not get to do this together. Solution? Find another couple to do this with!! Our friends Bridgett and Kelly got equally excited and, just like that, we all signed up! I became Kelly's partner, and Jamie became Bridgett's. My team was the Gold Stars, and Jamie's, the Mudflap Girls - but we ended up merging into one giant non-competing team, and made jerseys that reflected both names!

I'd like to tell you about the rigid training schedule to which we all religiously adhered... the sore muscles... my aching calves... but I wouldn't want to bore you (or lie to you for that matter). Full disclosure: I made and printed out a beautiful 12 week training schedule - and it sat on the dining room table pretty much untouched. So why don't I just speed things up and get to race day!!

I believe we were out of the house by 5:30am in order to be in San Dimas by 6:15. Um. It was still dark when we arrived.

The four of us met up, got checked in, received our bibs and helmet stickers, and headed to the start line. This was photo-op time:

Okay... there was no turning back now!

* * * * *

Leg one: Jamie and I were on bicycles, Bridgett and Kelly were on foot. The thought running through my head? "HAHA, we're on bikes and you have to run HAHA!" Only...

Wow.

This race, we quickly discovered, had A LOT OF UPHILL in it!! I pretty much felt like I was unable to peddle any more within the first mile. They threw a reservoir in our path early on, which gave me a much needed break -- to carry my bike through shin-high water. The first obstacle was a rock wall - it was tough with wet, muddy, slippery feet, but we both made it over pretty quickly. We left the bikes behind for Bridgett and Kelly to find for Leg two.

Leg two: Surprisingly, we were relieved to be on foot. (It was much easier than hiking uphill with bikes!) Plus, there were a lot of lost items along the trail, and it was much easier to pillage this way (I scored a sweet beanie. Is that wrong?) Obstacle two was some kind of "under and over" contraption, and our feet couldn't touch the ground:

Leg three: Jamie and I were back on the bikes. (UGH.) This picture makes me laugh out loud.

Somehow, we made it to the third obstacle - balance beams - and were off again on foot!

Leg four: This was my favorite part of the race. Jamie and I, after assisting our partners and the bikes up a virtual mountainside, got to run on asphalt. Downhill. IN THE RAIN! It was incredible... it had been a bit sprinkly on and off all morning, but this was a nice, soft, steady rain - and we just giggled as we ran into it! I didn't even mind that our teammates got to cruise down a great big hill! As we approached the fourth obstacle, we were pretty excited - which was a nice motivating factor to keep up the pace. When we finally got to it, it loomed high above our head... we had to climb a gridded rope ladder to get to the top - and then slide down into a small pool of water. It was so exhilarating - much steeper than it may look in this photo. And sure enough, there were our bikes waiting for us.

Leg five: Back on the bikes and five miles already completed, this was gonna be a tough one. And... cue Jamie's charlie horse!! Ow, ow, let's stop for a drink of water. And... cue Jamie's coughing attack. But, she persevered and we desperately tried to inch our way to the fifth and final obstacle (the mud pit, in case you lost track). There was a lot of uphill, but we got up and over it. And as we "rode" our bicycles down the precipitously rocky hill - constantly pulsating the brakes - Jamie recounted to me the time she went off the trail and over her handlebars onto her face. (Good story. You should ask her about it sometime.)

And there at the bottom of the hill were Bridgett and Kelly, waiting for us to arrive, ready to face the mud...

THE FINISH LINE!

So... are you wondering what one does after completing a Muddy Buddy...?

You try to get clean...

6.2 miles, and we lived to tell about it!

Hope you'll join us next year!

(Jamie? We are doing this next year, aren't we...?)

A word from your sponsors...

2008-10-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

Living in California, jen and I are deeply affected by one of the propositions this year. There are a lot of people trying to pass Prop 8, which will eliminate our right to get married if we ever choose to do so. Not cool...right?

I know I mentioned it in a previous blog, but as we're getting closer to the election, jen and I started feeling more and more like we should do something. We've donated money. We've attended fundraisers. We've talked to our friends and family. Jen's been phone-banking. I sport my "I heart civil liberties" shirt around town.

But it still didn't feel like we were doing enough. So last week we got an idea. "Let's make a video!" Now I haven't edited in years. Actually, I don't think I've even taken my video camera out of its case in years, which is truly a shame because I used to have such a passion for making home videos. Growing up I drove my friends and family crazy always having a camera in their face. But I guess now that I work in the industry, I have taken up other hobbies to escape the media in my free time. But the thought of making THIS video really reignited my passion.

It reignited it so much, we went out and bought a new computer over the weekend, new editing software, and came up with a concept for our video. We shot it Monday night. I couldn't even sleep that night I was so excited to get started editing. I worked vigorously Tuesday and Wednesday night to get it finished in time to upload it before people started voting. We were both so inspired by the situation and felt so proud when we posted it to YouTube this morning.

Here's how it turned out...

We've gotten so much positive feedback. Numerous people have told us that it made them tear up. And when we were eating dinner tonight, Francy, our neighbor and friend, knocked on the door and was bawling when we answered it. She had just watched the video and was so proud of us and couldn't wait to forward it to her family and friends in California. I still can't get over how our little video is affecting people. It's truly heartwarming.

I personally had a hard time posting the video at first. After it all came together, it was so personal. People would see things about us. See our lives. See how upset we are about this proposition. But then, that's the point right? Getting our message heard. Making it personal. And as of tonight, we've gotten 260 views on YouTube! So, if you subtract the 20 times that I'm sure jen watched it, that leaves 240 people that we urged to Vote NO on Prop 8...all because of a girl...a dream...and a video camera.

And now that we've caught the bug, you can expect more videos from us in the future. Turns out we've got plenty to talk about...and at least 240 people that want to listen.

*Addendum...we're up to 329 now! And jen promises it wasn't her.

Soup, there it is...

2008-10-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

So in honor of one of my favorite SNL skits, I thought I would do a blog about soup. I love soup. Jen loves soup. Justin Timberlake loves soup. Obviously, so should you.

