Muscles for the Main Course

Muscles are typically a food that one orders as an appetizer.  I think it’s either because they appear there in the menu, are not considered wholesome enough for an entire meal, or are too damn expensive for anyone in their right mind to eat enough of in order to satisfy their hunger.

Last night, we broke those rules.

It began with what will hopefully become a Celia tradition: Seafood Saturdays.  (Aside: I always want fish on Sunday too, but have this morbid fear questioning the freshness of the fish, since I’m told fresh fish isn’t brought in on Sunday).

The Adventures of Hubby Bunny and Wifey Poo

It’s official: the cashless couple is married! Yes, now that the time-blackhole that was our wedding is over, we’re back to blogging!

People keep asking me if it feels different now that we’re hitched, and while in most ways it doesn’t I have to admit there’s something magical about another person committing to spend the rest of their life with you. It’s liberating in so many ways, knowing Matt will always be by my side, no matter how silly, dorky, clumsy, tongue-tied, or nerdy I become. It’s probably why the beginning of our marriage has also coincided with an uptick in my conversations with inanimate objects I no longer care if people think I’m crazy, because if someone was willing to marry me I must be at least kind of cool!

In celebration of our union, we thought the occasion warranted new annoyingly cute disgusting pet-names. So yes, you’ll now get to enjoy the new adventures of hubby bunny and wifey poo. First up: our epic honeymoon to Seattle and Victoria, BC where all we did was gorge ourselves, take long naps, and stare at pretty trees. Stay tuned!

25 Days … Never a Dull Moment

I don’t know where the time went, but we’re 25 days from our wedding. It really does fly. Especially when wedding planning is only part of your to-do list.

It sunk in how close the big day was last weekend at my bridal shower. The day started crazy as usual. Pippa (our Saturn) decided to throw a temper tantrum that morning and had to go for a time-out at the mechanic (a very expensive time-out, silly car). So I arrived to my aunt’s house in a Dakota Ram truck. I’ll admit I liked climbing out of the truck in my platforms, I knew I could seize the day no matter what else life threw at me.

My bridesmaids Erin and Sylvia and my mom had planned a beautiful tea party, complete with scones and cucumber sandwiches. It worked out the car broke down, I had skipped lunch and thus was able to eat more of the delicious goodies they had prepared. They also planned a bazillion cute games like make a dress out of toilet paper, purse scavenger hunt, it was great. And of course, there were gifts. The one that really wowed me was my friend Emily. She walked into the party with a Victoria’s Secret bag and said “you have to open this now.” Um…weird but ok. As I peaked inside she explained that originally bridal shower gifts were meant to ensure the marriage would last. Knowing Matt, Emily and her fiance Sohail had decided the best way for me and him to stay together would be to make sure we had plenty of bacon on hand. Four pounds of bacon. After that, everything else was icing on the cake.

Of course the bridal shower was only part of the day, just as the wedding is only one of the many things on our plate. After I unloaded all the gifts and changed at the apartment, I met up with Matt and our pole dance crew to celebrate our pal Jess’s last day working at Wokano. We’ve been so lucky to have the chance to get to know the girls and I couldn’t miss the chance to just hang with them without the camera rolling for once. Their next show “Catalyst” is July 8th and 9th aka two weeks before the wedding. While it’s pandemonium organizing film crews and  bridal parties simultaneously, as they say the show must go on and we wouldn’t miss it for the world.

So you’d think we’d be done after that, but the day didn’t end there. Matt has been assisting with post-production on a beautiful film called “Beyond Grace” and we had to drop a couple DVD  copies off before the team flew to India the next day. So there we were, 11pm at night in the midst of a good-bye celebration, Indian style. Sara and Urs, the couple producing the film, are such an inspiration not just as filmmakers but as a married couple. Talking to them and munching on strawberries and yogurt, I was reminded what our wedding is really about. Promising that no matter the adventure, Matt and I will be by each others side.

