Darth Helmet

I (crazy package lady) just received a bike helmet that I had ordered on eBay to be used when I hit the streets with my new beach cruiser. I had it delivered to my office to ensure that it arrived safely, as I do with all my packages. Holding the new helmet in my hands, I just couldn't resist trying it on and sitting down at my computer and typing. I privately enjoyed the image it would give my coworkers as they walked by.

Rachael, my office roommate, had absentmindedly looked away from her work and spotted me off to her left looking very serious yet with a bike helmet on my head and sitting on my fitness ball (over 3 months now and no more back problems) and she started cracking up--so did I. My other colleague, Paul, after seeing me in my head gear asked if the ball was getting too dangerous.

I didn't want to buy or wear a helmet, I figured I was just cycling on paths along the beach, but on the way back from Santa Monica a few weekends ago we took a bike path on a popular blvd and I thought, better safe than sorry. I also saw these stats:

• A very high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 per cent.
   
• Direct costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $81 million each year.

Books for New Orleans
The New Orleans Public Library is asking for any and all hardcover and paperback books to restock their shelves after Katrina. The library staff will assess which titles will be designated for the shelves. The rest will be distributed to destitute families or sold for library fundraising. The books can be sent to:

Rica A Trigs, Public Relations
New Orleans Public Library
219 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112

If you tell the post office that the books are for the library in New Orleans, they will give you the library rate that is less than book rate.

Look out New Orleans Public Library, you're about to be sent a bunch of chicklit and romance books from me ;) Actually, If I wait till I go to my mom's house in late July, I can add some more to the pile via my bookshelves there.

Things learned while in a 6 hour biz meeting

• There are more French restaurants in New York City than in Paris.
  
  
• "The greatest leader is a servant. Don't be a boss, be a real leader, a servant leader. A servant leader is a winner. Even when he loses everything, even his life, a servant leader wins it all," Pat Williams, SVP of Orlando Magic.

The first stat came from inside my Snapple ice tea cap (more), while the quote was The Way I See It #196 on the outside of my green tea Starbucks container.  Okay, I learned some real things from my actual meeting too, like between the ages of 18-38 the average number of jobs a person will have is 10.2. I'm already at four. How about you? 

Oh and words of wisdom from a NY colleague said that "we work to live, not live to work." 

The Police

55,000 people gathered Saturday night in Dodger's Stadium, but not to see a game but for The Police reunion concert and I was among the massive crowd. Staged in the outfield, the trio started with Message in a Bottle and ended with Every Breath You Take. It's amazing how many hits that they had, there's Roxanne of course which of course was accompanied by red lights, plus Don't Stand So Close to Me, De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da and my favorite Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.

 
The lasers were great and Sting sounded as good as ever, but I was disappointed that they weren't more personal. They hardly addressed the crowd, not one anecdotal or how glad they were to be here, just introduced themselves and that was it. I guess their music speaks for itself, but I expected a little more than having the audience repeat Sting's yodels.

Despite that though, it was great seeing such a famous band again and being apart of the enthusiasm that was a full Stadium full of fans. It was also a relief to be at a popular concert that wasn't political IE U2 and Madonna. Oh and the Foo Fighters opened for them, although I only recognized one song, so instead of watching that part I read the last book, Valley of Silence, in the mystical Circle trilogy by Nora Roberts. 

And speaking of 80s music, we hit up club Twenty Twenty again for an 80s night on Friday with the Fast Times band. I did my eye makeup very David Bowie like and had my hair in a side ponytail.

PS: This post and my LACMA one before it is mentioned in today's LA Observed. 

Late Night at LACMA

Ever wonder what happens at an art gallery at night once the lights go off? Well at Late Night at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) the two floor gallery and plaza transforms into a cool gala where the party lights get turned on and the DJs come out to spin till 3 a.m.

I heard this event only happens once a year and the admission is free, so I was prepared for long lines, but not two freakin huge lines that curved around the entire building in both directions. The RSVP line was massive, not to mention the-forgot-to-RSVP line, who even knows when they got in. We had to sneak and park in the Office Depot store lot since all the spaces and garages were filled in the area and it took forever to move due to all the foot traffic. Although parking was a hassle, luckily we got to skip to the head of the line and enter like VIPs due to Cozmo Card Dan who works with LACMA.  Otherwise I don't care how cool the event is or was, I would not have waited in that line for hours just to get in, especially not on a Thursday night.

Once inside, carnival dressed actors patrolled the plaza on stilts and or in weird clothing and face paint. I'm not a fan of clowns and mimes so I headed to the bar for some red wine ($8). There was also some food vendors and a taco cart, but we had just ate. A silent film was being projected on one great wall of the building and two blank murals were set up for anyone to paint on, which reminded me of a GenArt party that I went to for the launch of the drink Alize Blue in NY. At that party, I had grabbed a blue paint brush and wrote "ME" in capital letters on the wall and strangers praised me for my snarky idea and social reflection, where in reality I was tipsy and wanted to write my first name but in my head it only translated to 'me' instead of Tara, lol. Social vanguard and art rebel I am not, but I fancied the idea for the night. 

Anyway, back to this party. Our group browsed the different art galleries going from the more modern Dan Flavin retrospective (very vibrant and colorful) to the nineteenth century room and Egyptian exhibit. There was one room where everyone could put post its up on the wall with any sayings or drawings that they wanted. My friend Sarah used the gallery wall as an advertisement for When Tara Met Blog and posted my URL up nice and high, hehe. I know, ever the marketer.