Rock Star Weekend

I should clarify right away that this weekend was a rock star weekend for me. Any self respecting rock star would scoff at my partying prowess over the last 48 hours, but it was a good showing for the old lady that I have become. Don't get me wrong, I socialize quite regularly, but these days I like to go out relatively early and return home relatively early. So to attend four parties in one weekend, and to stay out until after 3 a.m. Saturday night/Sunday morning is kind of big deal in my world. Especially since I work weekends, as well.

But I am getting ahead of myself here.

The rock star weekend began Friday night with the very sophisticated cookie and cocktail party at Jim and Molly's. They have a lovely apartment in Russian Hill, and it was packed with cookies, savory snacks and delicious wine. Not to mention fun people. Most of the Gourmet Group girls were there, as well as various husbands, boyfriends and friends. Laughter filled the air, cookies were consumed, and an impromptu dance party began at about 11:30.

I got home at the fairly decent hour of 12:30 that night, but I had to be at work at 11 o'clock the next morning. Take into account that I go running before work every day, and you'll understand that I didn't get quite as much sleep as I would have liked. But I was okay and ready for work Saturday afternoon.

Immediately following work, I hit the first of three Saturday night parties: Kim's birthday soiree. It was also a sophisticated and adult affair at a private room in a Financial District restaurant. Talk about good snacks; they were not only tasty but very fancy. The wine was also flowing in celebration of Kim, and we had delicious birthday cake. Some of the partiers are pictured above: Katie, myself, Birthday Girl Kim, Gretchie, Paul and Bill.

After about two hours at Kim's party, I hopped in a cab and made my way to the Marina for Emily's birthday bash. Emily and her friends had staked out their space in a crowded wine bar, and I arrived just in time for champagne. After a glass of bubbly and some good conversation with Emily, her friend Isha and a random (to me) anesthesiologist, I was off again. This time to the Lower Haight for Wendy's going away party.

The fair Wendy is moving to New York in just about a week, and in the middle of her super-fun goodbye party, I realized just how much I'm going to miss her. Wendy is an actor, yoga instructor and superhero whom I became friends with about four and a half years ago. She's positively neato, and New York will be very lucky to have her. Wendy and I posed for this picture as I was waiting for my cab home at about 3 a.m., after a night of nothing but good times.

At Wendy's party, I got a chance to see Camilla, whom I hadn't seen since July, as well as Jake, Davin, Mark, Rick, Jordan, Bernadette and a host of other people. I also met Wendy's old friend Mark (about half the guys at this party were named Mark), whom I think I'm going to hang out with again before he heads back down to L.A. in a week or so. You know if you read this space with any kind of regularity that I visit L.A. fairly often. So I'm excited to have another friend down there.

When I finally arrived home after the party marathon that was my Saturday night, I didn't settle into bed until almost 5 a.m. I don't know if I remember the last time I stayed up that late because I was socializing. (I'm thinking it was my birthday almost a full year ago.) Luckily, I don't work until 5 p.m. on Sundays, so I was able to get enough sleep, go running and still show up to my job feeling fresh.

Oh, yes, in my own way, I am a rock star.

Running Away With the Circus: Theatre That's Making Me Happy Today, vol 16

Cirque du Soleil's Kooza under Le Grand Chapiteau

Call me crazy, but I generally have found the Cirque du Soleil shows I've seen to be underwhelming. Even O at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is not, in my opinion, all it's cracked up to be. Make no mistake, I very much respect the skill and artistry every Cirque show features, but I just haven't found them all that exciting.

Until Kooza.

Kooza is running in San Francisco right now, and it is amazing. I probably like this show more than the other Cirque shows I've seen because it most resembles a traditional circus. Without the bearded ladies and abused animals, that is. Acrobats, contortionists, clowns, trapeze artists, tight-rope walkers, comedy... Kooza has it all. And the result is truly phenomenal. I'm not going to waste your time trying to give you a play by play because Kooza needs to be experienced.

Just go see it, if you can. I'm no acrobat, but sometimes I'd like to run away with the circus.

Prior to the show, Gretchen and I swung by Tony Nik's for a couple of cocktails. We used to go to Tony Nik's all the time before Gretchen had her baby and Tony Nik's was overrun by the many annoying people who hang out there now. But last night the bar wasn't crowded, and Devon very sweetly recreated for me a vanilla-apple cocktail I'd had at Palomino a couple of weeks ago. It was just like old times. "Old times" being 2003 through 2005, by the way.

Cocktails and the circus? That's one good Wednesday night.

Fine and Dandy at the Napper Tandy

My work schedule has been a little bit different due to the holiday weekend, and that meant I had last night off. Saturday nights out are now at a premium in my life, so I wanted to make the most of it. To that end, after work Joey and I joined Valerie, Kevin, Tom, Andrey, Chris, Eric and some work friends of Kevin's at the Napper Tandy in the Mission. While the Napper Tandy is Valerie and Kevin's neighborhood bar, I had never been there; so I was excited to check it out. Especially since on Saturday nights they feature, you guessed it, karaoke!

Don't worry, my karaoke habit will play itself out one day soon, and you'll no longer have to read about it.

Anyway, that photo above was actually taken at the end of the evening (at least at the end of my evening; the party was still going strong when I left at 12:45) after we had all taken our turns at the microphone. Well, some of us, like me, had taken several turns. I sang "Somewhere Only We Know," "Downtown" and "Back On the Chain Gang," with my last selection featuring most of the Napper Tandy on background vocals. I realize that I've begun singing the same songs over and over again when I go out for karaoke. I need to expand my repertoire.

By the way: I know poor Chris is half cut out of that photo, but in the only other one I had of the group of us, Eric is hidden by my pony tail, and Valerie and Tom are making slightly weird faces. My apologies, Chris.

