The Police Concert, and Meeting My Asian Doppelgänger

I went to see The Police concert at the Staples Center on Wednesday night, the 20th. It was cool to be there -- I went alone and had a fun time -- but maybe around halfway through the concert, I realized it wasn't really all that great.

The last time I was at the Staples Center for a concert was in January to see Justin Timberlake. Sometime during his first number ("FutureSex/LoveSound"), my friends and I remarked how amazing he sounded. His voice was crystal-clear and the acoustics were pristine. On Wednesday, sometime during "Synchronity II" or "Roxanne" or one of the old hits, I realized how crappy the sound was. Sting's voice sounded muddy and the music was just very feedbacky. Not to mention that the guys just seemed to motor through the set -- probably with dollar signs ch-chinging in their heads. Big bummer.

But, despite the concert price tag (about $125 including Ticketmaster fees), I'm still happy I decided to get in on this reunion tour. I even got so caught up in it that I lost my mind temporarily and shelled out $80 for a distressed (read: washed and has tiny tears and holes) T-shirt. I know, I know: crrrazy and just a bit out of character for this frugal chick. Anyway, onward and upward. I'm looking forward to Sing-along Sound of Music at the Hollywood Bowl next Saturday.

Some other highlights of the week:
- attending the Joost cocktail party at the TV Academy. Once I get a computer that can handle it, I can't wait to take advantage of my beta tester status.
- deciding to ditch "Late Night at LACMA" plans on Summer Solstice with a friend and scoring a last-minute table at Pizzeria Mozza (yes, Batali's place on Melrose). Actually, the meal was just "OK" -- no big whoop. Been there, done that ... I can cross it off my list.
- third interview at a big company for a full-time freelance gig. I suppose it's time to do my finances a favor and get back on the 9-to-5 bandwagon...
- "Ocean's 13" screening at the TV Academy. Fun flick. Could've been 30 minutes shorter, tho.
- Martha Stewart Living event at the Beverly Center L'Oreal Paris store. Pleasant event with nice giveaways. But, I have to admit, both of my events there attracted larger numbers of women who were more fun, engaged, and interested in the makeup. Yay, me! ;-)
- Summer solstice dessert and cocktail party at the friend of a friend's place in Beverly Hills on Saturday night. What a fun little soiree. And, I met my Asian doppelgänger! She's a mellow gal with a similar passion for travel, and -- get this -- we even sort of have the same name! How cool to make new friends (and potential travel buddies!) when you least expect it!

This coming week is another full one, but my mom is coming to visit, and we're fixin' to have lots of fun.

Ranger Ernie Rocks!

This past weekend was the last Saturday morning Griffith Park ranger hike until September. Ranger Ernie Ybarra led a small group of eager Angelenos on a 5-mile trek up to a shady hilltop oasis known as Amir's Garden.

Amir's Garden was lovingly created by Amir Dialameh, an Iranian immigrant and nature enthusiast. For more than three decades, he's hiked up the steep hillside with his pick and axe with plants, trees, flowers and succulents in tow, transforming a swath of scorched earth above the Mineral Wells area into a lush, shady grove. (Info at amirsgarden.org.)



Although a couple friends came along for the hike, we all spent time talking with various members of the hiking group. This was my third time out, and already there are familiar faces. It's a fun and interesting group of people who seek out free and active opportunities to explore the outdoor offerings in our city. (BTW, now I know where to find a tasty peach tree in the park, not too far from the old zoo -- the peaches were crunch but sweet!)

The next hike isn't scheduled until September 29 (we usually meet at 9 a.m. at the Visitor's Center/ranger station), but Ranger Ernie is planning to lead some nighttime hikes before then, which should be amazing. Email him for info at: ernie.ybarra@lacity.org.

How I Spent My Weekend

Friday: Opening reception at Pounder Kone Art Space in Atwater Village -- a longtime project of co-founder, CCH Pounder, finally come to fruition. CC is Guyanese (like my parents) and our paths have crossed before, so it was nice seeing/chatting with her again.