Recently, jen got her wisdom teeth pulled, so being the good nurse that I am, I gathered up all my amazing soup recipes to prepare for her week sans solid food.

She's doing much better by the way...

So two of jen's favorite foods, believe it or not, are spinach & zucchini. So first, I'll share this delicious and easy recipe I made to ease her pain.

-------------------

Spinach & Zucchini Soup

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium onions, roughly chopped

big pinch of salt

2 medium potatoes, cut into cubes

2 medium zucchini, chopped

4 cups vegetable stock

4 handfuls fresh spinach leaves

In a large pot, heat up the olive oil, then add the garlic and onions and saute for a few minutes along with a big pinch of salt - just until they soften up a bit. Stir in the potatoes and zucchini. Add the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft throughout, roughly 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the spinach, and wait for it to wilt - just 10 seconds or so.

Puree with a hand blender until smooth.

Now salt to taste and serve with a spoonful of our absolute favorite addition to any bowl of soup...light sour cream.

It's so easy and delicious...we promise! Cook it on a Sunday night, and you can take it to work for lunch all week. It's a great way to get your daily dose of greens, and watch the waistline if you're so inclined.

--------------------------

Next, I'm going to post two soup recipes that I love making because of all the compliments I get. Seriously, I'm a hit at parties when I show up with my aroma-friendly crock pot. Now that fall is upon us, you MUST try these soups!

--------------------------

Sassy Salsa Pumpkin Soup

from Hungry Girl

4 cups fat-free vegetable stock

One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

One 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 cup canned sweet corn kernels

3/4 cup salsa

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Optional toppings: shredded low-fat cheese, light sour cream, chopped scallions

Spray a medium pot with nonstick spray and bring to medium heat on the stove. Place garlic in the pot. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add stock and spices, and bring to a simmer.

Add pumpkin and mix well. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

If you like (and we do!), top each cup with any of the optional ingredients before serving. This soup is packed with fiber and incredibly healthy. How can you resist?

---------------------------

Winter Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

2 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

4 cups vegetable stock

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the sweet potatoes, squash, stock, thyme, and sage; season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Puree the soup in a blender (or with a handy-dandy hand blender like me!). Taste to adjust the seasonings, and serve hot.

*Warning...this soup will seriously make your house smell delicious for days! Just ask jen...

--------------------------

Now, just so you all know...I didn't JUST make soup for a week. Jen also got to indulge in this delicious smoothie I learned how to make:

1 ripe medium banana

3/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/4 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

3/4 cut skim milk

Pinch of cinnamon

1/2 cup crushed ice

Just put it all in the blender and puree until it's smooth and YUMMY!

---------------------------

So those are a few of my favorite recipes. Enjoy! And please let me know how they turn out if you give them a try.

I'm off to eat because now I'm STARVING!!!

Grass is overrated...

2008-10-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

Seriously. Who needs a lawn to be political these days? When I left for work the other morning, I opened the back door to discover that jen had posted our Obama lawn sign for all to see. Well, when I say "all," I actually mean the 6 people that walk their dogs past our back door, and the annoying little girl who rides her bike back and forth, back and forth, back and forth upsetting Katie and Bodhi to the fullest extent. But if our little sign has impacted just one of those 7 people, then we have done our part.

We also passed some Pro-bama graffiti the other day in the Wilshire district.

I guess those people, just like us, have discovered how easy it is to work with what 'cha got.

I've taken up tagging!

2008-10-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

I love my iPhone for many, many reasons. But my new favorite reason is that it led us to Shazam! Shazam is an application you can download that basically identifies music for you. I love products that make me feel like a Jetson, so I thought I'd share.

Elizabeth was the first to tell us about Shazam. We were at a party and she was raving about it. "I don't get it" I exclaimed. And then she held her iPhone in the air, much like John Cusack in Say Anything, and pushed "Tag Now." The phone literally listened to the song that was playing on the radio, and after 15 seconds, told us what it was. It listed the name of the song, the artist, and linked us to iTunes where we could then purchase the song if we were so inclined. "Wow! I've got to get that!"

So I did. I downloaded the application that night for FREE and have been hooked ever since. I love that moment when Jen and I are in a store and we hear a song that we like. I'll say, "man I love this song. I wonder what it is..." And then there's a slight pause...we both look at each other...and at the same time shout out "SHAZAM!" We then hurry to pull out my iPhone and "tag" the song.

Shazam has led us to the new Pink song So What. You must buy it now!

And we've discovered new artists like Meiko & Kings of Leon by using Shazam. I'm telling you...this shit is bananas...b-a-n-a-n-a-s. (If you Shazam'd that, you'd know I'm quoting Gwen Stefani.)

So you want it now, right? Well I don't think you need an iPhone to get it. Just go to the website and check it out. I will warn you that there are times when Shazam has let us down. It's not that great at identifying obscure NPR songs. And when Christine tried singing to it, it didn't work. (Although, that was a long shot.) So download it, and let me know what you think!

Until then, I'll just be taggin' away over here...

Celebrity sightings.

2008-10-08T16:08:00.000-07:00

Or perhaps I should say, "celebrity" sightings.

I just returned from the Starbucks on Wilshire at La Brea and who was there in front of me? None other than Analeigh, from the current season of America's Next Top Model!

It was cool to see her, but i was more excited about my Pinkberry Sorbetto...

HOWEVER!

My sighting on Monday night at my local L.A. Fitness (the one on Cahuenga), was pretty good.
B-list good.
L Word good.

Dana, you live on forever in our hearts... and apparently in our North Hollywood gyms.

She looked smokin' in grey workout pants and an orange t-shirt.
In case you were wondering.
(And at least one of you was.)

So now i'm left wondering... do celebrity sightings come in threes like celebrity deaths?

And if so, can i please spot an A-lister?!!

National Stay At Home Week...