Coney Dogs – Detroit Style

Matt and I are culinary explorers. If it’s new, exciting, different, or with a twist we’re giddy to try it. Probably why we couldn’t resist joining one of Matt’s work buddies at the soft launch of Coney Dogs in West Hollywood. What’s a Coney Dog? Evidently it’s a chili dog imported from Detroit. Like literally imported from Detroit, as in the chili and dogs are shipped in weekly. Too legit!

Keep it simple stupid is Coney Dog’s motto. The menu is refreshingly uncomplicated, reminiscent of In-N-Out. Coney dogs, which are dogs covered in chili, onions and mustard, loose burgers which are ground beef with the same fixings, turkey and veggie dogs for the health conscious.  Sides are fries, chili cheese fries, or a bowl of the chili. I’m picky with my chili, but let me say this chili was plate licking good. Spicy and the right consistency. The drinks are the same caliber. Decent beers on tap, and every flavor of Faygo soda you could think of. I had no idea what a Faygo was, they produce old-school sodas like Rock and Rye and Root Beer. Uses real cane sugar too. Awesome.

They handled opening day like pros. Free Facebook coupons created a line half a block long, but we were in and out in less than an hour and a half. The staff was all friendly and helpful. Clearly the owners had put a lot of thought into opening day, making it an enjoyably flawless experience.

Matt and I happily gobbled up our dogs, fries, and sodas in no time. But you know the best part about Coney Dog? I didn’t feel gross afterwords. The quality ingredients never resulted in a gastro-rebuke from my digestive system. Healthy? Of course not. But quality? Heck yeah. As Coney Dogs is open late night, I see a new late nite nom-nom spot. Can’t wait for more chili fries.

Hot Toddy Friday

Last week Matt and I both got sick. Antibiotic requiring sick. Not fun. Well, mostly not fun. Until we made hot toddy’s Friday night. NyQuil, Robitussin, Mucinex and an assortment of other over-the-counter drugs had failed to alleviate the combined misery of clogged nasal passages and endless bouts of coughing. Not having much to lose, we  decided to try out this old-fashioned home remedy. The foodie junkies we are, we quickly googled various recipes and decided pretty much the idea was a dark liquor, lemon, honey, and water. For added twist you could throw in a tea bag to the water or some cinnamon.

We mostly used a recipe off of Epicurious, though we doubled the booze. What can I say other than go big or go home, folks. Go big or go home. Matt went for whiskey, I went for rum. He put a teabag in, I added extra honey. One sip of our respective concoctions and we were both feeling a heck of a lot better. 30 minutes later we were out for the count, sleeping like babies. First night in a week I slept a blissful 8 consecutive hours instead of waking up every other hour. Thank you hot toddy. Check out our happy, goofy hot toddy faces. It was that good.

Matt & His Toddy

Me & My Toddy

My Cousin’s Big Fat Lobster Wedding

I had the privilege of standing beside my beloved cousin Elizabeth as she married my new beloved cousin Jonathan on Monday. The scene was beautiful. A sunny 80 degree day at El Capitan beach. Sunday we’d all been concerned it would be cloudy, icky, or worse foggy and we’d all look like frizz balls. But low and behold, there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

Ever cool as a cucumber, Liz was beautiful in her lace dress, Stuart Weitzman jelly flats, and borrowed pearls courtesy of her cousin (me). I’d planned on wearing them, but hey, it’s the MOH’s job to make the bride look good first and foremost. I took that duty very seriously.

Walking down the uneven pathway down to the beach in my yet untested clear wedges, the upbeat chorus of Rascal Flatts “Why Wait” played. That moment, I couldn’t help but smile because it was the perfect song. Indeed, why should anyone wait to be with the one they love. I thought of Matt and how he’d told me the same thing when he’d proposed.

My cousin was just beaming and radiant as she walked down the make-shift aisle. Totally in denial I didn’t think I’d tear up, but as usual I did. How could I not, she was so happy, Jonathan was so happy, everyone else was so happy. It was a rare and precious perfect moment, when you wish you could just freeze time.

