Weekend Re-cap

Well it was quite a weekend. First of all on Friday I got my Wii Fit that I had pre-ordered on Amazon.com. It's so fun -- I did yoga, hula hooping, ski jumping, jogging, stretching, and all sorts of stuff for about an hour a day on Friday, Saturday, and Monday. And let me tell ya -- you really feel it working! This thing is fantastic, and so much fun!

And I went to go see Indiana Jones #4 on Saturday with Dyno. I had bought tickets for the Arclight in Sherman Oaks, and we were supposed to meet Guitar Joe and his girl there. But when the time got closer and closer and they still hadn't shown, I started to get worried. We had to all walk in together because I had one ticket for all four of us. Well finally Joe calls and says, "Where are you guys??" and I said, "We're at the bar waiting for you!" And he says, "So are we and we don't see you!" And finally I said, "Are you at the Arclight in Hollywood?" and he goes, "Yeah, where are you?" "Sherman Oaks!!" Well by now it's too late for them to make it to S.O. in time, so I tell him to just drive over and we'll figure something out. Then I look at the tickets and they're for the Hollywood theater. So I'm the bonehead, not Joe. We finally got it all straightened out with Customer Service -- Dyno and I went to a later show in S.O., and they just went without us to the showing in Hollywood. But what a mess!

After the movie -- which was awesome!! -- we went to Ben & Jerry's. There we spotted a famous person, and Dyno and I were nudging each other like "Is that? Is that...?" Finally Dyno goes up to the star and says something, and the guy just nods inexpressively. So I ask Dyno what he said to him. He says, "I said, 'Hey, Carlos, I love your show." As in Carlos Mencia.

I started laughing. "Dyno, that wasn't Carlos Mencia -- that was George Lopez!" Dyno was embarrassed for about a second, until we both thought about it. So George Lopez was identified incorrectly -- and mistaken as his biggest rival. The stand-up comedian still makes a bajillion more money than we'll ever make.

Anyway, before Dyno approached him I snuck a picture.
It was definitely a great weekend.

Star Sighting of the Day

Now with more Stalker-Zoom™!For that behind-the-bushes, extra fuzzy look, try Stalker-Zoom™!
And stalk a celeb today!

Joey Lawrence at Yen Sushi in Studio City.

Please to Enjoy...

From Me...to You, the reader:
Apparently someone was "amused" by my writings of my experience on Hell's Kitchen (a post I did way back in January). I usually don't respond to comments I get, but when it came to being called a flat-out liar, I felt the need.

Simply because I got the address wrong, she believes I made the whole thing up; all three posts, detailing my experiences down to the last detail of being a diner on "Hell's Kitchen". I was even able to magically predict when my episode would be on. Wow...I have to say, if I had made all this up, I'd be one helluva liar!

First of all, I appreciate her readership. I have to say that ruffling feathers has always been a talent of mine, and I think I exceeded my gift enormously by having her take the effort out of her no doubt excruciatingly busy schedule to vent about little old me. I'm so flattered that I could stir such emotion in someone, someone I don't even know and who doesn't even know me! How exhilarating.

Second of all, I didn't drive to the show (Dyno did, and he got the directions), so I apologize if I got the address wrong as well as the name of JP. She's probably correct -- it's on Sawtelle or wherever she thinks it is, and his name is whatever else she thinks it is. I have to commend her extensive knowledge of this one modest reality show.

Third, I feel sorry for her that she's so jaded about society. "Some of the lies people tell just to get attention are beyond amazing." I can only believe that she has been hurt countless times by people throughout her life who are pleased and seek praise from her. Apparently when seeking appreciation from this woman, it shall never be found.

Lastly, I can conclude that when living in L.A. -- which I have done my whole life -- you get the rare opportunity to see many celebrities (as shown in my Star Sightings) and often get the chance to be extras or subjects of television shows. I have never purported to saying that I myself am a star or a celebrity. On the contrary, I still get starstruck when I see Richard Grieco at Starbucks every morning.

But I've always thought of the Lounge as a place where I can vent my feelings, post interesting tidbits, and express what's going on in my life. Just as this woman has done, I've used my rights of free speech to blog my life, just as I will continue to do.

Thanks for your readership.

4th of July Holiday Recap

Well it feels like it's been a whole weekend, but nope, I'm back here at work for two more blissful days. But at least I had fun on my day off.

It started Tuesday night. Dyno and I triple-dated at Firefly in Studio City. Right when Dyno and I walked in I spotted Tiffani Thiessen (not with her husband), at the bar. She was talking to two younger guys, and I heard her say, "I should take you guys there. Totally my treat; we have to go." She finally got a table and left the bar with them.

