Coming up for air!

I can't believe my last post was December. Just proves how time flies when you're having a good time... or an indie filmmaker! So an update is in order ~

We wrapped production in December and went immediately to work on creating a trailer, which is a ton of work in of itself. Happy to report that is looks fab and will soon have fab music to accompany it courtesy of the very talented Mitchell Covington. Vijay is working hard on our website so that the launch will coincide very nicely with our wrap party that I've been promising for months. My challenge is to throw a party on a shoestring budget! Hey, I can produce a feature film on practically zero $$ but a party for a hundred plus people is another ball game entirely (I'm sure there must be a more appropriate metaphor, but you get the gist).

In addition, Gino and I are hard at work editing the film... or at least getting it to a rough cut so that a whiz editor can do their magic. I'm meeting with an editor tomorrow to review their work/our process. Hopefully, that will result in him coming on board... I cannot wait to see MISMO on the big screen ~ it's going to rock!

In January, I also produced a short film that we're aiming to pitch to a local tech company as an advertising concept. That was fun... we had a cast of 15 talented actors (there's so much talent in San Francisco!) and did a night shoot at Farley's on Portrero Hill. My partner on that, Donna, is off to Toronto with our footage to get it edited by her award-winning editor friend.

Last week, I hit day of distribution at Cinequest -- picked up a couple of biz cards that may come in handy down the road, but overall I'm unimpressed with traditional distribution channels, so watch this space, Facebook, mismothemovie.com, et al for social networking buzz. We're brimful with ideas for promotion!!

Have also been dining and drinking well... will post reviews when I have a minute.

Also, hats off the the makers of OUTSOURCED, an independent flick. They sent me a DVD for review at the end of the year, right when my player died (RIP)... Finally purchased a new one (who has time to watch movies when you're making one?!) and watched the film. Really enjoyable, very well done... I recommend it over many of the films that were up for Academy Awards!

Speaking of... wasn't that the most boring Oscars ever? Other than Javier Bardem, of course ~ isn't he yummy? Personally, I was thrilled to see Tilda Swinton win and just learned that she's Scottish! Go girl! Here's another Scot aiming to be on that platform making a speech... the bet is for 2010

simply gorgeous...

glumbert - Women in Film

MERRY XMAS TO ONE AND ALL!

I'm hitting the road tomorrow. Destination Oklahoma City!

Consider this your Christmas Card (you know I usually don't send them)! xoxoxo

MISMO -- IT'S A WRAP!

The filming of Mismo wrapped on Sunday, December 16th with the final shot being Bella’s (Diane Rooney) blood curdling scream. Diane told us she’d been practicing, but we still weren’t prepared for the sheer volume that meant we had to do a second take and sent San Rafael residents blocks away to their phones to report bloody murder! The cops pulled up just as we were popping the bubbly. Thankfully, they didn’t bust us for drinking in public.

Production of Mismo began on May 5th on location at Jim Heron’s studio, which was where our art gallery owner Rene (Larry Feurzeig) became intrigued with our aspiring artist Mitch’s (Jeffery Davis) “nudes...” This gives Larry the dubious honor of being the only cast member to have been on both the first and last day of filming.

Back in May, we knew we were going to shoot a feature film but Gino and I thought we’d do it deconstructive style i.e. shoot a series of shorts that we would re-cut to tell parallel storylines in a full-length film (and this from a woman who’s been writing screenplays for over 10 years). We quickly realized this approach was not going to work (funny how actors want to read a script!) and sat down to write the screenplay, which must be a record in of itself. On June 17th, exactly six months ago yesterday, we had a full cast table reading.

Since then we have shot in 43 locations including Café Flavia, Forbes Island Restaurant, Ginger Rubio Hair Salon, Plumpjack Wine Store, the Inner Mission Beer Parlor, Borderlands Books, and, possibly our most notorious, the privately owned Culebra Terrace (courtesy of Pierre Bleuse) where the neighbors were convinced we were shooting porn. What with the stranger from the bar’s pants around his knees (played by Frank Vera) and Toni’s legs (Lee Kuhn) hanging out the door, you can’t really blame them.