After the ceremony came the requisite epic picture taking session. Smile, smile, and smile some more. It’s easy though when you have such a gorgeous family (if I do say so myself). Then came the fun part, eating, drinking and being merry that my cousin was married. The tacos and ceviche were perfection, as were the home-made beer Liz and Jonathan had been brewing for weeks. Not to mention the variety of cake’s my mother had been busily preparing for weeks. Key-lime, carrot, german chocolate, it was like a mobile bakery.

We all had such a good time, none of us seemed to notice we were turning deep shades of red as the day wore on. By the end of the reception we were a big family of lobsters, everyone suffering some kind of burn. But hey, it’s just not a great wedding at the beach if you aren’t a little crispy afterwards.

With that, I send all my love to my cousin, the newly minted Mrs. Elizabeth Moriarty, and a big thank you to her fantastic hubby Jonathan for making my cousin a happy lady and having a baller last name.

Thanks Dad

Sometimes when I least expect it, pearls of wisdom from my parents magically pop back into my head at just the right moment. My bicycle after two happy years of carefree riding finally suffered a flat. Patch job or  total replacement, either way it was flat as a pancake and the tube had to be evaluated for damage. After quickly dissecting the wheel, I stared at the guts of my bike tire strewn across newspaper in the living room and was happy to not feel any panic. I knew exactly what to do thanks to my dad.

Years ago he had carefully shown me the nuances of fixing a bike tire. The memory was safely filed away in my brain, waiting for the day when I’d need it. It shocked me a bit how quickly my mind flashed back to that day in the garage and the step by step instructions he’d given me so long ago. Few minutes later, I had a reassembled the tube, tread, and rim into one cohesive piece. Then there was only getting the wheel back on the bike. At first I awkwardly tried to lift the front of my bike perfectly onto the tire, but of course neither were cooperating. There had to be an easier way. That’s when I remember my dad making me flip my bike upside down. It’s easier, especially for shorties like me with a massive beast for a bike. I flipped it upside down and before I knew it my bike was ready to go. Bam! I even got into work 10 minutes early that day, it was so easy. What can I say, I’m a little lean mean bike fixing machine. Thanks to my dad.

Happiness is a Toddler Cheering You For Riding Your Bike

Hello ye loyal followers! I should start off by saying, yes we know, we’ve been bad little bloggers. “Bad Cashless Couple, bad bad!” Ok, reprimand over. Back to the exciting duo that is Matt and I.

Part of the neglect was because we recently moved to a bigger, cheaper pad.  The upsides of this place seem to never end: an actual dining room, bigger kitchen, patio large enough for a barbecue. Not to mention I’m now a mere 2 miles from my work. In a pinch,  I could stinking walk folks. The proximity has eliminated all excuses for not riding my bicycle as much as I can. Today’s my third day riding to work this week. I’ll probably make tomorrow the forth.

At first navigating the poorly maintained, over-crowded streets of the valley was daunting to someone who’d rarely ridden in over a decade. A year later it’s one of the best parts of my day. Yup biking is on par with waking up to Matt’s sleepy lovable face, crawling into bed at the end of the day next to Matt’s sleepy lovable face, and desserts. It’s that good.

On cold days biking gets my blood moving in the morning. On warm days, like today, I get to wear shorts and give my poor albino-white legs some much needed time in the sun. I feel like a part of the community. Pedestrians, other bikers, heck even celebrities love to say hi to me on my bike! I met Ed Begley Jr. biking last week, the two of us living the green lifestyle he vehemently advocates.  I don’t just worry about the environment, I’m actually doing something to make it better. Daily self-esteem boost, another thing I love about biking.

