Field Trip to San Gabriel - Wednesday 5/27/2009

Oh, the things I do in service of my writing. I mean, really, it takes a lot of commitment and research to write a blog. This is part of the wonderful Vietnamese meal Braveheart, Antipasta and I shared today. We wrapped these meats and veggies in rice paper and dipped them in various dips. Yummy!

Wish I knew what the name of the restaurant was. It was on Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel and "pho" was part of it. If you've been to San Gabriel, you'll know that this doesn't help much.

Before this, Braveheart and Antipasta introduced me to Chinese-Style Herbal Foot Soak! I'd never even heard of this, but Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel is packed with foot soak/massage places... and noodle houses. A little bit of heaven!

We went to a place called China Tibet Foot Soak, where we sat in big reclyners. The attendents brought out big wooden buckets filled with very hot water laced with fragrent herbs. I put my feet on a little platform in the bucket, the massuesse put a towel over my legs and the bucket, and I steamed for a while. Really hot!

Then cold water was poured into the hot water until it was tolerable to soak in and I soaked a while. Although Antipasta said last time she was there, the television was on, it was nice and quiet today.

I had my first professional reflexology foot massage. (I think my brother, Texaco, tried to give me one a long time ago after he came home to Indiana from Vietnam or California, but I'm pretty sure it tickled too much to be effective.)

When my massuesse started pounding on my legs but Antipasta and Braveheart's weren't doing it yet, I almost laughed out loud. It just seemed too funny that one person could get really rough treatment and the others not. But sure enough, they both got a drubbing too!

It was really really intense, but I decided to let her do it as vigorously as she wanted to, to see what the experience would be like, and to let the reflexology work if it works. It wasn't very relaxing because it was pretty much painful. Next time I'll forgo the intensity and just get a nice wimpy foot rub.

Next was the neck and back rub, which was terrific. A person can really whale on my back and I love it.

All this took about an hour and 45 minutes and cost only $35.

Braveheart pointed out a place where you can get the same treatment for $15!



This one's for you Boise. Even though it's blurry, it's the best shot I could get of an L.A. kook on the move. Can you see this?

It's a guy riding his motorcycle on the transition from the 5 to the 14 at sundown, wearing a leather top hat and carrying a big white German shepherd on his lap.

Yeah, that's right, a big white dog. Who didn't look very comfortable, and who kept shifting back and forth, making the bike wobble beneath them both.

I was about to call the police on them when they exited the freeway. It's really not fair to the dog or to the people that might have the terrible experience of running over either of these fellows.

Lunch at Malbec - Wednesday 5/20/2009

What am I doing eating lunch out at a not particularly inexpensive new restaurant near work, you might ask. Well, meeting up with the lovely Chatty, who I met last week at the Got Milk/Estilo Salon event.

It was great having more time to talk, and she's a pretty inspiring entrepreneur. She keeps a couple of blogs, teaches advanced computing at UCLA Extension and does consultations on using social networking to promote one's business.

She's offering a free "Ask the Experts" teleclass through CoachToolsToGo next Tuesday. I can't be on the call, but I signed up to have the recording emailed to me. Sweet! Click on that link and you can too.

Oh, and the food at Malbec? Ah. Only okay. We both had Milanesa sandwiches. I have to say mine was completely underwhelming. The meat was clearly from the freezer...way too uniform to have been made fresh. Why even offer that? Don't they know we watch Gordon Ramsey and we know better?

The fries were perfect. The chimichurra was fine, but not really as good as we used to get at The Gaucho Grill.

Field Trip! Clifton's Cafeteria - Wednesday 2/4/2009

OneL and I have been vowing for more than a year to go to Clifton's Brookdale Cafeteria in downtown L.A. for lunch. Today there was a story about it in the Los Angeles Times, and we both had a gap in our schedules, so we went!

It was meant to be. After passing several parking lots that charged $4.00 an hour with a maximum of $14-18, we found an open parking meter. After scrambling for coins, I put in a nickel and it read FAIL. Aaah! Called the parking authority to report the broken meter, and she confirmed that as long as it said FAIL we would get a ticket. Score! Free parking!

It was so impromptu that I was sans camera. Well, actually, I had my Cannon A560 backpack camera with me, but it's apparently dead dead dead now, so these were taken with my cell phone.

Boy 1.3 mp photos sure upload faster than 10 mp ones!


The cool terrazzo sidewalk on the way into the cafeteria.



When this place was built in 1931, City Hall was the tallest building in Los Angeles.