2008-10-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

So being the rebels that we are, jen and I decided to plan the busiest week of our summer on National Stay At Home Week. We missed a lot of great TV, but we sure did have a lot of fun in the process. Wednesday started off the marathon with the long-awaited So You Think You Can Dance Tour. We had gotten tickets months ago, and were SO excited to finally see our SYTYCD'ers live on stage. It was our first time at the Nokia Live in Downtown LA. What a great venue! We got to see all our favorite dances from Season 4 performed again. Joshua and Katee lit up the stage. Gev made us laugh. And Will stole our hearts once again. We also finally found out the real meaning behind "4-Real."

Christine and Michelle met us for the show. It was so great to share the experience with them after watching all the episodes together this summer over fondue and Michelle's infamous chicken wings. Jen had so much fun Wednesday night that she has been practicing her new moves ever since.

We truly can't wait for next summer.

Season 5 baby!!!

------------------

THURSDAY NIGHT

Neil Diamond at the Hollywood Bowl

Thursday night, we TIVO'd the debate and headed to the Hollywood Bowl to see the one and only, Neil Diamond. Helen had gotten a bunch of us tickets earlier in the summer, and we're so glad she did. Neil's voice is incredible. It soothes me. Seriously. He was very engaging and fun to watch. He did all his old standards, and even some songs from his new album.

Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera that night. (so unlike me!) But if I had, you'd see a wonderful picture of Helen & Sarah drunk and eating pastries...Claudia & Nancy singing along to every word...and jen and I holding up the phone for Caroline during, yes, you guessed it, Sweet Caroline.

----------------------

FRIDAY NIGHT

Rachel Getting Married Screening

So after 8 years of producing in L.A., I finally joined the Producers Guild of America (aka The PGA.) (No dad...it has nothing to do with golf.) Being a member of the PGA has lots of perks...one being that you get to attend lots of free screenings. So when I got my first invite for Rachel Getting Married, I jumped at the chance. I was allowed to bring guests, so Caroline and Amanda met up with Jen and me at the Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills.

I have to admit, when I heard the title of this movie, I assumed it was going to be one of my beloved chick flicks about a wedding. Boy was I wrong. I won't ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it, but it deals with the struggles of an addict who leaves rehab to attend her sister's wedding. If you think your family is dysfunctional, watch this movie. It will make you feel better about yourself. Promise.

We all had our own opinions about the movie, but one thing we agreed on was how uncomfortable it made us feel. To me, that's a good thing. I love it when a movie can spark such an emotion. I get stuck in a rut of watching movies that either make me sad or happy. I sometimes forget that there are other emotions out there that need to be stimulated once in a while.

Overall, I recommend seeing it once. Once will be enough.

-------------------

SATURDAY

Disneyland!!!!!

So Disneyland was having their annual (unofficial) GayDays this weekend. Basically, if you're gay or support the gays, you wear a red shirt to the park. (Funny story...Ramdath, Helen & I went a few years back on accident.) But this year it was planned, and highly anticipated!

Now jen and I go to Disneyland way more than the average American. Like once-a-month more. You might say it's our happy place. It never gets old, and every trip brings new adventures. We spent most of Saturday with jen's co-worker Adam, and his friend Milton. We had a blast! Especially on Splash Mountain, which is quite obvious from the picture.

It was the first time jen had seen The Haunted Mansion decorated for Halloween/Christmas. I kicked her butt on Buzz Lightyear, but then she made me eat my words on Toy Story (as did everyone else in our group). After the sunset, and discovering we could avoid the long line on Soarin' by becoming "Single Riders," we headed to The Lost Bar at the Disneyland Hotel to meet up with Jonathan and the gang.

After a few drinks, and the realization that Katie hadn't peed in 9 hours, we decided to hit the road. We planned on going back on Sunday, but after the busy day we had (which you'll read about next) we simply couldn't make it. Plus, I didn't have another red shirt.

-------------------

SUNDAY

NoHo Arts Festival

Our week came full-circle on Sunday when I discovered that a SYTYCD choreographer, Shane Sparks, was going to be judging a dance contest at the NoHo Arts Festival about a mile from our home. So after a lovely breakfast, jen and I walked down to check out the scene. It was a cute festival, and we had a blast watching the kids in the contest pop and lock, etc. Shane Sparks ended up being 5'2", which neither of us were expecting.

After the dance contest, some art/photography browsing, and fro-yo indulging, we followed the crowd to XMA. Xtreme Martial Arts is a studio in NoHo that was putting on quite a show. I wish you could tell from this picture that there's a little 8-year-old kid doing a triple-flip through the air. If you're ever in NoHo, you've got to check this place out. Watch a class through the window. We were truly enthralled.

----------------

So that concludes my essay on what I did this "National Stay At Home Week."

Now we're off to catch up on some much-needed zzzzzzzzzzzzz's.

(oh, and Labor Day Weekend Part III is coming...I swear!)

(obviously, I've been a little busy.)

Labor Day Weekend, Part Deux

2008-09-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

As the sun came up in Big Sur, we began to stir. (Well, I'm sure Jamie did - it takes more than a sunrise to get me up.) The first of Sonya and Jeff's Wedding Weekend activities was about to begin, and we needed to head to Point Lobos in order to partake.

As we pulled into the parking area, it looked like an Edelman-Szuchman family reunion! Aunts and uncles and cousins and moms and dads of the bride and groom were hugging and smiling and, dare i say it, plotzing, as everyone arrived for the "Pre-nuptial Hike." Though it was overcast, we still had wonderful views of the water crashing into the rocks.

Once everyone was ready, the whole bunch of us headed out on Bird Island Trail. This was a mile loop that took us high above two white sandy beaches - China Cove and Gibson Beach. China Cove was closed that day due to a, shall we say, stair issue...

...but we were able to get down to Gibson Beach and hang out for a bit!

Jamie even went hunting for shells, and found this!

Oh, i kid. That's Malcom!

We had a lot of fun with him and his parents all weekend!