We have scorched under the Tracy sun while trying to get a gag at the side of the freeway where Rachel (Samantha Warnick) gets splashed by coffee thrown from a passing car; almost frozen atop the lighthouse at Forbes Island where Toni and Mitch take in the 360 degree panorama of the San Francisco Bay under a brilliant full moon; gotten extremely damp on a Chinatown Rooftop that was scripted to be a glorious sunny day; and, of course, raced against the fading sun as ex-con Diego (Ramon Bustos) fled from the scene, blood on his hands, towards his ironic fate (no spoilers here!).

We have borrowed from the best with Jorge (Peter Black) quoting Shakespeare and channeling Marlon Brando as Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee William’s Pulitzer winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire, opposite Rachel’s (Samantha Warnick) Blanche Dubois.

We have been moved by our cast’s -- Jeffery Davis, Lee Kuhn, Caroline Kuntz, Peter Black, Samantha Warnick, Diane Rooney, Ramon Bustos, Glen Caspillo, Marcos Monzon, Larry Feurzeig — amazing talents and braveness to simply ‘get real’. Our supporting cast is just as stellar with special thanks to Anthony Lymon, Sky Tallone, Michele Weber, Scott Free, Skip Emerson, Robert Love, Michael Petrie, Reno Ursal, Robbie Evans, Florentino Gonzales, Hattie Mullaly, Frank Vera, (and now I feel like I’m at the Academy Awards, terrified I’m forgetting someone!). Thanks also to our extras who added richness and color to our backgrounds. As they say, we’ve laughed, we’ve cried. When this movie hits your local theater, be ready for one heck of a rollercoaster ride!

Thanks to our brilliant crew and loyal and dedicated P.A.s and all of you who came through with locations, without which there would be no Mismo.

Now, we’re off into the editing suite. A trailer will be forthcoming as well as the wrap party in February, so stay tuned and don’t forget to spread the word and have everyone you know sign up at www.mismothemovie.com for updates (a full website is also in the works).

Scotland vs. Italy

Ugh... it's playing at my local sportsbar, Kezar at 10:00 am and I won't be able to watch the game because I'll be in Pt. Richmond filming... GO SCOTLAND!!!

GLAMOUR FOR KARMA

Don't miss the most glamorous event ramping up to the holiday season ~ on National Philanthropy Day, no less.

For full details click on over to http://www.calmodern.com/glamour.html and give your karma a boost!

Anjelah Johnson: Nail Salon

Anjelah as the nail salon experienced nailed!

The Moorings... Aberdeen, Scotland

This one's for Steve... in memory of all the good times:)



Can't believe the place hasn't changed in, oh, ummmm, 33 years?!!!

xoxo

3:10 to Yuma

I've heard critics say the cinematography ruined this film, but I couldn't see a damn thing wrong with it other than there wasn't enough Russ screen time. Sure, he was the bad boy, but so charismatic we wanted to see more of him, especially without the hat shading his eyes! Seems to me though that the real star is Christian Bale, who is brilliant and I'm sure will be up for an AA. Ben Foster was the eponymous bad guy -- who you wanted to see get his comeuppance -- he'll get a nod from the Academy too, but that might be stolen by Logan Lerman. What can I say, every supporting character was fabulous... This is a great yarn (naturally, it is Elmore Leonard afterall) and I'll be watching it again and again... Screw those naysayers!

Craig Ferguson...

I was on the phone with Miss Hattie Belle yesterday afternoon and casually clicking online when I saw that Craig was playing at Cobb's Comedy Club on September 14th i.e. that night. Since Hattie had intended to take me to see him for my b'dy and he canceled his shows, she jumped on the phone and voila... two tix to see the Scotsman at the late night performance... We got great seats and the warm up comedian (sorry I don't recall his name) had us in stitches... My god he was hilarious, which is more than I can say for Craig. I couldn't believe that he was still cracking the same jokes from two years ago... wasn't funny then, and it wasn't funny last night. Okay, not to be totally mean... there were a few moments. Sorry Craig, still love you on tv but you have to get new material... and stop reminding us how big your dick is... despite what you say, it's really no excuse for the slovenly attire.

