Tag Archives: hollywood
Who wasn’t fun and crazy in their 20s?
Do you ever wake up in the morning, look at your face and think WHAT IS HAPPENING!? When did I get so old? It feels like yesterday I was wearing a tutu with tights and a tank top to The Gig in Hollywood, while my uptight friend laughed at my eclectic ensemble. I fondly remember wearing, red, pink and green wigs daily, just because I felt like it and getting kudos on my style from my kooky friend as we drank Guinness at Dublins. Seriously, wasn’t I just wearing glitter on my face while dancing with crazy friends at the Viper Room, then to an after hours hula party? My husband refers to my 20s as my fun years. Mainly because I constantly tell him how fun I used to be. He usually laughs and comments that he can’t believe he fell in love with the boring version of me. I agree, I was really fun in my 20s.
Of course I’m not saying I’m boring in my 30s, I’m just a little more reserved. I prefer to go for a Santa Barbara Winery weekend or a Palm Springs Spa stay with the girls for the weekend. Some say having a kid does change your life, but age has changed me more. I’m pretty positive I can’t pull off wearing glitter and tutus anymore and I definitely can’t stay out all night drinking. Sadly, I actually just gave away my last two tutus at a clothing swap last year. I was really conflicted about it, but I think there should be only one person per household wearing tutus and Maggie looks much cuter in one than I. The same goes with glitter. I’ll let Maggie wear glitter as much as she wants, but I’m going to refrain from wearing it myself. Honestly, I’ll just look like a sad, aging stripper and that isn’t the look I’m going for. I’m definitely rocking the soccer mom vibe.
In actuality, I’d like to marry my youthful and fun 20s with my more conservative 30s. I want AJ and Maggie to think I’m the most fun mom around. I want to have family adventures every month, I want camping and skiing to be yearly traditions, and I want to have a girl’s weekend at least twice a year. OMG, I am old. I wonder if I can still pull off skiing in a bikini. Hmm…even if I could, I probably shouldn’t. I’d like Maggie to have fun in her 20s dancing with friends and not spending it in therapy.
I’m being watched…
Have you ever had the feeling something was watching you? You know that eerie feeling in the pit of your stomach, that constraining feeling of not being able to breathe and then the hair stands up on the back of your neck. Well, I’m living in fear right now. Every time I leave my house, I’m scouting for the predator that is watching me. I wish I was kidding, but I walk to my car with Maggie and I’m positive every move I make is being recorded. I leave the house to walk Gilmore and I’m sure we are going to be blindsided. I’ve even taken precautions on how to defend myself. I’ve searched out places to hide and was able to get a couple of good pictures of my stalker. Meet my friend…Ira,the spider.
I threw a 12 inch stick into his web and he walked over and took it out. Pretty much told me that I was an idiot and he was smarter than me.
Luckily if I’m attacked, it won’t be deadly, unless I have a heart attack.
Here are some helpful websites that helped me figure out if my spider was harmful. If you are squeamish, then you might not want to click the links. Some of the spiders are pretty creepy.
For Standard California spiders click here.
For general bug identification click here.
For spider bites click here.
Hopefully you won’t get the same kind of stalker I did.
Hiking therapy and butt toning
I had a realization that I am a hiking enthusiast. It’s not like this should have been a surprise. I based my entire decision of buying a baby stroller around the question of “Which stroller is best for the hiking trails?” Answer: Bob Revolution Stroller. One caveat is, a stroller good for hiking trails doesn’t mean a stroller that is easy to push up a hiking trail. I guess that’s kind of the point, but phew, it’s a serious workout! Exciting and exhausting at the same time.
For 10 years, I lived in Hollywood and would walk to hike Runyan Canyon on a daily basis. When I was feeling overly ambitious I would run the trails. It gave me clarity and peace every time I did it. It’s my therapy. There are times I must’ve looked like a crazy lady walking up the canyon, crying to myself, but by the end of the hike I was better. Of course, there are the actual crazies, such as my drag queen schizo neighbor Pam, that really draws attention. Truth be told, not many people noticed me on those days.
Say what you want about LA, but for most of us that live here and love to be outdoors, the hiking trails are our nirvana. It’s a great place to meet a friend, get a workout and bond. The trails are therapeutic and they don’t smell like the city. They smell like the outdoors, you know “poop and trees”, but in a good way.
I now live closer to Fryman Canyon and at first was bummed to leave the Runyan Canyon trail in Hollywood. But now, I love Fryman. In fact, I think I’m in love with Fryman (don’t tell my husband). The hike is not as difficult, but you get just as much therapy from it. It’s amazing what a little bit of nature will do for the soul.
Today, I realized I’m not the only one who hikes for therapy. Everyone does, if they know it or not. With each pair of hikers I passed by I overheard one or the other ranting about their life. It’s not just hiking. It’s obvious to me, it’s “couples hiking therapy”. If your couple is your partner or your friend, if they are loud, or talk at a mere whisper, the outcome was the same for everyone. Hiking is therapeutic. Even if you are hiking alone, like I do sometimes, you can get as much therapy from the trails as the couples, it’s just more of an inward reflection. Let’s call it “mommy peace therapy”.
So if you are looking for some therapy and want to tone your butt in the process, I’d recommend getting out and hiking a canyon. It’s free, it’s healthy and the only thing you need to worry about is walking into the crazy crying lady…because she, and by she I mean I, won’t be thrilled about that.
Make me pretty ritual
We all have morning rituals that we have come to rely on. When you are a teenager, you are discovering yourself. When you are in your 20s you experiement with different looks. When you are in your 30s you know what works for you. Throw in a baby and all of a sudden, the ritual has changed.
Admittedly, I usually take around an hour to get ready. I take a shower, put on my favorite lotions (daily SPF), condition my hair, blow out my hair and put on my makeup. I have now been thrown for a loop. My hour long,”Make me pretty ritual” has been shortened. So far it varies from 5 minutes to 15 minutes and if I’m lucky 30 minutes. This is tough, especially for a girl who has to blow dry her hair. I have what I like to call “White trash” hair. If I don’t blow it out, my bangs lay flat on my forehead, my hair has no body and looks greasy and has a 1980s perm wave that hasn’t been kept up. You know the look. White trash. If you put me in a trailer park, I’d blend in perfectly.
As an actress I always believed I’d get an Oscar for some dramatic character that lives in a trailer park with her boyfriend and 7 kids. Mainly because my hair is “Method”. (Without powder, I have solidified my Oscar nomination) My skin is rosy and uneven. I know I’m painting a beautiful picture of my self, but its true.
So on days like today, when all I have time to do is brush my teeth and put my hair in a ponytail and throw on some powder and lip gloss. I long for a nanny and a stylist to wake up to everyday.
I guess what I’m saying is… I dream of the days that I will be a Real Housewife of Beverly Hills. I mean seriously, they don’t do anything. Okay, I haven’t watched the show yet, but I’ve heard. Is it okay that I loathe them and want to be them at the same time?