There's always room for Jello!


It's a lot smaller inside than I'd realized. OneL and I sat in the balcony at table whose top was a crossection of a redwood. Another crossection downstairs is labeled 1400 years old.

Next time I want to sit at one of these terrace tables.

Clifton's was built to give downtowners a sense of being in the woods. I'm thinking that Walt Disney must have eaten here more than a few times and carried away with him some of the inspiration for Disneyland...especially Bear Country Jamboree.


The moose has a calming effect on the diners.

What did we have? OneL had mac & cheese (amazing) which she shared with me. I had fried pollack which instantly took me back to the amazing fish sandwiches we used to get at Azar's Big Boy in Fort Wayne when I was a kid. Also fresh strawberry pie. And a side of spinach, which I accidentally doused in soy sauce. Why in the world Clifton's has soy sauce is beyond me. I thought it was red wine vinegar. Sigh.

If you go, go after 5pm or on the weekend, when you can find plenty of flat-rate parking for $4.00-5.00.

If you have time, click on the Los Angeles Times reference in the first paragraph and read the article about the history of Clifton's Cafeterias. They've done a lot of good over the decades.

Signs o' the Times - Thursday 1/29/2009

Can you read that sign outside of Mo's?

"Recession Never Tasted So Good - 1987 "Black Monday" Prices Every Monday after 5p.m. - On selected dinner entrees."

On the one hand, it looks like a good idea. On the other hand, I'm skeptical that much will be a deal here. Mo's is over-priced and has an attitude.

I'm amazed they've lasted so long, but every time I've been there with coworkers, we've seen studio types there. Execs, sometimes meeting with actors you recognize.

Personally, I'd take them to The Smoke House, which has a lovely old Hollywood ambiance. In fact, we did go there last week for my and Jens' belated birthday lunch.

I had the catch of the day with shrimp sauce. If you go, you must order the garlic bread. So yummy.

Benny & the Jets - Wednesday 1/28/2009

Things were a little off this morning. I woke up coughing (from the cold that just keeps giving) at about 2:30 and moved out to the recliner in the living room even though Hydra strenuously offered to go.

I never did get back to sleep. But I did read quite a few pages of Inside Inside by James Lipton, with which I am offsetting my current fascination with graphic novels.

Anyway, Dierdre the hip waitress was at the end of her shift when I came in. I like her. She's friendly, and refills my coffee, and doesn't game me like I think one of the older all-nighters does. (Sigh, I know restaurants too well, having waited tables for ten years myself.)

She was very tired. I was very tired, and a little woozy from the sinus medicine I took as soon as I arrived at my table.

Even the head waitress was off kilter. She came with her usual armload of fresh donuts and warbled, "Oh, is it Wednesday? I was supposed to be here an hour ago."

The whipped cream on this just slightly weird morning was the drunk at the counter.

Now, I kind of understand the 2:30 drunk who has just been ejected from the bar.

But drunk at 5:15 a.m.?

Honey, you are working over time.

While I tried to concentrate on my writing, he ordered and waited, humming along with random snippets of the oldies playing on KRTH 101.

Deirdre brought him his food. He tucked into it. But when Benny & the Jets came on, he started singing in a medium-loud voice, "Deirdre! Deirdre! Deidre and these e-e-e-eggs!" He gesticulated over the plate like he was orchestrating the music from the heart of the over-easies resting there.

Okay. Um. That's it. The whole story.

It seemed really funny at the time. Maybe it was the Tylenol Extreme Sinus Headache tabs.



Okay, enough of that.

See what I did this evening with the Photoshop Elements 7 software Hydra gave me for my birthday? Can you tell the difference?

It's not big and artsy. I just took the shine off the table.

Hee!

Road Trip! Bakersfield - Saturday 1/3/2008

Whew, the fog was thick between Tehachapi and Bakersfield! It actually got worse than this, but by then Hydra stopped taking photos and was digging his nails into the dashboard.



Hydra alive and well inside The Pyrenees Cafe. It's located on a rather desolate and industrial feeling street, but it's pretty interesting inside. The bar, which is visible over Hydra's shoulder in the next room, seems very friendly and lively. The dining area has rows of long tables and you eat family style.

The cabbage soup was really good. The rest of it, frankly, was just okay. We loved this place the first time we came here, and it still earns points for being a throw-back to another style of eating place. There was a lot of garlic on the chops and chicken we ordered. I like a lot of garlic, but I like it cooked a bit more than this was.



