February 13- Topanga Getaway

I started off the day at Kristen’s pilates class in Palisades Park. We did a shorter version of the class because people were late and we were also going for a hike that day and didn’t want to overdo it. Kristen’s class is awesome and open to the public.

One of my favorite discoveries, in LA, is Topanga Canyon. It’s just 25 minutes from my apartment, but it feels like a little mini vacation. It has the laid-back hippie vibe that Mill Valley used to have before it was completely yuppified. There are tons of hikes and restaurants, but my favorite combo is a hike to Eagle Rock and then lunch at Inn of the 7^th Ray!

Becky, Kristen, Danielle, and Kevin (Danielle’s friend who was visiting from NYC), and I caravanned into the canyon and did the short(ish) hike to Eagle Rock. Eagle Rock is only about 2 miles each way and there is a steady climb, so it’s not very hard, but the end is very rewarding as you get to climb up the actual “Eagle Rock” and there is a great view of the Valley below.

After the hike, Kristen, Becky and I headed to Inn of the 7th Ray for lunch. The restaurant is set along a gorgeous creek and all of the food is organic and mostly local. Sitting outside there feels like miles away from LA. As much as I love this restaurant, time moves very slowly here and if you are hungry from a pilates class and hike, the service moves like "molasses going uphill in a snowstorm." After finally getting our seitan burgers with soy cheese, we took a quick browse in their gift shop/bookstore, filled with crystals and self help books, and called it a day- and a good one at that!

February 11- Shen Yun

As almost everyone knows, I love almost everything Asian! Jason T, knowing me very well, invited me to see the Shen Yun dance and music show downtown. It was a gorgeous production with amazing costumes and great dancing. The only part that we were not into, was the singing. They translated everything on big screen and all of the songs had lines in them about the end of the world and "being judged" when that day comes. They also sang about how "mundane" life is. We were pretty confused about the depressing nature of the songs but the dancing was very uplifting!

February 7- Superbowl Sunday

What better place to watch the Superbowl then over at Mike and Trisha's, in Manhattan Beach! They have an awesome two level house and had the game playing on both floors. The more "serious" watchers stayed downstairs. We had a "pool" going to make it more exciting and Kristen won again- two years in a row!!

Directly after the game ended, Tug C. organized a game of our own. After a bit of hesitation, we decided to play "running charades." It is almost like a relay race with charades between three teams. To my surprise, it ended up being really fun!

February 6th- Later That Night

I received a semi-surprise text from Drew W. (I forgot he was going to be in town), while at Meg's party. He was near my apartment so I decided to meet him, at Bar Chole, for a drink on my way home. Drew is an old friend from my semester abroad in Paris. Drew, Lisa V, and I were pretty much the "Three Musketeers." I rarely get to see him so it was such a treat to be able to catch up! We spent most of the night laughing and reminiscing about all of the funny things that happened when we lived in France, such as his French "family" asking him if his American family could bring some Viagra for them, when they came to visit.

February 6th- Hand Crafted Valentines!

Every year Meg T. has an amazing pre-Valentine's day party where we all get to make hand crafted Valentine's for our loved ones while taking Jello shots and eating cupcakes and really good Chinese Chicken Salad from Joan's on Third. Even if you're heartbroken (& someone at the party always is), it is such a fun party that it's impossible not to have a good time!

January 30- Ojai, Day 2

We woke up to a gorgeous day and decided to eat lunch outside on the deck. You'll notice that there are four breakfasts on the table but only three of us. No, we didn't have another friend coming, that is just typical Lisa V. ordering. It's hard to believe that someone so tiny really likes to eat! She always wants something "sweet" after breakfast which usually means an extra breakfast of either waffles or pancakes. I always protest against this because what ends up happening is that Lisa takes one bite and I have 10. She is part of the reason that I could not button my pants after living with her in Paris. She's a food pusher in the worst way, but we were on vacation, so I let it slide. We had a nice game of tennis to work it off. I hadn't played since I was 12- I forgot how much fun it can be.

We ended the night with a fancy birthday dinner, for me, at the resort. After the previous night's meal, we decided to stay close to home. The dinner was amazing but the best surprise of the night was that the women at the table next to us thought I was turning 26!

January 29th- Ojai Adventure!

Gross appetizer at Los Caporales
Outdoor fireplace

A few months ago Lisa V, Lisa K, and I decided that we were in need of a girl’s trip. We decided to justify this little weekend getaway by making it a belated birthday celebration for me. 500 emails later, we finally decided on the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, in Ojai, CA. Ojai is just 1.5 hours from Santa Monica, so we were there in no time! We started the day with a hike in Temescal Canyon and were at the resort by lunchtime!

On the first night we decided to venture into town for dinner. We asked the front desk for some Mexican restaurant recommendations. They suggested Antonio’s and Los Caporales, but said that they preferred Antonio’s. After getting lost a few times on the 3 minute drive there, we finally found Antonio’s. It looked pretty dead, so we decided to go to Los Caporales instead. After being seated I noticed that they were using a microwave to cook (I could see into the kitchen from my seat). We were starving and decided to order an appetizer of melted cheese and chorizo (can’t think of the name for it). I was envisioning a bowl of creamy melted cheese with chunks of yummy chorizo, but what came instead was a plate of congealed cheese with what looked like dog food masquerading as chorizo.

The rest of the meal wasn’t much better and we tried to ignore the fact that the meat in my burrito was grey. Wanting something sweet, but not wanting to take a chance on anything else there, we headed to Chevron where we loaded up on Candy to eat while watching a pay per view movie at the hotel. We decided on Fame and it was almost as bad as the dinner. As Lisa V. put it, “this movie is made for Brooke, Cami’s 5 year old.” Despite the horrible food and bad entertainment, we had a fun first night in Ojai.