HMMMPH!

I totally missed my show last night. Yes, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was on last night, and I missed it. My friend totally sent me a text as I was sitting in traffic trying to get to my Godsister's hotel in El Segundo. For some reason, traffic on the streets were a bitch last night. I hate Lincoln Blvd. when it's so backed-up. If I could've given it a laxative, I totally would have.

The night wasn't a complete loss, though. I still managed to have a nice time with my two Godsisters as we ate at Back Home in Lahaina. It was absolutely yummm-o. Chicken katsu, beef teriyaki... yum. I went home full and fat.

I'm still a little disturbed about missing my show. That being said, does anyone wanna pick this up for me via Amazon.com? LOL!

(Photo from amazon.com)

POST-OKTOBERFEST

I hosted my very first "dinner/gathering" at home this past Friday night. It was a post-Oktoberfest themed soiree, complete with lots of beer and food (bratwurst & cabbage slow cooked stew, cucumber/dill salad, potato salad w/bacon and mustard, roasted pork loin and sweet & sour cabbage). Family and friends brought over everything from cupcakes to streudel to wine to more beer to even mochi and beer coqs (which, btw, were the best things ever... look it up to find out what it is). There ended up being a nice mix of different things at the table, but the festive air was definitely Oktoberfest-ish ---just like being in Munich. OK, maybe not that serious, but there was great company nonetheless.

I'm already getting the ideas rollin' for the next get-together. Aside from the Thanksgiving day feast that we are already planning for, I am thinking of throwing a pre-Christmas thing at the apartment -- this time with an Italian or Spanish theme. Italian and/or Spanish food seems quite festive and hearty - the perfect Winter-esque meal for the holidays. If not, I'll go for an Irish feel and serve up lots of bangers and mash with cases of Guiness served alongside it. Whatever the case may be, I'm looking forward to hosting - and getting my cooking chops back in order.

***

I'm anticipating a busy couple of days. My Godsis is going to be in town for the next day or two for work. My nephew and his fiancee are planning on having an "L.A." weekend for their 7th year anniversary. Another friend might be in town for a wedding this weekend. I'm starting to feel a bit flustered and overwhelmed. But at the same time, I'm just throwing my hands in the air, and allowing whatever is supposed to happen happen. I've also got plans to venture into WeHo for Halloween on Wednesday, and then a couple of friends and I are in the audience for The Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson after work on Thursday. So there's a lot going on. Throw in plans for my share of the Thanksgiving meal, and then trying to get as much Christmas shopping done between now and a date early-enough for me to send off my presents so that they reach the East Coast on time, and I'm one busy fcuker.

A good friend of mine will be in town just a day or two after Thanksgiving, and I've already got reservations at Coast (in Santa Monica) and Charcoal (in Hollywood). And I can't wait for Brasserie Beck back in DC... whenever that'll happen...

The foodie in me is ready to be unleashed yet again... (It's been a while...)

OH, TERPS...

Maryland's homecoming 2007 is an official bust. The Cavaliers got us by one point. I'm annoyed. I'm glad I didn't go to that MD-alumni thing on The Promenade today. I almost went right after Mass, but something told me not to. I ended up swinging by Whole Foods, and then coming home to catch the game on ESPN.

Oh well. My dinner is 10x more exciting: baby spinach salad w/baked chicken chunks, chopped roma tomatoes, a little bleu cheese, a sprinkle of parm, cracked pepper, and low-fat ranch -- all stuffed into mini-whole wheat pitas (which I stole from my roomie - ahahah...). Yum.

Anyway. I'm watching this show on The History Channel about an American family that was abducted while vacationing in Palawan (sometime in 2001). This was an incident that took place just prior to 9/11. In fact, when 9/11 happened, the family was still held hostage by the Abu Sayaf. I figure that they had a happy ending because the woman is talking about it on this TV show, and I actually don't feel like watching it anymore to find out. Complete apathy. *burp* I'm full.

***

Towards the end of Mass, I ditched the communion line and went to stand in the back so that I could "sneak out" as soon as the Priest bade us to "go in peace..." (Bad, I know... but at least I can admit it!) But while I was standing in the back, I caught eye of this placard that had the names of some of the church's benefactors and/or donors. On the top of the placard it read (something to the effect of...) "Our heartfelt thanks to the following, whose generosity helped rebuild Saint Monica parish after the earthquake of 1994." So you know my ass was like, "Father, please hurry-up and let us go in peace because I am SCURRRED!"

