Flavor of the Day - Ojai Hike

I can't believe I forgot to put this one in the books (I mean, blog.)

We went on this hike a couple weekends ago. Nick grew up in Ojai, so he showed us some cool hiking spots. Beautiful waterfalls, and cool swimming holes with natural water slides. The water was warm. There were rattlesnakes and poison ivy to beware, but the friendly water snake and plenty of sage and other pleasant scents for the good olfactory.

8 mile hike, 8 hours roundtrip.


Phew, I'm exhausted.

REVIEW on WEEK 31: Animation Hullaballoo version 2

I've never been to the Blue Room before. The only way I know about it is from my older group of animation buddies. It's a local dive that animators (and contractors, I hear) go to after work for a quick beer and socializing. And yes, it's definitely blue inside, which I think adds to the loungy, laid-back ambiance to the place. Juke box played songs from my elementary school days. They also had a dart board, at which I threw plenty of darts, but missed half of them or hit way too far from the bulls-eye. I wish I could have seen the dinosaur waitresses with beehive hairdos, who take our orders with cigarette smoke on their tongues and their voices hoarse and cracked with age and decay. But there was only one lonely bartender taking care of the whole place. Several other regulars perched themselves at the bar, wondering about our massive group overtaking the place. It was like a reserved the space for a private party.

Having sent out invitations through Evite, I hoped more people would show than if I just posted it on here. And sure enough, there were. (I considered returning to Evite to inform people about my weekly events, but that would be too much work for me, and sometimes a nice intimate group is good enough.) I expected there to be about 15 people, but with friends bringing friends, there ended up being about 30 people or more in our group. The bartender was so enthused that he offered me a drink on the house. So I ended up drinking one glass of red wine, which ended up being more than enough for me the entire night. That, plus two waters... You know me though.

Some groups stayed together and didn't stray from their known friends, while others went around and mingled with everyone. I think the latter group had the most fun, and truly networked. They exchanged business cards/contact info, and will be doing follow-ups with each other, I'm sure. I'm hoping to have another one of these in a few months, perhaps a Friday night at Gordon Biersch, so people can drink, socialize, and eat. Yes, several people left to get food during the night, then returned afterward. But food is allowed in the Blue Room at least, though people didn't know at the time.



----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 30+
Time alloted: 3.5 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 4.5

Flavor of my weekend: July 27th

My own Pizza - Trader Joe's/Whole Foods Style
I made several this weekend, but the following is my favorite recipe, which I created myself:
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Take one Mediterranean Flat Bread and spread eggplant red pepper tapenade on top as your sauce. Sprinkle on some feta cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomato. Chop Garlic Sausage into tiny bites and place on top. Place pizza on a cookie sheet. Let cook 8-10 minutes.

I love experimenting with foods and the odds of it turning out good is 50-50, which makes for slim chances. This one proves that I can achieve a fast and tasty recipe! (Hmmm... maybe I'll be making my own food blog, Mehu!)


American Apparel



Sunset Junction
- Intelligentsia
- Cheese Shoppe
- Giant Robot
- Tsunami Coffee Shoppe






Elf Cafe

WEEK 31: Summer Networking at the Blue Room

Most of you have already received this Evite invitation, but in case you haven't, here it is again!

-----

Time for summer networking to begin! Bring your friends, business cards, and co-workers for a night out after work to mingle with fellow animators in the industry! This is only my second year planning this event, and it's gotta be bigger than last. And I know we're all up for a good drink amongst good company after work...

WHAT: Summer Networking at the Blue Room
WHEN: Tuesday, July 29th at 7:00pm
WHERE: Blue Room - 916 S San Fernando Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502 - (323) 849-2779

For reviews:
http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/314061/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-blue-room-burbank

Even if you have a stable job now, it's still good to get together and meet some really cool and interestingly quirky characters.

