So Over...

Obsessing about myself.

Peeping on the Peeper

I was getting ready for bed the other night when I noticed some guy in the next building watching me. He quickly looked away when I noticed but it weirded me out a bit. It was dark and I couldn't see what he was doing at his window so I just pushed my unease aside and went to sleep. The next morning I realized that he had a telescope set up at his window. It was a bit creepy but the telescope wasn't facing my window so I just figured he likes to look at the stars. Fast forward a few days later and I notice the telescope has changed positions a few time, and it is not facing the sky.

I really need to get some blinds.

Pencil Sharpening?

I had a dream about sharpening pencils last night. Sorry, not a very exciting topic, but if I have to dream it, I might as well bore others with it as well.

Dreammoods.com says that I have to think more flexibly and that I have to listen to what others have to say and to not be so quick to reject their views and opinions. I think dreammoods.com is wrong. What does pencil sharpening have to do with flexibility? Pencils are not flexible.

Dreamloverinc.com says that having a pencil in my dream is symbolic of my need to communicate with myself or others and that even writing a check to pay my bills is a form of communication. I say that writing a check to pay bills is a form of communication I never like to do.

Maybe I am being too literal (or maybe I'm just really deep) but I'm guessing my dream was my anal-self subconsciously stressing about having to take the LSATs in the morning. Maybe I wanted to make sure that my pencils were all nice and sharp for the test - either to fill in the ovals or to poke my eyes out. I also dreamt that I had already taken the test and I was out having a beer. But then I woke up at 6 am and realized I had yet to take it. I wasn't very happy.

But it's been hours since I've finished the test and I am happy to announce that my sharpened pencils were used for good (filling in ovals) and not bad (poking eyes out). Although this is all a matter of interpretation.

I apologize for this post. I hope no one will be dreaming about pencil sharpening any time soon.

Thanks but no I am not Korean

Ed and I went to Green Mill a few nights ago to listen to some jazz. (Omg! The band was so amazing and the place was so cute with a bar and booths and a stage and dim lights and I had an amazing time. Amazing time. Amazing.) I met a couple of Ed's friend, who seemed slightly disappointed when I announced I was Chinese and NOT Korean, Philippino, Japanese or Thai. Maybe it's the whole lead thing or maybe because Chinese food is so passe now, I don't know but I should really work on getting better PR for my people.

Anyways, the band was good even if the crowd was psuedo-pretentious. I say psuedo-prententious because I don't think you can be full out pretentious when you are sitting there sucking on the neck of your 21-year-old girlfriend while she tosses her hair around like she was at a Avril Lavigne concert. Did I mention there were quite a few older men/younger women couples? I personally found them amusing to watch but Ed and his friends ripped on them all night. I think they're just hatin'. Who wouldn't want a young hot chick on your arms when you're an old man (or even a younger man)? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Thankfully the testosterone level evened out with the arrival of Olivia and Azzel. I went out of character and ordered a dirty martini, which was too strong and too dirty so Ben (who apparently got over the fact that I am Chinese) took pity on me and got me a Stella. Which, FYI, I finished before heading over to Nick's Uptown. Where I got hit on by an attractive (but, I believe, gay) man who also asked me if I was Korean. Thanks for watching me all night and finding me incredibly hot but no I am not Korean. I am Chinese.

Seriously, we need some good PR.

Currently Obsessed With

Feist's Let it Die album and the song Mushaboom in particular.

In the City

After months and months of waiting, I'm finally moved into the city! Right now it's foggy and rainy outside so I can barely see anything out my window, but usually I can see a tiny part of Soldier Field, the lake and even Cellular Field (Comiskey Park) from a distance. My TV is still in a box and I'm waiting on the other half of my couch to arrive but for those who do not mind, you guys are more than welcome to come visit.

Currently Obsessed With

The Violent Femmes' Good Feeling. Check it.

No Sugar Update

For anyone who's interested, I have yet to succumb to temptation. Not when Olivia and my mom ate Straw-annas (A strawberry and banana sundae) from Andy's. Not when a mango flan (with a mango reduction sauce and fresh strawberries) was ordered after dinner at Quatro in the South Loop last Saturday. And not even today, when I walked into a local Jamba Juice and almost ordered a sweet pastry out of sheer hunger (totally forgetting about my no sugar policy).

Now how much do I kick ass?

Alma Balloon - June 2007 to September 2007

I received some very bad news from Frank today. I knew it was inevitable, but I didn't know how much it would hurt until now....