LIFE (IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT)

A lot can be said about people who don’t believe in the saying: “Life is what you make it.” I could go on and on about this subject, and I could probably create a long list of people that I know who may be guilty of falling into the trap of not making their life experience work for one reason or another (myself included, at times). But I’m not going to do that. Instead, I will babble about my own take on the mantra-cum-cliché, as it applies to me, myself, and I. Let’s begin…

I come from the Washington, DC area. I was born in Bethesda, and grew up in Ft. Washington –both of which are located on opposite ends of the Capital Beltway in the neighboring state of Maryland. I spent my first few years after birth in Jacksonville, FL – the result of my dad’s career with the U.S. Navy… but I was way too young to remember too much about that. I am the product of a Mid-Atlantic upbringing, which is a good thing (at least I believe it to be). Growing up just 10-minutes outside of DC, I was exposed to everything you could possibly imagine: wealth and poverty, racists and non-racists, liberals and conservatives, blacks and whites (and Filipino, in my case… growing up in Ft. Washington/Oxon Hill), yada-yada-blah-blah-blah. I was lucky to have grown up in such a progressive-yet-transient city like DC, and I’m proud to say that I’ve experienced that city like no other. While a lot of my friends were content with hanging out in the suburbs, I found myself always venturing off into the city to do anything from random grocery shopping to museum hopping, dining to lounging, observing the diverse architecture to just hanging out at someone’s pad. One thing’s for sure, even though I am a product of suburbia, I have realized that suburbia is not for me –not for long term, at least. I appreciated the fact that DC was a mini-NYC: fast and upbeat, but not completely overwhelming. DC is less edgy than NYC, but strikes high in classiness.

Just shy of my 30th birthday, however, I decided that I had enough. While the DC area was “home,” I was finished. I had consumed every bit of energy and life that the city had to offer me, and I craved change. NYC, Chicago and Los Angeles were the top three on my list. I easily gave up on NYC because I felt it was too much of a cakewalk being so close. Chicago would’ve been a nice change of pace, but the idea of a lake winter scared me shitless. Los Angeles wasn’t my favorite choice, but I knew it would be the safest because I had family and friends that were already there. So one day I decided to quit my job, let everything go, and just start anew. Los Angeles became my “new home.”

While I didn’t have a hard time adjusting, I certainly spent my first couple of months treading the line between hating it and missing home way too much than I needed. I was that guy who kept comparing L.A. to “home.” I was that guy who always had to call out how things in L.A. were so not the same as how things were back in DC (looking back – it’s kind of like “duh…” that’s obvious). I was that guy who thought that I was above everything and everyone around; hating on the food, the style and fashion, the lack of this or that or whatever else there was that I could think of bashing. Then I made my first trip back east just three months later (for my niece’s 1st birthday), and I realized that I wasn’t giving my new home the chance that it deserved. While I loved visiting home, I was swept away with the realization that too much of the same thing would only keep me from spreading my wings. I was being too closed-minded about my new surroundings, not owning up to the fact that if I had moved back home right away, I would’ve probably eventually died from the ultra-conservativeness that “nurtures” DC. While I love DC (and my family/friends) with all my heart, I had to learn to love L.A. just the same.

And luckily, I have.

While I miss the confined claustrophobia of big, bustling cities (NYC, Chicago, San Francisco), I feel a certain sense of freedom living in a place that is as sprawling as L.A. In Los Angeles, no one really gives a fuck about what you do, how you look, or where you’re going to have your next drink. You can be Hollywood-ed out, or you can be a beach bum… you can be a corporate peon, or you can work for yourself… you can wear Ugg boots with whatever you can think of (and look completely ridiculous doing so), or you can be as fashion conscious as those who care. No one cares. That’s the bottom line. And those people who do care couldn’t survive here very long.

I hate when I come across people who tread that fine line that I once did, and can’t seem to let go of what they’re used to. Instead of embracing what’s laid out before them, they kick and scream about how much they hate what they do, or where they’re doing it. All I have to say to them is “get over yourself, and step out of your damn soapbox.” I am a firm believer that you can make any place home if you only try. You may have reasons for disliking a place, but you can’t really blame a place for your experience being so “lame.” The cards are in your hands, and you deal with them as you do. It’s not where you do what you do, it’s HOW and WHAT you do what you do.

I have no sympathy for people who can’t seem to break out of their comfort zones, and blame everything but themselves for their poor experiences. I know that not everyone will experience life in the same way that I do, or find a similar appreciation for their experiences and/or surroundings… but there’s a lot to be said about those who feel the constant need to convince themselves that something isn’t cool. Perhaps it’s not the place or the experience that’s warped, but themselves.

