I thought about being a vegetarian for a minute this evening. I love meat and believe in protein but after reading a Los Angeles magazine article about raw diets, the idea crossed my mind.
Specifically, I'd leave my beloved pork, beef and chicken behind to lose weight. The article I read referred to a friend of the author's who had lost 10 pounds and gained a beautiful "glow" in less than a month by going raw. Raw diets are extreme but maybe losing the meat that sticks to your ribs isn't a bad idea.
I'm ten pounds heavier than I was two years ago and am not happy about it. I know, friends and family say I look fine but I don't FEEL fine. My roll disgusts me. Seeing myself in dressing room mirrors disgusts me. I am filling in my clothes to the max and can't even fit into some of the items that I really like. I'm not ready to get rid of the size 4 things yet but if I continue down this road it's gonna happen, whether I like it or not.
Exercise alone isn't cutting it so I have to practice what I preach and have to watch what I eat. If you are what you eat then today I am a homemade smoothie/rice/salmon/veggies/tortilla with cheese/bean and beef burrito. More fruits and veggies, fewer carbs. But why do carbs taste so good?
Work is topsy turvy. Our longtime, fabulous TV reporter/editor is jumping ship to work for the competition. Something tells me lots of money and flexibility were involved in the offer. It's been slow news-wise which makes the days go by slower.
I'm going to commit to a wedding venue tomorrow. A couple of weeks ago I did a Google search for "budget weddings Los Angeles" and up came the Culver Events Center. Chris and I saw it independently and have agreed that it fits our criteria for budget, space, and convenience. It's not the fanciest place, nor is it the most beautiful, but we're going to make it our own for one special day.
9:56pm update
I just showed my mom pictures of our wedding venue and she was underwhelmed. "That doesn't look big enough for 150 people." "What happens if it rains?" "If the tables aren't all together, won't the guests feel bad?"
You know who feels bad now? Me. My mother has no confidence in our decision nor in the event staff's capabilities. I trust that the event center will get it right. If I had another $10,000, we could have it somewhere nicer with more space. That is not the reality and I hate feeling bad about that.
One of our thoughts to save money and still have a classy affair was to spend big bucks on a nice ceremony and then just have hors d'ourvres and cocktails afterwards. Tonight my mom said, "If you did that, wouldn't your guests be hungry?"
I feel like I need to put a disclaimer on the wedding invite: this is not a fancy wedding. You will not be served steak. If you're traveling to Los Angeles, know that spectacular scenery is not part of the wedding package. Be prepared to park in a regular 'ol neighborhood. Don't have high expectations.
Bummer.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
L.A. Marathon
Observations on the Sunday, March 21, 2010 L.A. Marathon.
The so-called "Stadium to the Sea" marathon was a good idea. Nice neighborhoods, cool scenery, civic cooperation from West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.
What wasn't so cool was the organization. There were only a few roads open into Dodger Stadium to drop off runners and there was no traffic control to be seen anywhere.
Chris and I left Baldwin Hills at 6am to be at Dodger Stadium by 6:30am. On any other Sunday this would have been a breeze but once we hit the 110 n. we were in horrible gridlock. Nothing was moving. It was so bad that runners were getting out of cars and buses and walking along the freeway to get to the stadium in time for the start of the race.
Turns out that all of the cars, buses and shuttles had to merge onto one street to get to the stadium. There was no opening of other lanes to ease congestion nor were there alternatives to the Stadium Way exit -- it was either the 110 or south through the 5.
Once the runners trudged into the stadium they discovered that organizers had not set up enough bathrooms for the crowd. The lines for the port o potties were enormous so runners ended up pissing and shitting in the hills and bushes surrounding the stadium.
Runners need to empty their stomachs and bladders before races but it seems Frank McCourt and his marathon organization didn't get that memo. They could have opened up the stadium to runners -- it has plenty of bathrooms -- but that did not happen.
