First Annual Dress Rachel Like a Dolly Poll

Ok folks. I need your fashion help. Which shoes should I bring to Japan? I have my comfy shoes, but these are for when I go out at night. I dont imagine we will be doing any hardcore clubbing, so will probably wont need my platforms. Chicago political rules apply (vote often).

CHOICE A: Black Shoes

Pros: Comfortable, black, have a nice heel and a cute button

Cons: Comfortable, black, have a nice heel and a cute button

CHOICE B: Yellow shoes

Pros: More of a statement and, I imagine, more Japanese-y

Cons: Not as comfortable as the black shoes and flat flat flat.

Do your duty! Dont leave me in fashion limbo! Vote NOW!

New Feature: Q&A with RnB

T-minus-3 on Japan trip, so I'm finding it hard to focus/concentrate/organize (see? I cant even decide between one of those words). I thought I'd try a special feature today - Question and Answer with RnB (my new nickname, I've decided).












QUESTION 1:

"With 'Rome' getting near the end of its run, do you think there will still be time for the full out sex scene between Pullo and Vorenus. Isn't that what the show is essentially all about and leading up to?"

ANSWER 1:

Well, dear reader, "Rome" is definitely homoerotitastic, but I find the show less gay than some. I think Rome is all about the sacrifices we all - from slaves to aristos - make for freedom and power. It is about the Roman empire, so the main theme aint going to be about Man's Community with Nature. I'm sure Rome has something appropriately baroque planned for the end of the series and I'm sure it involves transgressive sexual action.





QUESTION 2:


"I hear you saw the new blockbuster movie '300' this weekend. What did you think?"

ANSWER 2:

Why yes I did, and thanks for asking. I thought '300' was loads of fun. Any subtle sophisticated message was drowned out by men with greased up abs and leather codpieces, but I'm sure the history geeks werent really expecting much more ("Ephialtes was TOTALLY not a freakish humpback!"). I dont think the violence was that bad.


QUESTION 3:
"We hear it was almost 90F this weekend in LA! How did you beat the heat?"

ANSWER 3:
I stayed near the coast for most of the weekend. My favorite quote from the LAT today: "Today we were selling iced banana mochas like they were going out of style". Eew. Iced Banana Mochas are clearly an offense against nature.

My Marathoning Days are Behind Me

I look at this picture of me at a Neighborhood House Fun Run kindly donated by my Dad, and I think...maybe! Maybe I could have been a historic long distance runner who won multiple gold medals for her proud family and adoring country. ((insert Chariots of Fire theme here.)) I clearly had the fashion sense necessary to spearhead a one-woman sports fashion revolution. Nike just hadnt discovered me yet.

Annnnnyway, have fallen a bit behind on my blogging duties due to other life commitments. The big news first: THE BOY IS BACK. His flat is (more or less) finished and rented to a very nice couple...nice, except they are already creeped out by the 12 Monkeys movie poster he left for them (rightly so, might I add). It is supposed to be 80F this weekend, so I think we will head to the beach to welcome him back to LA in style.

We leave for our epic journey across Japan (a touch melodramatic, maybe) next Thursday. We couldnt be more excited. Lots to do before we go, including my 2 tax returns for 2 separate countries - and they arent even in the same bloody tax year. That's boring, so I wont go on about it. I also need my hair cut and a pedicure. Ok that's REALLY boring, so I'm going back to work now.

Martian Food!

Leslie, Tonia, Simon and I ate at Providence last night (pictures to come). The food was amazing, the service not so much. We opted for the tasting menu which was as follows:

Kanpachi Sashimi, soy gelee’, lime espuma, avocado

Diver scallops, parsnip, pistachios, red beets, tarragon

Striped bass, applewood-smoked bacon, salsify, nantes carrots, wild nettle puree’

Wild Steelhead (quinault river talaho wa), Tahitian squash, duck confit, baby red kale, pied de mouton

Chocolate cremeaux, blood orange curd, basil meringue

As you can see, burgers and fries it aint. Everything was really interesting and different, but slightly Martian-foodesque. i.e. it was good, but I'm not sure I'd want to eat it every day. The highlights were the kanpachi (yellowtail) and scallops. Providence has free corkage on Mondays, so we also enjoyed a bottle of Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir courtesy of moi and a lovely Chateauneuf de Papes from Simon. I also had a lovely glass of Tattinger to kick the night off. The service was a bit spotty from the word go (where's our water? can we order? wait, who are you? our new waiter?). And yes, it was hellishly expensive, but not as expensive as it could have been with wine. Heh heh heh. I ate ESPUMA.

The Compound

Peyton's Resort

A lovely bbq this Saturday at Peyton and Gretchen's house. You should SEE this place. My amateur photos do not quite capture, but click on the album above to see the evidence.

Los Angeles: The City of Short Men

I worked out next to this guy yesterday. Kenny the Torturer was impressed with his abs (in a totally professional sense). He is, like every other "famous" person I have seen since moving to Los Angeles, shorter in person. He is, unlike most other "famous" people I have seen, really really hot. He might look better now than he did on Melrose Place. Or Ryan's Hope. It is very sad that I know his work in this much detail.

SNOW EMERGENCY (er, everywhere but here.) See picture from Mom. It is supposed to be 70 and sunny in LA this weekend. Maybe I’ll go on a hike.

My boss made me promise not to write about work on this blog and, barring my occasional Anna Nicole Smith (or ANiS as she is known around here) rants, I’ve kept to that. Food and TV…Food and TV….

I’m not a reality show girl, but I do have a soft spot for America’s Next Top Model. Watching beautiful people humiliate themselves for no apparent reason is somewhat satisfying. And you know what, most of these beautiful people really ARE unintelligent and generally unpleasant. I watch shows like American Idol and nearly have an anxiety attack – this is many of the contestants’ one chance at avoiding a rather dreary fate in whatever dreary subdivision from whence they came and they want fame so bad they are practically weeping with frustration. I don’t worry as much about the freaks of nature that are the model contestants. They will land on their oversized, Manolo-clad feet.