I’d rather them admit that more than anything.

HOLIDAY CHUCK

I'm sure that I'm not the only person who gets super nostalgic this time of the year. The fall breeze of October is always an indicator that soon the year will end again. But it won't end without much craziness. With October comes a bunch of holidays which, for me, are made extra special only because of one thing: HOLIDAY CHUCK. And I'm not talking about a bottle of ale, or a cold pilsner... (ahahaha) I'm talking about Chuck as in Charlie Brown.

You know the one.

Seriously – ever since I can remember, I would eagerly wait for the time of the year when It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown would come on TV. It came just before Halloween each year. I’d rush through my homework after school, have dinner, then get dressed for bed early enough to plant myself in front of the TV. I’d sit there and wait for that old blurb that pre-ceded all of CBS’s “special” presentations. It used to be the word “SPECIAL” that spun around in an Electric Company-esque way – with this quick-paced song in the background. (Anyone know what I’m talking about?!) Then it would start… Charlie Brown would come on, go through some shit with his friends, put on a suck-ass “costume,” and get rocks when he went trick-or-treating. I caught the same show every year for years… and even in college, I’d try to catch it in my dorm (if I wasn’t running to/from the local bar with my own Peanuts gang). And in that span of a few years where I’d deliberately miss the show due to other pre-Halloween engagements, I hadn’t forgotten the way that show made me feel. Just last year, when I happened to be home the night it came on TV, I caught it and enjoyed just like I was 7 years old again. Same thing would happen in November with A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and then once more in December with A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I don’t know what it is about the whole Peanuts experience. Maybe it’s because we can all identify with at least one of the characters. Sometimes we are all Charlie Browns, and we feel like the world is always against us. At other times we are all Linuses, and although we’ve got all the facts laid out before us, we’re still a little naïve when it comes to tackling life’s deepest mysteries (which end up not being so mysterious after all). Still at other times we’re like Lucy, and are the meanest people on Earth. But most of all, I think we strive to be happy-go-lucky just like Snoopy.

As we come into the holiday season, I hope that we all continue to marvel at these times as wide-eyed children do; like we used to do. I’m all for sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the ‘Holiday Chuck.’

(Photo from www.danforthnews.com)

YUMMY THIS, B*TCH!!!

You know how internet search engines now-a-days usually come equipped with that auto-populating thingy that pretty much types up options for you to choose in case you need help? For instance, if you type in the word "diesel," you'll most likely get a list that includes the following options: "diesel gas," "diesel gas prices," "Diesel jeans," "Vin Diesel," etc. You get the point. So anyway, I was going back and forth with my co-worker about how much we always talk about food. We literally talk about food way too many times for our own good. I think we gain over 400 pounds a day just talking about food. Even while we're chompin' down on something, we are STILL talking about what else we'll be stuffing in our mouths only minutes or seconds later. And then we go to the gym... (but that's a completely different story)

Anyway, I decided that I'd do a search on something random. I decided that I'd use the word "yummy" as my base, and my intent was to type something like "yummy food," or something to that effect. So I put my cursor on the Yahoo! web search box, and I started typing "yummy." Let me tell you what showed up:

yummy pinays

yummy yummy

yummy mummy

yummy cupcakes

yummy bingham

OK - WHAT THE F*CK? What the eff is that all about? How is the inter-f*cking-net going to put "yummy pinays" as the first choice after typing in "yummy?" Umm, what if my niece was typing the word "yummy" into her search engine, and she came across that and thought that it was OK for her to be considered an effin' "yummy pinay?"

OK, Yahoo! better wash its mouth with soap!

I can go with some of the other options: "yummy yummy" is actually the name of the Chinese take-out place that's near my parents' house in MD (I'd been getting food there for years - haahaha); "yummy mummy" is questionable; "yummy cupcakes" works; what the hell is "yummy bingham?" All I can say is that I am appalled that "yummy pinays" topped this list.

THAT IS NOT OK.

(ghettoness emerges)

My sistas just got done wrong, ya'll... Forreal tho! I'm sure there are some "appropriate" instances when a Pinay may refer to herself as 'yummy' --- but that should be between her and whoever is doin' the tasting that night (or day - depending on when they're doin' the damn thang)! Other than that, there is NO effin' reason that Pinays should be referred to as "yummy" ---esp. on the internet!

Ooooh! This ain't right, ya'll! I'm about to go Asian American activist on someone in a minute!

(i'm sure i'll be over this in a minute and a half, though... see, i already am. but it's still effed up...)