Tomorrow is 3:10 to Yuma... let's see how our man Russ does on the big screen.

James McFadden France 0-1 Scotland (Peter Martin commentary)

This one's for Pierre:)

Song of the Day...

This one is for Stevie M in London... xoxoxo

You have to click for the surprise

xoxoxo

Back on the scene!

With Gino and Danny out of town, I have a minute to come up for air and resume some semblance of a personal life, and now that the French man is out of the picture, it’s out on the town again!!

Tuesday night was the Madrone catching up with Kish and that was fun, though I don't think think there was anyone older than 30 there other than myself.

Last night was a 7x7 restaurant opening. Certain that it was going to be a mob scene of 20 somethings, CT and I decided to take our time getting there by walking ~ at least we’d have gotten some exercise if the rest of the night was a bomb… not so!

Palmetto, on Union Street, is fabulous! They had a good looking group of people loaded with age appropriate men… and, naturally, some not so age appropriate, but I don’t play with those any more. First, the restaurant: elegant space with a spacious bar, tended by handsome bartenders pouring some yummy cherry cosmo concoction. The food, passed around, was plentiful and delicious. My favorites were the dates wrapped in bacon, sinful but delicious! Then they had a whole load of other nibbles, every one of which was yummy. The crowd was never a mob scene and because it was older than the average 7x7 freebie, people actually talked to one another! CT was on exceptional form, chatting up a storm and though we never moved from our spot a bevy of eligible bachelors swam our way… and so the night swam by… We left with two adorable, funny guys and, having had lots to whet our appetites, we went to Betel Nut (one of my all-time faves) for dinner.

After dinner, which was about midnight by then (on a school night!), we realized that no one had driven so it was up the hill we went… and not a groan to be heard! Well, that was last night. Today, my head hurts… Tonight it’s the movies with Hattie…

p.s. I highly recommend Palmetto!

David Bowie-labyrinth: dance magic video

I've loved David Bowie for going on 40 years. I saw him live at the town hall in my home town, Aberdeen, Scotland, when I was 15... who could ever forget Ziggy Stardust seen from the second front row? He's as awesome as ever...

F**k...

has always been my favorite word... listen to this and you'll learn why ~

Hi-f**king-larious!

Ginger Rubio Reception -- August 26th

Phillipine Prison Inmates do "Thriller"

Sheer brilliance... The prisons in the Philippines are more humane than what we have in this supposed 'Free World'!

Suppositori Spelling does Sinead O Connor

I wrote a screenplay for Spaz... entered it into a contest... Bummer, they were too shortsighted to make me win:(

And here's the pitch!

As seen from a comfortable seat at Tony Niks, Barry Bonds' 775th home run!

Song of the Day...

This one is for Danny...

Thievery Corporation Lee Scratch Perry

Drama.... In the Real World!

Yikes! What a fabulous weekend… full of trepidation and satisfaction to match!

On Friday night, having finished the last of my prop and wardrobe shopping, I was now catering in my kitchen, preparing to feed our cast and crew for the weekend… never veering too far from my email, I was astounded by last minute responses to be ‘extras’ and, last, though not least, for PAs. And who would have guessed… the cavalry arrived in the form of Jim Breen. A local filmmaker and one-man lobby band for no/lo budget filmmakers in the Bay area, he was willing to step in (via Bart to Hayward) and act as 1st AD for the weekend… and, trust me, I don’t give up that role easily! Phew! With the added help of two new crew (recruited from Craig’s List, sight unseen), Mario and Miranda (conscientious and keen to work), we pulled off an amazing full Saturday, where blood, death, and retribution were the mis en scene of the day.