Saturday: Woke up late, so got to pilates class 20 minutes late. Listened to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and "Weekend America" on NPR while running errands. Saw a familiar-looking African American movie character actor while at the car wash on Ventura in Studio City. Caught an early afternoon screening of Shrek the Third at the TV Academy. Enjoyable.

Sunday: Forwarded a Sunday NYT article highlighting my recent AFI DCL project (I was on the Cartoon Network team). Cleaned house, ran more errands. Back to North Hollywood for the TV Academy screening of Pirates of the Caribbean. Way too long, but that Orlando Bloom sure is pretty.

Makes Me Laugh Every Time

The Most Beautiful Men on TV...

...are on BBC America! How do I love thee, "Footballers Wive$"? Let me count the ways:

Hot-Hot-Hotness from Earls Park's newest midfielder, "Tremaine Gidigbi," (Chucky Venice) fresh from the pen:


The dearly departed, yet somehow still vapor-inducing "Conrad Gates" (Ben Price):


And, there's still a little place in my heart for AWOL pretty boy "Kyle Pascoe," (Gary Lucy) who discovered he liked the sistas after his trophy wife bit the dust:


Now you know how I'll be spending my Wednesday evenings this summer!

www.footballerswives.tv
FW page on BBCAmerica.com

Free Knickers from Macy's -- Last Chance!

Promotion ends TODAY -- print out a coupon to get a free Jockey Ultimates panty. More info here.

My New Vocabulary Word

Main Entry: zar·zue·la
Pronunciation: "zär-z&-'wA-l&, "zär-'zwA-
Function: noun
Etymology: Spanish, probably from La Zarzuela, royal residence near Madrid where it was first performed
: a usually comic Spanish operetta

My friend, Stacey, won some L.A. Opera tickets and invited me to attend a show on Tuesday night -- Placido Domingo and Maria Jose Montiel headlining in Luisa Fernanda, which, I learned, is a zarzuela.

The seats (valued at $180 apiece!) were amazing, as was the opportunity to spend a pre-summer evening at the Music Center in not-quite-balmy downtown L.A.

Sure, the plot was a little thin and convoluted (as storylines in operas usually are), and yes, it was a bit of a downer that the supertitles weren't as thorough or accurate as they could've been (only people with Spanish comprehension skills "got" the jokes that weren't translated), but the sets/staging were interesting and innovative and the costuming/dance was, in a word, pretty.

Alas, no matter how fabulous or celebrated a particular ballet or opera is, I usually find myself nodding off at some point (yes, I even fell asleep a couple seasons ago at the Baz Luhrmann version of La Boheme. I know ... blasphemy!). This show was no different. I just nodded, though. No actual sleeping occurred.

The performance was enjoyable, as was the after-theatre snack we had at Kendall's Brasserie on Grand Ave., which is the post-performance destination of choice for performers and theatre-goers alike. I had a yummy shrimp and avocado salad, and spied Placido Domingo and his posse getting seated as I wolfed down my order of pommes frites.

I'm hoping to make a trip back to the Music Center soon -- I've been jonesin' to see Jersey Boys since before it won the Tony, and it's playing at the Ahmanson through August 5.

On an entirely unrelated note: I was up working at my computer from about 3 a.m. to 7:30ish, and when I was done, I collapsed into bed to get some sleep. Of course, by that time, my room was very bright, so I found an old sleeping mask I'd received on a Virgin Atlantic flight, put it on and hit the hay. A few hours later, when I woke up and took it off, my vision was seriously blurry. An hour after that, I still couldn't focus; when I sat at my computer to do my email, I reminded myself of my old post-college roommate. (Jane was legally blind, used the largest computer monitor I'd ever seen, and her eyes were always just inches away from it.)

This sleep-mask blindness (most likely just extremely dry eyes) scared the bejesus out of me, and seriously came at a bad time -- as I had to drive to an interview that afternoon. Luckily, this tale has a happy ending: I survived the drive to/from the interview (and it went well!), was able to read the supertitles at the opera without squinting, and after a few hours of shut-eye last night, I have my vision back. Whew!