I'm on a photo scavenger hunt for a list of 43 pirate- and surfer-related items. This counts as a treasure chest, I believe!



My entry into this week's themed photo contest (RED) on Facebook : the little red wagon outside an antiques mall in Bakersfield.


This is here just because I thought it was interesting. It's like an electric chair for soup!

Pretty elaborate set up, here: a single metal mug with prongs on the back of it that plug into this machine. This booth had a lot of very old vending machines. Like pre-Mad Men old.

We went to several antiques stores and malls up there, and didn't end up buying anything. What makes it interesting is when you come across a booth like the one with all the old vending machines in it, and you feel like you've learned something about the (obsessions of the) person who finds this stuff and salvages it.

It's like they're curating their booths rather than merely stocking them.

Fondest of Farewells

This is the Post Office annex, glowing in the evening light.

Shortly after sampling the quince, which we both liked, we headed once again for downtown Los Angeles. The drive was smooth, especially since Google Maps showed me a new way--taking the 5 all the way to Mission and entering downtown away from the madhouse tangle of freeways that I used to tackle every time.

[Ooh, speaking of Google Maps! Click here and when you get to the site, click on Barack Obama's Journey and John McCain's Journey. Really interesting tour of the important places in their lives.]


Oui! Kitty began her California visit with a trip to Phillippe's and ended it there, too. She likes the turkey dip, I like the beef. We split potato salad again.

I picked up a pork dip to take home to Hydra, who has never actually set foot on this hallowed ground. (Does anyone smell a field trip!?)


I had to run back to my car--parked in the passenger loading zone--to grab my camera and get this shot. Union Station is just too beautiful! (And Kitty ain't bad, either!)

She won't get home to Indiana until late Friday night. Hope it's a smooth trip.

Her visits always refresh my spirit. I'm a lucky, lucky kid.

Return of the Giant Bowl o' Butter

If you've been reading for a while, you may recall that this is not the Giant Bowl o' Butter's first appearance on Any Given Sundry.

In these confusing economic times, I think the Giant Bowl o' Butter is a sign of hope. Or at least, a sign of faith that a large quantity of pancakes and toast will be sold today in one diner in the middle of the San Fernando Valley.

If you're wondering what the heck is going on in the economy, let me steer you toward a couple of terrific episodes of This American Life. It's an NPR radio show that you can listen to online or download to your mp3 player.

#365: Another Frightening Show About the Economy explains in a very simple way--it has to be for me to understand it!--what they're talking about when they talk about a credit freeze. It's a follow-up to #355: The Giant Pool of Money, which explains the mortgage crisis. The two are related, as you probably guessed. But there's this whole world of high finance that I never really knew about, and it's what's behind your mutual fund investments, etc.

If you want more info on the economic situation from the folks who brought us this helpful stuff, check out the Planet Money Blog.

If you want a little fascinating escapism, check out the other episodes available on This American Life. The stories are always interesting, sometimes funny, sometimes touching.

Or check out the terrific storytelling that is going on at The Moth. I recommend Richie DiSalvo's tale of his experiences with a man named Anthony the Hat in NYC.

A Few Words About Ironing - Sunday 9/28/2009

I am not much of an ironer. If it has to be ironed, it probably doesn't belong in my closet. I have to like something an awful lot--like this lightweight cotton blouse--to put myself through the pain and humiliation of ironing.

Really. I'm one of those people who irons one side of the shirt sleeve only to press creases into the other side. I get done and it hardly looks any better than when I started.

Sometimes people say they think I have great patience and concentration to be able to write, but honestly they would not admire me in the least if they saw me ironing.



I guess I knew when I bought it that the light cotton shirt might bring me grief. But I think that the capri pants in the foreground here really sent the wrong message. I mean, honestly, with a pattern like that and little ties at the waist and cuff, they absolutely coo that they'll be fun.

If they'd given me the slightest hint that they would require that I iron all four cute little pocket flaps every time I wash them, they'd still be hanging on the rack at Kohl's.

You know what really busts my chops? Napkins that need to be ironed!

I guess most people don't use them every day, so they don't need to be ironed that often. But I switched to cloth napkins a long time ago. I reuse them for a few days, reducing paper waste.

The ones that are the most absorbant tend to need ironing to keep the seams straight. Usually I don't bother, but since the ironing board was out of its hiding place, I thought I'd give them the Ritz treatment.

Do you iron? Does it make you happy?

Oh...I ironed because my friend A&E invited me to see House of Blue Leaves with him at the Mark Taper Forum. It was a fun evening. We started with French dips at Philippe's.