Sunday rolled around with not much sleep, thanks to the full-moon 2:00 am revelers and their counterparts, the cheerleaders of San Francisco’s annual marathon, hooting and holler at 7:00 am. When a pillow over my ears and Buddhist chants from my bedroom boombox hadn’t drowned them out, two hours later I arose… to respond to emails and phone calls while packing the food for the day…

And what a day it was… every shot taken with room to breathe… and eat nonetheless!

By the time Gino and I got back into the city, we were both hungry and, perhaps more so, needing to unwind… at my local noodle bar, the Citrus Club. Fed and somewhat relaxed from the grueling schedule, we walked down the street at which point… S**t! I locked myself out.

Luckily, a friendly neighbor was exiting as I arrived at my front door so I gained entrance to my building. No problem, I thought, I’ve broken into my own apartment before with a credit card (actually a library card, even though it took a while). Thirty frustrated minutes later, I called up the French man to see if he’d be gallant enough to rescue me for the night, until I could get to my property management company for a key in the morning. No such luck. Okay… no shining knight to the rescue! What next? I knocked on my neighbors door and asked if I could climb through their window onto the fire escape, just in case I had left the anti-theft snib on my kitchen window undone. No such luck…

Downstairs, I knocked on my building manager’s door. Naturally, he doesn’t have keys to the apartments… What to do? After much discussion and comparison of his kitchen window versus mine, he handed me a small hammer. “You have to break the glass,” he said. “Break the glass?” “That’s what I did when I was locked out,” and he showed me the small empty pane to prove it. Okay! If the building manager said it was the thing to do… Up the stairs I went to again knock on my neighbor’s door. Wielding the hammer, I told them my plan. “Perry told you to do that?” Yep!

So there I was totally exhausted, climbing out their window onto the fire escape to break and enter my own apartment!

I tell you, you don’t have to look far to find true drama☺ But just to show you what goes down on set and you will soon see on the big screen, here's a couple of shots from our Saturday shoot... I'll leave you to fill in the blanks on what really happens in the movie...

Northern Italy in October...

While I'm on the subject of James Dalessandro, I thought I'd mention that he also speaks fluent Italian, is a wine connoisseur, gourmet chef, Italian opera and history buff.

Who, then, to better guide and entertain you as you tour Italy’s stunning landscapes from Cinque Terre on the Ligurian Riviera, to the historic cities of Siena and Florence in Tuscany, and beautiful Lake Maggiore in the north?

The trip is in early October so there's still time to make your reservation and see Italy after the tourons have left and while the weather is still beautiful.

Full details http://www.1906earthquake.com/italy2007/index.html

SCREENWRITING AS A PRO

"James Dalessandro is one of the 4 or 5 best screenwriting teachers in the world."
-- Lew Hunter, 3 time Emmy nominee, Dean, UCLA Grad program.

And it's not only Lew Hunter's opinion, but mine too. James has four books published, 20 feature film and television scripts, optioned and a best selling novel and screenplay 1906 currently in production at Warner Brothers.

Over nine Tuesday evenings, he covers everything from structure to dialogue, character development, scene study, pitching and selling, in the Bay Area's longest running screenwriting class. Alums have won major film festival awards, prestigious contests, and produced successful films.

The class kicks off on July 24th at San Francisco's Fort Mason Center.

It's fun, fast paced and inspiring; and at $345 for nine weeks... affordable. But don't take my word for it, email or call James at RIMBAUD40@aol.com or call 415 699-5561.

You can also read more at www.1906earthquake.com/screenwriting.html

Chris Rea-The Road to Hell

An oldie but goodie...

Happy F**king Fourth!

Though not technically fireworks, it is a light show in the sky... in a place that I will always consider heaven... where I had my own independence day (in a spiritual kinda' way)!

Rare Marlon Brando screentest

Simply the best!

Marilyn and Marlon... what a combo!

And this one is for Pierre:)

Last Tango in Paris...

You can't even see Brando's face, yet you feel his pain... This one's for Peter:)

Powered by AOL Video

Bright Eyes...

And the hit tunes just keep coming... *love* this song!

Hot Knives

It doesn't hurt that the lead singer is easy on the eyes...

La Vie en Rose...

Can't wait to see this tonight... will let you know how it is!