Here's his email:

"A sad end to a valiant friend. Plus, you were right, my insistence in touching the nearly departed - in this case trying to take the tape from the sucker off- directly contributed to her final demise. the bootleg Cat in the Hat will be auctioned off to her favorite charity.

tell her story...remember her."

Alma Balloon, may she be remembered for being bright and pink. And may Frank always feel guilty for killing her! (I told you to stop touching her!)

If any of you are interested, you can find Alma Balloon's story in my first Alma Balloon post.

Condolences can be left in my comments page.

Midwestern Guys

Last Saturday I met up with some friends in Lincoln Park's John Barleycorn. There are two J.B.s in Lincoln Park, I was at the one on Belden Ave. - this is an important piece of information as some of my friends went to the one on Clybourn and then even to the one in Wrigleyville before heading over my way, but I digress...

It was very refreshing to walk into a bar and be surrounded by my Midwestern boys, it is like coming home. (Ok it is coming home.) I was reminded of the time when my friend (who moved to L.A.) came home to visit last Christmas. We had just walked into some bar in Downtown Naperville when she let out a hugh sigh of pleasure and exclaimed, "Oooh Midwestern guys! I miss Midwestern guys!" I had smiled at her oddly and nodded my head. "Yes, they are a good lot," I told her. She laughed and tried to explain to me that L.A. guys are very different from Midwestern guys. I didn't understand the difference until I went out there.

L.A. boys, in general, are prettier than Midwestern boys. They have style, they have grace...you know, VOGUE. The guys here look like they just came from a fraternity party or from watching a Cubs/Bears game.

Unlike L.A. guys, there are no worries that Midwestern guys might be gay (ok, there's always a degree of uncertainty, but you can usually tell which ones are gay or straight) or that they may be too pretentious to talk to (there are guys like this here, but the ones that I have met who are pretentious have either lived in L.A. for a bit or are from L.A. - one in particular was actually an E-list actor, he was in the Disney movie Motorcrossed, but that is a whole other post...).

Thankfully, most Midwestern guys are more down to earth....even if I am in danger of having my head butted or challenged to do a keg stand.

No Sugar: Day 4

It feels like I've been on the no sugar diet for much longer than 4 days. It's only been 4 days?! Come on! I felt very strong and powerful last night when Olivia and my mom ate some strawberry sundaes in front of me. I didn't succumb to my sugar demon. I kick ass!
Today, I think I'm going through a bit of withdrawal. No sallow skin or shaking yet though so I think I'm still good...for now...

No Sugar: Day 1

This whole no sugar thing is already getting to be a bit inconvenient. I made French Toast today (because I had leftover French bread that I didn't want to go to waste) and let me tell you, without syrup or jam, French Toast tastes more like eggs and bread than dessert in guise of a meal. Thankfully I'm like the MacGyver of food and cut up some fresh peaches to eat with my Toast de Francais. Parfait! It was quite delicious. Next time, I may even try cooking the peaches up a bit to bring out their natural sugar.

Can I Do It?

So I've decided on a little will power experiment - to cut sugar out of my diet for one month, starting tomorrow. I'm not gonna lie, it's gonna be hard: no candy, no gum, no ice cream, no cookies - just thinking about it makes me want to delete this post and forget about the whole experiment. But no, I'm going to try my hardest!.

Why you say? Just because I want to see if I can. Wish me luck!

To Be Read

In an effort to remember all the books I've heard about but have yet to check out, I've made a "To Be Read" list on librarything.com. Check it!

The Yee Family BBQ

With 40 plus guests (mostly family and hangers-on) attending one of our famous Yee bbqs, I thought we were bound to get a little bit out of control. (Un)Fortunately there was no drunken midnight swims in the pool or cake throwing extravaganzas at this party. Here is what did happen though:
*20 lbs. of potatoes peeled by Olivia and I for my dad's famous New England Clam Chowder (we're a pretty famous lot...and by the way, the chowder was very well received).
*$5 won and then promptly lost in two rounds of Let 'Em Ride Poker, Family Tournament Edition (it's true, we Chinese like to gamble. Emphasis on the like).
*A side game of mahjong, though there was no exchanging of currency. (Guys, why is that? Maybe we should do a Mahjong tournament next time.)
*50 lbs. of bbq chicken wings, 50 lbs. of Korean bbq beef and 30 steaks eaten. Oh yeah, and bowls upon bowls of the chowder as well.
*Bottles of suntan lotion and Off Sprays shared
*And a million mosquito bites scratched and soothed

So Far

Before my readership gets restless and rebel (or stop checking my blog) here's a new post - although not very exciting...There's not much going on right now. I am just relaxing back in sweet home Chicago.

