Fall'oween Party

Tonight was the B.A.S.I.C. Fall'oween Party at Jazz Thompson's house. I arrived early to set up with Jazz and Nicole. We made the place festive!

A ton of people came and had a great time from what I could tell! I know I did.

We also had a great spread of food (this is not even all of it!):
Some people dressed up, including Jazz! His Starbuck's employee costume was so authentic. He even included a sharpie for writing people's names down on the cups!Taylor (on the left)came with her very creative "no-cost" costume. Can you guess what she is? My friend Julie came to the party too! I haven't seen her in ages so it was nice to see her again!

Freakazoid

I am a freakazoid, baby!

I went to the orthopedic specialist today to take a look at my foot while I have insurance and the time on my hands.

A few weeks ago it was pointed out to me that I have another bone on my foot and I found out today that it is the accessory navicular, which most people do not have! I also have the os trigonum (I think that is what it is called...it wasn't on the anatomy chart at the doctor's office but it was definitely on my ex-ray), which is another bone that most people do not have. I'm a freakazoid!

I had to get poked while I was there and a very unusual thing happened while Dr. Reese was doing it-I got nauceous and had to lay down! This never happens to me! She had to give me a steroid shot after that but she didn't use the whole shot because it was too painful. I guess I'm just not meant to be on the juice. ;)

So now I have three big bandages ( two are from a dermatologist appointment) on me, but at least they are temporary! I'll have to try and incorporate it in a Halloween costume!

BASIC Hike Oct. 2009

This morning I met up with some girls for a hike! I had hiked a similar trail the day before with Scotti, who showed me the ropes of that new area.

There was a great view of Portugese Bend--the water was sparkling as it broke against the rock.
Part of the trail was along some houses and one had a very beautiful bougenvalia bush.

It was really nice to catch up with everyone I knew and get to know a few I didn't know as well. After the hike most of us went to The Appetizer for lunch. We had a fun time!

Spago's with Alice and Dyanelle

Tonight I went to Spago's with Alice and Dyanelle. This week is restaurant week in L.A. so you can get an amazing meal for a super deal! ;)

It was a three course meal and we tried to order different items so we could try them. For the first course Dyanelle had the Crispy Monterrey Bay Calamari with a pickled ginger viniagrette and marinated cucumbers. Alice decided on the Pumpkin Agnolotti with Marscapone Reggiano--it was delicious! I ordered the short rib with mushroom raviolinni with a wine reduction which was also absolutely fabulous! You know it's an amazing culinary experience when you lift your head to the ceiling as you savor the flavor!

For our main course Alice and I both ordered the Wood Oven Roasted Poussin - with caramelized garlic, preserved lemon and roasted fingerling potatoes. It was so amazing! Dyanelle ordered the Pan-Roasted Casco Bay Cod - with puree and ragout of gigante and cranberry beans, pancetta, wild mushrooms and mascarpone emulsion.

For dessert, we ordered the three choices available: I ordered the mixed berry shortcake that had a delectable side of raspberry sorbet! It usually comes with whipped cream on the top, but I don't generally like whipped cream, so I asked for it on the side.
Alice had an apple turnover type dessert--can't describe it. It was like a very crunchy piece of french toast with sliced apples on the top. Dyannelle got the chocolate purse with a side of french vanilla sorbet. That was also quite a rich dessert. By this time, we were all stuffed!


At the end of our meal, we had an unexpected visitor to our table! Wolfgang Puck came over to our table and introduced himself and asked us how our meal was. Of course we had rave reviews!
So that Alice could really feel like a tourist, we took a picture outside of Spago's:

Musings Discovered

A few phrases I found in my musings:

Your words are what true beauty means
A simple phrase or two
Entwined to make a piece of art
Like a poem from my dreams!


Something About Him

There was something I liked about him from the very start. Maybe it was his neatly combed and oiled hair pressed down delicately as they used to style it in the 20’s and 30’s. There is something about a well-groomed man that speaks to me. If one should care so much about one’s appearance so passionately, it would lead me to believe other passion’s lay within one’s heart.