Powered by AOL Video

Sizzzzzzling..... ouch!

If you caught Craig last night, then you saw Enrique performing live... OMG ~ is he not the sexiest man on the planet?!

Song of the Day...

Haven't played a song of the day in a long time... so I guess this is more like Song of the Season.

Anyway, since Amy first played it to me last week (over and over and over again...) I can't stop playing it.

Oh, it feels great to be 50!

Enjoy... and don't get addicted: The Story

Beautiful San Francisco!

Sony's brilliant Bravia ad shot in San Francisco... and it's not CGI!

Mismo ~ our first day on set...

That's Danny B, our DP, in the foreground with Dr. Gino Dante Borges and me checking out framing on the monitor...

Mr. Anthony ~ Natural Beauty is an Oxymoron...

I've been hiding this for so long, with no good reason... thought I might as well upload it to boobtube and post it on my own site...

Paris, Je t'aime... the making of...

What we could do with that equipment!

Paris, je t'aime... a sweeter version of the trailer...

Paris, Je Taime - Trailer

Paris Je t'aime...

If you love Paris as much as I do, this is a must-see movie. If you're a filmmaker, like I am, this is a must-see movie... learn how to make a short from some of the top directors in the biz.

Otherwise, if you have a hot French man to hold your hand in the back row, this is a must see movie!

Coming soon to a theater near you... MISMO

For the uninitiated the following is a photograph of the master scenes in a screenplay, specifically the screenplay for MISMO, the movie I am writing and producing... When the last one is off the wall, the movie is in the can!

From the folks at Paint it Purple...

What: Paint it Purple Happy Hour
Who: San Francisco Relay For Life
Where: R Bar on Sutter at Polk
When: Wed, May 30, 2007, from 6:30-9:30pm
Cost: $10 donation, 100% of proceeds go to American Cancer Society
Why:
$1 Budweiser/Bud Light
$3 shots
Door prizes every half-hour
Raffles
Amazing bartenders
Possible Tamale Lady sightings
Warm fuzzy feelings for doing a great thing!

Relay for Life is an overnight event benefiting the American Cancer Society. Relay is the largest grassroots fundraiser in the world, run entirely by local volunteers, and is San Francisco's opportunity to honor loved ones, celebrate hope, and camp under the Golden Gate Bridge.

www.paintitpurple.org

Ginger Rubio's Grand Opening

The place to be this Thursday night...

Day Dreamin' in Sunny San Francisco

I recently went for a snap-happy walk... taking in the sun and the visual delights that my 'hood has to offer (thank you to all the artists for providing such a rich palette). I threw my shots together with a couple taken later that night... set them to a couple of tunes... and click here for the results if you have patience..., otherwise, click here for the more compact version.

Point Richmond to San Francisco...

I spent Sunday afternoon in Point Richmond ~ "Point Richmond?" I hear you ask... Yes. A charming hamlet off the beaten path that has a community theater (the Masquers) supported by a committed and very talented crew. It was a delightful way to pass a Sunday afternoon, so much so that I may become a musical fan yet! And the drive home was... well you can see for yourself

The Landlord ~ guaranteed to make your day!

Hi-f**king-larious!!

Tarantino on Craig

I envy the man's creative talent ~ and I was even liking his conversation with Craig ~ but did he have to go and ruin it by showing a clip from Death Proof that featured his bad acting?! We didn't even get the benefit of seeing Rose McGowan's face! What an ego... kinda' sad, makes you wonder what kind of car he drives;)

Non-denominational Easter in the City

And what a fine Easter it was... given that I grew up in a non-religious family, other than the obligatory chocolate egg filled with Cadbury chocolates...

FLASHBACK:

Not having a taste for sweets ~ or chocolate ~ weeks after the fact, my brother and sisters would beg me to break into my untouched egg...

CUT TO:

Present day: replace the candy with two glasses of wine, served by Steve, the assiduous bartender at Rose Pistola, while I luxuriate in the company of my friend, Chris, and discuss movies and potential plots, and now you're talking!