SPRINKLES HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE

Many of you know the madness that is SPRINKLES. Reminiscent of NYC's cupcake craze with the opening of Magnolia Bakery some years back, Sprinkles shares a quite similar story. When former investment bankers, Charles and Candace Nelson, decided to leave their six-figure salaries to ... bake cupcakes ... Sprinkles was born. (And for that, we praise and we thank you, Lord.)

Sprinkles opened their first store on Little Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills a couple of years ago. Nestled just doors away from Monique Lhuillier's BevHill's boutique, it's no wonder that many a bride-to-be found themselves not being able to fit in their nicely-coiffed gowns at the last minute due to their quick dashes into Sprinkles (I'm totally just kidding). The little spot offers a menu of specially-flavored cupcakes served on certain days of the week, with a few regulars sold daily (Red Velvet is one of their more popular flavors). Even today, the line to Sprinkles tends to extend far from the shade of the awning above the store's door.

The Nelsons offered the opportunity for franchises, and now Sprinkles stores are slowly popping up at several major cities on the West, with plans to invade the East very-very soon. Among them - Phoenix, Dallas, and Newport Beach... with plans for stores to open in DC and Chicago in the very near future.

But now adoring fans won't have to wait for their local franchise to open its doors. Williams-Sonoma has picked-up the brand, and is now offering Sprinkles cupcake mix at their stores nationwide (and on-line). So you can even pick-up a box if you live in Joplin, MO (as long as there's a Williams-Sonoma there). Of course making the cupcakes yourelf isn't nearly as cool a novelty as it is to actually wait in line and buy the slightly over-priced buggers. But if you're stuck in a little nook of Kentucky, perhaps the Williams-Sonoma route would be the best way to go (again, as long as there's a Williams-Sonoma in a little nook of Kentucky).

Many people love Sprinkles; some find them overrated. I am on-the-fence. I salivate at the thought of having one of their Black and White cupcakes, while I could absolutely pass on their so-called best-selling Red Velvet (I am a fan of Toast's version of the red velvet cupcake). Still some people are appalled at the price - hitting almost $4 a pop. But in essense, it's all more of an experience than anything else. Cynics will come and go, but sweet-toothed junkies will always find a reason to love and appreciate Sprinkles. Maybe it's because of their pink boxes and brown stickers... or the little, colored candy button that sits atop each cake... or maybe it's the torture of standing in line (damn you, sadists!!!). Whatever it is, it's working.

Sprinkles is trendy. In the same way that Pinkberry has changed the face of frozen yogurt to suit a more pop-culturally friendly generation, Sprinkles is here to spread cupcake joy to the masses.

Prepare for world conversion, non-believers.

---

Sprinkles, 9635 Little Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310.274.8765

Willams-Sonoma Stores Nationwide

(Photo from Williams-Sonoma.com)

TROJANS ---fight on?!

It looks like this was NOT a winning weekend for USC. Their battle cry sounded more like “Fight what?” than “Fight on!” after losing to Stanford in an extremely close finish. I feel bad for the Trojans, especially since I have friends who are true-blue alums of SC. Living in the LA area, you can’t help but get caught up in the bitter/harsh rivalry between the Bruins (UCLA) and the Trojans. (Incidentally, the Bruins lost their game to the Fighting Irish this weekend, too…)

I can’t say that I understand how the rivalry between UCLA and USC seeps into so many facets of every day life here in Los Angeles. I guess it’s because the schools are extremely close (geographically), and they both belong to the PAC 10 conference. When I was an undergrad at Maryland, the closest (and fiercest) rivalry we had was actually with Duke ---but that’s for basketball. "The Terps vs. Duke" is completely a “fun times” rivalry, but Duke isn’t located just across the city. The hours-long drive from Maryland’s campus to Duke’s is way too long to foster the type of rivalry that the Bruins and the Trojans have for one another. Even in football, Maryland’s top competition was always between West Virginia and UVA. That, too, is a pretty bitter rivalry either way, but again… the schools are just too far (geographically) to make the contention a daily experience. (UVA is an ACC conference member like the Terps, but WVA is with the Big East.) The daily presence of the “Bruins vs. Trojans” experience is quite intriguing, I must say. In this case, it definitely helps to have been from a totally different school.

