LA received its first rain (yesterday) since we arrived in late June. It wasn't a rain really, or even a sprinkle. More like a scanty sputter of drops from a sad little cloud over West Hollywood. Then it went right back into the 80s.
September 2008 Archives
Talk about a sweet place to get a drink in Hollywood! Some friends and I discovered this place while en route to get a drink at Bar Marmont (well known for having outrageously priced beverages but a good chance at rubbing elbows with the rich and famous). The enticing tabletop signs at the Trocadero easily seen from the sidewalk read, "Happy Hour 6:00 - 8:00pm All drinks half price." ALL drinks half price?!! Half suspecting this to be some kind of scheme to get you in the door I was ready to pay $7 for a $14 beer but it turns out that a domestic beer runs about $6 and a martini runs about $10, so, during happy hour you can easily get loaded for $20 (or at least I can).
The bar wasn't crowded so we easily got a seat on their nice patio where we could politely tell all the homeless walking by that we would prefer not to give them any money.
On our exit we decided to hit the bathroom before our journey out of Hollywood and discovered on the walls of the bathroom many photos of the biggest celebrities of yesteryear sitting in the very same bar (although the decor was slightly different). To me at least, the present day celebrity hang outs are far too hip and overpriced (like the aforementioned Bar Marmont) and I'd rather get a bit of that Hollywood nostalgia from a picture on a wall (like the Trocadero) or a plaque above the booth (like the Hamburger Hamlet) to let me know that I'm sitting in the very place Frank Sinatra or Humphrey Bogart once sat.
I give the Trocadero Lounge two thumbs up.
I recently purchased a membership to the Crunch Gym on Sunset and Crescent Heights in Hollywood. As far as the facility goes it's a fantastic place. I go around 8:00am for a couple hours and there never seems to be a crowd or anything but Hollywood being Hollywood has some of the most beautiful people in the country. In my past gym experiences there's a hot girl here, ripped dude there and most of the gym sort of leers at them with most of the people looking like me if not like me but 25 years older. But in Hollywood I'm the turd in the punch bowl. There are more beautiful people working on their beautiful bodies than you can shake a stick at.
The good looking don't bother me and I think it's funny to see how uncomfortable they get when working out next to one another. Today I watched a guy running on the treadmill and when a good looking girl started running next to him he increased his pace by a good two points and then it looked as though she was running while trying not to sweat. Good times.
I really like Hollywood and all the people in it.
If you're planning on getting a gym membership in Hollywood I could recommend Crunch. They've always got clean towels, friendly staff, a steam room, loads of equipment and at $72 a month it's not the most expensive membership in Hollywood. Also, if you can prove to them that you recently graduated from college they'll give you a membership at half the regular price. Pretty sweet. Wish I would have known that before I went to sign up.
Since Nicole and I arrived in June the temperature in Los Angeles hasn't topped 92 and hasn't dropped below 63. 99% of the days with a high of 84 and a low of 65. The only thing I don't like is that it hasn't rained a drop since we've been here. They tell me it'll rain in January but I wish it would rain just to rinse the city of all the grime. Every tree and bush outside has this gray soot that rubs off on your clothes if you brush it. I guess that's the price you have to pay for near perfect weather.
I used to take pride in taking care of my vehicle but since our move to LA that's become near impossible. It's funny because Los Angeles is a place where people love their cars but don't seem to give a crap about anyone else's.
It seems as though every time I go to squeeze the car out of a parking space I notice a new scratch, dent, scrape, scuff or mark of some kind. It didn't help that Nicole backed it into a stucco building across the alley from my office but since then we've already received a nice new scuff on the bumper from someone hitting it while getting into their parking space.
Sometimes I miss the days when cars actually had real bumpers to avoid instances just like these.
Nicole and I had a very nice anniversary dinner at Le Petit Four on Sunset Blvd last night. Not only were the prices modest for Hollywood, they're modest for all of L.A.! And they didn't skimp on the quality or quantity either. Then, as if the modestly priced food wasn't enough, they have ample free parking right behind the restaurant which is unheard of in Hollywood.
Together Nicole and I had a crabcake appetizer, three beers, two glasses of wine, perfectly grilled Filet Mignon, a delicious pasta dish and an apple pie dessert with ice cream and it all totaled $103.00. Fantastic! The service was great and the atmosphere clean and quiet (except for the one instance of a passing truck blowing an airhorn making the whole restaurant jump and feel violated).
I'd recommend it as the perfect date place if you wanted to impress without breaking the bank.
For our anniversary weekend Nicole and I decided to go see what the mountains surrounding Los Angeles had to offer. We decided to hike Gaviota Peak which is about one and a half hours from Los Angeles or 20 minutes from Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Mountains. It stands at 2,458 feet above sea level which is nothing if you're from Colorado because when you roll out of bed in the morning in Denver you're already at 5,280 feet. It was an easier hike than some I've done in Colorado mostly because of the abundance of oxygen even at the top but it was still a challenging enough hike to make me really sore.
We brought the dog who seemed to have a good time and was just as tired as we where when we reached the top. On the way down we decided to see how he'd do without one of us holding his leash and for a while he trotted right behind me but then I guess the ground became too hot for his feet so he'd run ahead to the next patch of shade and wait for us to catch up.
We would see a group of hikers every 30 minutes or so and only a few of them had dogs. Even though it was Labor Day I would guess there wasn't more than 20 people on the whole mountain.
We reached the summit in about an hour and a half and were surprised to find we were all alone up there. We ate our lunch while taking in the spectacular ocean views in perfect sunny 75 degree weather and in total peace and quiet. It was an amazing experience. I'll post a picture once I get them off the camera.
Hey-o! Sorry it's been a while. Been busy having way too much fun. Speaking of fun, Nicole and I went to a Groundlings improv show in Hollywood and had the best time! It's not like the lame comedy clubs in Denver that charge $25 a ticket and then demand you buy two very overpriced drinks.
We went to the popular 8:00 pm Friday show, arrived ten minutes late, paid our $21.50 (each) and ran in just in time to grab a couple seats up front before the show began. The theater seats about 50 I'd say so it was a very personal atmosphere. Once it began we immediately started laughing. It was a combination of skits and live improv, both of which, are extremely well done. The cast isn't fledgeling actors either. They're well respected and talented each with his own long list of film and stage credits. The show lasted a little over an hour and we left with our faces and sides hurting from all the smiling and laughing.
The Groundlings show is the best comedy I've ever seen. Flat out. If you're ever in the LA area I highly recommend you attend.