The ride home.... who needs chocolate when you have San Francisco!

Enjoy the show (taken with my digital camera ~ all stills, on the ride home) ~ bonus points for guessing the route!

Get Ye to THE GRINDHOUSE!!

And get prepared for a rockin' rollercoaster of a ride like only Messrs. Rodriguez and Tarantino (with a little help from Mr. Zombie) can supply!

Rodriguez turns on the gore instantly and from there on out it only escalates but even though there are a couple of serious gag-reflex moments, you soon get the hang and just laugh along at the outrageousness of it all. Rose McGowan rocks ~ or should I say go-go's from start to finish and Freddy Rodriguez (the adorable undertaker from Six Feet Under) is, well, adorable.

The pseudo ads between Planet Terror and Death Proof are hilarious and worth foregoing that trip to the bathroom for ~ in fact pee before entering and don't buy no grande slurpies!

Sadly, however ~ SPOILER ALERT ~ in Death Proof , Tarantino's trademark dialogue falls flat and things only pick up in the second half when the action kicks in. I won't spoil it, suffice to say, the end is abrupt and redeems what lacked earlier.

I might also add that Tarantino should stick to directing. His talents as an actor are slim to none and just come as, to put it politely, ego massage.

Overall, however, TWO enthusiastic THUMBS UP!

p.s. I already bought the soundtrack!

Compulsion

Well, we didn't advance into Round 2 of the Scary Cow contest, but our team is tight and we move on undeterred...

At The Blue Plate with Bruce Lee

How funny is this photograph? Taken with my camera at the Blue Plate last week where Anthony and I indulged ourselves in an orgy of food and wine.

300... Don't walk. Run to your iMax!

Frank and Anthony were silly enough to think they could simply show up at the iMax on Sunday, buy tix and stroll into the theater... NOT!

So, Monday, we bought tix online and arrived at least an hour before the scheduled 5:20 show time... and, yes, there was already a ticket holder line, which, surprisingly, was not just teenage boys. We, however, scored the primo center seats in the back row.

As the lights dimmed, the anticipation in the theater was palpable. And we were not disappointed.

From start to finish, this movie will grab your eyeballs and have you boggling at its brilliance, as well as captivate you with its story of passion and heroism. The cast is superb ~ who knew there would emerge from Scotland yet another gorgeous hunk in the form of Gerard Butler. And, I loved that Lena Headey, as his beautiful, intelligent and courageous wife, is not Botoxed to death. I won't wax lyrical about the rest of the cast; suffice to say they were all excellent bar none.

Of course, sitting between two homosexual men I couldn't help but be intensely aware of the buff bodies on screen ~ yikes, get yea to the gym! It can't have all been make-up and special effects.

The sound effects, the music, even the blood and gore, were handled so perfectly that, at the end of the movie, we all agreed that we wanted to sit there and watch it over again.

This is one film I'm glad to have contributed to its box office success. Two thumbs way up!

James Spader in Drag?

I don’t when I last saw something as brilliant! Maybe it’s why I don’t blog any more. There simply isn’t anything noteworthy to write about… then again, maybe this gray mare is just ramping up for a fabulous New Year!

If you watch this space, you’ll find out;)

Happy New Year

Better late than never, right?

I'm writing a screenplay, which pretty much takes up all my creative energy... well, that and I've painted/redecorated my apartment, which involved some heavy lifting for a few days there.

The script is for my film school's contest ~ deadline February 15th ~ theme is Six and the City. I'm hoping I have a winner!!! Keep your fingers crossed:)

Speaking of Sex and the City, it's become my nightly habit to watch it on KRON 4, which usually means that I catch the last of the news and, to the point, the sports wrap-up. What is going on with Gary Radnich? Is he out and out plastered every night? Or does he have dementia? The rest of the team cringe when he babbles on; that's when he's not being cut short. Does anyone know what the deal is there?

Did a movie marathon on New Year's day... saw, in the following order: The Good German, Children of Men, The Good Shepard.