Here's a list of what I've done so far:
*Haircuts: 1 - I was running late because of construction on 90/94 but my fabulous hairstylist managed to squeeze me in and give me an awesome haircut.
*Books read: 1-1/2 - Remember when I was obsessed with Harry Potter? Now not quite as obsessed although am enjoying it slowly
*Movies see: 3 - Grudge 2 (don't ask), Bourne Ultimatum (really good!) and Smokin' Aces (hot cast and lots of blood and guns)
*Crappy tv watched: a million hours. I love premium cable : )

Song currently obsessed with: Dancing with Myself as performed by Nouvelle Vague

Detoxing

With Vegas's All You Can Eat Buffets and all the McDonald's I've consumed while on the road, I feel like I've been stuffed, battered and deep fried. Now since I'm back at home, I need a bit of detox. Someone hand over some bok choy please!

Goodbye L.A.!

I am leaving L.A. I had an amazing time out here. I'll miss this wonderful, annoying, unforgettable city.


Here are a list of things I wish I could bring home with me:

• My Uncle Phil
• My friends and family here
• Pinkberry/Ce Fiore
• Pacific Ocean
• Palm Trees
• the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs
• Malibu
• Pacific Coast Highway
• the Speed limit (or lack thereof)
• the Weather
• the Beachtowns

Things L.A. can keep:

• Rude people
• Horrible traffic
• Crappy drivers
• 405
• the Smog
• Hollywood attitude
• The mandatory minimum of 20 minutes to get anywhere in this city

Good-bye Press Office!

Today is my last day at the press office. It has been a great experience. I've learned a lot. I've laughed a lot. I've cried a lot...And I've also watched a lot of TV.

Highlights of my internship:
*Meeting Team Awesome!
*Meeting the Magic
*The media center

Lowlights of my internship:
*The Los Angeles Mall Food court
*The frigid air conditioning
*Starbucks running out of my favorite muffins my last week here

Thanks guys for all the knowledge you have bestowed upon me and know that I'll be taking it with me when I leave.

I heart Team Awesome!

Alma Balloon

The Alma Balloon was originally a balloon decoration used at Alma's baby shower. (Alma is a pregnant lady in the office.) The balloon was abandoned after the big baby celebration so Frank moved it into my office. There it sat, day in and day out, slowly deflating, slowly dying - and yet, it still puts on a happy face!

Although it is a sad shadow of its former self, it has become almost like family to Frank. I am glad I will not be here when Alma finally goes to balloon heaven. I am sure Ryan (my successor) will take good care of grieving Frank...But I digress....

All summer long Frank has been bugging me to blog about Alma Balloon - "you should write about Alma..." and "Alma needs her story to be told..." and "just look at her. Look at how sad she is...you should put her on your blog..." His nagging was very annoying and I stayed strong, Alma Balloon was not going on my blog. But since I am leaving, here is my going away present to Frank:

An Ode to Alma Balloon

Deflated but not defeated,
Pink but not too perky,
Wet but not drowning,
Alma balloon brought joy.

Dying but not dead,
Floppy but not flipped (out),
Leaking but not bleak,
Alma balloon is still here smiling.

Note to Frank: Please make sure Ryan takes damn good care of Alma Balloon!

*cough*my recommendation letter better be awesome*cough*

I Heart Rocky 2: I Heart Rocky The Sequel

Bad Sequels:
Speed 2: Cruise Control
Matrix 3
Bad Boys 2

Good Sequels:
Godfather 2
Terminator 2
I Heart Rocky 2

Because there was an onslaught of requests for me to write a sequel to I Heart Rocky, here it is:

We are going back in time, circa earlier August of 2007, on Anjali's last day of interning...Frank (if you couldn't tell, is our super cool supervisor), Cindy (who hooks me up with interesting Korean facts) and Jenaro (the best comedic performer in the department and possibly the whole of City Hall East) took Anjali and I out to lunch at an Italian restaurant in Little Tokyo. Hmm an Italian restaurant in Little Tokyo? Yes, I thought so too, but actually the food was good although the service was terrible. The slow waiter was pretty hot but Jenaro says that hotness doesn't excuse dumbness. I say a hot stupid waiter is always better than an ugly stupid waiter.

Anyways, we were all sitting around the table, enjoying the freshly baked bread and olive oil dip when Cindy mentioned that she could hook us up with Rocky. For pictures, that is. Anjali and I were very excited. I've personally met Rocky a handful of times, but with no pictures, how was I able to prove to people that I've met the Magic? After much typing into her Blackberry, Cindy was able to secure us an appointment with Rocky. We all cheered and then went back to eating that delicious bread.