Dyno and I sat down and I heard a familiar voice behind me. It sounded like Jerry Seinfeld's mother. Sure enough, when I turned around there was Liz Sheridan, having drinks with a woman friend.

If you've never been there, the atmosphere at Firefly is awesome. It's got a lounge feel at the bar and sitting area, and then the dining room is like an open patio. The drinks and appetizers were good, but my dinner was a little dry (the roasted hen). But overall it was a good time and with the weather being so warm, it was nice to enjoy the outdoors for dinner.

Wednesday, Dyno and I hung around my apartment. We barbecued and watched some movies, basically trying to avoid the heat. He also taught me how to play gin rummy and I whooped his @ss 4 out of 5 games.

Hopefully you all had a happy and safe holiday!

I Was in Hell!

Remember when I recapped my experience as a diner on "Hell's Kitchen"? Well, the episode was on last night.

Just as I predicted I was on it pretty predominantly. If you want to see it again and guess who I was, watch it again on Fox next Monday night at 8 PM. They're showing it again.

To give you a hint, here's the recap of my experience part one, and part two.

The Hell's Kitchen Experience - Part Deux

To continue with what happened at the Hell's Kitchen filming on Sunday...

So we finally made it in to the restaurant, and we're seated at the table, looking at our menus. And this is where it gets sticky. It's hard for me to say what happened next without giving too much away (and revealing my identity), but what I can tell you is this:

~ There is a 95% possibility that I will be on TV.
~ There is a 100% possibility that if I am on TV I'll be shown complaining.
~ I know who lost that episode's challenge and who's probably going home.
~ Jean Phillipe came by to talk to our table a couple times. He's hilarious.
~ The food, for the most part, was fantastic -- except for what happened that made me complain.
~ It will be an interesting dinner service -- for the diners and the competitors.

Most interesting was that my wine glass was being filled continually. Dyno kept getting beer after beer...and at the end of the night, we weren't presented with any bill, just comment cards to fill out. So despite what the producer told us, it was not a cash bar, and I believe they encouraged drinking to make the show better. I'll admit I talk more when I drink, and I ended up forgetting about the cameras after a couple glasses of good Chardonnay.

The best part of the experience was watching Gordon bark out orders and yell at Jean Pierre. Ramsay was leaning over the way that he does just screaming at people. I was in the front of the house far from the kitchen and I could still hear him. It was exciting to watch.

The worst part of the evening was that if you needed to use the restroom you had to exit the restaurant and walk across the parking lot to some bathroom trailers. Also bad was the long wait just to be seated. my hair went from fab to flat by the time we walked in, and I'm sure it won't look good on TV.

Once the show airs, I'll be able to do a really detailed recap! Look for the Hell's Kitchen season 3 to start in March -- and I was at the second episode!

The Hell's Kitchen Experience - Part 1

So I went to a Hell's Kitchen filming on Sunday as a diner at the "restaurant." It was for Season 3's second episode. Got $40 for it too which was nice. But I don't know how much I can say, seeing as how I signed a disclosure agreement. So I'll try to steer around what was happening with the actual show as much as I can...

Hell's Kitchen is filmed at 915 North La Brea Avenue at the corner Willoughby Avenue in Los Angeles. It's pretty much in the middle of nowhere, amid industrial parks and train tracks, surrounded by security and gates. Dyno and I were the first one's there at 4 PM. A valet took my car and we were led up some stairs in to a building. They had us go into a small room with a lot of folding chairs to sign a bunch of paperwork. Disclosure agreements, liability papers, basically anything to cover their butt. Essentially: "I agree I'm not allergic to any foods and I realize that I'll be on TV." They took our picture and then we sat there for another hour and a half as more people poured in. Finally some PA's set out some snacks, and it reminded me that some dinner patrons don't get to eat anything until 10:00 -- if at all if Gordon screams to "shut it down." I filled a couple cups with pretzels and vegetables, worried I'd never get to eat.

A producer told us the rules at 5:10. Please keep conversation focused on the restaurant, "not the Super Bowl," she said, much to Dyno's chagrin. There will be a cash bar, but she warned for us to refrain from becoming too intoxicated, as "drunk and beligerant does not make good TV." I scoffed. Had she never seen The Real World? or Bad Girls Club? Then contradicting herself she said that cabs were available free of charge if we were too drunk to drive home.

At 5:30 Dyno and I were called up front along with 3 other couples. We were taken to the "restaurant" which was located across an industrial-type parking lot. We waited out front for 10 minutes in the cold until a producer told us to go in.

