Hope you had a happy turkey day!
I went to a friend's place in Rancho Cucamonga, and it was great. Wine, turkey, lots of dessert, and catch phrase- sounds like a lot to be thankful for!

Oaks Gourmet

Their burgers are bomb, with a little pineapple jalapeño kick. A minor problem with our order, and they made it up with a couple of cupcakes... and couldn’t have been nicer about it! Shop around for beer, wine, and other goodies while you wait, and you won’t be disappointed.

1915 N Bronson Ave, Right near UCB Theater

New Hair, New Attitude

Sometimes getting a hair cut is totally scary. I've had people hack off my sideswept bangs into the straight across version (not a good look for me), I've had one side longer than the other, uneven cutting, chunky highlights, experimented with raven hues, battled the razor, and gone blonde. Go from brown to blonde back to brown, throw in a little stress, and you have some major hair loss. My hair never really recovered, so it's understandable that going to a new hairstylist is a traumatic event.

Enter Jaason Simmons. Very quickly, he rinsed, cut, and styled my limp lackluster locks into thick bouncy (younger!) perfection. One of my fellow actors was having her hair dyed at the same time, and he took her from drab to sex goddess in under an hour.

(Yep, I look twelve without makeup!)

Thirsty Crow, Silverlake

Like most girls, I love a nice cocktail. When a friend described Thirsty Crow’s drinks as “old timey,” I was sold. It’s in a kind of sketchy hood, and a little hard to find, but just look for the huge gorilla mural down the block. It’s a great spot to kick back with a group of friends (and people watch, when we were there, a couple was having a passionate argument, him calling her his muse while refusing to accept that she just broke it off.) Okay, back to the bar!

They specialize in Whiskey drinks, but have other options for those that just can’t go there. Shockingly, the drinks were delish and not too strong (which is good for a lightweight like me!) I can’t wait to try the Mint Julep on my next visit!

The Thirsty Crow, 2939 W Sunset Blvd, LA, CA

Ultimate Street Food

Living in Southern California is great- I picked up this bag of fresh sliced fruit on the street corner for $4.

And proceeded to eat the whole thing throughout the remainder of the afternoon. It was glorious. (Excuse my ghastly pallor.)

I haven't had much of a personal life lately...

Because I've been taking a totally intense acting class at Lesly Kahn & Co. It's been life-changing. And I'm not just talking about the two hour a day rehearsal schedule that's required of all students. The Kahn-stitute teaches a non-method method for actors, telling them to "dare to suck" and it completely changes the way you approach a script.

I started out taking a "greatest hits of method acting" class for review (I hadn't been in acting class since I moved to San Fran), then moved on to the Comedy Intensive. No, it's not a cult, but, yes, there are devotees all over town. Hey, I met a friend of a friend in a club and had a total bonding experience talking, no, gushing, over our time in class. It's like a family, a supportive, smart, funny, no-bullshit family that expects you to work. And I love it!

Tuesday, I had a small surgery on my mouth. Okay, so they put me out, there was a problem, and I have to go in again next week. Eek! In the meantime, I've been too wiped out to make it to the gym.
Without my favorite kickboxing and bodyscuplt plus abs classes, I've felt totally lethargic, but honestly, I'm too tired to make it through day to day activities! And the reason I love these classes is the sweat through your clothes, endorphins flying high, don't-eat-before-or-you-might-barf activity. Honestly, you're so in the moment just trying to make it through that you can't think of anything else and can escape reality for 45 minutes. Maybe this is why I'm not a yoga girl. Really- I once said to a group of people, "I know it's really un-cool, but I feel like each yoga class is slow torture and I loathe yoga." Cue odd stares.
I've been trying to take little walks and make time for naps (because there's no way I can ever get a full 8 hours at once!) but I'm wondering if there's anything I should be doing pre-and post-op to help with healing and energy. Any ideas?

Personalized Pumpkin Pancakes

I’ve got skills…No wonder kids love me!

Frosted Sugar Cookies

 

Last week, I went on a sugar cookie kick. I made pumpkins and leaves, and delivered them to friends all around town. I ate so many myself, I think I cancelled out all gym time completely!

Dim Sum Delights

I love Dim Sum. Ever since living in San Francisco, I've loved sharing the small plates, tea, and good conversation with friends. A friend recently took me to Sea Harbour Seafood in Rosemead, and it was totally worth the drive. I'd never tried soup dumplings, and I'm a total fan! This place has a lot more fried food than I remember in San Fran, but it was pretty good, especially for someone new to dim sum. You don't get to pick things off the cart, but the good thing is that the menu has pictures and descriptions in English so you know what you're ordering. (And, yes, the chicken feet gained the seal of approval from me!)
Sea Harbour Seafood, 3939 Rosemead Blvd

Why I Love LA

Riding out the heat wave with fish tacos on the beach.