Granted there are some down sides. Many evenings when the sun has already set, I inevitably look like a dweeb in my tent-sized bright yellow reflective safety vest. If a driver can’t see me in that sucker they shouldn’t be operating a motor vehicle. I look even dweebier as I am usually loudly humming/singing/warbling the ET soundtrack to myself. How can I not pretend that the pile of groceries in my front basket is actually an adorably fugly alien? Ok, those aren’t actually downsides because it’s nice not getting hit by cars and it’s fun being a dweeb who doesn’t worry what everyone thinks. Which makes me paradoxically cool and dweeby at the same time.

Not cool was last night when I was nearly hit by a guy yakking away on his cell phone, hardly paying attention as he for some inconceivable reason swerved backwards into my lane. Poohead clearly should not have been operating a motor vehicle. But the universe, not wanting me to be bitter, reminded me why biking is so awesome a couple blocks later. A young family, including a boy who could have been no more than 3, were standing on the corner waiting to cross the street.

“Mommy, mommy look at the bicycle!” The cute little guy pointed at me in awe, his eyes wide as saucers as if I were his favorite character in a Disneyland Parade.

“Yes she’d riding her bike…” his mother tried to explain but was cut off as he hollared and waved at me. 

“Hi bicycle!” he jumped up and down unable to contain his excitement.

“Hi!” I couldn’t help but enthusiastically reply back. He squealed with delight as I waved to him, big grins on both our faces. I hope he’ll remember that moment, when a cool, hip, neon-vested girl rode by on her big white bicycle and made him want to a ride a bicycle too. I sure will. As it turns out, happiness is a toddler cheering you simply for riding your bike.

Date Day

It’s a beautiful day here in sunny california!  This morning, Katie and I did something we haven’t done together in a long time: hit up the Studio City farmers market.  We’ve been so busy and tired, we haven’t made the time recently.  But this weekend, being Valentine’s weekend and all, we decided to schedule out some time for each other and today we’re having a Date Day.

Having a Date Day is really important.  And I know some of our friends don’t understand how you still need to schedule time to be with each other when you live together, but the fact is, even if you are together mostly all the time, sometimes you just aren’t really “there”, ya know?  I know that I’ve been really busy with work, thinking about this Doc we’re making, and other long term deep thoughts recently.  So, it’s really nice to take the time to be with each other.

The Farmer’s Market is a fantastic place on Sunday morning.  Packed with new parents chasing their small kids, the street is lined with amazing fresh vegetables and seriously good food.  I personally enjoyed a fantastic chorizo breakfast burrito while Katie guzzled down some of the best iced coffee I’ve ever tasted.  But most importantly, it’s a place to go and support local farmers growing fresh, healthy food.  Eat good, feel good.  Get it?

Well we’ve got lots more planned for today including a trip to Ikea and Home Depot in prep for our move next weekend!  And tonight, I’m taking her to Ruth’s Chris for a romantic dinner.  It’s going to be a fantastic Date Day!

Mushy Math Brain

T minus 3 days til I take the GRE and my brain is mush! Who knew math could be so hard…oh wait I did, I took Calculus back in high school. Yet this all seems so much harder when you have not taken a math class in 8 years. Literally, it’s been almost a decade. Yikes!

Not much to do except study hard, have  a big cup of coffee on Saturday morning, and hope that my practice books were difficult on purpose. It’s exciting though, this first step back into the world of academia. Part of me actually enjoys all the studying (I know, I’m a super nerd). But I don’t think I’ll mind when it is over either, when I can reclaim my lunchtime for more fun endeavors, like reading the New Yorker. Matt got me a subscription for Christmas, super sweet. The man knows how much I love reading. Good thing I’m marrying him, he knows my weakness, intellectual stimulation.

So wish me luck as I venture back into the world of standardized testing. Luckily I have something to look forward to when it’s all over. Sunday Matt and I are having our Valentine’s Day celebration. Whether the GRE results are good, bad, or ugly, (hopefully not ugly, then I may cry) either way a mere 24 hours later I’ll be chomping down on chocolate cake and drinking champagne with my future hubby. That’s the solution to any problem if you ask me.