After lunch, I fluffed my hair, put on some lipstick and braced myself for the Man. I thought we would go in, get our pics snapped with him and then be rushed out but Rocky was very gracious and charming, and gave us some of his time. He asked us about ourselves and shared some of his wisdom with us. It was very great. Rocky is awesome and that is why I HEART ROCKY!

Stay in Chicago!

Ed, who's going to be my downtown buddy when I move home? Don't go to Indy.

Me, Poor man's Seinfield (aka Josh) and Ed at Chicago's Bella Lounge

Awesome: Jenaro!

Jenaro Batiz, whom I know as the Face of Spanish Media, is actually two-faced - he's also the Face of Universal Comedy! I was very excited to learn that Jenaro is a student at the Second City improv comedy group. Not only does improv give Jenaro a chance to channel some of his many talents into more creative outlets, but it also provides me with some entertainment at work (there is only so much Price is Right and General Hospital I can take). After some pleading and bargaining, I finally garnered an invite to one of Jenaro's performances and boy, was I blown away!

It was last Saturday that I had the privilege to attend the Second City improv act and after-show jam featuring Jenaro Batiz. I hadn't seen improv comedy since I was in college, so I wasn't sure if I could handle staying until 1 am (that was when the jam ended). The shows were so funny, I actually stayed for both the show and the jam.

Jenaro kept telling me that he isn't very good and that he's just started out so I was very nervous for him when he got up on stage. But he was a pro. Of course, right? He's ONLY the face of Spanish media! Come on! What was I thinking? He hopped up on stage and transformed from serious politico to comedic funny man. He looked very comfortable on stage and was quick with his wit and retorts. He made it look so easy, he actually convinced me to get up on stage as well!

Yes, even Olivia and I participated at the jam. It was really quite exhilarating to get up on stage and try to make people laugh. (Try being the operative word, as I am just an amateur.) I had a lot of fun that night and am very grateful that Jenaro invited us to his show. Thanks Jenaro! : )

Jenaro and Olivia on stage

Welcome to the Parker!

Niki and I stayed at the Parker Hotel in Palm Springs last Friday. The hotel is gorgeous with a hip interior, beautiful grounds and two great restaurants. The best part was that the staff treated us like celebs...and there were already celebs there!

Our room

One of two hunky knights we were greeted with when we entered the hotel.

Fun furniture found in the lobby.

Beautiful interior

Even more beautiful exterior (this is the hammock I fell off of)!

Gays and Hill

On Thursday night, I met up with the Big P and Handsome Stranger at Here to watch a presidential debate on the LOGO channel. Let me tell you, beer + politics = fun.

High points of the debate:
*Hillary
*Hanging out with the Big P
*Listening to Handsome Stranger's running commentary

Low points:
*The guy from Ohio
*Richardson
*Not being able to change out of my work clothes

After the debate we waited outside the Abbey for Hillary to arrive for her after party. That was where I met the "Pint-sized Paparazzi". He had his best friend/sidekick/cameraman and a camera guy from tmz.com with him. The PP tried to come off as some minor celeb but I've never heard of him before and told him so. He wasn't fazed. He gave me his business card and told me he's going to be on the View in September. I didn't tell him that I hate the View (that would be rude) but instead, asked him if he makes good money doing what he does (that is rude too but I really wanted to know). He replied by telling me he just purchased his own car. I was very impressed, I didn't know thirteen year olds could buy cars.

The Pint-Sized Pap (I took this pic before I found out he's the PP because I found it amusing that there was a kid pap floating around LA.)

The Big P got us a table at Bossa Nova across the street so I wished the paps luck and went to get some food. I kept an eye out for Hill but sadly, she went through the back and I didn't get a chance to see her at all. On the bright side, dinner was very yummy and Handsome Stranger showed me some dramatic courtroom gestures in case I decide to become a prosecutor.

Hill's in there partying it up!

Taste Testing Correction

I'd like to make a name correction to the July 26th Taste Testing post. Random Guy is actually Handsome Stranger. Sorry about the mistake Handsome Stranger.

Erica Simpson

This is me if I were a Simpsons Character. How would you look?

