Things I Take for Granted In LA

When you live or work in some place for a while, you start to become oblivious to some of the things surrounding you. And by "you", I mean "me" and just assume this happens to everyone else. Right? Anyway, while there are many things that I take for granted in LA, the one that I don't is the weather. I enjoy every last bit of sunshine while I can. I consider the increase in my daily expenses compared to any place else that I've ever lived to be the "weather tax." I must pay it to enjoy the lovely weather. I'm not sure what all the fools in New York pay it for. Ambiance?

Anyway, I wanted to share a short list of things that I take for granted in LA that I had started to overlook and have now tried to open my eyes to:

• Pithy homeless people: Of course LA has it's fair share of homeless--which by the way, I consider smart because while it sucks to be homeless, it has to suck less in LA than in say, Minneapolis--there seems to be a subset that is hellbent on having a pithy message. One guy I see on a regular basis changes it up, but typically has a sign that reads either "I'm too sexy to be this homeless" (as if there is a degree of homelessness that he's trying to rise to) or "Homeless And Sexy-- That deserves something, right?" Sometimes the signs make me smile, but honestly the pithy homeless tend to be the same people that are getting quite a few donations every day. I don't recall such creativity in the other cities that I've been to. 
• Transgenders everywhere: I'm a little sad or jaded or a combination thereof that I see transgenders every day and it barely registers. Clearly in Indiana and in Nashville to a certain extent, seeing a black man with beautiful skin and great high heeled shoes would have warranted a double take, but now their beauty is lost on me. I might notice the Adam's apple but honestly when I see someone on the way to work, I think "Man, that's a lot of work for a Wednesday."
• The next new dessert shop: The abundance of frozen yogurt places are slowly shutting down so it's only a matter of time for the cupcake places start getting picked off. Whoopies never quite took off to reach the status warranting a separate storefront, and the same can be said for cakepops. Lately, I've been seeing a lot of "Milk and cookies" places pop up, so that's where my money is for the nest new dessert: an oldie. However, I love the place around here that sells mini-pies (Shout out to Simple Things Sandwich and Pie Shop!)
• I'm never more than a few miles from a Sephora: Sure, with sephora.com I can order makeup any time, but honestly when you've sweat off some makeup and there's a Sephora only a few minutes away from your next meeting and just a touch up will make you feel so much better, well, that's a bonus. It wasn't until a co-worker that's moving to Eugene, OR said "The closest Sephora is 2 hours away" that I realized that my closest Sephora is two blocks away (from work) or 2 miles away from home and another a few miles from that. 
• There are Sizzlers everywhere: My dad always used to quote White Men Can't Jump  by saying "We
  
  goin' Sizzler". I thought that was odd even when the movie came out because all the Sizzlers in the Midwest that I knew of had closed. I guess we favored Ryan's or Sirloin Stockade or some other god awful buffet restaurant. But low and behold among the sophisticated LA atmosphere there are plenty of Sizzlers (and Shakey's Pizzas) to keep the masses fat and happy (?). 

I'm sure there are more and I will share them as I start to open my eyes again to the odd and wondrous things I've been overlooking lately. 

My Birthday in Pictures

I made a list. Chef checked it twice and it turns out I must've been pretty nice this year because I had an awesome birthday(s). Here are my highlights in picture form:

Going to Book Soup. A great independent book store that had three books I couldn't resist.

Waiting for our pizza at Deano's at the Farmer's Market.

The white pizza. It was frickin' delicious.

Deano's pepperoni pizza--still good but not as delicious.

My cupcake-gasm from the Frosted Cupcakery.

The spoils of my hunt at Sephora. Love the complimentary birthday cake shower gel.

My grandma saw my list and stepped in for some birthday flowers. Beautiful! She's awesome.

Outside the Library Bar at the Hotel Roosevelt on Hollywood Blvd.

My birthday sunrise walk on the beach. Moments later, Chef officially asked me to marry him.

I said yes...again (long story-we're unconventional).

More of the Santa Monica morning walk.

My robe and slippers for the 90 minute massage that Chef got for me. HEAVEN!

Dinner at Ruth's Chris. Can you see the butter gleaming off that steak??

One of gifts from Chef--my own and FIRST jersey. Go Colts!

Genghis liked the jersey too.

Here I am pondering whether or not to watch the Pro Bowl

because then I could wear my jersey.

Does it look like a great couple of day? CAUSE IS WAS!!

Only Six Shopping Days Left Until My Birthday

Just a friendly reminder and an opportunity to figure out what you're going to get me. Emails, phone calls, and Facebook posts are recommended.

Unless your name is Chef. Okay, your nickname is Chef. Then I know you've already taken care of it, because I started musing on a list of things I wanted to do a few weeks ago and you're a smart and loving man who likes lists.

So, in my state of mind a few weeks ago, I decided to make this an awesome birthday. Last year was an awesome one too, and I realized that it was the little things that made the day great. Like going to any store that I wanted to. Eating all of my favorite things. Spending the day off of work and with Chef.

This year's birthday will be nice and my list got so long that we decided to expand the celebration to Friday AND Saturday (my actual birthday). I will NOT be counting calories on either day (sorry, Wrye Family Challengers--I promise not to go too overboard). Here are my some things on my list right now:

• Seeing a sunrise or sunset on the beach
• Having donuts and coffee
• Eating dinner at Ruth's Chris (Thanks, Dad and Robin, for making this one happen as our Christmas gift)
• Pizza from either The Good Pizza in Culver City or Deano's Gourmet Pizza at the Hollywood Farmer's Market
• A massage (Chef already got me this one! Just got to make the appointment)
• A trip to Sephora to use a gift certificate that I got for Christmas
• Flowers
• A trip to a great independent bookstore
• A cupcake from The Frosted Cupcakery (that's a picture from their website below)
• A drink at the Library Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel
• To not have to clean litterboxes
• Take the subway somewhere--although I may relent and just scratch this one

Does anyone have any suggestions? I think it's looking pretty good to me. Since Oprah, Tom Selleck, Heather Graham, Greg Louganis, William McKinley and I share a birthday, I think it would be a good idea for us all to get together for dinner. Of course, McKinley might be pissed he was assasinated, but he'd be good company.