All of that said, the actual point of this post is not karaoke, believe it not, but more that I was reminded what fabulous and wonderful friends I have. I was out with only a handful of them last night, but I think it was a fair sample. The long and short of it is this: my friends rock and are super fun. Following are a few cases in point.

Kevin, whom I don't see very often, is incredibly clever and has stellar music taste. Before the karaoke began, he programmed 17 songs in the jukebox, including Buddy Holly and the Go-Go's. Does it get better than that? Valerie, Kevin's girlfriend and one of the very first people I met in San Francisco 11 years ago, continues her passionate pursuit of an acting career. She may not be gracing the cover of Entertainment Weekly, but she is one of the most driven and committed actors I know. Tom embraces his geeky interests, like video games, with such charm that he turns geekiness to an incredibly hip quality. Honestly. Chris is nothing less than a total rock star. He has it all: brains, talent, generosity, charisma. I could go on and on. Andrey has a way of making me feel very loved and very cute when we go out, and he does so without being at all slimy. Plus, he may be the best karaoke buddy ever. He sings very well and seems to know all the words to every pop song ever written. Andrey is from Moscow and says he and his friends learned English by listening to American pop music, hence his vast knowledge of lyrics. Very impressive. And speaking (again) of karaoke, I've said it before, but it bears repeating: Eric knows how to work a karaoke mic like no body's business. Not to mention that he and Chris taught me how to play Texas Hold 'Em a few years ago.

These people are really a mere drop in the bucket of my entire pool of luvvies. I could write volumes about the fabulousness embodied by all the people I have the privilege of calling my friends. I mentioned in my Thanksgiving Eve post that I'm thankful for all the love I have in my life and all the people who love me. And that gratitude continues. Believe me when I tell you that I am one lucky girl.

Urban Chic Thanksgiving

A few years ago, I would gather with a lucky chosen few at my friend Daniel's 10th floor apartment high atop Russian Hill for Thanksgiving dinner. Daniel and I dubbed it the Urban Chic Thanksgiving, and for the two (or was it three?) years it lasted, it was quite the wonderful tradition. But times change, and for the last couple of years, I have spent Thanksgiving at my Aunt Mary and Uncle David's place in Los Altos.

Well, this year, Mary, David and my cousin Anna decided to come to the City for Thanksgiving. My sister Fabulous Patti, brother Michael, sister-in-law Maki and nephew Mikey Jet also made the trek up to San Francisco from Los Angeles. Add another uncle and cousin to the downtown party, and the Urban Chic Thanksgiving was reborn. My own apartment is way too small to host a Thanksgiving affair; so the ten of us piled into First Crush at about 4:30 for dinner. This is me and Anna rocking our sunglasses like the rock stars we both know we are. I'd wanted to snap a photo of all of us at the table, but the restaurant was full and the waiter overwhelmed. Plus, the lovable Mikey Jet had already demonstrated his vocal ability by screaming bloody murder every time Mike and Maki tried to put him in the high chair to eat. So the last thing I wanted to do was bother anyone further.

I certainly hope we gave that waiter a really good tip.

Anyway, instead of the big table photo, I corralled a stranger into snapping this lovely shot of Mike, Fabulous Patti, myself, Maki and Mikey Jet outside the restaurant once we were all pleasantly full. Do we not look happy? I'd actually never eaten out for Thanksgiving before, and it was a very nice experience. For one thing, I didn't overeat. Well, not at the restaurant, anyway, but we'll get to that later. Even though the meal was probably packed with calories, you can't help yourself to seconds and thirds at a restaurant. So portion control was handled for me, and I definitely appreciated that.

Of course, it wouldn't be a true Urban Chic Thanksgiving without Daniel. Lucky for me, he and Mark had invited me to their newly renovated home for dinner. Obviously, I had other dinner plans, but Fabulous Patti and I swung by after dinner for dessert and champagne with Daniel, Mark, their friend Scott and Mark's father Mel. Mel sweetly snapped this photo of FP, Daniel, Mark and myself. Just as proof we were all there.

It would be at Daniel and Mark's that the overeating occurred. Even though I'd already had dessert, I couldn't resist the very large slice of pumpkin pie offered me. I mean, refusal would be rude, wouldn't it? Well, polite or not, the pie was delicious, and even though I had no room for a second dessert, I ate it anyway. Yummy. After dessert, the champagne flowed, and we all engaged in urban chic conversation which was both stimulating and well worthy of the glamorous affair.

Needless to say, I found myself at the gym before work Friday morning. I probably would have gone to the gym anyway, but it was extra necessary that morning. Whether it helped or not, at least I feel less guilty about all I ate on Thursday.

Next stop: my birthday and Christmas.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

When I was in junior high and high school, the day before Thanksgiving was my very favorite day of the year. Well, except my birthday, but if you know me at all, you know that goes without saying. Anyway, the day before Thanksgiving was my (almost) favorite day of the year because all the fun and goodness of the holiday season was right in front of me. The day before Thanksgiving is the beginning of the best six weeks on the calendar.

And it doesn't hurt that my birthday is also in December.

Anyway, I was thinking about that today, as I enjoyed a day of lounging, baking a pumpkin pie, buying champagne and exercising. And today also got me thinking about some things in my life for which I'm thankful. I think I wrote about things to be thankful for on this space at this time last year, but every Thanksgiving inspires me to think about how fortunate I am.

Honestly. So here are some things I'm thankful for this year.

1. My health. I know this one is totally overdone, but today I saw a wheelchair-bound woman being helped into a van by a nurse. Not to assume that the wheelchair woman isn't perfectly healthy other than her inability to walk, but I am genuinely thankful that everything in my body functions properly. And it all functions properly in a pretty cute package, if I do say so myself.