I Heart Rocky

At the start of our internship, Frank presented Anjali and I with pictures of our fabulous City Attorney (Rocky) and told us that we have to complete an important project before we leave. He explained to us that previous interns have each worked on this project and that there's a pretty high standard for us to meet. I was a bit nervous. What kind of project would I need to complete? What is expected of me? Do I need to write a paper? Do I need to conduct an interview with Rocky? Do I need to walk on a bed of hot coals? What?!

Then he waved his arm over his head and brought our attention up to the posterboards on display above his desk. "This is what you guys are going to have to do," he said, "and you're going to have to make it look like a sixth grader did it."


Of course Anjali and I took this project very seriously and gave much thought to it the whole summer. Here is a scene of us brainstorming for the project:

"So what are your plans this weekend?" I asked.
"I'm going shopping," Anjali replied. "What are you doing?"
"Going on a road trip somewhere near L.A."
"Sounds good. Ok it's time for me to go! Have a good weekend."
"You too! Oh yeah, we'll have to work on the posterboard before your internship ends," I reminded her.
"Oh yeah, ok! We still have time."
"Yup! Have a good weekend. Bye!"

End Scene.

So like any good interns, on the day before Anjali's last day, we walked the three blocks to a nearby Office Depot and bought our posterboard. It was very hot that day so we made sure to do the responsible thing and stop by a few clothing boutiques on the way back to the office. We needed to cool off for a bit in the air conditioned stores. It would not do to get heat stroke on the way back and not be able to complete our project.

When we returned to the Press Office, we went straight to work. We decided the best way to approach this project is to make a collage. There were so many pictures of Rocky we wanted people to see, we decided to show them all. Anjali and I worked on the posterboard for a better part of an hour, shooing away anyone curious as to see what we were doing.

Here is our finished product:

I am proud to say that our posterboard was very well received and I hope Rocky will love it as much as I loved making it.

On the Bandwagon Addendum

I am so bummed! After buying the first two Harry Potter books, I've found out that there are ADULT book covers available for the Harry Potter books. Not that I don't appreciate the children's book covers but it would've been nice if I knew I had a choice....Hmmm, well, since this is on a BBC website, maybe the adult covers aren't available in the States yet...and now that I've looked at the adult covers a second time, they're not as cool as the kid's covers.

Yeah, I'm a nerd.

On the Bandwagon 2

I finished Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone yesterday so of course I promptly ran off to the bookstore and bought myself the second book in the series: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets!

Clapping Guy

We went to a bar/club in Manhattan Beach last Saturday called Beaches. Despite the heat and the crowd, I was having fun, that is until Clapping Guy elbowed me in the head. I guess that is one of the hazards of being short, I am elbow height to clapping giants. I turned around and gave him my look of death but I guess it looked more like my "come dance up on me" look. My friends urged me to dance with Clapping Guy but I was afraid I'd get elbowed in the head again. Thankfully Clapping Guy clapped away after a while.

Me dancing while making sure my head is out of elbow range. (Picture provided by Kelly, who also found Clapping Guy very amusing.)

Harlequin Romances

I was at Borders today and was scanning some Harlequin Romance titles...They all sound the same! I imagine there must be someone with the position of "Title Creator" at Harlequin Enterprises who randomly toss a pair of dice with words like Mistress, Lover, Handsome, Rich, Daddy, Baby, Surprise, Bride, Marraige of Convenience, Italian, Tycoon and Millionaire printed on each side of the cubes. Some possible titles I've come up with for if I ever write a Harlequin Romance:

• Millionaire Daddy's Kept Italian Mistress
• Marraige of Convenience with Millionaire Tycoon
• Handsome Daddy Surprise: Baby!
• The Italian Tycoon's Mistress Lover
• Millionaire Lover's Mistress
• Rich Lover's Mistress's Baby

(Note to Harlequin: Any titles listed above that may have already been published are purely coincidental.)

On the Bandwagon

I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone over the weekend. I figured I should start reading it soon before the last movie gets made and I find out what happens. There's a lot of talk about the Deathly Hallows. I hope I don't hear any of it. Wish me luck!

Currently Cracking Me Up

My brother sent me these Human Tetris videos. Check it! and this!

Yum 3/ Ouch!

The lawyers in the Economic Development department took the interns out to lunch in Chinatown yesterday. It was my first time eating in Chinatown since I've arrived this summer and I am pleased to announce that it was, all in all, a good experience. We went to a really happening spot for city officials, as well as Hollywood celebs (I concluded this after spotting the array of autographed pictures hanging on the wall). There was quite a lot of people already waiting when we arrived, but luckily, we had reservations and were seated right away.