Jean Phillipe, the Matre d' - and Gordon's sort of sidekick on the show - greeted us and led us to our table. The restaurant inside is more beautiful in person than on TV. High ceilings (with tons of lighting and cameras) overlook huge mirror-paneled walls with colorful and intricate tilework. Merely feet away, Gordon was barking orders to the red and blue teams who were rushing around the kitchen. I could hear the expletives from here.

Cameras on high booms swung around to see us, and cameramen on foot, followed by men with boom mikes, swarmed towards us. We sat at the table and were welcomed by our waiter, who handed us our menus. We were finally in.

(Stay tune for more later!)

Star Sighting of the Season

I was shopping over the weekend (yes, I wait until the last minute) when I spotted Hillary Duff at ValSurf in Studio City. Skinny as a stick standing in line to pay with her mother. I snuck this picture while pretending to look at watches.

Star Sighting of the Day

Mike Starr
lunch at Jerry's Deli

Star Sighting of the Day

Jeff Probst
Guitar Joe and I spotted the "Survivor" host eating at Baja Fresh in Sherman Oaks. He looked kind of wrinkly and pale...guess he hasn't been to any remote filming locations lately.

Star Sighting of the Day

My sister Coco and I went to Ralph's in Brentwood and we spotted Scott Valentine of "Family Ties" fame. I actually said, "Yo, Ma-LO-REE!!" but he didn't hear me.

Most surprising was he has white hair now -- and not Billy-Idol-cool-dyed white hair. More like old-man-picking-through-produce white hair.

Days of the hot mullet are long gone, Scott. *sigh*

Star Sighting of the Day

Yay! Lou came through for me again. Every time we hang out together the stars are a'flockin'. He's a celeb magnet, I tell ya'.

This time, we went to lunch and spotted Ryan Stiles of Drew Carey fame eating lunch at a Thai restaurant in Studio City. The guy is taller in person than you could imagine.

Star Sighting of the Trip to OR

I forgot to mention this yesterday, but on my flight to Portland to see Pixie, the lead singer of Everclear, Art Alexakis was on our flight. He was sitting in a worse seat than I was, which is weird.

Star(bucks) Sighting of the Day

Clea DuVall
She predominantly plays the hardcore, Ali-Sheedy-in-Breakfast-Club, outcast type of character, like in The Faculty or The Grudge.

I spotted her this morning exiting Starbucks in Studio City, wearing no makeup.

Star Sighting of the Day

William R. Moses
You may know him from "Perry Mason," you may know him from the "Jane Doe" movies on the Hallmark Channel, or you may not know him at all... but I spotted him eating lunch with a young girl (daughter?) at Jerry's Deli in Studio City today.

Had a great chicken salad sammich there, bee tee dub.

Star Sighting of the Day (or Night)

Last night Dyno and I tried to catch the special showing of Sunset Blvd. at the Arclight in Hollywood, but we were 10 minutes late. Drat! But we took this lemon that we were given and made some mighty fine lemonade. We sat in the bar and drank bloody mary's and beers until midnight. That's when we spotted Caroline Rhea looking pretty shabby sitting in the lounge eating dinner with a man. She had visible pantylines, which is the biggest fashion taboo ever, in my book.

Star Sightings of the Weekend

(and brief Weekend Recap)

I went to go see Cars with Dyno on Saturday at 3rd Street Promenade. I loved the movie, but Dyno fell asleep during the middle! Anyway, because we went to a matinee, it was hard watching the flick with a bunch of yelling, talking, screaming kids...but I have to say the best behaved kids in the theater were Tim Meadows', who sat next to their dad the entire time, and didn't breathe a word. Thanks, Tim, for keeping your kids in line in the theater!

Sunday, Dyno and I spotted Martin Sheen in Santa Monica. The people behind us spotted him, too, but they called him "Charlie Sheen's dad."

Star Sighting of the Day

Kel Mitchell
Thanks to Lou's new high-tech phone, we got to take a picture of the star sighting this time. Today's was Kel Mitchell - of Nickelodeon's "Kenan and Kel" - at the Jamba Juice in Studio City.

He seemed to be taking a long time looking at the menu. Hmm...Vita boost or protein boost? Yogurt or sherbet? Decisions decisions...

Star Sighting of the Day

Melissa Gilbert
I was with my buddy Guitar Joe driving to lunch when some hotshot chica in a snazzy convertible wheeled out of a parking lot and shot in to the lane next to us. She pulled along side my window and just as I was about to give her a dirty look, I realized it was Melissa Gilbert. She's lucky I didn't give her my dagger-eyes.

Star(bucks) Sighting of the Day

Sara Gilbert
I spotted this teeny actress at Starbucks this morning in Studio City... I say teeny because she's 5'3" and I'm Amazonian at 5'10".