2. The bunches and bunches of love in my life. I'll admit that I'm not working a whole lot of the romantic-type love with the perfect guy right now, but I'm still surrounded by affection. And it's affection from a ton of super-smart, super-interesting and super-creative people. Gotta love that.

3. A job that I enjoy. They call it work... as opposed to say, nap... for a reason, and I can't say my job is perfect. But for fifteen years I've had a rather successful career that is still going strong. I try to remember that even when I get frustrated with work.

4. My current work schedule. Wednesday and Thursday are my regular days off, which means that I have Thanksgiving off, as I did last year and the year before. That may not seem like much to you, but in my position, working holidays, even major holidays, is expected. So I'm happy to have one holiday off every year. Until and unless my schedule changes.

5. A super cute apartment in a nice neighborhood in a fabulous city. Yes, I admit I would rather live in Hawaii, and I'm still enamored with Los Feliz in L.A., but San Francisco isn't too shabby. A lot of people would love to live here, and I actually do. Yay!

6. Music. This actually should be number one because I'm a music fanatic, and as I've said before: music never lets you down. But I think I am more thankful for my health. Imagine how sucky it would be if I suddenly lost my hearing and couldn't listen to music anymore. Let's not even talk about that.

7. A comfortable lifestyle. I'm far from rich, and frankly, I've spent large portions of my life happily making ends meet on a much smaller salary than I command right now. However, I really do appreciate having the ability to go to the spa once a month or so; to visit Diva Mommy in Hawaii a couple of times a year; to go to all the live music shows I want; to keep my membership at the Fancy Gym; and to buy shoes when I want them.

8. The open mic circuit, karaoke and my singing lessons. Whoever would have thought that singing would become my primary hobby? And that I could actually do it without shattering glass or causing dogs to whimper? Not me.

9. Naps. I think this one needs no explanation.

10. Lee Pace. He's the star of the new television show "Pushing Daisies," and he's become my new tv boyfriend. Talented, charming and very hot. That's all we really want from our tv boyfriends, and Lee doesn't disappoint. (For the record, I'm not throwing over my other tv boyfriend, Peter Krause, for Lee. They can share my affections.)

Okay, that's all I can think of right now. But I bet I'll be able to come up with about 1000 more. I'm a lucky girl, and it's good to remember that. Frequently. Not just once a year.

The Easy Lounge...

... on Lakeshore Avenue in Oakland may be my new favorite bar. For one thing, it's called the Easy Lounge; do bar names get any better than that? For another thing, it seems to be open during the day... at least on Saturdays. And to a person like me, who likes to get her drink on but still go to bed at a decent hour, daytime drinking hours are a huge bonus. If all of that isn't enough, the proprietors of the Easy Lounge buy fresh fruit from the local farmers market and use their haul to make fresh, satisfying cocktails.

Yummy.

I discovered the Easy Lounge yesterday when Mindi had her birthday party there. The special cocktails of the day included a fruity concoction made with fresh muddled strawberries, a raspberry margarita and this Frangelico thing. The Frangelico thing had no fruit in it, but it did feature Frangelico, cream, Kaluha and lord knows what else. It probably packed about 1000 calories per sip, but it was worth it. I could have thrown back six or so seven of those little rich numbers. In fact, here are Mindi and myself enjoying our cocktails in honor of her birthday. We are ever so slightly out of focus (and I'm a little shiny; how about some powder, Sassy?), but you get the idea.

However, there was no time for overindulging at the Easy Lounge because after about an hour at Mindi's party, Tom and I took off for Stephanie's wedding in Santa Clara. Tom had never met Stephanie before watching her get married, but he was still game for the party. We got a tiny bit lost on the way, but we made it. The reception was quite fun, especially since Tom and I were seated with Alexandra, a woman we both know and like but hardly ever see, and Stephanie's friend Isabel, who was super fun. We all decided we wanted to be the rowdy table, but we failed in that endeavor. For one thing, our table was only half full (by the way, who rsvp's "yes" for a wedding and then doesn't show up without letting the bride or groom know?), and for another, there was a much rowdier table than ours. Well, the best laid plans.

If an afternoon birthday party and evening wedding weren't enough, at about 11:00, Tom and I made our way back to the City for a party at Eric's place. The party was winding down as we arrived, but we livened it up a bit. At one point it became a sing along, with all eight or so of us lingering partiers singing songs like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Don't Stop Believin'" to Eric's acoustic guitar accompaniment. Yes, those songs are cheesy, but they're fun, and it was 1:00 in the morning. What else would you expect at that hour?

Needless to say, I had taken the day (or night, I should say) off work to accommodate all this socializing. And I'd say it was totally worth it.

The Night The Mint Imploded

For those of you keeping score at home, I'll tell you that my karaoke habit continues to grow. It's a cheap (in more ways than one) and easy way for me to feed my singing urge. The thing about karaoke, however, is that it's only fun if you check your judgement at the door. Whether you can sing or not, the point to is work up the nerve to get up and belt out a tune. Karaoke is the great equalizer: one of the only forums where all things.. or singers... are truly equal. Good or bad.

That said, the Mint Karaoke Lounge, as I have mentioned before on this space, is known for attracting incredibly good singers. It actually can be quite intimidating as great voice after great voice takes to the microphone. And a lot of the same ringers frequent the Mint on a regular basis. In fact, a guy working at the sushi restaurant next door put it bluntly, telling my friend Sheela one evening: "The same people come here and sing the same songs night after night."

Huh. Night after night, except last Wednesday. Wherever all those ringers were that night, I'm certain their ears were bleeding.

