This past week we have been celebrating Jason’s birthday hardcore. As y’all know J turned 26 this past Wednesday. After that root canal I had last Monday it’s all kind of a blur up until this morning, but as far as I know this is what happened:
Tuesday night:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Ben and Tosha (aka the Bermagliaccos) at the IMAX® Theatre at The Bridge located at the
Howard Hughes Center Promenade. This was a good film, an excellent updated remake of the original. The flashbacks did get a little weird and I think maybe made the film a bit too dark, and wow is it obvious that Willie dropped a lot of acid back in the day. But overall, a lot of fun and I’d recommend it.
Wednesday: Jason’s birthday! I took him out to dinner at
C & O Trattoria at Venice Beach. This place is one of our favorites. House Chianti on tap (you can help yourself at stations around the dining area and they charge you based on the honor system!) and garlic bread knots keep coming till you say stop. ‘Nuff said. Double chocolate cheese cake was shared for desert.
Then we met up with The Bermagliaccos and Ben’s cousin Julie who happened to be in town. We went to
Temple Bar in Santa Monica to catch
Rebirth Brass Band playing a late show. Alex came out and joined us as well. We danced and had a swingin’ New Orleans Jazzy kind of night. Much fun had by all.
Thursday: Rob and his girlfriend Kayoko arrive to join the festivities. Rob is a friend of Ben’s from back in the day when he used to work at the Hillel at UNC Chapel Hill. Rob has been in Japan for the past 2+ years teaching English to schoolchildren, so it was nice of them to make it out and see all of us on the left coast during this trip. Jason’s dad took a big group of us out to the new California Pizza Kitchen on Sunset Boulevard. Thanks Jason’s dad! I am in love with their goat cheese and roasted pepper pizza. Heaven I tell you! This meal was also followed by cake.
Friday: The Bermagliaccos made a lovely get together at their home for Shabbat dinner. We made an all veggie taco bar, complete with three different kind of beans as well as veggie beef and chicken (or “feef” and “ficken” if you will), and Challa bread from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (soooo good, highly recommended). And Julie just so happens to be a song leader for a summer camp, so out the guitar came and we attempted to sing. Oh, and did I mention that this meal ended with...why yes! Cake. You are catching on quickly.
Saturday: We went to Venice beach. I love going back to visit my old hood, but I do not miss dealing with the parking. Swimming, boogie boarding and sunbathing were enjoyed, and then I went home and took a nap.
Then it was time to go off to Hollywood, where we went to the
Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater to see their show
ASSSSCAT. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I knew of the
Upright Citizens Brigade from their
television show on Comedy Central. You know, with that cute and hilarious
Amy Poehler. Anyway, it was troupe style sketch improve comedy, and the cast was composed of comedian/actors we didn’t particularly recognize. However, the special surprise host and monologuer was
Tim Meadows, long time token black cast member of Saturday Night Live. We were all very excited when Tim took the stage. Too bad his monologues didn’t make me laugh all that much. Beginning with an audience member suggesting “hubris” as a monologue topic, followed by accounts of his divorce, struggling dating life, his childhood hometown of decrepit Detroit, Michigan, and then some discourse on fact that there was not a single black person in the audience(which weirdly enough was true). I felt more like Tim should have been addressing a shrink from a couch rather than trying to deliver a “humorous” monologue to a theater audience. I think Tim needs a group hug. The show had its high points. Some moments of wit and spontaneity, and instances of deftly executed physical comedy. And for $5 a seat and cheap valet ($3.50) you could do worse for a night out in LA.
After the show we grabbed some eats to go at
Nagila, picked up a ¼ barrel of MGD, and headed home to drink beer. I would just like to point out that there is right now an approximately quarter full quarter barrel on my balcony. We can no longer consume a pony keg amongst 10 adults in 24 hours or less, even though I put in my fair share for sure. What is the world coming to? Maybe we should have invited Tim Meadows over to help us drink the keg. It sounds like he could use a few brewskies.
Sunday we went to the Santa Monica farmers market to see our Omelet Guy, and then eat yummy omelets with potatoes. After that we went to our neighbors’ BBQ, where the guests were gracious enough to take a few pitchers of beer off our hands.
So that’s about where the party ends I guess. I passed out in bed by 10pm last night. Pictures of above festivities to follow.
Other exciting news: I went to the dentist this afternoon, yes again, to get the final prep work done for my crown and have an impression taken of the gap where I used to have a tooth. No respect for gums, these folks. Oy, it hoits! Please excuse my typing in a drug induced state. I hope most of this has made sense. One more visit and this is all over bitches. No more of this novocain needles up my gums, throbbing pain, chewing carefully on one side of my mouth BS. Why must they hurt me so? People, learn from my mistakes. FLOSS! FLOSS! You really need to, they’re not kidding.
Also
Franklin is coming to town tomorrow all the way from NYC baby! Very exciting stuff. The party resumes again…must get some sleep.
Good night, good night! parting is such
sweet sorrow,
That I shall say good night till it be zzzzzzzz…..
