My Avocado Plant (I Hope)

I've always wanted to grow a plant from an avocado pit; but whenever I have an avocado pit on hand, I feel lazy and say "next time." And we all know that "next time" is a lazy person's code for "never."

I had an avocado for lunch* last week and finally decided, by Jove**, that it was time for my avocado plant.

Following these directions, I rigged my avocado pit with three toothpicks and then set it in a glass of water.  (If you look closely, you can see the avocado carcass in the background, between the knives and the lemon).

Now we just have to play the waiting game and see what, if anything, grows from my avocado pit.  Theoretically, an avocado plant will sprout in the next two to six weeks.  But, if I'm lucky, I will get either (a) a beanstalk that grows to the sky, or (b) a talking plant.  If it's Option A, I will only steal one pot of gold from the giants in the sky (I'm not greedy).  If it's Option B, I will hack my plant into microscopic pieces and burn the remains.  (I saw the Little Shop of Horrors movie at an impressionable age and although we could make a fortune from a talking plant, I'm afraid it would eventually eat Nathan).

* For my lunch, I mashed up an avocado with a couple tablespoons of goat cheese and then spread it on a slice of toasted French bread.  Bliss.

** I don't use this phrase often enough - by Jove!!!

Some Attractive Self Portraits

My favorite photos of myself are ones in which I am being silly.  The uglier I look, the better.  For example, I love these photos I recently took while playing with my mom's iPad:

If I ever have access to a time machine, I want to travel back to 1997 and use the photo on the bottom for my senior portrait in my high school yearbook.  Look at my abnormally large forehead!  And my tiny nose!  And my gorgeous double (or is it a triple?) chin!

Until recently, I swore I did not want an iPad.  I thought the price was too high for the value I would get from the device.  My iPhone is enough of an indulgence.  But obviously, I need an iPad so I can take thousands of attractive self-portraits.  (Actually, it's probably best if I never get an iPad.  Otherwise, I'd spend my days gazing into the iPad and never again do anything that even resembles being productive).

Movies for Cranky Ladies

Sometimes, I just need to sit on the couch, be in a bad mood, and watch a movie.  Alone.  (Unless a glass of red wine counts as companionship).  I might parktake in some mindless knitting, or I might just huddle under a blanket and be cranky.  If I watch one of these movies, I am always in a better mood by the end of the film.

In no particular mood, these are my favorite movies to watch when I'm cranky:

1.  Bridget Jones Diary
2.  Pride & Prejudice (either the long BBC version with Colin Firth or the shorter version with Keira Knightley)
3.  Mama Mia!  The Movie
4.  Four Weddings and a Funeral (which is only available from alternate sellers on Amazon - WTF?  I mean, seriously, WTF??)
5.  500 Days of Summer (I had to make sure something with Zooey Deschanel made the list - sorry, minor girl crush)
6.  Chocolat (Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, and lots of chocolate in Paris?  Yes, please!)
7.  Like Water for Chocolate 
8.  Eat, Pray, Love (This book and movie seem to have a lot of haters, but I just love them both).
9.  Easy A
10.  Julie & Julia
11.  My Big Fat Greek Wedding (one of the few Nathan-approved movies on the list)
12.  13 Going on 30 (I'm probably going to lose a lot of credibility putting this on the list, but I don't care.  I watched it the night before starting the California bar exam and it took me to a happy place.  Maybe it will help you).
13.  Bend It Like Beckham
14.  Amelie
15.  A Room With A View (Of all the movies on this list, I've probably watched this one the most).
16.  Breakfast at Tiffany's
17.  Coco Before Chanel (for the fashion)
18.  Strictly Ballroom
19.  A League of Their Own
20.  Paper Heart (I love Charylyne Yi, the writer and lead actress of this film.  I could listen to her talk about sandpaper for hours).
21.  Away We Go (Maya Rudolph, I love you!)
22.  Marie Antoinette (costume porn)
23.  Bridesmaids
24.  The Joy Luck Club
25.  Disney's Beauty and the Beast
26.  Disney's The Little Mermaid  (I could list more Disney movies, but I won't).
27.  Dirty Dancing
28.  Grease
29.  Clueless
30.  Under The Tuscan Sun (Warning: you might accidentally buy tickets to Italy after watching this).
31.  Ever After: A Cinderella Story
32.  The Help
33.  Hairspray (The movie starring John Travolta in drag).

Please note: I intentionally omitted the Sex and the City movies from this list.  I believe that show turns women into crazy psychotic emotional vampire bitches.  Yes, the clothes and girls are fun.  But if you are already in a cranky mood, just say NO to Sex and the City.