My friend Katie and I decided to swing by the Mint to sing a song or ten on Wednesday night, and frankly, we were horrified by what we saw. Or heard, I should say. Yes, I know I'm breaking the cardinal karaoke rule by being judgmental, but oh, dear Lord. Screech after screech, horribly off-key song after horribly off-key song, squeal after squeal... the scene at the Mint on Wednesday was like nothing I'd ever seen there. Not to mention that most of the "singers" chose to punctuate their performances with really bad undulating that I guess was supposed to pass for dance moves. I'm all for "selling it" when you do karaoke, but really, now. It was bad news. Plus, to add insult to injury, it was really crowded, meaning lots and lots of... interesting, let's say... performances.

Now, in all fairness, some of the brave people who got up to sing were really fun, regardless of talent level. For example, the guy who sang the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There" was quite awesome in his cheesiness. But the woman who sang some song that referenced Taco Bell in its lyrics was not.

Katie, who has perfect pitch, was easily the best singer of the night. At least while we were there. I took second place. Katie sang a Lisa Stansfield song, while I picked Petula Clark's "Downtown" from my ever-expanding karaoke repertoire. I was also going to sing "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane, but it was so crowded, it took too long for my second song to come up. So I left. As I was making my exit, I noticed a couple of the regular ringers had trickled in. I can only imagine what they thought of the spectacle.

After recovering from this week's karaoke adventure, I met Kate (not to be confused with Katie, who is a totally different friend) on Thursday night at Solstice for snacks and conversation. After swapping stories, mostly about boys, over brussels sprouts, mac and cheese and french fries, we decided that in a lot of ways, our lives are just like they were two and half years ago when we first became friends.

Welcome to 2005, I suppose.

Totally Yay!

Lots to talk about in this post; so let's get to it. First of all, I'm a geek. I know this already.

About a week ago, I hopped onto Amazon.com and bought myself a copy of Totally Go-Go's. "What in Heaven's name is that?" you may ask. Well, it's a concert video recorded at Palos Verdes High School in December, 1981, and released in 1982. Yes, I said 1982. Which means this video is long since out of print, but luckily, Amazon sells used stuff, too. I taped the audio of Totally Go-Go's off KROQ at some point back in '82 and listened to it over and over, but with the exception of a few clips here and there, I had never seen it.

Until now, that is. It arrived yesterday, and after returning from a relatively early evening of cocktails (okay, club soda for me) with Phil and some of his friends, I popped that bad boy right into the vcr. Is it wrong that I spent 40 dollars on a 25-year old video tape and was watching it at midnight on a Friday night/Saturday morning?

Yeah, probably. But as I've said before and surely will say again: music never lets you down.

* * * * *

My actor/writer/director/producer friend Dan cast me in a staged reading this week and mentioned to me that he hoped he'd get a mention on this space. Well, here it is, and not just because I was in the reading, but because it was an enjoyable experience. The play by Beth Soloway was decent, and the whole thing was very fun. There was no audience; we were recording our reading specifically for the playwright's benefit. So we all stood in front of microphones, and it felt like an old-time radio play. Or at least what I imagine an old time radio play to be like.

Another actor in the reading was Shaun Landry, who must be one of the funniest people on earth. She's also a professional comedienne and improviser, so I suppose that makes sense. We all went to the Chieftain for drinks and snacks after the reading, and Shaun had me in stitches the entire evening. She regaled us with tales of everything... from her story about Mayor Gavin Newsom doing the cabbage patch to comparing her husband's looks to Benny Hill. Yes, Benny Hill.

* * * * *

Argonautika at Berkeley Rep is really good. It's a little on the long side, but it's based on a Greek myth, so of course it's long. They left nothing out of those suckers. There is this really cool call and response kind of song/chant which introduces all the Argonauts, and they reprise it for the curtain call using the actors' real names as each takes a bow. It was super neat.

* * * * *

Do you know what I'm doing tomorrow? Before work, I'm going over to Rosa's house in Berkeley, and we're going to sing! My work schedule of late has been keeping me away from open mic in Alameda, but I'm determined to make it after work this Tuesday. Since Rosa and I won't have time to practice right before, we're doing it tomorrow. I am so excited. As you have probably gathered, I love to sing.

* * * * *

Carolyn and I have hatched a top secret plan. Since it's top secret, I can't really tell you any details. But I will let you know if it works. Keep your fingers crossed.

Slices of Life

Nothing terribly earth shattering has happened over the last couple of days, so I'll just share a few tidbits with you.

Last night, my friend Carolyn and I were discussing boys, theatre and other life-altering phenomenon at the bar at Enricos when our attention was captured suddenly by about ten cops tearing down Broadway toward Montgomery. Several police cars then sped after them, including one that was driving backwards. It was all very dramatic and a tiny bit scary. I hope they caught whomever they were chasing.

I have found heaven on Earth, and it is the steam room at my gym. I've always loved that steam room, but I was reminded of it's glory this morning.

Speaking of the gym, someone with good taste was in charge of the music pumping through the gym sound system this morning. "I'm the Man" by Joe Jackson played as I ambled toward the ab machines. Not bad at all for a gym.

Speaking of music, "Beat Surrender" by the Jam might just be one of the greatest songs ever. I've probably mentioned that on this space before, but it bears repeating. I wish I'd written that song.

Don't you love the way the topics in this stream of consciousness post lead from one to the other?

Tonight I'm going to opening night of Mary Zimmerman's Argonautika at Berkeley Rep. The last Mary Zimmerman play I saw was Metamorphoses back in 1999. My actor friends Jessica, Richard and Barry were all in Metamorphoses at one point or another as the show ran here, in Los Angeles and Seattle. However, none of them went with Metamorphoses to Broadway. Sad.

I had two cocktails at lunch today with a former co-worker of mine. Don't worry, today is my day off; so I was allowed. However, for a girl who only drinks two days of week now, cocktails at lunch is quite decadent. They were delicious, though... these vanilla apple cosmo things. Yummy. I just hope I can stay awake through the play tonight.