We finished up the hike by noticing just how many people among us had braces (at last count it was upwards of six), checking out Bird Island, and looping around Pelican Point.

As we were leaving the hike.... someone mentioned that the entire path had been lined on both sides with poison oak.

So we promptly baby wiped all of our exposed skin as if our lives depended on it!

AND THEN IT WAS OFF TO CARMEL BY THE SEA!!

If you know any locals in Carmel, please do not mention to them that we found a quiet street off the beaten path where we took off our potentially-contaminated poison-oak-clothes. In someone's front yard. It had to be done. Thanks for your discretion.

Anyway, once that problem was solved, we were in need of a good breakfast! We tried the historic Tuck Box, but it was past noon by this time, and we needed more than tea and biscuits.

We asked a [very proper] lady -- who brought her own plates into the small shop and ordered her 'usual' -- where we might find a hearty brunch at this time of day. She [very properly] advised us that the locals enjoy a place called the Little Swiss Cafe over on sixth. Man, oh man, this for me was the find of the century. I am looking forward to going back to Carmel for many reasons, not the least of which is to eat here once again. The food was terrific, but there was something about the atmosphere that I really enjoyed. The small diner had a mural on the surrounding four walls that depicted the Dutch countryside in all four seasons. Behind me you can see the end of winter blending into the beginning of spring...

And as you can imagine, spring blended into summer, etc. What you can't see here are all the hidden, humorous characters and scenes the artist Andre Balyon incorporated into this amazing multi-paneled painting. (The perspective was perfect!) The restaurant is on 6th between Lincoln and Monte Verde. Order the blintzes and bring cash. Cash is king in Carmel.

After some art gallery window shopping (and giggling),

... and trying to find a friend's house without an address -- they don't use street numbers in Carmel -- it was finally time to check into our bed and breakfast!

OFF TO PACIFIC GROVE!!

Our bed and breakfast, the Old St. Angela Inn, was in Pacific Grove. Everything (and by everything I mean Monterey, Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf, Pebble Beach, and the 17-Mile Drive) was in our backyard!

Old St. Angela Inn

The view from our Cape Cod Room

The weather was gorgeous, and we were unpacked - so we decided to jump back in the car and hit the 17-Mile Drive in Pebble Beach (yeah, we never stopped during these four days!). Here are some of the points of interest!

Jamie at Point Joe

Early mariners often crashed upon these rocks after mistakenly setting their course for this point, believing that it was the entrance to Monterey Bay.

China Rock

Here and at Point Joe, Chinese fishermen built lean-tos against the rocks for their homes in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Bird Rock

(wide lens)

Bird Rock

(Close-up)

This stately landmark is home to countless shorebirds and groups of harbor seals and sea lions.

We could not believe what we were seeing - and how very loud this spot was!!

Cypress Point Lookout

For over 100 years, this point has been a preferred view of the dramatic Pacific coastline.

The Fake Lone Cypress

(We didn't actually stop at the Lone Cypress... so we're pretending that this tree is the famous landmark.)

The Ghost Tree

With a trunk bleached white from wind and sea spray, the remains of this unique Monterey cypress has a sinister silhouette worthy of examination.

I think this looks like a chess knight.

Anyone else see it?

My favorite photo of the trip,

near the Ghost Tree.

After returning home from the drive, we took a stroll through Cannery Row on our way to the Fisherman's Wharf. We were determined to have a delicious seafood dinner at this end of this magnificent day! If you're ever doing Monterey on the cheap, just head to the Wharf -- each restaurant is so determined to get you in to eat their "best clam chowder in Monterey," that you'll be full of free samples in no time! It was tough, but we finally chose a great restaurant: Old Fisherman's Grotto, where Jamie discovered her love of abalone.

Spotted this guy (and many others) on our way to dinner.

On the Wharf

And finally, at the end of the day, Jamie had the opportunity to rock out with the art that adorns the warehouse walls along Cannery Row. Now, if that's not a lovely Steinbeck-inspired swan song, I don't know what is.

The weekend's not over folks - stay tuned for Jamie's blog about the big wedding day... DAY THREE!!!

Labor Day Weekend, Part I

2008-09-23T19:02:00.000-07:00

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The most recent Labor Day holiday was celebrated from August 29 through September 1, 2008, along the central coast of California, in accordance with the plans of Jamie and Jen.

Jamie and I set off for our adventure on the last Friday in August. We had quite a weekend ahead of us: our friends Sonya and Jeff were getting married up in Monterey and Jamie was turning 32! We had booked places to stay and discussed a few stops along the way we wanted to explore, but for the most part, we were gonna wing it.

Day One

The plan: Drive up the gorgeous southern and central coast of California and take in its stunning, awe-inspiring beauty.

What happened: Up and at 'em at 6 in the morning, Jamie and I jumped in the car and headed for the Pacific Coast Highway. It was an overcast morning, but we were sure the marine layer would burn off in no time. We stopped in the small military town of Lompoc for a bite to eat and some much-needed coffee.

And then we were off again!

As we continued up the coast (waiting for the pesky fog to burn off), we began to see signs for Morro Bay. Jamie said there was a rock there... and i really like rocks... so we thought, "Why not?!"

Along the way, we came across the North "T" Pier, home of the $1.25 barbecued oyster. The very, very delicious $1.25 barbecued oyster.

After some pelican watching, we bought some fudge from the boardwalk's candy store, and headed to Morro Rock.

Yup, there it is... right... there.

After playing on the rocks for a bit, we hopped back on the PCH... patiently waiting for that fog to dissipate. As the hours and miles went by, it was still a bit overcast... which was fine, because we had plenty of things to pass the time.

Next stop: Hearst Castle! Hearst Castle is actually a giant museum, but California State Parks strives to keep the estate looking like a private house. They offer five different tours everyday, and Jamie and I got there just in time for Tour 2, the Casa Grande Tour.