Even though the food was Americanized, the dishes were still pretty good. One particular favorite, and one they are known for, is the Slippery Shrimp. It's fried shrimp drizzled in a type of sweet and sour sauce. Teresa, one of the lawyers I report to, told me that the L.A. Times did a story on how unhealthy the Slippery Shrimp dish is. The Slippery Shrimp has more fat and calories than the Big Mac and tacos from Taco Bell. Hearing this put a damper on my lunch, but I still managed to pop a few shrimps into my mouth. I'm only human.

We made it back to the office in time for me to start my internship at the Press Office one floor down. I was heading toward the elevator when I was greeted with Jessi, another lawyer, being rolled down the hall in a computer chair. I was a little surprised to see her, as she was scheduled for a meeting with the Mayor's office, but what was even more shocking was the sight of her bleeding toe. "Norreen ran me over!" she exclaimed as Matt rolled her past me.

I thought Jessi was kidding, but apparently, Norreen (her boss) had started driving off before Jessi was completely in the car. The rear tire ran over Jessi's foot, breaking her big toe. Jessi was very calm as the rest of us ran around the office trying to figure out what to do. After about a half hour of panic, we managed to clean the tire marks off her foot and wrap bandage around her big toe before we sent Jessi off to emergency care.

Car accidents and fatty foods are exhausting!

Taste Testing

I showed Frank my blog today and he asked why I didn't blog about the M&Ms and Smarties taste testing we had last week. I told him I wasn't sure if I should blog about the confidential things we do at work. He shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes. I guess that means it's okay.

M&Ms and Smarties

So last Friday, sometime after Oprah ended (FYI, Oprah had the cast of Hairspray on her show), I wandered out of the media center to see if there was anything that Frank needed me to do before I jetted out of there. I walked around the corner to find Frank and Red studying a snack size bag of plain M&Ms and a box of Smarties. Red is a guy that comes into our office frequently. I don't really know what he does actually, but he entertains me with random facts and antecdotes once in a while. (Red is actually the color of the guy's hair. I forget Red's real name.)

"What are you guys doing?" I asked, staring at the chocolate longingly.

"We are conducting a taste test," Frank replied, waving the bag of M&Ms in front of my face. I wanted to grab it out of his hands and pour some of the chocolate down my throat, but I restrained myself. Instead I nodded my head and waited for them to explain further.

Red holding the box of Smarties as Frank points with his M&Ms.

Red goes on to explain that M&Ms are made by the Mars company while Nestle makes Smarties. They are both candy-coated chocolate...And then I stopped listening to him because Frank poured out pieces of M&Ms and Smarties and I was thinking maybe I can be the taste tester. He picked out two M&Ms and two Smarties of the same color before he called some random guy out of Nick's office.

I was a bit bummed they had already chosen a taste tester, but have to admit that I wouldn't have taken tasting as seriously as Random Guy did. Random Guy interrupted a meeting to do the tasting - that's pretty serious.

So anyways, Random Guy closed his eyes and popped the mystery brand into his mouth, chewed slowly, all the while describing the texture and the taste of the mystery brand. When he was done with the first brand, he rinsed his mouth with water and repeated the same steps with the second brand of candy.

Random Guy tasting the chocolate as Frank and Red waits in suspense.

His verdict...actually I forgot because Frank passed out the rest of the M&Ms and Smarties and I stopped paying attention. My verdict: Smarties is sweeter than M&Ms and has a harder candy-coating, but both brands are good depending on your mood.

You happy now, Frank?

Yum 2!

Olivia, Matt and I ate at the Japanese curry place for lunch today. It was pretty good. I ordered the curry beef and rice dish. I ate it all. Now I smell like curry and am falling asleep at my desk. If I was a cartoon comic, I'd have smelly lines and zzz's surrounding me.

Dragon Knight

Today Matt and I saw Ian Ziering (Steve from 90210) hanging around the City Hall area. I was very excited, not because I'm a big fan of Steve (I liked Brandon) or because he's the first celebrity I saw (as Matt suggested), but because the thought of him starring in "Dragon Knight" and filming a rooftop fight scene is VERY amusing - even if it may not be true.

Yum!

Today, Matt, a fellow intern, dragged me out of the depths of the Los Angeles Mall food court and into the light of day. He introduced me to a new place he learned of a block away from City Hall East - the Pitfire Pizza!

I had sausage and kale bowtie pasta and he had a steak sandwich with Napa lettuce in it. I know right, Napa lettuce in a sandwich? Only in L.A.! My pasta was yummy and his sandwich looked good too. He also mentioned a Japanese curry place down the street from us as well. I might try it tomorrow.