Fred 62, my new favorite restaurant in L.A., got a mention in this week's Entertainment Weekly. I just hope it doesn't get too trendy. Well, it already is a little trendy, but I hope it retains its character.

Tomorrow, I'm going to re-awaken my actor self by doing a staged reading of a play by Beth Soloway. I'm also going to the spa earlier in the day for a vanilla fig sugar body scrub. Between the spa and the reading, tomorrow might just be the best day ever.

Today's been pretty good, though, too.

... And Hilarity Ensued

Every time I go out with my friends Phil and Joey I laugh so hard I almost pee in my pants. And last night was no exception. Perhaps that doesn't sound like the classiest or most savory endorsement, but believe me, it's a very good thing.

Also, slices from the random hole-in-the-wall pizza joint on Geary near the Edinburgh Castle are actually quite delicious. Just so you know.

We Came, We Saw, We Sang Our Hearts Out

I arrived at Encore Karaoke to the sounds of Tom singing "Birdhouse In Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants, and I knew it was going to be a good night.

This post will be a mostly a visual tour through our evening of song singing. The photo above would be me during my rendition of Petula Clark's "Downtown." As I suspected it would be, that is my new favorite karaoke song. I'm just sad I sang it early in the evening. We began our singing marathon at 8 p.m., when there was hardly anyone in the place. So even though Encore did get crowded as the night went on, we still got to sing a lot.

I sang five songs: "Back on the Chain Gang," the aforementioned "Downtown," "Different Drum," "Stay (I Missed You)" and "Magic." Yes, I ended with Olivia Newton John. I didn't sing that one as well as the previous four, but who cares? It's karaoke, for cryin' out loud. You've got to bust out with some Olivia. Tom sang three songs, and I snapped this shot while he warbled through Radiohead's "Creep."

The cool things about Encore Karaoke is that they also have a pool table, giving you something else to do while you're waiting to sing. I beat Eric in one pool game (okay, so I didn't actually beat him; he scratched on the eight ball), and then Eric stepped in for me while I sang to best Chris in a game.

Speaking of Eric, I believe he sang four songs. Maybe five. He's super fun to go karaoke-ing (is that a word?) with because he a serious ham. If you can't tell from this photo. So whatever vocal talent he does or doesn't have, he knows how to sell it. He loves to sing, and his choices ran the gamut of genres.

Even Chris got up to sing, which is rare. Chris has really good pitch, but he doesn't think he can sing. So while he will come to a karaoke bar, he generally shuns the microphone. But he got up this time to sing "Rainbow Connection," and it was just so damn cute.

Most of the other people at Encore that night had more enthusiasm than talent, but there were a couple of really good singers. This one woman who sang "Get Here" by Oleta Adams sounded like she was better suited for "American Idol" than a karaoke lounge. She had a very good voice; far better than me and my friends.

At about 11:00, Sheela and her husband Ben joined us. Because of the late arrival, Sheela only got to sing two songs, and one of them was a song Tom had chosen but left before he could sing it. That song would be "Stand By Me," and this is Sheela stopping to smile as she stepped in for Tom. She also sang a totally cute Carpenters song, which got the whole place singing along with her.

The only "bad" part of the evening was the car wreck of a couple sitting near us. I call them a car wreck because we couldn't stop looking at them, even though we really didn't like what we saw. You see, the guy looked to be about 65, and his date/girlfriend/whatever looked about 40. And they made out, to put it mildly, the entire time they were there. They didn't even sing. They came in, sat down, lapped at each other for two hours and then left.

Ick.

It's bad enough to be in the proximity of such a display, but I'm sorry, the obvious difference in their ages made it much, much worse. That said, I've made out in public before; a few times in fact. Although I always have been kissing someone my own age. But nonetheless, I now wonder how embarrassed I should be about my behavior. Even in hindsight. May I say again: ick.

As Tom and Chris were leaving, I got them to stop so I could pose for a photo with the boys. Look at how happy we all are. I'd say a wonderful time was had by all behind the karaoke microphones.

I'm not sure there is any more pure fun than singing songs.

Earthquake

Sometimes things happen that make my job really fun. As weird and even cruel as it may seem to associate a natural disaster with fun, it can be. And let me just say that tonight's earthquake (okay, technically, last night's earthquake) was moderate, and as of now, there have been no reports of major damage or injuries.

So I was able to enjoy the adrenaline and remember why I do what I do for a living. The Little Girls* would be so proud.


*My fondest admiration will be yours if you get that reference.

Gourmet Girl

I am not a cook.

Perhaps it's a good thing I'm not married because if I were (and I'm about to employ traditional marriage role stereotypes merely for the sake of comedy), my poor husband would starve to death. But every once in a while I branch out from the land of fresh fruit and vegetables paired with frozen entrees and attempt to create food from a list of ingredients. Traditionally, those occasions have been a handful of Thanksgiving holidays.

But then last year, I joined Gourmet Group, the lovely members of which are pictured above. My friend Denise introduced me to the group, and so far, I have managed to fool them into thinking I can cook. Well, it's not so much that I fool them as it is that I often can't make it to the "meetings" (also known as pot luck lunches/dinners). So I have been able to access my limited repertoire and show up with "expertly" prepared delicacies.

Unfortunately, as of this weekend's get together, I have officially exhausted the list of things I can cook. Well, technically, I can make pumpkin pie, but I buy canned pumpkin, which is probably cheating.

Anyway, this time around the Gourmet Group theme was "Family Recipes;" so I decided to bring lemon meringue pie. At the holidays my mother always made several desserts: sweet potato pie, apple pie, lemon meringue pie, chocolate cake and pound cake. For the record, I come from a large family, so it made sense for my mom to cook that much. Anyway, not only was lemon meringue pie probably my favorite dessert growing up, but it is sinfully easily to make. At least the recipe I know makes it sinfully easy to make.