The Good German was definitely the best of the bunch ~ Kate looked gorgeous channeling Deitrich; Clooney was his usual impeccable self.

*Love* Clive Owens, but the film doesn't entirely explain itself and is extremely gloomy.

The Good Shepard, I'll probably watch on DVD when I can rewind to hear every line of dialogue and pause to catch up which guy in a suit is whom ~ good guy, bad guy, Ruskie or not? Angelina, naturally, looked gorgeous; too much she didn't have more of a part. Damon is starting to become a cliche.

I do highly recommend The Painted Veil ~ came out of that film vowing I was going to move to China! I sure hope it gets a nod come Oscar time.

Okay, it's almost time for yoga ~ yeah! I'm getting back in shape.

Crazy Christmas Cookies

If you've ever wondered what a couple of four years will do with a batch of cookie dough, cutters, colored icing and sugars, wonder no more...

Sexy Is as Sexy Does...

Saw Tom Waits on Letterman last week and was blown away by the man’s energy. Last time I felt that from a musician on TV was a scrawny Bruce Springsteen on the Old Gray Whistle Test (BBC TV) circa ‘79. Don’t have video of that to show, but check out The Boss rehearsing for his Dancer in the Dark Video below. By this point, he’d built up a few muscles ~ still makes me melt.

As for Mr. Waits… just goes to show that smart and funny ~ with some rhythm thrown in ~ does equal sexy. Again, no current video, but see what I mean on this old Letterman clip below.

Bruce Springsteen ~ hot, hot hot!

Tom Waits on Letterman

I'm blogging

You just know that every blogger on the planet is going to post this! Sheer brilliance.

Sony Cyber-Shot

Now that I am finally the digital age with my new Sony Cyber-Shot ~ did I mention I love this camera? ~ I'm going to be a girl out of control... move over Henri (as in Cartier-Bresson). Here's the first of my sure-to-be gallery of rogues portraits...





Just to I don't have to repeat myself, ready my review of Alembic on Yelp ~ highly recommended. The 2004 Dashe Cellars Dry Creek Zinfandel is extremely yummy!

Slow Club

Just a snapshot taken with my new supercool Sony Cyber-shot while I was dining with Anthony at the Slow Club Thursday night. By now we were onto desserts and I ordered the gorgonzola colcelatte and Chateau Grillon Sauternes with raw star thistle honey and toasted walnuts ~ to die for, as was the rest of our dinner with the exception of the fried 'cardoons'. For those of of you who don't know what a cardoon is (and we seasoned gourmets had to ask, as did each of our neighboring diners) it's a member of the fibrous vegetable family a la artichoke. Well, the cardoons were a joke ~ utterly inedible and so rubbery we could stretch them like rubber bands. Anthony would never complain but, of course, I will so our darling waiter removed them from our bill... This is our darling waiter

You Make Me Feel Mighty Real

My friend is having a christening party for his son this coming Sunday and I'm the 'event coordinator'. We've gone back and forth on the need to have a canopy as a rain contingency ~ the problem being that they're very expensive to rent. In the end I found an affordable solution at REI and called to ensure that they had the item I needed in stock. When I was put on hold I was treated to this blast from the past. This is guaranteed to get you dancing!

Dancing in the discos in Scotland, I had no idea that Sylvester was a San Francisco phenomenom and that I'd land up living here in the thick of gay culture. Funny how life turns out:)

Halloween

A little background on Halloween:

The origin of Halloween dates back 2000 years ago to the Celtic celebration of the dead. A Celtic festival was held on November 1, the first day of the celtic New Year, honoring the Samhain, the Lord of the Dead. Celtic ritual believed that the souls of the dead returned on the evening before November 1. The celebration included burning sacrifices and costumes. These early events began as both a celebration of the harvest and an honoring of dead ancestors.

Halloween spread throughout Europe in the seventh century. It began with "All Hallows Eve," the "Night of the Dead." It is immediately followed by "All Souls Day," a christian holy day.

The first lighted fruit was really carved out of gourds and turnips. European custom also included carving scary faces into the gourds and placing embers inside to light them. This was believed to ward off evil spirits, especially spirits who roamed the streets and countryside during All Hallows Eve.