I am happy to say that Matt has expanded my culinary palette! No more scary fast food places for me. (Ok, well less scary fast food places for me.) Thanks Matt!

Summer of Feet!

I was going through my pictures from this summer and seemed to notice an underlying theme. Don't ask.

The first pedicure I got with flower designs painted on. Isn't it cute?

At Santa Monica Beach. I didn't roll my jeans up high enough. They were soaked.
Mark's feet rubbing up on mine. (Karma: I was making fun of his dirty feet.)
My feet and some smashed crabs found at the San Diego navy pier.
My own dirty feet at the Erasure concert.

Erasure!

I went to see Erasure perform in San Diego yesterday. They were unbelievable! All their songs are so catchy, it's easy to dance and sing along even when I don't recognize the song. Of course I recognized most of the songs they sung last night. I almost teared up when they started to sing Oh L'Amour. Brings me back.
Here's Erasure looking fabulous in their silver zebra print jumpsuits and their neon colored back-up singers. Doesn't the backdrop look kinda like a vagina?

Curious George

You know those little girls with mountains of stuffed animals artfully arranged atop their bed? The ones who cuddle their favorite plush toy as they ooh and ahh over new ones at the toy store?

Yeah, that wasn't me.

I never really liked stuffed animals, not even as a kid. Never a desire to cuddle with them, never really thought they were all that cute. I don't know why. Maybe I'm weird, who knows? All I know is that every stuffed animal I received as gifts went straight into the back of the closet never to be heard from again.

So why I was drawn to the Curious George dolls hanging forlornly on the back of the balloon blowing booth at the Santa Monica Pier Carnival, I do not know. I guess I am weird. They caught my eye as I waited for Olivia and Mark to ride the roller coaster. They were on my mind as we hopped onto the ferris wheel and stayed there even after the Spinner. I decided that I needed one of those Curious George dolls like I needed the Marc Jacobs bag I bought last spring. There was just one problem though, I couldn't buy the doll, I had to win it.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I never win at these carnival games. It doesn't matter how simple or difficult they are, if I play, I'll lose. But yesterday night, I was willing to risk humiliation to get that doll. Olivia, Mark and I sat down, ready to compete when the booth worker told us that with only three people playing, the prize we'd get is the ugly neon colored whale hanging to the left of the Curious Georges. We would need four or more people in order for one of us to win George.

I was crushed. No one around us seemed interested in playing and even if they were, what if they won George? I was resigned for one of us to win the ugly whale when two guys came up to the booth. One was a comedian/actor I've seen on TV before and the other looked like his boyfriend. The comedian was carrying an array of stuffed animals, including an ugly whale. To me, it was an indication of his (obviously) great skills at the balloon blowing booth. But there was no time for me to worry, the game was about to start. I felt my palms begin to sweat as I placed them on the nozzle, but when I looked up at the target, a strange calm suddenly fell over me. I was ready to win my George.

When the horn sounded, all I could do was press the buttons and watch as the water shot straight into the target. I watched as my balloon blew up, and I realized I had just as much of a chance to win as any other competitor. As my excitement grew, so did my balloon, but I couldn't tell if it was bigger than the other balloons next to it. I held my breath and continued to press the buttons, my hands, unwavering, my determination, focused.

When my balloon popped, I jumped up out of my seat and turned to Olivia. Her mouth had dropped open and her eyes had widened in shock (she knows me very well), but soon her expression changed into a look of excitement. I won! I screamed and gloated and wasn't a very graceful winner at all. But that's fine. I have George.

Currently Obsessed With

Erasure's I Say I Say I Say album circa 1994. I'm keeping it old school.

Keep Your Hands Off My Belly

You go, girl! - A great article written by Carrie Friedman about a married woman's choice not to have kids yet.

Currently Reading

On the Road by Jack Kerouac: I was actually in the middle of Eat, Pray, Love when I found On the Road in the Rizk library. I picked it up to check Jack out and couldn't put it down. Kerouac's really good. His descriptions place me right there alongside Sal (the narrator) and now I can hardly wait to get back on the open road. And back to that gorgeous pair of cowboy boots I left behind in Denver.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: Gilbert is intelligent and witty but her book is a little slow. I'm still at the part where she is in Rome learning the Italian language. I hope to finish this one day. Maybe after On the Road.