That did not stop me from having drama as I tried to prepare my Gourmet Group lemon meringue on Sunday morning. First, I kind of misjudged how much time I would need, so from the get go I was running behind. Then I messed up the eggs. How does one mess up eggs, you may wonder. Well, does it really matter? I managed it, and since I had only purchased the exact number of eggs I needed, I had to go to the grocery store for more.

Once back home with my extra eggs, things went fairly smoothly. Until I realized/remembered I don't own measuring spoons. Did I mention that I don't cook? I managed without the spoons and finished the pie, which, as you can see, turned out okay. It was pretty, and it tasted pretty good, too.

Gourmet Group was fun and delicious, and all the other women seemed impressed with my pie. Poor foolish things. We had lots of other tasty treats, too. I ate way too much, but it was totally worth it. I'm not sure what I'll do when the next Gourmet Group comes along since I've already worked my way through all the recipes I know. All four of them. Well, we'll see.

Maybe I can start bringing drinks to every gathering.

Music That's Making Me Happy Today, vol 33

Sinister Dexter at Grant and Green

It takes a lot to get me to go out in North Beach on a weekend evening these days. What is one of the City's most delightful neighborhoods on, say, a Wednesday afternoon is downright horrifying on Friday and Saturday nights. But the lure of my friend Kate and a little live music did the trick, and last night I found myself out and about. In North Beach.

Kate and I became friends a couple of years ago when she dated my friend Brad. For a while in 2005 we were all kind of a buddy threesome, with Kate even telling me once she thought Brad and I would end up together because of our strong friendship chemistry. (No offense to Brad, but I laughed at that one.) But then Kate and Brad broke up, and a few months later, he and I drifted apart. So I've only seen Kate once or twice in the last year and a half or so. Well, she and I have decided to make a concerted effort to hang out more, and she suggested taking in her friend Josh's band, Sinister Dexter. Between being intrigued by the description of Sinister Dexter as a swing/funk/brass band and always being up for live music, I readily agreed, and we were off and running.

Kate and I began our evening with a few cocktails at Tony Nik's, a bar I used to frequent quite often until the night-time North Beach crowds and some subtle changes in TN's vibe drove me elsewhere. But I still go there every once in a while, and Kate and I spent at least one epic night there in... again... 2005. So it made sense as our starting point. After sipping a few cocktails meticulously crafted by the fabulous Darin, we took the party a few blocks away to Grant and Green, where Sinister Dexter was playing.

Sinister Dexter was just beginning their second set as we arrived, and within two songs I was in love with them. This 12-piece band has a 7-man horn section. That's right, two trombones, two trumpets and three saxophones. I love brass instruments and instantly developed crushes on all the horn players just because I could. The lead singer was the tiniest bit annoying because, as the only woman in the outfit, she seemed to be trying a little too hard to be sexy and draw attention to herself. That said, she also has a fantastic voice and sings better than I likely can even dream of singing. So I'm probably a little jealous.

Musically, Sinister Dexter's sound is exactly as Kate described it: a swing/funk/brass mix. Their original numbers were nestled alongside covers of everything from Louis Prima's "Jump, Jive and Wail" to Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" to the Blues Brothers' "Hey, Bartender" (a parody version of which I used to sing with Fake Band) to the Ike and Tina Turner version of "Proud Mary." They were so good and had so much energy. Kate, who went to Stanford, tells me that most of the guys are former Stanford band geeks, which makes me love them even more. Say the words "band geek," and you may as well be saying "Sassy's dream man." (A little sad but very true.)

Before I knew it, it was almost 2 a.m. and the staff of Grant and Green were ushering us all out the door. I have a very active social life and go out a lot, but at my advanced age, it is rare that I'm still at a bar at closing time. All in all, I'd give the evening an "A+." I had actually been feeling pretty low all day (stupid emotions!), but Kate and Sinister Dexter pulled me right out of that nonsense. After all, friends are great therapy, and as I've said on this space before, music never lets you down.

Fine Art Afternoon

About eight years ago, I had a conversation with my friend Biraj, during which he lamented the fact that he had no girlfriend. Biraj often did that (still does), but I distinctly remember this particular exchange because Biraj said that without a significant other with whom to enjoy it, he was missing much of what San Francisco has to offer. Including and especially the museums.

With all due respect to the lovely and talented Biraj, I am nothing like that. Well, not that I don't occasionally whine about being single, but I do not let the lack of a boyfriend stop me from doing anything. Like treating myself to the Peter Max and the Summer of Love exhibition at the de Young Museum this afternoon.

Okay, in all honesty, this was the first time I'd been to the de Young. I've visited SF Moma, the Academy of Sciences and the San Francisco Museum of Arts and Crafts, but before today, not the de Young. But that's mostly because until recently, I never knew exactly where in Golden Gate Park I could find it. And then there was that whole de Young renovation, funding, parking drama that I never completely understood. Anyway, I stumbled upon the de Young a week and a half ago as I was making my way to Emily and James' Octoberfest barbecue in Speedway Meadow, and I made a mental note. I had been meaning to take in the Peter Max exhibition for several weeks, and it is closing on Sunday, so I knew I had to get on it.

I have to admit, I was a little underwhelmed by the de Young's Peter Max collection. Make no mistake, the pictures are fabulous; there just aren't very many of them. What the de Young does have an abundance of, however, is gift shops. A large one on every floor, as a matter of fact, with at least two small satellite shops that I noticed. I also meandered through the Nan Kempner American Chic exhibition, which was interesting until I realized that I basically was looking at the contents of a dead, wealthy woman's closet. That said, Mrs. Kempner did own a Pierre Cardin little black dress that I am certain would look fabulous on me. The only problem being that Mrs. Kempner's dress is probably at least three sizes too small for me, and none of the many de Young gift shops were selling any Pierre Cardin knock-offs in multiple sizes.