:P

Flavor of the Day - Lou on Vine

Took Deane to a restaurant I'd read about in AAA's Westways Magazine. When I checked the review online, I second-guessed my whole decision. But I'm glad we followed through with the idea. True, it is located in a strip mall off of Vine, but its interior compensated that. It's a wine bar known for its famous "pig candy." All of their ingredients are from locally-grown farmers, all organic. Their bacon is specially shipped to them, and it's obvious why. You just can't find great bacon in California, or so I've learned from Deane. What first gave me the idea was the fact that Deane loves bacon (aka pig candy) and I love cheese (aka cheese platters and a variety of cheese dishes), and we both love wine. And the "cheesy card" I sent him only complemented the night.

Here's what we ordered:

Drink -
- Dupont Brut de Normandie Cider - 4 apples, organic (First cider I've ever had and I absolutely LOVE IT!!! I think I'm a cider-type of girl.)

Appetizer -
- Pig Candy (We had to order two Deane loved it so much!)
- Roast fresh figs, Rogue Smokey Blue, roasted grapes, almonds (good mixture of items, fully complemented each other.)


Main -
- Burrata, stone fruit, prosciutto, wild arugula (filling!)
- Niman flat iron steak, bisto potatoes, Romano beans (meat was so good! You can tell it was a properly-raised cow, well-respected, well-loved - my kinda cow!)


Dessert -
- Plum sorbet with raspberries and chocolate

I don't know how it gets such great business based on its strip mall location, but I guess good reviews spread the word faster than an attractive building on the side of the street. So please, check this place out for yourself; I'm sure you won't regret it.

REVIEW on WEEK 30: Dr. Faustus

For anyone interested in selling one's soul to the devil, consult Dr. Faustus, and I'm sure he can prescribe a good remedy. Although I couldn't understand certain parts of the play, what compelled me were the magickal elements and God vs. devil. We laid a blanket out on the lawn, and ate a nice picnic dinner we prepared, which consisted of such yummy foods as:
- pear-walnut salad
- tri-variety grapes
- chips
- mango juice
- lychees

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 4
Time alloted: 2 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 3.5 (Hooray for free, outdoor theater!)

WEEK 30 - July 24th - Dr. Faustus

Free Shakespeare in the Park! Bring your blankets and picnic baskets for a free night of entertainment!

WHAT: Dr. Faustus picnic
WHEN: Thursday, July 24th at 7:00pm
WHERE: Barnsdall Park - 4800 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, 90027 (between Edgemont and Vermont on the south side of the street)

More info: http://www.independentshakespeare.com/box-office/box-office.html
http://www.eyespyla.com/www/thebuzz.nsf/6b4aedfe06a32d1588256e29000e493a/da31b1c380204a0085257451007087ef!OpenDocument

Here is the email I received from them:

Dear Rochelle Perry,

This is to confirm your reservation of 4 tickets for Dr. Faustus on
July 24th at 7:30PM

Following is some important information:

1) Bring a blanket and dress warmly - it can get cold after the sun
goes down!

2) When you arrive, check in at the box office desk by the outdoor
stage. The box office desk will open at 6:00 p.m. Reservations will
be held until 7.00 p.m. The performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. Feel
free to come earlier if you would like to picnic in the park.

3) All seating is first-come, first-served. Up to 7 p.m. we will only
admit people with reservations into the seating area. After 7 p.m.
any remaining seats or lawn space will be made available to people
without reservations. There are a limited number of chairs available
or you can bring low rise beach chairs or blankets to stretch out on
the lawn.

4) Admission is free. However, if you enjoy the production, you may
make a donation afterwards. Small or large, these contributions from
the public are our primary source of funding. The Independent
Shakespeare Co. is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit company, and your
donation is tax deductible.

