Step right up to the Costco Circus

Last night I opened a membership at Costco. Not at just any Costco but apparently the third busiest Costco in the country. The cashier said if I came on a weekend I'd never want to come back. The place was still a mad house after work and I was overwhelmed by the options. I needed paper plates but did I need a 200 count? I felt dwarfed by the shopping cart alone and was navigating like a child behind the wheel of a car as I swerved into each aisle adding soup, easy mac and other quick snacks into the cart. I wanted to get bottled water but couldn't even lift the thing to put it into the cart, so I gave up. It didn't help that I wasn't used to this store's layout since I'd only been to one in Connecticut before. A $50 membership and a $117 bill later I left with a headache and a filled trunk of junk that I probably didn't need. Can't wait to go back and get some more though :-/ 

Video: Wearing Patriotism on Your Sleeve (Or Back) My cousin, Ryan, designs the shirts featured in this video. Check it out.

Let's go ...

Mets apparently. My Yankees unfortunately didn't make it past the division series, but to any Red Sox readers at least they were there and won one game. So heart break aside, I went to Game 3 of the Mets vs. Dodgers playoffs at Dodger Stadium. I wore a shirt that said NY Baseball but left it ambiguous to which NY team I was a fan of. My boyfriend meanwhile was decked out in a Mets hat and Beltran shirt. We arrived in the 4th inning after sitting in traffic for an hour and a half on the stadium exit (see picture below). We had to listen to the first 3 runs being scored on the radio. We kept ourselves entertained though by beeping our car horn at guys running out to pee on the side of the road. Pretty funny. 

As we walked down the steps of the Top Deck to our seats, we were booed, jeered and had peanuts thrown at us. I wanted to yell that I wasn't even a Mets fan but saying I was a Yankees fan probably wouldn't have redeemed me. When they re-showed the Yankees/Tigers score up on the board, the whole place clapped at my Yanks loss. Grr. They were also cheering NY sucks when the Mets were playing. I felt offended, they should have been cheering Mets suck not the whole state of NY. So somewhere between a peanut hitting my head, my boyfriend being yelled at in the bathroom and the chanting, I started rooting for the Mets. After all, I've always felt if the Yankees couldn’t win (which isn’t normally the case) then at least lets keep it in New York. 

After they won and it was time to leave, my guy wisely put a jacket on over his jersey and put his sunglasses on top of his hat’s logo, but to no avail. We were still accosted verbally in the parking lot only a few feet from our car. I know, we were on their turf after all. 

In other weekend news, I also went to the Grand Avenue Festival in downtown LA, where we got to sample some popular downtown restaurant eats for $5 a dish and hear the Hip Hop Orchestra, Dakah, play in the beautiful Walt Disney Concert Hall. The ensemble was amazing, I was gaping even. I'm usually bored by classical music but this was upbeat and creative.

I also made homemade apple sauce. I'm always amazed at how easy it is and how much better it tastes than the jar stuff. I prefer using McIntosh apples and was excited to finally see them at a Ralph’s super store after coming up empty at the farmers market in Santa Monica. I used about 4 peeled apples and one with the skin still on for coloring. I cut them up and put them in a pot with 3/4 cup of apple juice (most recipes recommend water but why not use juice or cider for extra flavor?). The apples will practically melt before your eyes, but you'll have to do some chopping with a wooden spoon. Then add in as much sugar and cinnamon as desired usually a 1/2 cup of sugar or less. My friend likes to add in a couple of red hot candies for extra coloring and spice. You could also add a splash of OJ for another zing to it. 
Here's a photo before the cinnamon was added and all the apple bits mashed some more:

The three different tasters who feasted on my apple sauce all said it was great, I even used some as topping for pancakes the next morning, yum.

A Hairy Debate

Robert Novo, a raved about hairstylist in Chelsea, NYC, recently cut my friend Nikki’s hair and gave her the following pearl of wisdom.

He said, shampoo is very important and that using the wrong shampoo is like smoking-- it can kill you (or technically your hair) over time. Thus, no more Suave for her.  After all, shampoo and conditioner do more than just clean your hair, the right products can also restore it and add nutrients to your locks.

Generally, I tend to use the higher end stuff too (Biolage, Redken, Bed Head) while occasionally slumming with Garnier Fructis for some variety and when traveling. My shower rack, when it just held my stuff, contained six shampoos and three conditioners. I like to mix it up and keep my hair guessing so it doesn’t become dependent or limp from one brand--I was told that was important.  

Yet, shampoos aren’t miracle workers either. According to Pat Veretto at About.com, in most cases an inexpensive shampoo can clean your hair effectively and, if you add your own little touches to their contents, they will often work just as well. She writes that “We sometimes forget that generations long gone washed their hair, just as we are doing, and they didn't have the choices we have today, they made their own.”