Cool Thing: Philippe's is the birthplace of the French Dip Sandwich, and they're turning 100 in October. To celebrate they're turning prices back to 1908. This means 5 cent coffee and 10 cent sandwiches after 4pm. Wow! Click here for info, videos, etc.

Sierra Highway Revisited Part 2 - Halfway House Cafe - Saturday 9/13/2008

The Halfway House Cafe from the front porch. This place shows up in movies and TV all the time. It was the setting for the 2007 feature film, Waitress.

The first time I ever saw this place was (probably) on an old episode of Starsky and Hutch, which I had a weird fixation on in my youth.



Pricey prices, but the chicken noodle soup was homemade and delicious.



Okay, I know it's weird to take photos of toilets.

But then again, it's pretty weird to find yourself in a modern two holer!


One of the front windows.


Hydra's been pointing this curiosity out to me for a few months. It's between the shrine and the Halfway House. Possibly an old mine shaft that was closed up with stone? It's on the left side if you're heading south.

Finally Diner - Wednesday 8/27/2008

I'm soooo tired I didn't even notice how blurry this photo was.

Focus is on the reflection of the (silenced) TV screen on the surface of my coffee.

Finally got back to Andrew's to write. I can focus on the page okay, thank goodness.

Meet and Greet - Tuesday 8/28/2008

Refreshing beverages ala The Granville in Burbank. Second time there. I like this place a lot.

And tick off another successful meet-up with a friend made online. Three-C, who gave me lots of great pre-surgery advice via the Internet, was in town and she had scored tickets to see The Tonight Show!

We met up and went to the studio, which is only about a mile from my office. Stood in line and chatted for about an hour. Had seats way up on the side of the studio set but it was all right. We could still see almost everything.

Guests were Norm McDonald, who Hydra and I saw at the Improv maybe 20 years ago, Nastia Liukin, who brought along her Olympic medals (1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) and B.B. King who really only has to be his B.B. Kingness, but who played a song with the Tonight Show band, much to the joy of the band and the audience.

Because we were up over stage right, we were close to the B.B. After the show, CCC (who's a huge fan of the Tonight Show band) and I were watching as B.B. met Nastia Liukin. He handed her the bright yellow guitar pick he'd just played with. Wow!



After all this excitement, we repaired to The Granville.

It's an interesting thing to meet someone in person who I've known somewhat online. Especially if they read the blog, because there's something about images that helps the words to stick, I think.

Because I never know who is reading regularly (unless you post comments, you darlings! I love 'em), it's always a little peculiar to have someone say, "Yeah, I remember that." And describe the accompanying photo.

Peculiar, but of course flattering.

We had a very interesting and varied conversation. Everything from family to work to feminism and the way that our lives and narratives tend to progress in spirals. The server was terrific about us sitting so long.

We only ordered the dessert sampler to keep the server happy. Of course.

Brulee'd Banana Brownie, Berry Patch Shortcake and Devil's Advocate Chocolate Cake.

And yes, there was real food in between the drinks and dessert.

Starting Tomorrow - Monday 6/30/2008

Andrew's / Sitton's is really making an effort.

The servers aren't really wild about having to figure out the 10% discount, but I think they're kind of proud that the restaurant is doing this. I hope it works for everyone.

Earlier this month, they lowered the price of their breakfast specials from $4.95 to $3.95! This is an incredible deal in the L.A. area.

These are the $3.95 specials, which include coffee. Coffee by itself is $1.95 including tax, so you see what a deal these are...

2 Biscuits and Sausage Gravy, and coffee or tea. I had this the first time I was here, and unfortunately can't recommend it.

The 2x2x2 : two pancakes, two sausages or bacon strips, two eggs, and coffee or tea. Really just way too yummy.

The Continental: two eggs, croissant, fresh fruit and coffee or tea. My personal favorite, especially since they let me substitute dry rye toast for the croissant.

Romi's in Palmdale - Saturday 6/28/2008

We tried Romi's in Palmdale for lunch. They've set their sights high. It's a nice change in the high desert.



Nice presentation of butter for the bread and warm toasted pistachios.



Hydra pulls out the haughty, skeptical look he perfected during our visit to France last year, but which he's had more cause to use here at home.


We had a table near the window overlooking the patio dining area. It's a comfortable place.


Hydra ordered the Traditional Burger, which comes with portabello mushrooms, smoked gouda and bacon on it. He ordered all the goodies on the side and no bread. It was a good burger and cooked just as he ordered.