5) The performance is on the outdoor stage on the South Lawn at
Barnsdall Park:

4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, 90027
(between Edgemont and Vermont on the south side of the street)

6)Parking in the park is free but we can't guarantee everyone will
find a spot. Why not make it a car-free expedition and try the Metro?
The Red Line stops directly below Barnsdall Park at Vermont/Sunset.
Trains run every 10-20 minutes until midnight . The new elevator and
stairs on the South East corner entrance to the Park (4798 Barnsdall
Ave off of Vermont) make it a short trip from the Metro station to
the park. To plan your trip got to http://www.metro.net/

7) Please note: Department of Cultural Affairs/Barnsdall Gallery
Theatre will be selling wine and beer and other refreshments in
either the Barnsdall Gallery Theatre or the courtyard outside the Art
Gallery, prior to the show and during intermission. (If you bring
your own alcoholic drinks into the park with your picnic you run the
risk of getting a ticket! Paper/plastic cups and no glass please).

Please email or call us at (818) 710-6306 if you have any other
questions.

Thanks very much--and we look forward to seeing you at the theater!

Independent Shakespeare Co.

www.independentshakespeare.com

For a map got to: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?address=4800%
20Hollywood%20Blvd&city=Los%
20Angeles&state=CA&zipcode=90027&country=US&title=%3cb%3eBarnsdall%
20Arts%20Ctr%3a%3c%2fb%3e%20213%2d473%2d8457%3cbr%20%2f%3e%204800%
20Hollywood%20Blvd%3cbr%20%2f%3e%20Los%20Angeles%2c%20CA%2090027%2c%
20%20US&cid=lfmaplink2&name=Barnsdall%20Arts%20Ctr

REVIEW on WEEK 29: Greek Symposium

I really wish I could have decorated more, though I had some grape leaves that a friend gave me (which I used to decorate but wish I would have saved to cook a fish with.) Togas would have been fun to wear, and servants feeding us grapes would have been spectacular! I think I spent most of my energy on buying the Greek food that by the time people came and started talking, I was pooped! But the food granted us was fit for the gods.

On the menu:
- Pita bread
- Hummus
- Chicken
- Greek Salad
- Greek Pizza
- Dolmas (Grape Leaves)
- I wish we had some baklava :(

The topics discussed included:
- are people overall good by nature, or bad?
- private vs. public schools
- why people do stupid things
- survival of the fittest
-

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 5
Time alloted: 3 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 3.5 (Hooray for people the Greeks!)

And how convenient that Deane and I watched Ovid's "Metamorphoses" the following night. I love the fables about love and choice and change.

We ate at Eclectic next door. Deane ordered the lamb, I tried the apple pie (which I wouldn't recommend), and we shared the wine tasting. The white wine was our favorite.

Flavor of the Weekend - San Francisco

Friday
- The Kress

Saturday



- Brunch in Mission Hills at Tartine (Muesli)
- Twin Peaks
- Hayes Street - Flight 001, Christopher Elbows (Coconut Curry Liquid Chocolate), Timbuk2 (pins), Frjtz (fries)
- Golden Gate Park - pictures, party - Swishball
- Space Gallery - Martin's pieces
- El Raiku -






Sunday
- Cooked breakfast - waffles, blueberries, bacon, buttermilk biscuits
- City Lights Bookshop
- Martin Lawrence Gallery
- Union Square
- Samovar - teahouse - squash dumplings,
- Moma (no Frida)
- Beard Papa's
- El Matada - tacos and burrito dinner

WEEK 29: July 16th - The Greek Symposium

Based on last week's event, I thought this could be fun for us:

In ancient Greece, men would gather to debate, plot, and party with others in a forum called a "symposium". Likewise I'd like to debate, plot, and party with you. Since the symposium originated in Greece, I thought it proper to eat a Greek meal and drink lots of wine provided by the Greek god of wine, Dionysus. So please bring all the food and wine you believe appropriate to keep us debating all night. And, while you're bringing food/wine, please remember to bring your topic(s) of debate, to which we will either dissect it to its root or cast it aside with more confusion. Half hour for each topic, max. We could (and most likely would) debate long into the morning if we got carried away.