The Shopping Cart

I first saw the Shopping Cart Dance a couple weekends ago at the Ghetto Fabulous party thrown by a friend of Molly's. I was taking a breather outside Santa Monica Bar and Grille when Molly suddenly busted out the move. She started miming, pushing a grocery cart, pulling things off an imaginary shelf, putting them back if she decided she didn't want it, all the while shaking her hips to the sound of the music coming out of the bar. It blew my mind! And also cracked me up.

I naively thought that Molly made it up, admiring the ingenuity of my dancer friend (she was in POMS in elementary school and used to watch a lot of dance videos in high school). Well, imagine my surprise last Friday when Nancy's friend, Mark, fresh from Michigan, busted out the Shopping Cart during happy hour.

At first I was a little disappointed that the Shopping Cart is a dance known nation-wide, but I soon learned to the enjoy the many incarnations of this dance. Between Mark, Nancy, Olivia and I, we had incorporated the Watermelon Move (hold out your arms as if you are carrying a watermelon and slowly place it into the cart), the Pulling Out Move (pull the cart out and then push the kiddie seat into place), the Case of Water Move (essentially the same as the watermelon, but holding a case of water instead of a watermelon) and the Unsticking the Wheels Move (kick your feet against the imaginary wheels until the wheels are unstuck).

Olivia doing the Watermelon Move as Nancy gives her the thumbs up!

My favorite Shopping Cart move though, is one Molly came up with yesterday while at the Stinking Rose - the Sanitary Wipe Move (pull the sanitary wipe out and wipe the grocery cart handle). Molly is now redeemed - she is still a dancing genius!

Garlic, Garlic Everywhere!

Today we celebrated Kelly's birthday at the Stinking Rose Restaurant. I've heard lots of good things about this restaurant and was very excited to go. Its claim to fame is their excessive use of garlic. The full name of the restaurant is actually The Stinking Rose: A Garlic Restaurant. Any restaurant with a name similar to the title of a cheesy movie sequel is A-okay with me (can we say Speed 2: Cruise Control?)!

I had very high expectations for this restaurant and was a bit disappointed when I was greeted with framed pictures of old Hollywood celebs upon entry. The black and white pictures reminded me of Bucca di Beppo's - another restaurant I like - but I was expecting the Stinking Rose to be a bit more original. As I stepped further into the restaurant, my disappointment quickly dissipated.

Don't get me wrong, the decor is just as gaudy as Bucca's but with a pair of golden noses on the wall and themed dining rooms (we sat in a Halloween-themed room complete with spider webs and scary pictures), the Stinking Rose was quite unique and a bit entertaining.

The food was not too shabby either. I ordered the Roasted Garlic Potato Onion Soup and Silence of the Lamb Shanks. The soup looked so good, I had to ask for extra spoons so that everyone around me could try it. The lamb was done perfectly with a side of yummy garlic mashed potatoes. Sadly, I wasn't adventurous enough to try the garlic ice cream, but I did take a few bites of Olivia's sundae. The crushed nuts were the best part.

All in all, the Stinking Rose was a garlic-y good time. Now I'm heading off to brush my teeth.

Starbucks

Ok, so everyone in L.A. has been raving about Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf since I've arrived. I have yet to try. Not because I am one of those people who are loyal to a certain brand or company (I guess I just have no sense of loyalty) or because I hate the thought of change (well, maybe just a little bit), but because I am lazy. While there may be Coffee Beans located almost everywhere I've been to, it is Starbucks that is conveniently located between where I park and where I work. Hence the reason why I've only been to Starbucks since I got here.

Every morning, Olivia and I look longingly at the L.A. tourists lounging outside our Work-Starbucks, slowly drinking their morning coffee and readying for a day of sightseeing, as we rush across the street with our hot drinks in tow. Every morning a little sigh as we imagine all the adventures they'll have in sunny L.A. while we are stuck at work. Every morning, slightly snickering at those who choose to book a hotel in Downtown L.A....But not this morning!

Since we were already running late to work this morning, Olivia and I decided to live it up. Why not? We gave ourselves ten whole minutes to lounge on the patio chairs and scarf down our breakfasts before we rushed across the street. It was quite lovely.

What's even lovelier, I've learned, is that almost nothing goes to waste in Downtown L.A.! As I inhaled my low-fat blueberry & apricot muffin, I spied a short-sleeved, button-shirted tourist tossing out three half-filled cups of coffee. Since I've been to L.A., I have been uber-aware of Green Living and slightly tisked at how wasteful the tourist was. But not to worry, not even five minutes later, a man in a yellow poncho dug it out of the trash and was able to enjoy a mocha latte with his morning cigarette and day-old newspaper! Of course I am never wasteful and finished up my muffin before I rushed off to work.