My Favorite LA Food Show!

You can listen to it and watch it online (www.kcrw.com) in your own town, and the program is called Good Food! Smart, savvy, funny Evan Kleiman hosts! Tune in and listen to great interviews, and holiday suggestions, like roast pumpkin with cheese fondu. YUMMMY.

Friends in New York!

Visiting with my lovely pals in New York!

Happy Bronchitis Filled Birthday To Me. Boo.

Today's my birthday. I'm getting over being sick, but not quite up to par yet. Josh was a pretty fantastic husband, providing a BBQ dinner and lots of fun birthday gifts, and that helped get me through today.

And earlier this week I returned from New York, where I was visiting friends and taking some business meetings. I also considered the trip a birthday gift to myself. Here's pictures I snapped of events, people, and things in Manhattan that I didn't remember seeing when I lived there. Photos include a squirrel protecting his territory on a metal box , people eating lunch on 8th Avenue, a man getting shaved on 5th Avenue, a man walking on his hands on 24th Street, a bocci tournament in Bryant Park, and a sign in Williamsburg, Brooklyn reminding us that a duck is in charge.

You may get tired of seeing this dress...

But I won't get tired of wearing it. I plan on being photographed in it as much as possible, unlike celebrities who wear a dress then return it to the noted designer. I plan to wear this dress at least once a month for the rest of my life (that should keep me on my diet, too!)

Josh and I are in the Napa Westin lobby waiting for our cab to take us to French Laundry. The photo was taken by the lovely Maggie Mason @ www.mightygirl.com, and my outfit is Diane Von Furstenburg. Josh is wearing Merona, from Target, proudly.

Remember when we ate at French Laundry?

I do!

And our friend, Maggie @ www.mightygirl.com wrote about it. Here's the link if you want to see some great photographs and more writing about the experience.

http://mightygirl.com/2009/09/29/dinner-at-the-french-laundry-check/

Transplanters Travel Talk

One of my favorite things about traveling is talking about how much I hate packing, when in reality, I don't mind the packing as much as the unpacking because that means the trip has finished, or the trip has started which means it's closer to finishing.

My grandmother used to talk for days about what she was packing before a trip, what suit goes with what shoes, how many pieces can be layered, how undergarments will be washed out etc... and now my mom does it, and though I don't always talk aloud about it, it's what I start to do mentally for about a week before I travel, sometimes longer if I don't have a lot to distract me. So, it's a family thing.

Now it's fun for me to not just gab about packing with my mom, but also source other blogs and find out what they are packing or not packing for long trips. Here's a great one I found. Her trip sounds fascinating:

http://decorno.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-in-world-did-you-pack-for-3-weeks.html

And another one!

http://www.luckymag.com/blogs/shop/travel/

And by the way, the more websites and blogs I surf, the less time I have to actually pack my bags. I should have done it today, but as Mark Twain said, "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow."

So, packing begins Tuesday. Right?

Right.

Hodgman's 9/11 response

For those of you who would like to read this eloquent response, it was presented on 9/25/2001.
I still find it very moving, and perfect.

http://mcsweeneys.net/2008/9/11hodgman.html