Hot Toes in the City

After years of azure being my summer toe color, a violet phase begins.

Not much happening these days... summers have that effect on me. Brain just... what's the word? My point exactly.

Too hot/bright for photo wandering (or any wandering), as I literally gave myself a hot ass last week when I sat down (on Formosa again) to take a pic of a dead bumblebee (yep I brought it home) on the sidewalk. Hopefully I'll get the 12-shot roll finished off by the end of this week.

Been removing more dirt from the backyard in the early evenings, that I'll replace with good soil, then plant sunflower seeds. I can't wait for the garden grotto to bloom, as it will also provide some privacy from the ugly condo next door.

There's a pair of birds, swallows I think, that are protecting a nest in the trees behind the apt. from anything that gets remotely close, namely Mr. Squirrel, with whom they have numerous and LOUD skirmishes that the birds always win. Who needs tv?

No acting work in the immediate future... so if Mr. De Mille is out there... I'm still ready for my close-up!

Had lovely air-conditioned lunch with friend Julia at Le Pain Quotidien last Saturday, followed by heavenly $25 hour-long reflexology foot massages at my latest pampering discovery, JB Natural Foot Massage on Robertson, just north of Olympic. The $25 is a special rate that lasts until August 10th, though I suspect the price won't jump too high after that, since they're surrounded by very inexpensive nail places that do massages for cheap. Though the focus of the massage is the feet, it starts (as feet are soaking in hot water tub) with temples/head/arms, then feet (and really not sure of details cause I was THAT relaxed), then you turn over as the chair converts into a massage bed (this was way cool) for neck/upper back. Yes, I call this a deal.

• They take walk-ins, though there seems to be only 8 massage chairs, so you may want to call ahead.
• They take credit cards, though they didn't include a place for tip, and I had no cash, so I felt like a heel (can't help a good pun), but I will find a way to make up for the karma and bring cash next time for tip.
• They give you a punch value card, after 10 massages, you get 2 free!

Sweetie-pie wants to go with me next time, this weekend perhaps?

Stay cool until next time... Miss Absinthe

JB Natural Foot Massage

329 S. Robertson Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

310-657-3888

Backyard Redux Initiative Success

Progress.

Will blog soon... summer has slowed me down and the backyard beckons.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Virginity Down the Drain

Celebrated July 4th with Sweetie-pie by seeing Public Enemies (suited for the rebel in me), followed by late lunch at Umami Burger (where we witnessed a group of stoners toking up in the parking lot as they waited for their food), for one of my favorite burgers, the SoCal (no tomato). After satisfying my primal and nostalgic carnivore cravings, I found this strange crown-shaped pic of one of the virginal Jonas Brothers (Nick) looking up from the disintegrating gutter/street. I leave it up to you to interpret the message.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Squirrel on the Move

The backyard wall is sort of a highway for squirrels, possums, and raccoons. Whenever there's a rustle in the trees, I usually jump up to see who's traveling where. Can't help it, I'm a geek for nature, especially when it comes to wild creatures in my trees!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Found on Formosa Street

Walking on Formosa, just north of Santa Monica Blvd, I discovered this abandoned black knit hat, with a bright red eye-catching tag, upside down in such a way as to suggest it fell so hard it cracked the asphalt. I sat and took this pic, then crossed to my car and got in. Not one minute later, an older (say 60's-ish), stout and burly-looking gentleman, riding a bicycle south on Formosa, stopped at the hat. I, in my car across the street, grabbed the camera and tried to focus, unsuccessfully (cause he kept looking over at me!) as he bent over and looked at the hat, lost then regained balance on his bike, took off his shirt to reveal quite the gray fir coat on both sides and then rode off. I was sure he was going to take the hat with him! You'll just have to take my word for it... it was funny and sublime and real.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Smoky Sweet Salty Spicy Rich and Decadent Piggy Love

I have nearly perfected the taste of love/happiness (non-vegetarian variety). After two years of trial and error so yummy I didn't care, I have taken humble organic smoked bacon, organic brown sugar and spices and transformed them into such deliciousness, words can never truly describe the euphoria involved when devouring/consuming/stuffing your happy mouth, but as an example, Sweetie-pie took about 20 minutes to lick the foil that had remnants of caramelized pig fat and sugar hardened onto it and he nearly growled when I tried to pry it from his hands. I'm telling you this stuff really appeals to the primal child in all of us.

After I candied the bacon, I took the rendered fat, the sugar/spices the bacon marinated in for two days, and the little bits too small to make into candy pieces and reduced them into a luscious caramel that I then poured into candy molds and refrigerated.