It was an entirely different scene across town in Santa Monica. I parked my car as close as I could to the finish line without having to feed a meter or pay for a parking lot (12 & Santa Monica) and rode my bike around the rest of the morning. I saw families camping out at the finish line; restaurants prepping for the onslaught; regular exercisers out for runs or rides; and people in generally great moods.
Unlike the mess at Dodger Stadium, Santa Monica was civilized and prepared. The eastbound side of San Vicente was closed for the race but the westbound lanes were wide open to traffic. It was awesome -- you could ride alongside the route with very few cars to worry about. I think residents either hunkered down or left for the day because there really weren't that many vehicles.
I met my family/Chris cheering section at 14th and San Vicente. It was super mellow. There were some residents out but mostly there was a lot of space.
The first wheelchair racers came in no time, followed by the elite women runners and the elite men. More runners started coming through and we saw Chris after a while. His bright orange shirt, floppy hair and facial hair made him easy to spot. He gave his cheering section a wave and continued on -- only two miles to go!
I followed him via bicycle for the rest of the race. He was beat and hurting but crossed the finish line in three hours and eight minutes. That is fast. He was the 208th person across. Awesome!
It was a little hectic catching up with him after the finish but since he was in front of the masses, we were able to reunite without much hassle. Runners and fans were directed down to the pier. To get back to our car in downtown Santa Monica we had to hit the boardwalk, climb up to Ocean and cross the street south of the Pier. That part was a little tricky but my planning had worked and the walk to the car wasn't too long for the fatigued Chris.
Santa Monica was turning into a parking lot by this time, so much so that the guy trying to take our parking spot didn't even get mad 'cause he had to wait for me to re-attach my bike rack and secure the bike for the ride home.
Dodger Stadium was a mess but the truth is, the marathon is a great event that brings people together and generates good vibes. Strangers congratulate strangers for finishing the race. People cheer on people they know only by the names on their bibs. My future husband finishes with an amazing time, in good health, and with lots of love and support from friends, co-workers and family who came out to cheer him on.
The so-called "Stadium to the Sea" marathon was a good idea. Nice neighborhoods, cool scenery, civic cooperation from West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica.
What wasn't so cool was the organization. There were only a few roads open into Dodger Stadium to drop off runners and there was no traffic control to be seen anywhere.
Chris and I left Baldwin Hills at 6am to be at Dodger Stadium by 6:30am. On any other Sunday this would have been a breeze but once we hit the 110 n. we were in horrible gridlock. Nothing was moving. It was so bad that runners were getting out of cars and buses and walking along the freeway to get to the stadium in time for the start of the race.
Turns out that all of the cars, buses and shuttles had to merge onto one street to get to the stadium. There was no opening of other lanes to ease congestion nor were there alternatives to the Stadium Way exit -- it was either the 110 or south through the 5.
Once the runners trudged into the stadium they discovered that organizers had not set up enough bathrooms for the crowd. The lines for the port o potties were enormous so runners ended up pissing and shitting in the hills and bushes surrounding the stadium.
Runners need to empty their stomachs and bladders before races but it seems Frank McCourt and his marathon organization didn't get that memo. They could have opened up the stadium to runners -- it has plenty of bathrooms -- but that did not happen.
It was an entirely different scene across town in Santa Monica. I parked my car as close as I could to the finish line without having to feed a meter or pay for a parking lot (12 & Santa Monica) and rode my bike around the rest of the morning. I saw families camping out at the finish line; restaurants prepping for the onslaught; regular exercisers out for runs or rides; and people in generally great moods.
Unlike the mess at Dodger Stadium, Santa Monica was civilized and prepared. The eastbound side of San Vicente was closed for the race but the westbound lanes were wide open to traffic. It was awesome -- you could ride alongside the route with very few cars to worry about. I think residents either hunkered down or left for the day because there really weren't that many vehicles.
I met my family/Chris cheering section at 14th and San Vicente. It was super mellow. There were some residents out but mostly there was a lot of space.
