Whenever New Year’s rolls around, the standard around Los Angeles (and most other cities, I’m sure) is a bleed-through-the-nose per person cover - to one of tons of generic parties going on around the city. And that’s not even including drinks. This is just setting myself up for disappointment. So when Tara said she could get me a VIP Pass to an indoor venue *at* Times Square, it was an easy decision. The ball drop live - without waiting for hours in the cold to stake out a spot? I was ready to book a flight to New York City, stat.
It was the New Year’s celebration taking place at 44th and 6th on the bottom floor of ABC Studios - where they broadcast Good Morning America - and Pepsi, with their RefreshEverything campaign, was the sponsor. Stoked. Tara and I met up first and we had the pleasure of meeting and partying the night up with NY Gothamist cats, Neil Epstein and Jen Chung, and their significant others.
I admit it. It really was an impulse thing. Well hey; if it’s any other American city I’d uproot myself to start over again in, The Big Apple is certainly it. Naturally, the next best thing is to visit it. I may have booked the flight to New York only 8 days ago, but hell if I didn’t have a good reason to do so on short notice. It’s almost 2009, folks! Happy New Year.
My good friend Greg has been gracious enough to put me up for the week.
My friend Tara, whom will become an even better friend by the time this trip is over ;), has been gracious enough to help me out with a VIP pass to ABC studios in Times Square for the New Year’s Eve celebration. Dick Clark, open bar, the works.
And just to make the trip worthwhile, I will be staying for a whole week to see the city. It’s my third time here - the first of which was marked by a performance in Carnegie Hall with my high school city-wide youth orchestra. The second - a pleasure trip. But the third time’s a charm, so needless to say, I’m excited about my New York holiday.
The winter holidays, for me, extend just a little bit further than everyone else. That happens when you have a mid-January birthday (and you happen to care about it - no shame here, man). This particular birthday is a big one, so you can expect a return to regular updating around here because a lot has been going on from snowboarding … to this New York trip … to my 30th birthday. Yeah, I said it. I’m excited about my 30th birthday. I’ll wax philosophic about that later; I got a couple-a weeks.
So this is more of a heads-up post to be checking my Twitter tonight for some live micro-blogging action and back here for follow-ups. For the first time, I’ll be ringing in the new year 3 hours ahead of my fellow Angelenos. What better way to remember such an event?
I’ve been meaning to check in and tell you what a blessed holiday I’ve been having. It’s a recap.
Currently, I’m in the middle of a week and a half-long vacation. It began with boarding in Mammoth for a couple days. We crammed 18 people into a small condo, which was walking distance to Canyon Lodge. The second night we were there, we played Rock Band II (without the drums) and were so loud we didn’t even hear the noise complaint because we couldn’t hear the neighbors knocking on our front door. They were gracious enough to give us a grace night by waiting til morning to warn us to not do “that” again or they’d simply call the cops if they heard noise after 10pm the next night.
That night, we watched bad cable movies and Futurama DVDs.
It was on Sunday during a lunch break in our usual riding session as we were standing in line for the grill when I found my right pocket unzipped and my new Blackberry gone. Gone. Next came panic mode.
The realization that you have to replace something that has, on one hand, become so pertinent to your day-to-day life and, on the other hand, also costs hundreds of dollars, is a hard one to absorb. It makes you pause, reflect and maybe even ask yourself why you didn’t have that crap phone within which to insert your SIM card for days on the mountain. It would be completely stupid to take with you a phone model that has only existed for about one month, unlocked versions of which eBay for $500.
But that’s exactly what I did. And the phone was gone. Read More »
It’s become my regular hangout, but none of the time I spend here is routine.
There’s something about finding a niche at a place you’ve invested time into. Getting to know the shifts of baristas to avoid and favor. Getting to know other patrons who come to do work the same time you do. The cool ones, anyway.
Describing it as “work” doesn’t do it justice.
Screenwriters, composers, math teachers, video editors. You’re reading this, but I’m somewhere between blogger and internet surfer. The latter is something to do while I’m being inspired by my surroundings. Besides, it’s not like I don’t have internet at home. No espresso machine, though.
There’s something beyond inspiring, though, about joking about Xenu in a coffeehouse across the street from a main Scientology centerpiece. Chances are, your jokes will graze the ears of an actual Scientologist. You’ve been forewarned.