Jamie loved the Gothic Study

I loved the library

We both loved the artwork and ornate architecture

And the insane indoor pool

We were positive that after all the time we killed at the Castle we'd be welcomed by sunny skies and a crisp view of the coast... but alas... it was past lunchtime, and it appeared we were destined to drive through fog the rest of the day. As we were discussing this misfortune (and deliberating about driving down the coast on Monday), we saw our first of many elephant seal hangouts.

But we were starving, and were eager to get up to Big Sur... so through the clouds we drove... and drove... and drove...

Until...

we were above them!?!?!?

no joke, folks, here we are, above the clouds!

After a gorgeous photo opportunity,

we were Big Sur bound!

Jamie found this terrific spot for us in Big Sur called Fernwood Resort. This place had it all: tent camping, cabins, motel rooms, a tavern, a restaurant, a general store, hiking, and the Big Sur River! We opted for a tent cabin - something we had never done before - but will certainly do again!

We attempted to find a hiking trail, but ran into a few problems with the map...

But then we found this terrific natural amphitheater in the woods and decided to get our dance on...

All that hiking and dancing definitely began to take its toll on us (as if our daylong drive didn't wear us out enough!), so we headed up towards the tavern for some dinner. We didn't go far before hearing someone shout, "Jamie!" (Small world, no?!) And wouldn't you know it, there at Fernwood was Jamie's friend Kris, along with her husband and adorable son Malcolm (more on these guys later!!). We chatted fireside about Sonya and Jeff, our Republican neighbors at the campsite, and what we each had planned for the rest of the weekend.

And finally, after some cocktails, fish tacos, a smoked salmon quesadilla, and a gaze at the stars,

we were ready to call it a night.

Check back soon for Day Two of our Labor Day Weekend!!!

She's back...

2008-09-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not referring to Brenda on the new 90210. The woman who is "back" is the one and only Queen of Disco...Donna Summer!

I have to admit that Donna Summer is one my (jamie) first childhood memories. My mom used to be an aerobics instructor in the early 80s, and she would blast Donna Summer throughout the house while making up new routines for her classes. And still, in the year 2008, my mom can be found shaking her butt while working in the yard with Hot Stuff playing on her shuffle. The neighbors laugh. My dad rolls his eyes. But the thought of her disco dancing in the front yard to music that no one else can hear, will always make me smile.

So when jen and I saw that Donna Summer was making her comeback at the Hollywood Bowl this summer, we knew we had to surprise my mom with tickets. We didn't tell her where we were going...just that she needed to be in LA the weekend of August 22nd. I couldn't wait to see her face as we approached the marquee. She couldn't believe it. Donna Summer! She hasn't released an album in 17 years. Wait, she's still alive? OMG! Donna Summer!

We brought Helen along for the ride, even though when I asked her if she wanted to go, her response was "what does she sing?" ;)

The concert was amazing! Donna Summer is quite the diva. Her first song was entitled The Queen is Back, and after her performance, it was obvious that she was never really gone. She played most of her new songs, and all of her old hits. Everyone was standing and dancing ...especially mom. Donna was funny, engaging, and a blast to watch. Her numerous costume changes were incredible! So many sequins. And to make the night even more indulgent, we brought along Yummy Cupcakes to munch on during the intermission.

I heard my mom later on the phone telling her friend that she had converted three 30-somethings to be Donna Summer fans...and she was right. We bought her new CD the next morning, and have been working out to the tunes ever since. If only I could go back in time and take one my mom's aerobics classes...

Mom, if you're reading this, we were thrilled to share this moment with you.

3,000 calories to go please...

2008-09-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

My mom came to visit jen and me a few weekends ago, and one of our stops was Pink's in Hollywood. After hearing about Pink's via the Food Network, mom couldn't wait to sink her teeth into the highly caloric goodness that is a Pink's hot dog.

I think everyone in L.A. has been to this hotspot at least once. And at 3,000 calories a pop, once may be enough! But I digress...

Let's pretend (for the sake of this blog) that we live in a world where 1. eating healthy doesn't matter... 2. hot dogs are made with extremely high-grade meat... and 3. small portions are a thing of the past.

Okay...keep that thought going...

Pink's hot dogs are AMAZING! Move over ketchup and mustard...Pink's menu has it all. You can get everything from guacamole to sauerkraut to fruit on your dogs. You can even get celebrity dogs like the Martha Stewart or Rosie O'Donnell dog. With so many choices, you're probably wondering how on earth we chose what to order? Well, the 30-minute wait gave us plenty of time to decide.

For those of you who don't live in lala land, one thing to know about Pink's is that there is ALWAYS a line. I've driven by the hot dog stand at 2am...line. 9am...line. 12noon...long, long line. But like the Food Network reveals, it's ALWAYS worth the wait.

I think both jen and I got the Mullholland Drive Dog. (It's kind of hard to tell from the pictures.) The 10" stretch dog comes smothered in grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, nacho cheese & bacon. Mom went simple with a chili dog and sauerkraut. These messy delights were so delicious. And adding an order of their super-seasoned fries (in our pretend world) equaled heaven on earth.

I know going to Pink's isn't something us LA folk would do on a daily basis...but next time you have a visitor in town, go ahead and splurge. After all, we do need calories to survive...right?

the best kept secret

2008-08-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

No, not the Colonel's secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices... nor the Joe Biden reveal on August 23rd.

Which only leaves...

Kayaks on the Water, down in Long Beach.

And who discovered this little gem of a daytrip...?

That's right! Nancy!

Thanks Nancy!

On August 16th, a bunch of us L.A. locals took a roadtrip down to the LBC... destination: Kayaks on the Water. The little rental shack is conveniently located on the beach directly across from the famous Naples Islands canals. There are several different waterways and canals you can explore throughout your trip. For starters, our group made the circular lap through the island and did some 'House Hunting,' where Jamie and I daydreamed about the day when we'll have a waterfront home of our very own. Jamie, Christine, Dave, Cat, Leah, Terra, Nancy, Becky, Melissa and I checked out the boats and homes and waverunners of the lucky residents, as we drifted through their backyards.

