Roadside Assistance. Almost 3 weeks ago, I left work one evening to find that one of my rear tires had gone completely flat. (I later learned that the culprit was a long, shiny silver nail embedded in the tire. I hadn't even noticed when the puncture occurred.) Thank goodness the flat tire was on the driver side; otherwise, I would've attempted the long commute home, blithely unaware of why my car was trundling along. Thank goodness, also, for the AAA. It makes one feel a little safer braving the streets and freeways of the LA jungle, knowing that inability to change a tire wouldn't leave one indefinitely stranded.
Well Fed. A couple days later, we had a 2-day writers conference at work. This meant lots of presentations and meetings, but also lots of free food: 2 catered lunches and a big dinner at PF Chang's. I'd been to PF Chang's many times before, but this was the first time I'd seen their mini-dessert sampler: a tray of 8 different desserts presented in shot glasses. Some were too sweet, but I still thought the concept was pretty cool. (Here's a photo I found on a review site.) We had about 26 people at dinner, sitting at 2 long tables. Three of these samplers were ordered for our table alone! Needless to say, I was in a bit of a sugar coma as I drove home.
OD-ing on Olympics. The Opening Ceremony was amazing, but the glamour of the event waned a bit when I found out that parts of it were pre-recorded and digitally enhanced. Oh, and the fact that the little girl was lip-syncing. Makes one wonder what else was not real. Phelps and the US swim team rock; every superlative has already been used to describe the amazing feat of 8 golds in one Olympics, so I will simply remain in silent awe. Nastia Liukin embodied breathtaking elegance and artistic gymnastics at its best, while Shawn Johnson was an adorable dynamo of power and precision. Too bad the competition was somewhat marred by underage controversies, questionable scoring, and wonky rules. But, then again, what else is new in the world of gymnastics? At least most of the medals went to people who deserved them. It certainly was an exciting 2 weeks of sports, and it was cool to see competitions that are never televised in non-Olympic years. Of course, my sleeping habits became even more messed up than usual during the 17-day span, but I think it was worth it. Oh, and I just love the Google Doodles that accompanied these Games!
Night at the Bowl. It's been 3 years since I last attended a concert at the Hollywood Bowl, so when free tickets were being offered as a bonus at work, I jumped at the opportunity, even though it meant missing part of the Women's Gymnastics competition. It was a wonderful concert, and I thoroughly enjoyed it despite not being familiar with the music (Philip Glass: Two Interludes from the CIVIL warS, Violin Concerto; Edward Elgar: Enigma Variations). And the seats were amazing too: garden boxes. So this is how the other half lives...
More Good Food. Two Thursdays ago, some co-workers and I went out for a vegetarian dinner at Fatty's Café. The word vegetarian turned a lot of people off from attending the dinner, but I'm glad I went because the food really was delicious. Our little group shared a "monster four" appetizer sampler, 4 entrées, and a chocolate fondue dessert. Yum. I definitely plan on going back again.
Parking Lot Technology. Last weekend, I met up with a friend at the Century City mall. (Not surprisingly, it has become yet another Westfield property.) I can't even remember when was the last time I set foot in that shopping center. Probably ten years ago. So, I was quite taken aback by how much it had evolved. The aspect that impressed me the most was actually its parking garage. The massive lot has a sensor above each parking space that remains green when empty and becomes red when a car parks in it. Along the major lanes, arrowed lights tell you how many vacant spaces are available in each direction. How awesome is that?
