I like it dirty

You know how you'll be driving behind a tractor trailer and you'll see that someone wrote something on the back of the truck in the dust and dirt? Someone did that once to my first car, a 91 Honda Accord with 167,000 miles and a dent on the side from someone kicking it. I was in college and going to the car wash wasn't on my list of priorities. So someone wrote on the back hood, "Wash me, I'm dirty." I was annoyed but didn't want to give in and wipe it away or clean my car, so I simply wrote next to it, "I like it dirty" and drove around another week like that.  

Speaking of dirt, sorry I have none to spill, but I am addicted to Courteney Cox's show on FX called Dirt. I had DVR'd the first season, but had yet to watch it past the first episode until now and I've been doing marathons of it the last few days. It's really getting good, although it does make me feel dirty like the title as if I was wrapped up in the whole Hollywood tabloid that it's about. Good acting by Courteney who looks gorgeous in it and it's been cool seeing her character become more human yet deliciously evil.

On a totally unrelated note, today is my Nanny's 88th birhday! She was born June 19, 1919. A pretty cool date, no?  I sent her flowers and chocolates. Oh and the wounds from her recent fall have healed nicely and just last week she was out with my mom at a club to hear a musician play! As she would say, God bless her. 

The Orignal Farmers Market

I had been to the local Santa Monica Farmers Market several times now, but just today I went for the first time to "the original" farmers market next to The Grove (a large mall) on 3rd and Fairfax in Los Angeles. Since I got there early and having never been before I actually read their mural about the market's origins. Originated in 1934 on The Gilmore Ranch, which was originally a dairy farm until they discovered oil while drilling for water. The area then became the home of the first ever self-serve gas station. In tribute to its beginnings there is a 50s looking gas station and the overall market has a very 50s soda shop look to it with fruit stands, home-made ice cream and more. It's very charming as if I was on the set of American Graffiti or in Back to the Future. There's also a trolley that connects the farmers market area to the more modern outside mall. 

My friend, who was showing me around, and I ate at The French Crepe Company, which is a stand in the market offering both sweet and savory crepes. We shared a savory crepe with cheddar, tomato and scrambled egg and a sweet crepe with fresh strawberries, powder and whip cream. Both were very yum and surprisingly light. Take a look at the stand and crepes: 

Afterwards I walked around the mall area, but it was too crowded being Father's day and all. Sucks that Father's Day lands on the day before my period, as if I wasn't emotional enough already. 

Buy the Book PR

So I started a side freelance PR business called, Buy the Book PR. Right now I have an eclectic group of clients, but I would like to be focused mainly on representing romance and mystery authors, thus the name of my site, which Raphael's very new company, Starting Gate Solutions, designed for me. 

I got the idea after helping out my friend and author Farrah Rochon with her first book release. I had interviewed her on my blog before. Anyway, it's been fun trying this new niche, it's not easy since there aren't many sites or publications that cover romance (unenlightened lot!).

I just got Farrah though on the radio channel KFTZ 'Z103, Idaho's Number One Hit Music Channel. They gave away her signed book and related goodies in a giveaway. The male DJ had fun with the contest  and had callers pick a page number and see if something elicit was happening on that page of a different romance book. I thought it was a clever idea, instead of just simply having the 4th caller win or something. He also read the back cover synopsis on air. You can listen to the fun clip here. I was really happy with the hit. 

I also have another client that's an author, Rebecca Benston, who writes romantic suspense novellas. I submitted her for the above radio opp too, which hopefully will happen soon. We also came up with a fun contest idea for her site. Since she's now writing the third book in her Rona Shively PI series, the contest is to submit your idea for a good character to appear in it. Not only will the winner's character appear in the pages of her book, but they will also win some free goodies and a signed copy. I can't enter, but if you do, feel free to submit the idea of a female blogger named Tara, a native New Yorker who works in PR and now lives in Los Angeles, just an idea off the top of my head. Good luck.

Extreme home makeover?

Here are some before and after photos of our den. The first photo was how the former owner had the living room when we were looking to buy the condo and the latter is with our furniture and how we have it now.

 

Update: Per my post, Photo shoot at The Galley, I appear in one of the rotating photos on their patio page from when my coworker and I were supposed to be having a fun double date. The same photo is in this Shecky's article on old man bars in Los Angeles. I’m also in the far background on a few others, but you can't really tell, that’s it. Fun. 

PS: To echo my previous neo-Paris sentiment, check out this site: Go Away Paris! I wish I had sticker sheets to print those stickers, I’d stick them everywhere.

The best post ever (liar)

I saw SNL actor Kevin Nealon (has been) perform standup at The Comedy & Magic Club (crack house). Kevin's famous skit is his subliminal message guy where he says one thing but then says the opposite under his breath, IE my little parenthesis homage. Anyway, he was really funny and the club was small and fun, and yes, there was magic too. The show also included stand-up from other comics as warm up, Kathleen Madigan was particularly good. 

Also, went to a Dodgers vs. Blue Jays game, but my real reason to go to a non-Yankees game was to see the Hollywood Stars softball game beforehand, which included James Van Der Beek (Dawson), the cop in Heroes and former Alias star Greg Grunberg, Heroes' Nathan Petreli-- Adrian Pasdar, Michael Clarke Duncan (Green Mile) and James Denton (the plumber in Desperate Housewives and the bad guy in Pretender). They all played surprisingly well and were taking it pretty seriously even arguing with the ump. I'm sure there were more stars involved, but I got there late and only caught the last inning.