Next stop, Spinnaker Bay, home to several hundred moon jellies. Here we were able to paddle the kayaks into a cove, come to a rest, and watch the translucent jellies rise to the surface.

While we were instructed not to harass the jellyfish, we were encouraged to touch them. They were extremely slimy, and were completely harmless (no stingers on these pulsating jellies)...

...so we non-harassingly decided to pick them up. Pretty awesome.

After the interactive science lesson, we all decided to head over to the shopping center. Yes, that's right. The shopping center. We paddled parallel to the Pacific Coast Highway, and ended up on a dock that sits behind a bunch of shops, including Starbucks, Jamba Juice, and Ralph's, to name a few. We all made the requisite pitstops, in soaking wet shorts, mind you, and gave our muscles a much-needed break.

Some of our fellow paddlers continued on to the Wildlife Refuge canal, but Jamie and I headed back to the beach. Full of jamba juice and feeling blisters beginning to form, we decided we had had a full day already! We had a lovely ride back... and only interfered in one major fleet race. Whoops.

And so ends our kayak adventure. Like everything else Jamie and I grow to love, we want to keep going back, we want to get better at it, and we want to own our own equipment! (Though note to self: either get a closed cockpit kayak, or remember to use sunblock on your legs!!!)

Do you believe in magic?

2008-08-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, seriously, if you take one thing from this blog...take this. I tried the Magic Eraser for the first time this weekend and was in shock with the results.

Like many tile owners, we love the look and color of our beautiful kitchen. But the grout is SO hard to handle. So I thought, why not give Mr. Clean a try? I've seen the commercials. I see their smiley faces after just one swipe of this magical eraser. Maybe, just maybe I'll be smiling too.

Well, it definitely didn't happen in one swipe. I (jamie) scrubbed and scrubbed for quite a while. But man was that scrubbing worth it...especially when jen walked through the door and her jaw dropped to the floor. The kitchen looks like the tile-work was just done yesterday. Here are some before/afters.

I also used the magic eraser on the dingy kitchen floor, and started working on the bathroom. I'm on a mission to erase every piece of dirt from this condo. Wish me luck.

Do I believe in magic? You bet I do!

Let California Ring...

2008-08-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

This commercial aired on NBC during the Olympics tonight. Wow.

Let California Ring.
And go Michael Phelps..
And Shawn Johnson...
Maybe they'll get married...

(in 5 or 10 years of course...)

dog days of summer...

2008-08-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

jamie, katie, and i took a little trip up the coast on saturday. destination: Harbor Cove Beach in Ventura. it only took about an hour to get there, and it was such an awesome afternoon. we packed a few blankets, chairs, and watermelon and relaxed for a few hours alongside some other dogs, kayakers, and even some waverunners.

here are some of my favorite moments of the day....

Just because...

2008-08-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else climb a mountain this evening and see what we saw?

I hope so...

Is this fu-real?

2008-08-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, our friend Caroline hosted a birthday dinner at Saaris, a Nigerian eatery in Inglewood. She had read an article about how America is turning to fufu, and well, how can you resist? When jen and I received the evite, our taste buds were peaked. Being the eaters that we are, we honestly thought we'd tried everything. So finding out about this hidden hotspot was truly enticing.

So what is "fufu" you might ask? The doughy starch looks and feels a lot like play-doh. (And who hasn't, at one point in time, wanted to eat play-doh?) They basically bring a big blob of it to your table, you pinch off a bit, roll it into a ball, and then dip it in different flavors of soup or stew. (With only your right hand by the way...I guess in Africa, your left hand is commonly used for something you wouldn't want to mix with your dinner...) It's all a little hard to imagine, right? We thought so...so Jason & Joe made this handy how-to for fufu:

We were interviewed afterward (by each other) about our overall experience at Saaris. This is how it went down.

Jamie: So jen, what did you think of the atmosphere?

jen: the neighborhood was super cute. you could tell as soon as you walked in and met Jo-Jo that this was the type of place where like, a couple women were just cooking in their kitchen. real laid back.

Jamie: Yeah... so laid back they had a "B" rating. Let's just say, they definitely do more cooking in the kitchen, than cleaning. But regardless of my reluctance to eat at "B" restaurants, I'm glad I made an exception for fufu. But I digress...

jen: haha. i thought the music was good, too. i noticed a lot of SYTYCD songs... and oh! the olympics were on for me to sneak peeks at (men's gymnastics!). but before my eyes started wandering towards the television... i was studying the menu. and the bowl of steaming greens the gentleman behind me was eating. i wanted some of that!

Jamie: Yeah, me too. Although I'm not really sure what it was. I have to admit, I don't think Jo-Jo explained the menu very well.

jen: you mean like when the 'vegetarian' stew came, it had chicken??

Jamie: yep. But I think she was thrown by having 15 white women & jason & joe sitting in her restaurant calling out their preferences & dietary restrictions. I'm sure her regulars come in and simply eat what they're given. But not a group of 15 lesbians. And jason & joe.

jen: okay. so we decided to go 'family style,' and share a little bit of everything: fufu (obvi), three different kinds of soups (for fufu dippage), and some vegetarian options (delicious black-eyed peas/rice/spinach/plantains).

Jamie: I thought the food was amazing. I loved all the rich flavors and tender chicken. But in the words of Jason..."the fufu wasn't very fu-filling." Is that the fufu's fault? Or ours for not ordering more? We may never know...

jen: yeah. don't blame the fufu. well, shoot... i'll blame the fufu. Sorry Saaris, but i have to be honest: there were some flavors and textures i was unsure about. perhaps my friend holly was right when she said i have an "unsophisticated palate."

Jamie: Unsophisticated is right. Jen doesn't eat Thai or tomatoes. Can you really trust her judgement? I think not. I loved the food. I welcome texture in my diet. And I especially dig the idea of trying something new... which is why I give Caroline major props for thinking outside the box.

jen: oh, i'm right there with you - i'm down for trying new stuff too! (In fact, there's a new pizza place i've got my eye on ;) But let's not forget my favorite part of the night -- Amanda's HOMEMADE red velvet cake!!! yeah, no. from scratch.