Be warned! I love Greek mythology so I may open the night with a favorite of mine.

WHAT: Greek Food and Symposium
WHEN: Wednesday, July 16th at 7:00pm
WHERE: My Apt. Symposium

Please remember to bring an open mind to think and speak freely. I look forward to gaining some sense of wisdom.

For more info about "Symposium": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symposium
Socrates' Symposium has also inspired this event. Please take a listen to "The Philosophy Podcast" if you get a chance.

* Dionysus approves! *

REVIEW on WEEK 28: Open Mic Night

We placed a sign on our door that read: "Welcome to Toroni's Coffee Shop." I made a little menu and sign-up sheet, and we prepared little "nibblers" as I like to call them - grapes, crackers, salami, brie, dried fruit. The coffee we sampled was brewed by my roomies (I barely know how to make coffee... please don't make me make coffee, I don't know how and I don't want that job... .) Nika and I read some poetry we had written, hers about coffee and mine about random flights of my mind. Nothing new really. But what is new is Nika's new blog about coffee shops and conversations - where we like to write and converse, much like a symposium except we substitute coffee/tea for wine. Amy sang a song she wrote for a boy long ago. I have yet to persue this ambition. And Mayra and Sheri both said a joke. Tony brought up an interesting idea about random curiosities, namely existence: "Where are we before we're born?", " How do we know we're alive?" Philosophical things like that. And then I knew that religion would have a say in it. So the conversation slid back and forth between what the church teaches and what we as individuals believe. Most interesting how the night unfolded organically.

----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 7
Time alloted: 4 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 4.0 (Hooray for people who like debates!)

Thanks to all your input, everyone! It's inspired my next event!

WEEK 28: July 9th - Open Mic Night and Coffee Tasting

Time to prepare for Open Mic Night! Either tell a joke, read a poem/story, perform a song, or freestyle. But they all have to be original work created by you! Don't have anything? Well, start scribbling down your idea, or you can just go up and improvise. Anything goes!

We'll also be converting our apartment into a Coffee Shop, where all this fun will happen! So welcome... to Toroni's Cafe!

WHAT: Open Mic Night... and Coffee-Tasting for Coffee Lovers!
WHEN: Wednesday, July 9th at 7:00pm
WHERE: My Apt.

This is meant for a night of creative expression, and everyone with this in mind is welcome. Even if you don't have anything to share or are too shy to perform, come be an audience member.

Inspired by (and we should go sometime): http://www.tiachucha.com/
(Image courtesy of DailyClipArt.net)

REVIEW on WEEK 27: July 4th BBQ

Shoshana arrived at 8:00 in the morning and managed to reserve the last open table. It was in the sun, but at least we had a grill to use. So by the time people arrived, we grilled all the meat and other grillables, and then relocated ourselves to the dense shade of a tree. We munched on food like pasta salad, potato salad, cole slaw, fruit salad, chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, and kebabs. We played live music with our drums and guitar, and played park games like frisbee and cricket. An ice cream man wandered through as if an oasis in a desert appeared before us. The heat was unbearable. I even bought an umbrella special for this event, but then it ended up being too small to fit us all underneath. But in the shade it was perfect. All seemed to have a great time!

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this event, and thanks to all those who made it out to celebrate the holiday together!


----- STATISTICS -----
People attended: 18
Time alloted: 8 hours

----- RATING ----- (out of 5 stars)
Overall Experience: 4.5 (So much fun but so much sun!)



For fireworks, I went to Cerritos and watched them with my family. Afterwards, we walked back to my aunt's house in Norwalk and witnessed several sets of amateurs light the legal fireworks along with the exciting illegal ones from Mexico. My first time watching unprofessionals set them off. I cringed in suspense as the explosives flew like drunken rockets into the sky. Some even rose into the air like wayward spirits, screaming like baby banshees. Good times! I feel so patriotic and proud of my fellow American!