Big Bear Lake

We loved our visit to Big Bear last weekend. It was nice to get out of the city and just take it easy. Most of the hikes we chose to do were more "walks" than hikes so Snoops got to come with us almost everywhere. We stayed two nights at the Black Forest Lodge where we had our own little cabin with a fireplace and a jacuzzi tub. My lovely friend Debbie had us over for dinner with her and her family at their home. Our favorite restaurant was definnitely the Tearoom - very surreal and interesting experience. We did a lot of window shopping in the little village section of town - my favorite place was the candy shop where I got peanut butter and vanilla fudge - yum! Big Bear is definitely a place we will visit again when we need a restful weekend break from LA.

My New Glasses

Haven't yet got lenses put in but here's a few photos so you guys get the idea:

Chico's Angels

The best show I have seen since living in LA has to be Chico's Angels at Casita del Campo in Silverlake. The lovely Beth Leckbee-Makler, who I most recently saw performing with her improv musical theatre troupe Hit and Run - also fabulous, was featured in the last few weeks of the run of Chico's Angels part three. I am looking forward to part four next year! Seeing the show was extra special because I got to go with Alexis, Kate, Anastasia and Jenn.

Belated Halloween

For Halloween this year Kelly and I went with Hawk to the Knott's Berry Farm Halloween Haunt - very scarey! One week later we went with Bill and Stacey to the Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights - even more scarey - lots of loud chainsaws! The four of us waited in line for an hour and a half to go through the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Maze and I must say it was worth it. We plan to go back again next year.

The Go Healthy Challenge

Recently my friend Beth Leckbee-Makler and I taught dance to K-5th Graders at Gratts Elementary school in downtown LA. We were volunteers for the Go Healthy Challenge - an initiative started by the American Heart Association to get kids physically active in spite of state funding cuts that have eliminated PE classes in most schools. After an hour or so of searching around for the perfect music/idea, Beth suggested we do The Time Warp from Rocky Horror Picture Show. We agreed this was the perfect thing and found a cleaned up kids version on a halloween cd on iTunes ("but it's the way you shake it that really drives you insane" instead of "it's the pelvic thrust"). The coolness of doing The Time Warp was lost on the kids, but maybe one or two will someday watch Rocky Horror and realize how cool it really was.

First Post

Hello friends and family! Having a rare Saturday afternoon with no work or coursework. Snoops and I just went to the dog park and now it's time to go to the mall to buy gloves for our trip to Big Bear next weekend!