Friday with Louis and Keely and The Smog Cutter

Louis and Keely at the Matrix Theater
For more info: http://www.louiskeelyshow.com/

Friday 11.28.08

Lately Mike and I have been going out a lot more and seeing our theater friends.

Yesterday, Mike and I scored free tickets to see Louis and Keely (Thank you, Jenelle Riley). It was such a great show, and so much fun. Their's a live band and lot's of amazing singing. The lead actress, Vanessa Claire Smith, was the one who launched the project from nothing. Her passion for her character Keely is evidient in how amazingly accurate she is at her impersonation. I know nothing about music or musical theater, but she completely smolders when on stage. Jake was a sweaty, energetic, fireball of magnanimous force...cut this bullshit, I'm not a reviewer. The show was so much fun! Both Vanessa and Jake were born to play these rolls and do them with such devotion and passion. It was awesome.

There's a scene where Louis gets fresh with a girl from the audience and pulls her onstage, much to Keely's chagrin. Well, he pulled ME onstage. It was quite funny, but my heart always leaps through my chest and my knees get all wobbly anytime I have to stand up on a stage in an environment like that! Luckily it was brief and gave Mike and Jenelle some ammo to heckle me with. Secretly, I loved it.

Louis and Keely: All Night Long (to give you an idea of the original)

Afterwards, we grabbed drinks and food at a restaurant next door and then headed to the diviest of dive/kareoke bars on the East End: The Smog Cutter. A bunch of Old Skool "Fools" were there (for those of you not akin' to this lingo a "fool" is a member of Mike's theater company, "Sacred Fools") - Bruno Oliver, Victor Issac.



I had a "Manhattan", which poured by the surly Vietnamese bartender, means a glass of ice with some Maker's Mark poured in it. This place had the WORST kareoke graphics and videos (in that "it's so bad it's good" kind of way). I was shocked to see that Mike and I stayed out until 1am - this is a rarity for me!!

Amazing Graphics!!

Me, Jaime Andrews & Megan Crockett

Victor, David, Mike and Bruno

After hybernating during and immediately following our wedding, it has been a doubley-great feeling to get back out their and do silly things with our friends from the theater. They are sort of like a little family (JUST like a family - there is love and drama and the rest, but everyone shows up to these things and it's nice to just BE there).

Me & M'Baby

Erica & Kurt's Wedding

This weekend, my beautiful and amazingly talented friend Erica got married. Erica and I met in college and she's been like a big sister since our Junior year. When I first met Mike, Erica was my coach in "first dates" , "how to get him to kiss me" and a whole other myriad of info for a girl that was clueless with dating.

After school, Erica made her way to Abercrombie, where she met Kurt (her, now, husband). The two of them live in NY, in this adorable apartment in Chelsea. I sleep better on their broken futon then anywhere in the world (and the nightly rate is far more reasonable than any NY hotel).

Erica's wedding took place on Saturday, November 22nd at the Veranda's in Manhattan Beach: http://www.verandasmb.com/ (a very convenient location for Mike and I).

Because Erica has such a big family, she had all of her sisters, her brother and her nieces and nephews in the wedding. The little ones wore chinos, white shirts and little ties. Adorable!

Erica made her entrance down this gorgeous staircase. She looked like a Grecian princess. Her mom and dad waited at the bottom of the staircase and walked her down the aisle together.
Kurt and Erica both were a bit nervous (who isn't in these situations); but they were both the picture of grace and love.
Mike and I snuck some photos of the bridal party from the top floor, where the guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers.

After dinner, there was a live band and then a DJ. We spent the rest of the evening tearing up the dancefloor. It was a great night!

God Bless America

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

The Crazy-Ass Videos I Get Sent At Work

...no Intro needed.

JCDC VS LEGO from Four H on Vimeo.

This second one is apparently a club in paris for kids 3-7. They have their own dj and learn to dance.
The little girl who keeps spinning on the pole is a little disconcerting...but nearly as much as the adult dressed up as a panda.


Want more? Go here:
http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/

Domesticity

Since getting married, I've progressively found myself more interested in the domestic arts. I now know how to make a martini exactly how my man likes it:

Classic Gin Martini
-Equal Parts Gin (Mike likes Bombay) and Dry Vermouth
-Stir, never shake, with Ice
-Serve Up in a Martini Glass

I have also been slowly opening the myriad of cookbooks I own but never use. A few weeks ago, I went to our local deli and bought some beef that I slow-cooked for two hours (a recipe from a Greek Cook Book that John Caruso got me as a going-away gift when I left Ohio).

This past weekend I decided, for no particular reason, that I wanted to bake an apple pie from scratch. The maternal instincts are growing at an alarming rate and the only thing I can think of to counter them is to give in and bake. What am I becoming?