My Favorite Sci-Fi Novels

About ten years ago, when I was in law school, I went on a huge sci-fi reading bender.  I spent hours upon hours in the Borders sci-fi aisles and inhaled dozens of books that took place in outer space.

A decade later, these are the books I still think about (and will reread when I get bit by the sci-fi bug again):

1.  Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card (I read and enjoyed many of the follow-up books; but of the sequels, I loved Ender's Shadow the most.  I wish I could force all of my loved ones to read this book.  It is one of my favorites of all time).

2.  The Hyperion Canto, by Dan Simmons (This is a four book series that start with Hyperion.  Entertaining and thought-provoking.  The term "sweeping epic" was invented for series like these.  Plus, it's called a "canto" which will make you feel extra smart).

3.  The Foundation Novels, by Isaac Asimov  (I loved this entire series and wanted to cry when I finished the last).

4.  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams (Why yes, science fiction can be funny).

5.  Dune, by Frank Herbert (Just the first book; the second one got weird in a boring sort of way).

6.  The Mote in God's Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (The only bad thing about this book is I can never remember the name of the title or the authors.  It should just be called The Mote, by Jerry Niven.  So much easier).

Just writing this list makes me want to read some sci-fi in the pool this summer.  But where to start? 
 

The Norton Simon Museum

I became a member of the Norton Simon Museum last week.  The art collection at the Norton Simon is just ridiculous.  I usually get sucked into the twentieth century gallery, with its Van Goghs, Picassos and Degas sculptures, but the other galleries are equally impressive. 

I joined the museum so I can stop by for a brief visit whenever I'm in the neighborhood and not feel guilty.  When I pay for my admission, I feel like I'm supposed to look at as much art as possible.  But I prefer my art in short doses.  After about forty-five minutes, my eyes start to glaze over and my brain screams, "No more!  No more!  Let's play the Wii!"  

With my membership, I can dip into a gallery or two, look at a handful of paintings and then sit on a bench and people watch.  Museums are one of the best place for people watching.  If the weather's nice, I can amble around the lily pad garden before I go home.

Okay, okay.  Technically, it's a sculpture garden, but we all know lily pads are way cooler than any sculpture.  I thought I saw some tadpoles swimming in the water, so maybe there will be frogs at a future visit.

Figure, Jacques Lipchitz, 1926-1930



p.s. Isn't this sculpture amazing?  The creature looks painfully shy and nervous, like he's trying to hide from the museum patrons.  I want to be his friend.  Maybe if I bring him some chocolate covered raisins, he'll calm down a little.   

Downtown Los Angeles

I worked in Downtown Los Angeles for several years.  Do you see the two black towers in the photo below?

I worked in both of those buildings.  First, at a big law firm in the building to the left; and then, at a small law firm in the other one. 

Downtown Los Angeles has some beautiful architecture, but I never had the time to appreciate it when I worked there.  I was always stressed and rushing.  From the street level, Downtown Los Angeles is pretty ugly.  But if you look up...

... there are lovely old buildings just dying for some attention. 

I know almost nothing about architecture, aside from being able to identify things like "roof" and "door."  But beautiful buildings still make me smile.  You don't need to know fancy architectural terms in order to appreciate architecture.  (Same goes for classical music, wine, gardens and crap, just about everything else).

I've been downtown several times recently to meet friends for lunch.  I met one friend for lunch at Bottega Louis, which feels like a set for a Sex and the City episode.  It has a pastry counter that will make you swoon:

And don't get me started about the macarons:

During another trip, I rode Angels Flight, the shortest railway in the world.

For 50 cents, you can ride the Angels Flight railway car up or down a steep hill between Hill and Olive Streets.  And, if you've ever seen the movie 500 Days of Summer (which I highly recommend), then you'll recognize the park next to the tracks.

Look at that orange railway car! And the black trim! I could admire it all day.  It kind of makes me want to repaint our house orange with black trim (but not really).

My New Rocking Chair

I bought a rocking chair on Monday.  We are madly in love.

I think my rocking chair needs a name, and I'm leaning towards either "Gretchen" or "Hilda." 

Note One: I rarely name my possessions.  Yes, I have nicknames for our waffle iron and the navigation system in my car; but I have not named the fridge, washing machine, or any of the house plants.  I am quirky but in control of my quirkiness.   

Note Two:  A rocking chair obviously has feelings, dreams and a sense of humor.  But I recognize that the rest of our furniture are inanimate objects.  Except the living room couch.  Our living room couch is neurotic and needs a good therapist.  (Ever since my parents gave me the couch, it has suffered from severe abandonment issues).