Jamie: yeah, that definitely took care of our over-zealous appetites.

So, how did Saaris stack up?
Jamie: Total thumbs up! Loved it, and can't wait to go back and try more things on the menu!
jen: i enjoyed a couple of things A LOT. but some of it (the melon soup?) was just not fit for my consumption! and while the okra soup was tasty, the residual slime was a bit odd. i need to try some more stuff, i think. and i'd be willing to. i give it a thumbs sideways.

But regardless of our rating, I'm sure it'll be no time at all before fufu becomes stuff white people like.

The aftermath...

2008-08-08T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it's over. The sytycd finale was last night, and not to contradict previous posts, but America got it RIGHT!!! I won't give away the ending quite yet, just in case any of our loyal readers haven't watched the episode...but alas, we are happy with the results.

So why am I (jamie), sad today? Because the end of sytycd also marks the end of summer. But in my eyes, summer hasn't even begun. I've only been in the pool a few times. We've only watched one sunset at the beach. We've only been camping once. Hell, I've only worn shorts once!!! Jen will disagree with this post. She's under the assumption that since we live in California, summer lasts until October. But I know the truth. It's over. And I have worked it away.

So, you better believe we're going to have a summer-filled weekend! Reading by the pool...firing up the BBQ...shoving our face with watermelon...and relaxing at the beach. We're going to take Katie up to this dog beach in Ventura that we heard about. Arthritis-schmitis...she'll be surfing in no time! Here's a sneak peek of her and jen training for the adventure...

Stay tuned for stories...

What a week it’s been.

2008-08-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Executive summary:
Power yoga, the earthquake, The Bowmans, so you think you can dance, and facebook.

Moksha Reaching
I’ve been on somewhat of a health kick lately. Nothing terribly impressive – mostly trying to avoid processed foods and getting at least 3 days of exercise in each week. Monday night I felt like doing something, but didn’t want to go to the gym… so Jamie busted out the power yoga. It was over an hour of Bryan Kest’s audio conveniently stored on itunes (though we also have his VHS video). It wasn’t long before I was a sweat factory with sore wrists and aching hamstrings… but I stuck with it. Despite Kest’s constant reminder to listen to my body, I’m pretty sure my ego was the (louder) voice of reason. I pushed myself pretty hard and my muscles suffered the consequences all week. But truthfully, I guess one would have to be sore after holding poses your body doesn’t experience on a regular basis… I just need to find a happy medium. Or stick with Wii Yoga.

Seismic Waving
Oh, the earthquake. Now while I can appreciate those making jokes about the 5.4 earthquake (seriously – read that article. it’s effing funny), I was pretty scared. Shaken, in fact, if you don’t mind the pun. I understand it did not cause any damage or serious injuries, but for this east coaster to feel her first “big one” from the 15th floor of an office building, it sucked! My adrenalin was pumping for quite a while! Cool thing was, we got sent home at noon that day.

Americana/Pop/Indie Singing
Jamie and I (along with friends Caroline, Jason, & Joe) discovered The Bowmans on our Caribbean cruise in February 2008. They are two sisters who actually won a contest and got the opportunity to play alongside the super impressive acts that headlined: Lyle Lovett, Emylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, and the one and only Brandi Carlile.

Sarah and Claire Bowman were such a highlight of our vacation – and we were lucky enough to see them one month later, as they played a set at Room 5 on La Brea. After that show, they were headed off to Europe for a summer tour, but we knew they’d be back in July for a one-month residency at the Hotel Café. After patiently waiting (and exchanging some fun myspace emails with Claire), July had finally arrived. We saw them perform twice, and man, did they kick ass. They sounded better than ever, and gave us “boat people” some personalized attention. I’m not sure this time when they’re coming back, so here’s a video of one of my favorite songs – we can all enjoy it together.

click here to see more videos like this

Dancing and Voting
The finale is here. It always comes too quickly, if you ask me. But this year it’s especially bittersweet.

For the first time in sytycd history, I am undecided. I have been going back and forth between Joshua and Katee for weeks now, and I can’t imagine I’ll be any more clearheaded by Wednesday when they both perform for the last time. Joshua has been my favorite since night one, but Katee has been so beautiful, that I’m completely and totally won over. Ugh. I’m sure that I’ll vote for both of them… but one of them will have to receive that one deciding vote from me. Wish me luck. (Oh! and them too!)

Social Networking
I finally and reluctantly signed up for Facebook this week. Best decision ever.
Jamie still needs convincing, so I think I’m going to put on a PowerPoint-type presentation this afternoon for her.

I have reconnected with high school people that were so instrumental in my self-discovery, and for that alone, I love you facebook. Shout out to Buddy. I’m so glad I found you.

Well. that was my week in a bloggy nutshell.
We’re off to go hike Wildwood Canyon in Burbank, followed by a trip to the farmer’s market!
Happy Saturday!

Shake it like a polaroid picture...

2008-07-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

Since the top story on CNN right now is about the quake that rattled Los Angeles, we thought we'd better do a post to let our friends and family in other states know that we're okay.

At 11:42 this morning, a 5.4 earthquake struck about 30-miles southeast of Los Angeles. Both jen and I were working hard at our desks when the rumbling began. Luckily, I am in a 1-story brick building, where the shaking was intense, but nothing compared to what jen experienced on the 15th floor of her office.

Jen's office was evacuated for the day, so she's home with Katie and Bodhi. I'm back at my desk, working hard...um...kind of. I have to admit, that after something like this happens, it's a bit hard to concentrate. Living in Los Angeles for 8 years, I've experienced many an earthquake. But only 3 stand out. Most of them happen in the middle of the night, or they're so small you confuse them with a plane or large truck. But this one was definitely different.