Whatever.

It may seem like I didn't like the de Young, but actually I very much did. And today I barely made a dent in all this museum has to offer. So I definitely will have to go back. I may even become a member; one fee entitles me to membership at both the de Young and the Legion of Honor. That wouldn't be bad at all.

On my way home from the de Young, I stopped by my version of a crack den: Borders. I simply cannot walk in that place without buying something, and today was no different. I was probably there for only ten minutes, but that was plenty of time for me to procure two paperbacks. Yes, two more books, even though I have literal stacks that have yet to be read. Not to mention my pile of New Yorker magazines that gets bigger and bigger every week.

I need serious help. Well, I suppose there are worse addictions than purchasing literature.

Tonight I am comfortably settled at home and switching between "Pushing Daisies" and Game One of the World Series (where the Red Sox are currently spanking the Rockies; yay) on my television set. Tomorrow I'm going with Valerie to see After the Quake at Berkeley Rep, and on Friday, Kate and I are going to see a swing/funk/brass band (whatever that may sound like) in North Beach.

All of this amid deliciously warm weather around the Bay. We need more days like this, my friends.

*Peter Max picture courtesy of gallerym.com

Tearing Up Tinsel Town

Well, I didn't exactly tear anything up, but I did have a fabulous time down in the City of Angels. My trip began Wednesday afternoon with my usual run down Los Feliz Boulevard. That evening, my sister Fabulous Patti introduced me to my new favorite restaurant, Fred 62 (see previous post). After that, we went to The Brass Monkey, a karaoke lounge in L.A.'s Koreatown.

The Brass Monkey is unlike any other karaoke lounge. Well, that's not totally true. It actually seemed to be a very typical karaoke lounge, except that virtually no one there on Wednesday night could sing. And the place was pretty crowded. Talented singers or not, they were nonetheless the most attentive karaoke audience I've ever seen, with people singing along and cheering for me, an unknown tourist, when I finally got up to the microphone. See if anyone at The Mint pays you any attention if you're not a regular there. Plus, one woman at The Brass Monkey sang the theme song from "The Greatest American Hero." She didn't sing it very well, but it was still one of the most brilliant karaoke moments I have ever witnessed.

On Thursday night, FP and I met my high school friend Kristie in Silver Lake for dinner at the Edendale Grill and a post dinner cocktail at the Mixville Bar. Delicious food was consumed and enlightened conversation was had on the patio in front of the converted firehouse that is now the Edendale Grill. Yummy. That's a photo of myself with Kristie just before our feast began. Fabulous Patti and I decided to go to The Derby after dinner, and that was... well, just a little disappointing. The space is really cool with two stages of live music happening at once, but only one of the many bands playing Thursday night was any good. Some of the boys in the place were kind of cute, but they tended to hang on girls who looked like poster children for drug abuse. I'm not usually so catty when it comes to other women, but these girls were something else. Maybe I'm getting old because I seem to have missed the memo proclaiming the heroin chic look back in vogue.

Friday turned out to be somewhat of a lazy day, but who cares? I was on vacation, after all. After my run, I lounged around Fabulous Patti's apartment while she took a nap. We then ordered Chinese food from a delicious restaurant in Hollywood before heading out to Atwater Village to meet some other friends of mine from high school.

Emily and Dionne (pictured here with Fabulous Patti and myself) were part of this group of decidedly cool kids two years ahead of me in high school. They not only listened to all the good music, but they actually went to live music shows years before such a habit became a regular part of my life. I may have known the Three O'Clock, but Emily and Dionne were at the clubs watching them play while I was at home listening to them on Rodney's Sunday night show on KROQ. Emily now works for the city of Los Angeles; Dionne is a professor at Loyola Marymount University; and we all caught up on what has shaped our lives over the past twenty years. We met at the Big Foot Lodge and sipped girl scout cookie cocktails (that's really what they were called) while we dished on all things Poly (our little private high school in Pasadena), politics and L.A., in general.

Once back in the City by the Bay on Saturday afternoon, I had to get cute and scoot to my friend Anne's wedding in Berkeley. Hey, Anne is also a friend of mine from high school; apparently, it was an all-high school weekend for me. Anyway, Anne and her now-husband Stoycho were married at Cafe de la Paz near the U. C. Berkeley campus. They used the theme from "The Pink Panther" as their wedding music, and we all dined on delicious Argentinian food while the wine and sangria flowed at the reception. I was able to pin the bride down for a photo before I left. This is Anne (second from the left), along with Keri, me and their friend Stephen before Keri, Stephen and I made our exit.

Today, after laundry and a very long run/walk across almost the entire city, it was back to work. I suppose all good things must come to an end, including mini-vacations. Oh, well.

This is totally off the subject, but the Red Sox won the ALCS tonight and are going to the World Series. Yay.

Whenever You Want It

From the menu of my new favorite restaurant, Fred 62 on Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz:

Beer served from 6:30 a.m. until 1:30 a.m.

Just in case you were wondering.

(For the record, morning, noon and night beer service is not what makes the fabulous retro-cool but still modern diner that is Fred 62 my new favorite snack joint. I've yet to even have a beer there. But I can't say it hurts, either.)

From McGrath's to Mulholland

Sometimes life takes you from one extreme to another. Okay, we're not really talking extremes here, but nonetheless.

Last night, I made a triumphant return to the open mic at McGrath's in Alameda (pictured here... for the record, I don't know who those guys are) to sing with Rosa. Perhaps it's an overstatement to call my return triumphant, but it certainly was fun. Some of the regulars now know me and were very friendly last night, even though I haven't been there in two months or so.