Caroline sent out a last-minute email to friends to accompany her on a sleigh pass to SantaCon. I have to admit, it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime experiences I just had to see for myself. If you’ve only read on blogs or heard on Japanese gameshows about mob pranks before then maybe you’re crazy enough to ever have wanted to be a part of the crowd. Just to see.
We started out on the East Side and the East Side we’d stay. If you’re going to fill 5 yellow school buses full of Santas chanting “Ho. … Ho. .. Ho. Ho ho ho ho hooo!” then streets better be wide enough to handle the obstruction. And that’s not even including the few dozen Midnight Ridazz Santas on their trikes beating us to each location. El Cid and 4100 bar near Sunset Junction were good first stops (or maybe that was the liquor store) with bartenders prepped and ready to tend to our afternoon habit.
We were even prepped with a song book of rewritten Christmas carols. All day, Santas spoke of Santas in the third, improper person. ”Anyone seen Santa?” “He’s around here, somewhere.” Goodwill, cheer and merriment to all - including the “cheer” spread from our buses to pedestrians on the sidewalks. The scene was a spectacle. A day-long hootenanny. A study in … 21st century debauchery. We kept up on the digs through subscribed text messaging and were encouraged to hash tag our tweets (#lasantacon) for a searchable archive. Probably 1 out of 0.75 santas had his iPhone or Blackberry out at all times. Updating. Taking pictures and sending them via MMS. And then the cameras…
I didn’t last all day. Okay, okay - I didn’t even last til late afternoon. My excuse was my company holiday party, but I was secretly glad to have it as an out. I missed out on uWink bar (:\) and Power House at Hollywood & Highland, Boardner’s and Jumbo’s Clown Room - with even an “after-party” at The Echo. Apparently, I also missed out on a concocted “snowball” fight outside the first location.
But I was honored to have been part of this mob, if even for only a little bit. Other than the lagging at the beginning for a straggling fifth sleigh, the experience didn’t disappoint. This is a recommended pub crawl that you should do - at least once. Check the nearest, upcoming Santacrawls here.
You may be beautiful. You and I might have great conversation. And I might tell my girlfriends about you (and you, and you) to have them groan when I get to the part that you have a girlfriend.
But don’t be mistaken. It’s not that I’m sad you are already committed. If you weren’t, I would feel obligated to feel more for you than I am capable. Right now. It’s easier. I need easy right now.
I couldn’t lie though and say I wasn’t ever curious if you were single. How old you are. What your passion in life is. What your craft is.
Though I’ve never met her, I respect your girlfriend. The Code is more important than ever. The keeping or breaking of it is our contribution to or detraction from society. Never in the middle. Besides, if we’re a part of something greater than ourselves, this is The Way. If I am the end to everything in my words, my actions, we are all in trouble. I believe that.
This time is different. I’m not lost in transition and just looking to grab onto the nearest thing to attach myself to achieve a sort of false sense of stability or distraction. That wouldn’t be fair to anyone. I know it didn’t stop me before, but denial is so early-twenties. I’ve decided it’s about time to grow up. Besides, I’ve become an expert at distracting myself with myself. It allows me to live out the respect I have for others by not using and abusing them for my own, trivial fancies.
I’m telling you - I am here and I will relish this moment; I have arrived. I don’t need you (or you, or you) - but you’re welcome to contribute if I think you’re worthy. After all, only the most spectacular or stupid (self) can spoil this. I will enjoy this - I am enjoying this - and now I know I will never settle again. I won’t need to, because I will hate you for holding me back, for requiring me to expect less of you. Like I said - it wouldn’t be fair.
TOMS Shoes invited several Los Angeles area bloggers to a private night in their new space, a pop-up store on Abbott Kinney in Venice. I thought their entire space was adorable - of course, on top of informative. The girls in the store even gave it a bit of a family vibe and all were very enthusiastic about what their company was doing to expand their business - the success of which is integrated with their cause. It was really refreshing, actually, to see a company’s employees so stoked on the success of their company which each of them has had no small part in contributing. Snacks such as puppy chow (chex with chocolate filling), treats such as wrapped apple strudel, a cider punch, Honest Tea and Sapporo completed the welcome. Or maybe that was the free pair of TOMS shoes they gave each of us.