Due to the strong addictive nature of this magical porky goodness (like there will be nothing left after tomorrow and that's a lot of piggy), I only make this 2 to 3 times a year to prevent early heart attacks.

Today as I was in the kitchen, this came to mind:

Homer: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. Lisa, honey, are you saying you're never going to eat any animal again? What about bacon?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Ham?
Lisa: No.
Homer: Pork chops?
Lisa: Dad! Those all come from the same animal!
Homer: [Chuckles] Yeah, right Lisa. A wonderful, magical animal.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Portrait of Irie

Met Irie the dogess and her owner as I was wandering the neighborhood near my laundromat with my camera, and I asked and was given permission to photograph this very noble and beautiful, yet rarely still creature.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Michael Jackson Reflection, a Beer and a Cigarette on Fairfax

Walking down Fairfax Avenue (for lunch at Golden State Cafe) the day after MJ died, I found the strangest (like my life would have it any other way) poster equating MJ's death with Christ (no comment), so I took this reflective self-portrait to mark this surreal and historical (hysterical) occasion.

Further down the street I found the remains of someone taking a moment for themselves...

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Historical Treasure

A few years ago I was poking about in a run-down little thrift store in Grover Beach, CA (near Pismo) when I grabbed a bundle of vintage wooden coat hangers, paid my $1 and threw them in the back of the car until home in LA, where I discovered among the others... a coat hanger for the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel (and Coconut Grove nightclub), site of more history (Hollywood and int'l) than almost any other LA landmark, yet preservationists still couldn't save her. It makes me happy and sad every time I look at it and wonder what tales it could tell...

It's a reminder that there is treasure to be discovered in the unlikeliest of places. On to the next!

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Vintage Holy Grail

What do the New York Times, Goodwill, my grandmother, my birthday and Tippi Hedren have in common?

Let's start with Tippi Hedren, who I watched as a child (and often now on TCM) in the movie, The Birds, and in it she wears this gorgeous 3/4 length champagne-blonde mink coat, along with her one green outfit throughout the entire movie, and never looks... ahem, ruffled. For years ever since, I've been on the lookout for an affordable vintage champagne mink swing jacket, since I prefer that to the longer coat.

(Quick note on fur wearing - only vintage (over 40 years old) for me, there's so much of it out there, just collecting dust doing no good at all AND only mink, no rabbit/fox/chinchilla/snakeskin/alligator/eel etc. I don't expect everyone to agree/understand or like it, but c'est la vie. Seriously do you want those poor little minks to have died in vain?)

then

Grandma sent me $100 for my birthday, which she does every year, since I'm her only grandchild.

then

On 6-11-09, I read an online NYT article called, Look Who's Shopping Goodwill, that discusses how Goodwill is thriving in this economy by paying attention to fashion, quality, labels and targeting Recessionistas, AND that they had an online auction site, Shopgoodwill.org worth checking out.

then

I checked it out.

then

There it was, THE coat, my furry holy grail... my size, lined in silk, with the former owner's name embroidered on the inner pocket (Anne Boyd from Portland area) and velvet lined pockets... and still at a price I could afford.

then

I watched for days and waited... then 15 minutes before the auction ended, I bid... and bid... and bid, and on my last bid, over $60 from my original bid, I got it! I got the coat, paid for shipping and had three dollars left over from Grandma's birthday $$. Not bad.

then

It came in the mail a few days ago and all I can say is...

• Merci Tippi Hedren/Edith Head/Alfred Hitchcock!
• Merci NYT online
• Merci Goodwill
• Merci Grandma!!!

Wait a second! Did you hear something?

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Portrait of Phil

Sunshine + Santa Monica Blvd + Seated Phil = Second Portrait

Until next time... Miss Absinthe

Still Life with Beer and Litter

My favorite taco in town is the fried shrimp taco from Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, which is actually on Hillhurst, just north of Sunset in Los Feliz. For $5 I get two tacos and fantastic fresh salsas, a can of diet coke, and the most charming owner Joseph or his lovely mother, at the register. Last week I took friend Amy for the first (not the last she says) time, and I implored Joseph (not exaggerating) to set up a shop somewhere within walking distance of my apt... there is an open space on W.3rd, across from Cedars!

On the way back to the car I saw this nearly-full beer and pinkish wrapper, keeping each other company on the curb in front of the auto repair shop next to BFTIE, sat down in the gutter and took the shot.

Until next time... Miss Absinthe