At the end of the day, it’s the love for college football that makes all the rivalries worth every drop of sweat, tears, curse words, shouts, screams, and cries. I, for one, find myself glued to the TV when my school plays. Even though Maryland has a less-than-stellar team this year, I still have to set aside my time and pride and watch them ---win or lose. This weekend was no different. I was all riled up when MD lead in the first half of their game against Georgia Tech. But then the Yellow Jackets came back in the second half with their awesome defense. Luckily, they failed at their two-point attempt after their last touchdown, and the game went to the Terps with only a 28-26 win. Not the best win for Maryland, but a win no less.

Let’s see what happens in the world of college football this week. I’m sure that USC will come back after this blow, and reclaim the top spot once again. And UCLA will surely do what they have to do to recover from their loss this weekend. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that UMD wins over UVA on the 20th… It’s homecoming in College Park, and I wish I was going to be there. Boo.


(Photo from flickr.com user, qivn)

ON THE WAGON

Last week I had minor oral surgery. I'll spare you the details, no worries. Unfortunately, however, I have been a slave to amoxicillin and pain killers, and will be so for the next couple of days. I hate being "on the wagon," especially on a weekend. Not that I'm some kind of alcoholic or anything, but I had all sorts of opportunities for fun and drinks this weekend. I had to politely decline. And tomorrow, the gang will be going out after work to celebrate a good friend's birthday. What sucks is that this is my 'simpatico' friend, and I never pass up a drink in her honor (and vice-versa). BUT this time I'll have to pass. Minor issue, I know, but to me it's a big deal, and I'm not happy about it.

To try to get my mind off my weekend of sobriety, I've decided to speak nonsense about my real addiction: fries. I am a fry fiend. No matter what kind of mood I'm in, fries will make things better (or make things even better if I am already in a good mood). Seriously, there's no type of diet or situation in the world that will keep me from having my fries. And, for the most part, it doesn't matter what kind of fries they are, or where they're from --McDonald's or Belgian frites.

There's a restaurant/lounge in Venice that I'm totally in to called Beechwood. The food is decent, and the drinks flow. But what got me was their fries...! They serve 'em as shoe string, 1/4 thick, or sweet potato... and they come with three house dipping sauces. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do. Maybe it's cause I was tanked when I was there last, and my friend and I were adamant about ordering them. They hit the spot that night, and I'm sure they will hit the spot again.

Aside from the fries, the rest of the food isn't bad. The bar serves up "sexy-fied" comfort food (chilled heirloom tomato soup, ground rib eye burger, sweet baby pork ribs), while the small dining area serves up more of a sophisticated menu (sweet marinated lotus root, grilled diver scallops, roasted arctic char). The dining room is cozy, but the lounge area can get somewhat loud -- but the crowd is always very mixed, and it's not your typical "wanna-be" Hollywood-esque crowd. It's a lot more laid back, and definitely good times.

If ever you're in the Venice area, it's definitely a place to check out. Now if only the healing will finally be done and over with (and the anti-biotics, too), I could have my fries and drinks together.

---

Beechwood, 822 West Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292

(Photos from beechwoodrestaurant.com)

FALL(ING) INTO THE SEASON

Fall is definitely here.

When I woke-up this morning, I felt that familiar crisp-ness in the air. It was definitely one of the first real 'cool' days since the summer ended, and it got my senses going in all sorts of directions. Fall reminds me of back-to-school. Though I loathe having to sit in traffic on the way to the office because school is back in session, I still have a soft spot for my own back-to-school memories.

Fall reminds me of walking to the bus stop in the mornings... or hopping in the neighbor's car with other kids from the block... or even packing up my own car and driving back to my dorm. Fall reminds me of jackets and coats and boots. Fall reminds me of hearty dinners and lots of libations. Fall reminds me of holidays and family and friends. Fall reminds me of jackets and coats and boots---oh wait, Ialready said that.

That being said, I made a pit-stop at Bloomingdale's on my way to the gym today. I tried on this jacket (well, it's a coat by SoCal standards). It's by G-Star, and is totally not in my budget right now. But I made the mistake of trying it on; the first jacket/coat I tried on for the season. Needless to say, nothing else I tried on afterwards dared to match it. As much as I wanted to whip out the plastic and bring this baby home, I had to stop myself. I'm just not sure that I'm ready to shell out $260.00 for it. I went to Zara and found another one that I liked a lot, too; that one goes for $189.00. I've definitely got some things to think over.

---

So I've moved from my old spot on Xanga.com. After 1,710 days with Xanga, I've decided it's time for change. Out with "Effectuation," and in with "floatin' an air biscuit." I chose "floatin'..." as the title of this blog simply because it is appropriate for the kind of rants that come from me. Let the words speak for themselves...

(ahahaha!)