Baking this pie was a task indeed. I spent a good 45 minutes in our little Vons trying to hunt down the smallest containers I could find of Corn Starch, Vegetable Shortening, Brown Sugar and other such staples that I am not sure I'll be using in a few months when these urges pass. Once I had a loaded basket, I hit the check out.

Upon arriving home and unpacking all of my groceries, the silly truth dawned on me: we don't have a pie pan! I call my friend/expert Chef, Mrs. Daisie Almquist to confer. After a brief discussion we decide that I am going to use a round cake pan. It won't look pretty, but the pie should taste more-or-less the same.

I mix my pie-crust dough (using Omega 3 Butter and Whole Wheat flour, of course). As I'm rolling it out, the consistency seems too flaky. I call to check with Daisie again and decide against adding more water.

The dough gets chilled for 30 minutes, while I begin on the filling - peeling, coring and slicing seven Granny Smith apples, then mixing these with raisins, sugar and cinnamon. Next I roll the dough out more and attempt to arrange it evenly (and attractively) in my cake pan...you can decide for yourself how this looks.


Finally I chill the dough in the pan while adding sour cream (non fat, of course) to my apple filling. I separately blend a bowl of brown sugar and butter, creating a "crumble topping" that is evenly spread on top of the apples in the pie. All of the "mixing" is done by taking two butter knives at opposite angles and "scissor cutting" through the butter and sugar/flour until it "resembles thick crumbs".

My Pie - Ready to Go in the Oven

Everything is assembled and I put the pie into bake. 1 hour, at 400 degrees....then I reduce the heat to 350 for what is supposed to be another 20-35 minutes. The damn thing wouldn't bubble in the middle. After an added 40 minutes, Mike and I decide to play it safe and pull the pie out anyway. The sides have completely bubbled and leaked all over and down the edges.

Tada!

As you can see from the photo, my pie is ugly as sin...but damn good. I'm so proud and inspired that now I want to try something even bigger...maybe a more imaginative pie...or even baking something large, like a turkey.

Some have suggested to me that my newfound love of cooking comes from all the cool kitchen stuff we scored for the wedding, but I think it comes from something deeper and more simple. Love for my husband.

Yes, this is Angela (formerly Carper) typing this blog. I can't believe it either.

Bon'apetit!

Jamba Juice

We all know that Jamba Juice is bad for you...and if you didn't know, now you do. With all the added sherbert, frozen yogurt and sugary juices you are looking for a weight-gain party in your styrofoam cup. Does that keep me from an occasional juice? Absolutely not.

Once in a blue moon, Mike and I will walk up and get ourselves a delicious, sugary, Jamba treat. My top favorites are the worst for you: The Green Tea Smoothie and the Peanut Butter Moo'ed.

Sadly, Mike just emailed me the following info regarding my all-time favorite Jamba Treat:

3. Worst Smoothie Jamba Juice Peanut Butter Moo'd Power Smoothie (30 oz) 1,170 calories 169 g sugars Jamba Juice calls it a smoothie; we call it a milkshake, with more sugar than an entire bag of chocolate chips. (Note: We're pretty sure this is the drink Hollywood actors rely on when looking to put on 20 pounds for the role as a heavy!)

I'm scared to find out the stats on the Green Tea Jamba. Say'la'vie. A peanut butter milkshake now and again are well deserved (let's not mention a few of my other favorites: Starbucks Maple Nut Scones, Bruegger's Everything Bagel Lox Sandwich and Chocolate Martinis from pretty much anywhere!)

It's PUPPY CAM!!!!

In the words of Mark Wilson...Prepare to be Killed with cuteness....

http://cdn1.ustream.tv/swf/4/viewer.45.swf?cid=317016

Halloween

Photo Compliments of www.thecobrasnake.com

For Halloween, Mike and I went to a tre' chic party at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. The costumes were amazing!! It was cool, but bizarre to be dancing and drinking in the middle of "African Mammal" Exhibits. In the center of the main room were two giant dinosaurs.

We went with Sam and Aaron and a few of their friends. Sam was a perfect MIA. Aaron was white trash. Sam's friend, Jade went as a rather creepy Marylin Manson. I was a pimp...but Mike completely stole the show as Amy Winehouse.

The Whole Gang...that's Sam, as MIA front-and-center. Photo Compliments of www.shotgunmary.com

Me, As a Pimp, with My Husband...Uhm, Amy?

Sam & Aaron

Amy Winehouse - x2

Sammy and I (MIA and her Pimp)

Marylin Manson...so creepy!

Sara Palin, Joe Six Pack and a Moose!