The first wheelchair racers came in no time, followed by the elite women runners and the elite men. More runners started coming through and we saw Chris after a while. His bright orange shirt, floppy hair and facial hair made him easy to spot. He gave his cheering section a wave and continued on -- only two miles to go!
I followed him via bicycle for the rest of the race. He was beat and hurting but crossed the finish line in three hours and eight minutes. That is fast. He was the 208th person across. Awesome!
It was a little hectic catching up with him after the finish but since he was in front of the masses, we were able to reunite without much hassle. Runners and fans were directed down to the pier. To get back to our car in downtown Santa Monica we had to hit the boardwalk, climb up to Ocean and cross the street south of the Pier. That part was a little tricky but my planning had worked and the walk to the car wasn't too long for the fatigued Chris.
Santa Monica was turning into a parking lot by this time, so much so that the guy trying to take our parking spot didn't even get mad 'cause he had to wait for me to re-attach my bike rack and secure the bike for the ride home.
Dodger Stadium was a mess but the truth is, the marathon is a great event that brings people together and generates good vibes. Strangers congratulate strangers for finishing the race. People cheer on people they know only by the names on their bibs. My future husband finishes with an amazing time, in good health, and with lots of love and support from friends, co-workers and family who came out to cheer him on.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
There's a Heaven and There's a Star for You
I scoffed at all those folks wailing about Michael Jackson's death, crying over a man they never knew who they claimed changed their lives.
But now I have an inkling of their loss.
I am mourning and am moved by the death of Mark Linkous, the man behind Sparklehorse. I wasn't the band's No. 1 fan or anything but I admire his music and its beauty. I'm having a Sparklehorse music marathon in honor of him right now.
He killed himself Saturday with a rifle shot to the chest. AP reported that after receiving a text message, he left a friend's house with his rifle and pulled the trigger in a nearby alley. So sad.
Linkous had a history of depression. He famously overdosed on Valium and antidepressants while touring with Radiohead in 1996. He was unconscious for 14 hours and had a heart attack when paramedics revived him. His legs were pinned underneath him while he was out and he never regained full used of them again.
The song "Hey, Joe" played not too long ago and it was the first time I'd heard/understood the line "There's a heaven and there's a star for you." His family quoted that when announcing his death.
I last saw Linkous and Sparklehorse perform at the Henry Fonda Theater in 2007. He wore braces on his legs and had difficulty walking but it was magic hearing his music live. The show didn't last too long, his legs made that impossible, but I am so happy I got to support the man at least once.
I swear, I'm tearing up listening to the "It's a Wonderful Life" album. He must have felt that at some point but depression got the best of him.
RIP, you talented, tortured man.
But now I have an inkling of their loss.
I am mourning and am moved by the death of Mark Linkous, the man behind Sparklehorse. I wasn't the band's No. 1 fan or anything but I admire his music and its beauty. I'm having a Sparklehorse music marathon in honor of him right now.
He killed himself Saturday with a rifle shot to the chest. AP reported that after receiving a text message, he left a friend's house with his rifle and pulled the trigger in a nearby alley. So sad.
Linkous had a history of depression. He famously overdosed on Valium and antidepressants while touring with Radiohead in 1996. He was unconscious for 14 hours and had a heart attack when paramedics revived him. His legs were pinned underneath him while he was out and he never regained full used of them again.
The song "Hey, Joe" played not too long ago and it was the first time I'd heard/understood the line "There's a heaven and there's a star for you." His family quoted that when announcing his death.
I last saw Linkous and Sparklehorse perform at the Henry Fonda Theater in 2007. He wore braces on his legs and had difficulty walking but it was magic hearing his music live. The show didn't last too long, his legs made that impossible, but I am so happy I got to support the man at least once.
I swear, I'm tearing up listening to the "It's a Wonderful Life" album. He must have felt that at some point but depression got the best of him.
RIP, you talented, tortured man.
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