sha in LA

SD for me

I'm finally emerging from the cold I caught on Christmas. There's fun stuff in my lungs but I'm taking an expectorant and expecting it to exit my body in an expedited manner.

I'll be heading down to San Diego tomorrow for the Rhythmic Arts Festival as I've done for the past two years. Even though there may not be a lot of dancing in the near future for me, since walking up a staircase leaves me breathless, it should be a fun weekend catching up with friends that I haven't seen in a while.

I'll be back in a few days with a most fabulous re-cap.

Here's to a safe New Year's weekend for all.

x

all i want for christmas is...

All I want for Christmas is...to NOT have a head cold. Yuk. This is the second year in a row that I've gotten sick on Christmas Eve. Thankfully this year I'm in the comfort of my own apartment and didn't have to travel anywhere. I guess my body getting me back for overworking in December.

Time to go to the market and get stuff to make me feel better, then it's back to bed.

Happy Ho Ho.

x

put a gold star next to her name

4 Saturdays, 4 different tours.

December has been quite a busy month for me tour-wise. I believe this is the first time since I started giving tours that I've done one 4 weeks in a row. On December 2nd it was CIty Hall for 8 year old Girl Scouts, December 9th was USC, December 16th was Union Station (at the last minute due to another docent dropping out) and tomorrow Art Deco. Too bad I'm going to be in San Diego next Saturday, I could have done Historic Core and completed my roster line-up.

OK, that's enough procrastinating, back to studying my notes...

x

ciudad and the library

Eric, Phil and I got together on Tuesday night for what is now our annual Holiday dinner at Ciudad. We absolutely love their food and, depending on the night, sometimes love our server. Appetizers consisted of goat cheese fritters and spinach empanadas. Main course consisted of Scallops for Phil & I and some amazingly intense beef thing with shredded brussel sprouts on the side for Eric. Drinks varied from mojitos to martinis.

Our dinner conversation obviously focused on Downtown, from old favorite drinking establishments to more recent additions to the landscape. The Library Bar was one such topic and being the crack investigative reporters that we are, we decided to end the evening with a quick libation and check the place out in the process.

The Library Bar is located on Hope Street at 6th and is contained within the new Library Court Lofts structure. They seem to specialize in a wide array of beers however there's a fully stocked bar as well. There's a small but decent sized bar area, a few plush couch type things near a well stocked library containing odd and interesting titles of random books and a semi-private room off to the side/rear.

We sat in the back room and enjoyed the dimly lit, welcoming vibe of the place. Music was just loud enough to create a mood AND allow for conversation. All agreed that it was a great new addition to the Downtown scene and I suspect that we'll consider it in our rotation of watering holes the next time the urge hits.

Just a few snaps to entertain the masses.

x

An Elephant Holiday

Elephants party, Holiday style. Last Friday night. Rather mellow. Then again, I had to get up the next morning and lead a group of people around Union Station so I was tame that night. Odd I know, but that's the mood I'm in these days. It'll change mid-January, then I'll be as right as rain come March. It's interesting how our personalities cycle the same way, year after year....

A few photos from the gathering.

x

5 things you didn't know about me

thanks for the tag Jim...

1. I've flown a single engine plane over Los Angeles by myself.
2. I love doing the dishes. Really.
3. My absolute favorite hand lotion is Eucerin.
4. I played the clarinet from 4th grade until 8th grade.
5. I was a candy striper in the maternity ward of a local hospital in high school.

I'm tagging Leah, Laura, Hal, and Rick. I would have tagged Ed but someone got him already.

x

no rest for the weary

18 days. 15 of those nights spent at the theatre. Most of those after spending all day at work.

Last December was a similar scenario.

Monday the 18th can't come quick enough.

x

Slap & Tickle: A Tribute to Bruno Kirby

A TRIBUTE TO BRUNO KIRBY
SLAP & TICKLE
HOLIDAY COMEDY SHOW

Tuesday December 12th
Wednesday December 13th
8pm

Alex Alexander, Sarah Allan, Steve Altman, Jillian Bach, Michael Layden Campbell, Mark Carnessale, John Cariani, Jerry Clarke, Larry Clarke, Kate Cohen, Eliza Coyle, Kathleen Dennehy, Shane Edelman, Joshua Fardon, Loretta Fox, Melissa Greenspan, Brian Grogh, Jim Hanna, Jay Huguley, Jeff Lewis, Valerie Long, Jayden Lund, Rod McLachlan, Todd Rorbacher, Chuck Rose, Mandy Siegfried, Amy Scribner, Pat Towne, Christine Torreele, Stephanie Venditto, Elizabeth Warner

All proceeds donated to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

$10 includes complimentary drinks and snacks

The Lillian Theatre
1076 Lillian Way
South of Santa Monica Blvd.
between Cahuenga & Vine

FREE STREET PARKING
Doors open 7:30
Reservations: 818-782-5683
or write: [email protected]

Slap & Tickle

3 guesses as to where I'll be on Tuesday & Wednesday night. Hope to see some of you there!

x

cars & trees

"Yeah, can I get an oil change and that 6 foot Douglas Fir?"

x

hello new york, goodbye new york

And so it was a fun 24 hours spent in New York City....yes, New York City.

Through an interesting set of circumstances it was decided at work on Tuesday that I would fly on the red-eye to NYC that night to hand deliver some valuable goods on Wednesday morning, spend the night and fly back on Thursday...today for another 9 minutes as I type.

I landed in NY at around 8:15am on Wednesday and took a taxi to my intended destination. Let it be known that I got a bit of motion sickness during landing because I was reading, something that I can't do while traveling at certain speeds, and the taxi ride didn't help things out a bit. An hour later I was more than happy to be done with my journey.

I was able to check-in to my room early, at 10am. I ventured out for some ginger ale and a bagel. Once that task was accomplished I took a 3 hour power nap which was intermittently interupted by various phone calls. Finally, my aunt called and I dragged my exhausted body from the really comfy bed for some sightseeing. I'd been in NY for all of 5 hours and had been told by 3 people to go see "the tree." So we did. We made our way to Rockefeller Plaza, took some snaps and went to the Top of the Rock. Snazzy little advertising campaign, huh?

Afterwards, we took the train back to my aunt and uncle's place in Brooklyn and had some dinner. Then, after dinner, I met up with a theatre friend who just moved to the same neighborhood and we went out for a drink.

Back in the hotel I couldn't resist a final nightcap from the hotel Broadway Lounge Bar that overlooked Times Square.

7:45 this morning came too early. A quick, non-eventful taxi trip and I was back at JFK, just a little over 24 hours after I arrived the day before. If ever there was a sign from the universe saying "you're on the correct path," I received it today. As I was waiting to board the plane I ran into a friend who I've know for 16 years and have kept in sporadic contact with since. The last time I saw him was maybe 6 years ago, in Brooklyn. He was with his wife and 2 kids and they were on my flight, going back to LA for a quick holiday visit. Crazy how the world works.

Photos from the trip can be seen here.

x