Today's earthquake started out as a gentle roll, and then grew stronger. It seemed to go on forever. All I could think was when is this going to stop ??? But it did...and we're fine...only to be left with the thought when will the next one be?

Hi-ho, the derry-o...

2008-07-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

On my recent visit to Tennessee, one of my stops was my friend Tiffany's garden. It was amazing. At the beginning of the summer, she dug up a small section of her backyard, threw down some seeds, and now she has more vegetables than she knows what to do with. I am rarely jealous of others...but this garden made me green with envy.

Unfortunately, jen and I only have a tiny 3x3ft patch of dirt behind our condo. And unfortunately, the HOA has something rude to say about everything jen plants in it. So gardening is not really an option in our life right now.

So, in an attempt to turn my jealousy into inspiration, jen and I took the scooters down to the Burbank Farmer's Market on Saturday. We got some great stuff! One of our favorite finds was the itty-bitty baby eggplants. We got a pound of them for $1.50, and a pound of string beans for $1. We cooked them up that night with some tofu & Chinese spices. It was definitely our best meal of 2008. All for under $5. How can you beat that?

So go green...buy local...support California farmers...and eat baby eggplant. That is our advice for this lovely Monday afternoon.

**Update - jen has informed me that our dirt patch is 4x4ft.

In the Land of Seth Cohen

2008-07-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Any O.C. fans out there?

Ok, how about fans of stunning lanky Jewish boys with perfect comedic delivery?

Due to our painful withdrawals from the characters on FOX’s cancelled The O.C., Jamie and I rented In the Land of Women last night. See, the movie stars one Mr. Adam Brody – who played high schooler Seth Cohen down there in Newport – and we were hoping to get 90 more minutes of Seth-like moments.

(Clearly still in the Denial stage of Grief…)

While there were definitely a couple classic “Seth” deliveries, the movie had enough of its own personality to carry it. Meaning, I stopped wanting Ryan Atwood to walk on screen almost immediately. With Kristen Stewart (remember the delightfully androgynous kid from Panic Room?), Meg Ryan (the romantic comedy maven herself), and Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias) all sharing scenes with Brody, the movie was dialogue-heavy and well acted.

After searching the Internet for photos of Adam to post here, I have just one thing to say:
Ashton, you have officially been bumped to my number 2.

New media. I have arrived.

2008-07-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

I suppose technically I have blogged in the past. I mean, Myspace made it pretty easy for me to share my passion for turkey meatballs, photos of my old platform shoes, and my revelation regarding dancing (um. I enjoy it, for those of you who missed that one)… but this feels like the real deal entry into web 2.0!

Because Jamie had already posted what I thought was an awesome blog (and has since posted another at the time of this writing), I spent the day at work contemplating what I would write about. And then I spent the whole drive home thinking about it… and then as I grocery shopped… Hm.

So then I sat at the computer and looked to see what other bloggers are yapping on about: mostly politics, their kids, pop culture. I did find a couple unique ones: ways to modify your IKEA furniture, a team of folks sailing across the Pacific on a raft made of plastic bottles… but alas, no real inspiration. In fact, it made me realize that I had nothing to talk about. And it dawned on me that my first blog would be very Seinfeld-esque, in that it would be a blog about… Nothing.

Bo-ring.

I began thinking about all the things I should try in order to have something to share with my audience. New hobbies? Exotic foods? What would be my shtick? Would I bitch about things? There is the parking ticket I got this morning… Would I talk about gay stuff? There are vigorous debates happening about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell these days… Politics? Eh, just go to barackobama.com and we’ll all save time.

Well patient readers, I guess we’ll all have to wait to find out – it’s my turn to jump on the Wii, and I got nothin’. Don’t worry – at least tomorrow I can talk about my bowling skills. And hell, probably something gay.

The Year of the Wedding

2008-07-25T17:03:00.000-07:00

So 2008 will pretty much be The Year of the Wedding for us. We started off our wed-crawl at Amy & Bill's wedding in June. They had the most amazing ceremony & reception at Cicada Restaurant in Downtown Los Angeles. Talk about a wedding! The food was out of this world. The music, the dancing, the friends, THE CUPCAKES! And seeing Amy that happy was truly a gift.

Next, we're looking forward to Sonya & Jeff's wedding in Monterey, CA over Labor Day Weekend. (aka JAMIE'S BIRTHDAY!) We're going to make a great vacation out of it, driving up the coast, camping and hiking in Big Sur, and relaxing at a B&B right on the water in Monterey.

After that, we've got Grayce & Jason's wedding in December...

And ALLYSON & EMMERY'S soon after! Look at that rock!

With so many of our friends saying "I Do" this year, love is definitely in the air. We're so happy for everyone. But of course it sparks the question... what about us???

Currently in California, same-sex marriages are legal...for the moment. But this November, Californians will vote on Prop 8, a ban on marriage for gay and lesbian couples in Cali. Prop 8 is trying to amend the California constitution to only recognize marriage "between a man and a woman." Pretty dumb, huh?

So for all our left coast friends, vote "NO" on Proposition 8, and we promise you'll be invited to the wedding...in 5 or 10 years of course. ;)

Until then, our biggest drama is figuring out how many times we can actually get away with wearing the same dress/sweater vest to multiple weddings.

America got it wrong...

2008-07-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

...so, so wrong.

So normally, our first blog EVER would be an introduction of sorts. A welcome to our blog blurb. But after what happened tonight, we really must get straight to the issues.

Tonight on So You Think You Can Dance (aka SYTYCD), America got it wrong. Our dear, sweet Will was voted off. As we sat on the couch, holding hands and comforting each other during this tragedy, all we could think was wtf ???

Now I admit, I (jamie) was having my doubts about Will. Although he's clearly the most talented dancer to ever step foot on that stage, he was getting a little cocky. But voting him off America? That's just wrong.

We will continue to watch this season for Joshua & Katee of course. But our show will never be the same. If tonight is any indication of the upcoming election, we are in deep, deep trouble.

Oh yeah...WELCOME TO OUR BLOG!!!!!