Rosa sang "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor, along with two of her original songs. She was, of course, amazing. I just sent her an email offering my services as fan club president when she puts her real band together. I also told her I'd be her occasional back-up singer, if she wants one. As for me last night, I sang "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac and one of my old stand-bys, Keane's "Somewhere Only We know." Ironically, I was nervous about "Landslide" because last night was the first time Rosa and I had performed it together, and we'd had to spend a little time working out some kinks beforehand. But that number went really well. However, when we got to "Somewhere Only We Know," a song I've sang at McGrath's before, as well as several karaoke bars, I kind of forgot the words. I do that a lot with that song; I have know idea what my problem is.

Luckily Rosa pulled a major Wayne Gretzky and saved the song by playing the verse chords until I found my way back to the right lyrics. Actually, she thought she'd messed up and was trying to figure out where she was, but either way, it worked. I managed to remember what verse I was supposed to be singing, and we made it to the chorus unscathed.

There were some other good performances last night, too. One band was a duo that called themselves Peter and the Wolf. I think the singer/songwriter was named Peter, making his bass player the Wolf, I suppose. They were pretty good. Then, after Rosa and I had wowed the crowd, this guy who looked about 16 years old took to the mic. He sang "What I Got" by Sublime, "Under the Bridge" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, some song neither Rosa nor I had ever heard before about the vulgar manner of having sex, and "Bubble Toes" by Jack Johnson. He was my favorite not only because he looked so young and innocent and not only because he sang well, but because he forgot the words to all of his songs. If he even knew them in the first place. Let's just say I could relate to that.

So that was then, and this is now, and this afternoon I write to you from sunny Los Angeles. I'm not on Mulholland Drive at the moment, but Mulholland sounded better alongside McGrath's in this post title. Where I am is Los Feliz, happily looking out at the Griffith Park Observatory. I'm about to go jogging along Los Feliz Boulevard, and tonight, I'm dragging my sister, Fabulous Patti, to karaoke. Tomorrow night, I'm going to have dinner and cocktails in Silver Lake with FP, my friend Kristie and hopefully, my friend Debbie, who just moved here to work for Barack Obama's campaign. And on Friday, I'll be catching up with some high school friends, two of whom I haven't seen in 20 years!

Then on Saturday, it's back to the Bay for Anne's wedding in Berkeley.

I'm no fortune teller, but I'd say it's going to be a good few days. I'll say hello to Hollywood Boulevard for you.

Music That's Making Me Happy Today, vol 32

The Sweet Hollywaiians and the Frisky Frolics at the Make Out Room

I must tell you, dear readers, I was in a positively crap-tastic mood on Friday night. The reasons why don't matter (plus, it's possible I don't really remember them), but what does matter is that I was certain, absolutely certain, nothing could pull me out of my crabbiness. I actually considered calling all the friends I was planning to meet that evening to cancel so I could just go home and sulk.

And then, at about 7:45, I walked into the Make Out Room.

Remember a couple of posts ago when I told you that music never lets you down? Well, in case you needed more evidence, here it is. I had ventured over to the Make Out Room to see the Frisky Frolics and the Sweet Hollywaiians perform. The Frisky Frolics opened the show. They describe themselves as "Tin Pan Alley Troubadours," and two of the members are also in Tippy Canoe and the Paddlemen. So I knew I'd like them.

Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. The Frisky Frolics are, in fact, quite a lot of fun. It also helped that the audience was populated by people who were on their way to some kind of crazy costume party, and they were decked out in powdered wigs, tights and platform shoes. Those people were as entertaining as the band. I was pretty sad to see them leave as they made their way to their party.

After the Frolics, the Sweet Hollywaiians took the stage. With completely stoic looks on their faces, the band members treated the crowd to tune after tune of 20's and 30's Hawaiian, swing, ragtime fun. My friend Tom showed up about halfway through the Sweet Hollwaiians' set, and he was instantly sorry he'd been late. Well, we bought cd's, so Tom only had to be disappointed temporarily.

Things went a little downhill after the show was over, however. The good news is that Carolyn and her sister joined us, but the bad news is that the Make Out Room went through an instant transformation the second the bands were done. For one thing, throngs of people poured in (Tom speculated they had been waiting for the moment they wouldn't have to pay the live music cover charge), and unfortunately, my dear Make Out Room suddenly became a frat party. We endured one drink before running for our lives; Tom went home, while Carolyn, Aisha and I went to a wine bar a couple of blocks away. The wine bar was much more sane.

It's sad when a good bar becomes a frat party. Even temporarily.

In other sassy happenings... I finished reading Valley of the Dolls this weekend, and I've decided it just may be the best book ever. Ever. Here's what I've learned from the Jacqueline Susann masterpiece: nice girls finish last. Dead last. Poor Anne Welles almost made it out unscathed; she came this close. Also, it's pretty entertaining to read a story featuring a character so obviously based on Judy Garland (that would be Neely). It wasn't even subtle. I'm tempted to read more Jacqueline Susann, but do you think any of her other books could be as good? I doubt it.

(And yes, a woman with an Ivy League degree in English and American Literature just wrote that last paragraph. Just goes to show, you never know what you'll find deliciously entertaining.)

Is It Wrong...

... that I didn't dress properly for the weather today, and since I didn't have time to go home this afternoon as it was turning colder, I stopped into Banana Republic and bought myself a brand new coat instead?

Well, right or wrong, that's exactly what I did. Right between my singing lesson and my afternoon facial.

Now, I already had been eyeing this coat (pictured here), so it wasn't an entirely impulsive purchase. The reality, however, is that I don't need another new coat; I've bought three in the last seven or eight months. But as you can see, this one is green and just oh, so cute.

Apparently, I can never stop working. Someone has got to keep the financial tank full against all the spending.

Hey, you want to know a secret? In a couple of hours I'm auditioning for a band! I'm not sure I really want to be in this band, but it will be fun to sing with them this evening.