Founder Blake Mycoskie and Sole Surfer/Social Media Manager Caitlin were on hand to greet bloggers and I thought the story behind what the mission of TOMS is, was a great narrative used to fill the space. It was good to hang out a bit with Siel of GreenLAgirl too (and Dani from Mosaic, who works for TOMS!). Along the length of the store is the timeline of the company’s history on display, from recruiting interns on Craigslist to the launch of the pop-up store not a mile from where TOMS was founded.
If you don’t know already, for every pair of TOMS you buy, a child in need gets a pair of his or her own.
Podoconiosis is a form of elephantitis and a soil-transmitted yet easily preventable disease had people worn shoes to protect their feet. It’s rampant particularly in Ethiopia and the target of TOMS Shoes. Half-to-one million suffer from Podo while 11 million are at risk. So you can feel good each time you buy a pair of these stretchy and comfy kickers. The more you wear them, the more they form to your foot.
In addition to their basic model and all the variety of cloths, textures and colors available, they recently came out with a wrap boot. I’m not so much a fan but then again, how could a shoe company not embrace their own style boot? I stuck with a brown plaid pair of shoes that will go with my loungey and natural-toned moods. Range of pricing starts at $42 up to $65 for shoes and as much as $118 for their new wrapped boot. Vegan varieties are also available.
The store will be there only until the end of January so be sure to make a visit before they’re gone to learn more about the company and to donate a pair of shoes to a child while getting a pair of kicks for yourself. After all, it’s always fashionable to be humanitarian. (They have guys’ shoes too!)
TOMS Shoes Pop-up Store
1617 Abbott Kinney Blvd.
Venice, CA 90291
10AM - 7PM
I’d been up there enough times. I don’t really expect people to know this, per se, and well - all reckless behavior should be reprimanded at all times no matter committed by whom.
Apparently, my carelessness was as readily apparent as was slick the OneBallJay wax on the bottom of my snowboard (and actually, my board was really pretty dry). We were at the top of the gondola. I dared rest my snowboard on its flat probably a whole 30 feet away from the edge of Climax - just inside the frame taken above.
Thankfully, Ski Patrol helped bring to light the error of my ways. I call this, Enlightenment.
It’s hard for me to put into words the emotion that has surrounded this entire Presidential campaign.
Obama referenced Dr. King’s term, “the fierce urgency of now” when he announced his candidacy. And maybe not in so many words, but that was the essence of what I felt when I knew I had to do something to help him get elected. Anything - like drive to Nevada and canvas there. I have believed in him - oratory and inexperience considered - from the beginning, even more than Hillary. To me, his speeches were and never are just words, but eloquent articulation communicating a broad understanding of issues he has weighed time and time again. His charisma isn’t empty, but a fresh and graceful challenge to our lowered standards of Presidential rhetoric and diplomacy as a direct result of the past 8 years.
The General Election was quite an animal. The mere prospect of the alternative being elected was just not something I could face myself with if I had not done my part. I won’t lie and say that “negative” motivation wasn’t also factor. Everything that came up Ayers, socialist, Hussein, Wright or non-policy in general, fueled me as well. But Palin scared me the most and and that was that.
There are tons of special event wine tastings that I’ve passed up, most likely because I was lazy or they sounded run-of-the-mill. But when I heard - thanks to Caroline - that Colorado Wine Co. in Eagle Rock was pairing wines up with ”white trash” foods, I couldn’t resist the opportunity. Unique and ingenious, I thought, in this day and age of Anti-Elitism. Because I may live in the “fake” parts of the United States, but you can’t ever say I ever forgot where I came from. (Then again, the Midwest isn’t really White Trash country; I tend to regard it more as the White Ghetto. There’s a difference, y’see? It’s more Harley-Davidsons and General Motors than Haulmarks.)
Apparently, this was their 2nd time holding the event and it definitely did not disappoint.
I had a great time with HC of LA-OC Foodie and Caroline. Luckily they arrived earlier than I did and were able to snag a table for us three to sit comfortably. And the 4-course menu?
Bouffèes de Fromage avec Denis Pere & Fils Brut, Burgundy, France - $24.99/bottle