Her readers and other online tips that I found recommend trying the following tips for better hair results:

• Adding tea tree oil to shampoo can help rid your scalp of dandruff. Pour a dollop of shampoo into my palm, then add 2-3 drops of tea tree oil, mix them together, then shampoo it in. If I do this once a week (sometimes less) it can keep flakes away and also helps get rid of styling buildup.
• Give your hair a drink by mixing a splash of vodka in with your shampoo. It somehow makes your hair shiny. Yet, the night after drinking vodka your hair can look like a matted  mess ;)
• Experts say shampoos for colored hair are just another way for companies to make money. They suggest using a gentle cleanser such as baby shampoo instead of the pricey specialized shampoos.
• It’s also been said that mixing a raw egg into shampoo can help strengthen your hair (just don’t use hot water to wash it out, otherwise you’ll have an omelet in your hair).
• You can use bananas as a conditioner
• Add strained rosemary leaves tea to your shampoo for added shine and color (brown hair), while chamomile is good for blondes.
• Here is a quick way to make your own spray on conditioner and it works just as well as the brands that are on the store shelves. All you have to do is mix 1 part of your favorite conditioner with 5 parts water. Pour it in an empty hair spray container and spritz it on instead. Best for fine, oily, or limp hair.
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PS: I just joined a co-ed softball team, wine club (reds only) and am taking weekly tennis lessons. I'll let you know how it all goes. So far my Softball skills are rusty (haven't played since high school) and my tennis skills are non existent. I can serve with accuracy, but If I hit the fuzzy green ball like a baseball bat and it propels out of the court one more time, I swear...

Celeb Sighting: Saw Barry Watson from 7th Heaven and What About Brian the other day during lunch at Don Antonio's. My coworker was the one that spotted him though. 

Weekend in a Nut Shell

Phone call, Saturday night: 
Nicki: Hi, I just saw Jesus!
Tara: You just saw Jesus?
Nicki:  Yeah, James Caviezel
Tara: Oh. You could have said the actor that played Jesus.
Nicki:  He's here at the USC game, pretty cool, huh?
Tara: Definitely. Give me a call when you see God.

My guy was in Vegas this weekend and you know how the saying goes...when the cat is away the mice will play. Not quite. After work on Friday I met up with a college friend at El Cholo (voted best Margaritas) and did a sleepover at her place. Did a little damage the next day at Target for new apt stuff.  I was out till 3 a.m. on Saturday night though with some new friends at a fundraiser for a girls soccer league--HUGS, which was held at the Red Buddha Lounge on Yucca Street. The place apparently is dubbed "new Hollywood." The music was good and I love how all these Cali bars have open courtyards in the back. Definitely rarer to find in NYC. The gift bag for the event included a pink lemonade energy drink called HER, the first and only energy drink marketed specifically towards women. It was pretty good. Also, stopped at In and Out for some grease before passing out. I think I'm going to love having these new fast-food chains nearby. Oh I also sold another friend on using tarte's lip plumper, Rise & Shine. It just makes lips look sexy.

It seems everyone is coming out with perfumes these days like Sarah Jessica Parker and even the show Desperate Housewives has its own scent. In that vain, I recently received a bottle of Hilary Duff's first fragrance, With Love…Hilary Duff. It's being released in partnership with Elizabeth Arden and the bottle is vintage elegant. The scent smells flowery with a hit of spice and musk. I wore it out on Saturday night and was happy with it, I'll definitely be using it more, especially since I'm a fan of light perfumes and vanilla scents. It actually reminds me of something else I've smelled, but I can't place it and it's annoying me. hmm. Some of the other scents in 'With Love' include the tropical mangosteen blossom, cocobolo wood--an exotic wood prized for its rare beauty and a base of sheer amber milk and sultry amber musk.

How I got the sample bottle was funny. I had received one of those FedEx sorry we missed you slips and knowing I hadn't ordered anything, because if I did I would have sent it to my office because it's safer, my curiosity was peaked. So I called FedEx to arrange a pick-up and asked who the sender was and they said the slip said Hilary Duff. I was like, Hillary Duff is sending me something? Then I remembered I had spoken with her PR firm publicizing the fragrance and connected the dots. For a second though my original scenario was cool. 

Anyway back to my weekend, I also went to the Santa Monica/Venice Farmer's Market today, which was double the size of the one in Union Square and has grilled corn and organic sausages being cooked and sold as well. I picked up two bunches of geraniums, strawberries and ingredients for pesto, which I'm making tonight with chicken and farfalle.

Fat Burger

There is something freeing about the blatant name of the California burger chain, Fat Burger. Yesterday, on my lunch break, not only did I have my very first Fat Burger but my first turkey burger too. I had heard they were good there, so I had to check it out. Yum to both counts!

This place is definitely not afraid to lay on the seasonings and pepper either. I had to ask for it minus the relish and mustard though, not a fan. I did leave the mayo on and asked for cheese as an extra topping. The franchise claims to use Lean Ground Turkey for their turkey burgers, which are cooked to order while you wait and not before. The bun was dark in color, looking as it could have been wheat bread, but I'm not sure and nothing is mentioned about their buns on the website. The clerk had asked if I wanted skinny fries with my order--fat burger, skinny fries? Such paradoxes, lol. 

Founded in LA in 1952, there are now 82 Fat Burger restaurants throughout Canada and the US and former professional basketball player Magic Johnson is currently one of the owners of the parent company. For my NY readers there is one in the Palisades mall. Also, all the Fat Burger locations have a jukebox where patrons can play songs for free. Oh and here's a tip, my guy recommends their Texas Burger with egg.

I can't wait to go to In and Out again too, I've only been once before when visiting San Francisco. 

Going Postal: One of the boxes that I sent 2-to-3 day Priority Mail (the important one with my under garments, tennis racquet, cosmetics and USB flash drive) still hasn't arrived 10 days later. Yet all of the other boxes sent on the same day has, wtf? The post office said they can't put a tracer on it until 30 days and that they don't know where it is. All they know is that it left the post office on the 18th and has yet to arrive in Venice, CA. Grr.