He opted for the fresh fruit skewer. The other options were Yukon gold fries or a small salad.



I ordered the Lunch Box. Soup du jour (potato leek today), mushroom/spinach quiche and a little salad with raspberry vinaigrette.

It's a bit pricey... $12 for Hydra's lunch, $13.00 for mine. But I think we'll go back because the food was really good. Service was a little slow, but...

The chef seems to have really good instincts. Nice presentation. Food that makes you slow down and think about it. Mmm.

Belated Birthday Lunch - Wednesday 6/25/2008

Yes, it was six months and 9 days late, but I've never been one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Our boss took us to lunch to celebrate the birthdays of Gifted, Weens and me.

We decided to try out this newish place, The Granville, in Burbank that Gifted had been to a few times. Really good food, especially the herbed sweet potato fries.

Their "quick service" plan for lunches doesn't work very well for large groups like ours (9 people.) In a place like this, which isn't inexpensive for lunch, you expect table service. We had to stand in line at the cash register and place our orders, take a number to a table, and then have it delivered without much finesse or accuracy.

I can't imagine it saves them enough in server wages as it costs them in customer satisfaction.

I'd go back in a smaller group, or for happy hour--which is how Gifted had been there before.

I had yummy pepita-encrusted trout.

Giant Bowl o' Butter - Tuesday 6/10/2008

Apparently this giant bowl of butter has intrigued others before me.

"People are fascinated with it," the night waitress tells me when I ask if I can take a picture of it. "They want to touch it."

Some have gone further.

One night a couple of drunk college students were in the all-night diner early in the morning. They were horsing around, and one of them grabbed the butter and dumped it on the other's head. (Thank goodness it's whipped!)

"Butter went everywhere! It was all over the guys, on the counter, on the floor. They were both slipping around in it. We call it the Great Butter Caper."

They have a pretty good attitude at Andrew's.





When I opened the car door outside the gym, there was this leaf on the asphalt. The arc is the shadow of my steering wheel.

Sometimes all you have to do is pay attention.

Lurking - Monday 6/9/2008

This shadow on the other side of the glass at Andrew's looked pretty spooky. Add to that the profile of the lurker with what looked like a big chainsaw and it was exciting for a moment.

But I've seen this before. It's a young man using a hedge trimmer on the shrubs outside the window.

He was still out there when I left. He flashed me a wide smile when I said good morning.

Not so scary after all.

Twain's Again - Monday 5/12/2008

Wow, this table has seen some use, huh? The little round spots are where the spoons go!

Dropped off books at the Studio City Branch of L.A. Public Library this morning and looped down to Ventura Boulevard to revisit Twains.

Gave some directions to a guy walking past in shorts, a tee-shirt and a baseball cap, who told me it was his first time in L.A. I pointed out the all-night Ralph's across the street and said, "Welcome!" It was a pretty good bet he hadn't been here long, as he wasn't bundled against the morning damp like a seasoned Los Angelino would be.

I have to tell you about the photograph that got away later in the day!

I was coming out of my office and saw a nicely groomed man in a business suit on the other side of Evergreen with a ladder under his arm. But what was really interesting was that he was cruising along the sidewalk on a skateboard!

Perfectly erect as he swooped around the corner and up the alley. Wonderful!

And me with my camera in my backpack!

Sitton's No Ho is No Mo! - Monday 4/21/2008

But it's okay. Andrew stepped up to keep the place going.

Of course, this transaction didn't happen over the weekend. The server confirmed that in fact I had been writing at Andrew's for a couple of months!

I love this place, but honestly, couldn't they have busted loose a little extra cash for a nicer sign? The old one wasn't much better, but this just doesn't shout "pride" to me.

The pigeon agreed to appear in this shot only if her identity was obscured.



Not-Bob approves this message.

Is it the fine coffee available inside that keeps him ever-upbeat?

It's sad he never gets to come inside to watch the six a.m. shift change, with all the waitresses saying good morning and goodnight to each other.

Fish Floor - Friday 4/19/2008

We tried a new sushi bar in Palmdale, called Gold Fish. The food was very good and reasonably priced.

The service wasn't great. The sushi chef was a little slow and he was only taking care of us and one other couple. I had to actually get up and go over to the cash register to order a drink and ask for low sodium soy sauce.

But we'll go back. It was around 4pm and they weren't busy for the evening. Having waited tables, I know that that can be the hardest time to stay focused on good service.

I liked the fish painted on the floors.