But, of course, too much of a good thing can be dangerous--borderline insane. Passion can lead to compulsion, which can lead to obsession. This passion could potentially consume every waking hour or minute and even invade one’s dreams.

But to be without passion of any kind, all the time, would be madness as well. If life lulled along without even as much as a blip on the radar of enthusiasm, would life be worth living? No. I think those that give up do it because something in their heart withers away. Any flitter of joy as an initial reaction gets somehow subdued and then is altogether ignored so that after some time it is not even recognized and therefore not felt.

To not feel--to be numb--is a tragedy. I would rather be angry or dead than to not acknowledge any emotion at all.

Shelley's Accupuncture Appointment

Saturday I took Shelley to her accupuncture appointment because she was feeling dizzy. The appointment was in L.A., but Shelley really knows her way around so we avoided all the traffic. The accupuncturist has an office set up above his garage, next to a very serene backyard that is set up as a waiting area.

I decided to read the remaining 15-20 pages of my Dr. Laura book "How Could You Do That: The Abdication of Character, Courage and Conscience" while I waited. I was very happy when I finished. It is a difficult book to read because the cases are complex and there are a lot of moral implications to think over when you read them. I had been reading this book off and on for several months!

I had purchased a new phone (a Blackberry) on Friday so I also fiddled with that and organized my address book. I felt so accomplished.

The cat that was lazing about next to me decided to get friendly and jumped on my lap. I spent the remaining time petting the kitty. :)

Interview at HVR and Laguna Beach with John

Yesterday was a busy day! I spent the late morning/afternoon at my ENT doctor's office for my monthly check up after "braving" the mild California rain. From there I drove to downtown Fullerton for an interview with Hidden Villa Ranch, a grocery distributing business. The interview was for a consulting position for a couple of weeks to verify the financial statements of another company for a potential disposition/sale. I thought the interview went pretty well, but I am not sure my experience suits the job that needs to be done. We will see.

After the interview, I drove down to San Clemente to meet John at his office at Worship Leader magazine. I arrived about 5pm, in time to meet a few of his coworkers, including Judi (John's office mate) and Jeremy. One of their vendors was a few minutes late for their meeting so I was lucky enough to see John in action. I was fascinated with the creative decisions that need to be carried out in order for customers/subscribers to keep coming back. The meeting didn't take long so we were on our way.

First stop was Crescent Bay Park in Laguna Beach. The views from this area were phenomenal! We (okay John had to point them out to me) saw some harbor seals along several large rocks off shore (which are fittingly called "seal rock").
After the wonderful view points here, we went and had dinner at Natraj Cuisine of India along Pacific Coast Highway. We owned the place practically and not surprisingly since it was a Wednesday night. The food was delicious and the company delectable. :) We walked back to the car, but not before stopping at a little bakery to check out the goodies we were too full to purchase!

On the side street where we were parked, we passed an art gallery that John and I both agreed would probably be out of business soon. One of the "sculptures" on display looked like large bushels of broccoli. I was so entranced by this "art" that I didn't realize I was stepping down and had to utilize my reflexes and by John's help, I did not fall flat on my face! ;)

John and I then drove to the pathway that runs along the cliffs with spectacular views of the beach and bay. We walked along the lovely grounds and enjoyed each others company. It was a perfect night--it was no longer raining, but the skies were relatively clear...it wasn't too chilly either so we were able to walk along without a care in the world. :)

Martha's 22nd Street Grill with John

For the last couple of months I have been, for all intents and purposes, penpals with John Faries, a man I met at my friends, Elan and Dennis's wedding. John was a groomsman, I a bridesmaid. He was very friendly with me at the rehearsal dinner, wanting to talk about California since he is a native and admitted to me later that he missed it.

John comes to California on a regular basis because the main office of his work is in South Orange County, so I suggested we meet up when he was in town.

We ended up going to Martha's 22nd Street Grill in Hermosa Beach. I had heard great things about it, but never had a chance to go. When we first arrived, it was overcast, but we were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that the sky was clear once we were finished with lunch.

We ended up walking to Manhattan Beach pier. We stepped briefly in the aquarium that is located at the end of the pier.
On our trip back to Hermosa Beach pier, we stopped at a pair of houses that both John and I thought were nice: one had a cabin-like feel, and the other was a Mediterranean style. Here we are next to the Mediterranean style house. It was beautifully landscaped.

John and I had such a wonderful time! He is so easy to talk to! I invited him to dinner at my place where we ate baked ziti and salad. For a late dessert we had pecan praline ice cream, which happens to be our favorite flavor! :) I'm hoping to see John once again before he goes back to Ohio.

Oregon vs. UCLA Football Game

Saturday afternoon I went to an Oregon vs. UCLA game at the Rose Bowl with my new friend, Alice. Alice is a huge Oregon Ducks fan, so we sat in the O section and cheered on the Ducks.
It was a lot of fun cheering for the winning team and learning the fan chants (instead of generic cheering they would say "Ooooooooooooooo" for a long time! They also do a pseudo gang sign of an 'O':

Just call me Gimpy

Apparently ice cream is bad for my health in more ways than one! Not only will it add inches to my waistline, but it makes my muscles tighten-up so much from the repetitive motion of scooping it out that it causes my hip flexers and abductor muscles to be in pain and have a hard time even lifting my right leg!

It's a hard realization that I am no longer 22 years old! I had to go to the Pro-Active Wellness Center to see my chiropractor, Dr. Perry. He examined me and worked on me a little bit before having Julie, the best massage therapist I've met, work on my tightened muscles. I'm not gonna lie--the massage session was no walk in the park. There were a few pressure points that were excruciating, but I'd rather have the pain while my muscles are being loosened than deal with the original pain of the problem because I don't want it to get worse.

Once Julie was finished with me, I went back to Dr. Perry. He worked on my abductor muscles which he realized (once Julie worked on one muscle that wasn't the problem) were the main source of the problem. Boy, some of the movements he had me doing were horrible--I almost cried! But I braved it and now I am on the mend, I think. I have to ice the area and then take it easy for the next couple of days (that means I can't exercise for a couple of days).

Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair

I work with a non-profit organization called Sharefest. I usually help out with their fundraising dinner doing check-in and check-out and I worked with them in the volunteer coordination booth when we helped with the Extreme Makeover Home Edition episode we were asked to help out with in Redondo Beach.

I had heard about Sharefest having a booth at the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair and decided to volunteer. They decided to sell rootbeer floats to help raise money as well as get the word out about what Sharefest does for the community.
Alice and I met at the shuttle area and took it over to the fair area to find the booth. It was difficult to find--but we did it!

Here is Alice with Lisa Fisher (the organizer) and Karen (another volunteer):
Leah was a laugh riot! Her job was to bring people to our booth to buy those floats! And they did! She was really good at getting people interested!
My job was to scoop out the ice cream-yay! On Saturday, I scooped about 150 scoops out of ice cream (2 scoops per float) for the shift I worked. I worked today and I scooped about 350 scoops! We went through 6 huge tubs of ice cream. So crazy! But it was great to be selling so much!

After we ran out of floats, we passed out the rest of the red vines we were giving out for free (some kids liked to use them as straws).
We got a visit from Butterscotch the clown, who gave us all "kisses":
I got home at 5:30 and boy am I tired! ;-)

Hike With Alice

Friday morning, I met up with Alice to go hiking. We had a quick lunch before heading out to what was once my favorite hike--to Del Cerro Park.

I knew that Palos Verdes had some fire damage, but I didn't know the exact location. Well, apparently it was where we were hiking!

This picture, right here, says it all:
Alice looks at the view on one of our breaks. It sure was hot out there!