The Irish brought the tradition of carving turnips with them to America. They quickly discovered that pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve.

I can attest to that since, growing up in Scotland, we used to raid farmers' fields at night to find the biggest turnips, which then took hours to carve because they're rock solid. On Halloween, we'd don costumes and go door to door with our lanterns asking for "a penny for the Guy" ~ screw candy, we Scots went straight for the cash!

Here's my Halloween tune for the day.

Blast from the Past Song of the Day

Who knows why this song popped into my head today, except that it's totally cute and makes me smile. Unfortunately, you'll only be able to play it if you have iTunes, at least until I can reconfigure the format.

Some of you might even remember the album cover... from the 60s. Personally, I was still a twinkle in my dad's eye;)

Tilly and The Wall

If you didn't catch them on Letterman last week, here's a sample called Bad Education or check out their brilliant and bizarre web site.

The Departed

Leonardo DiCaprio stole the show in this tense stomach-twister. I was skeptical walking into the theater since I’d heard that the plot didn’t hold together and that, towards the end, Mr. Nicholson was a parody of himself eliciting laughter from the audience. It’s true, we did laugh, but I think it was a deliberate ploy on Scorsese’s part to relieve the gut wrenching tension, we were rooting for our guy DiCaprio that strongly. The rest of the cast was superb with flawless performances, especially from Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg. It will be interesting to see who gets the nominations come Oscar time. And for all you Leonardo fans, this pic comes courtesy of Warner Bros…. yum!

Shoes Shoes Shoes...

I watched a surprisingly good movie last night ~ In Her Shoes. Of course I shouldn't have been surprised since it was a Scott Free production with Curtis Hanson directing and featured lots of fabulous shoes!

Rent the DVD and be sure to watch the special feature about filming in an Assisted Care Facility for Active Seniors ~ super darling real seniors ~ maybe Florida wouldn't be so bad after all, though currently the retirement plan is Puerto Vallarta.

Then today, I received an email from Ms. Hattie, newly returned from a sojourn to Oklahoma, suggesting that In These Shoes? could be my theme song. Not that I'm close to being Imelda Marcos... much the pity;)

Marie Antoinette ~ Brava Sofia!

I’ve never been a fan of Sofia’s or, indeed, of Kirsten Dunst’s, but with Marie Antoinette, they’ve both hit a home run… and in such glamorous style!

With a total budget of $40 million, I can only imagine how much was spent on wardrobe… and every inch of Shantung silk was worth it, dammit! I won’t start on the shoes… drool.

I’d heard some rumblings prior to the movie about the choice of a contemporary soundtrack, but it worked. Actually, it worked brilliantly. In fact, instead of feeling immersed in stodgy, historical Versailles, I felt like I was hanging out with some rather daring-do people that would fit nicely into my own party circle ~ if only we could afford the fancy pad☺

The movie was utterly decadent from start to finish. The only question at the end (since we know our history) was how those women could indulge in all that champagne and cake and still retain miniature waists?

Tea Partay

Whoever thought of this is brilliant!

Snoop Dogg is in the House...

As in The Big House, one of San Francisco’s best kept secrets for staging a private party, and, boy, was it a party! Price + Price planned the party so, naturally, the décor was stunning, the food delicious, and the vibe super cool…

Snoop Dogg rocked the house and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ in his own inimitable style for the guest of honor who turned 50. I shot video with my phone camera but in deference to Snoop’s request, I won’t post it... just this pic instead:

Craig Ferguson Keeps It Real...

I was assiduously avoiding all things 9/11 when Craig blindsided me with his monologue bringing instant tears to my eyes. It took a fellow Scot to bring out the patriot in me. I won’t even attempt to give the gist of his monologue since I’d fail to do it justice and you can see/read it for yourself at http://www.cbs.com/latenight/latelate/comedy/

When he introduced Aaron Brown as his first guest, that infamous day and the days and weeks ensuing came rushing back. Somehow, I’d managed to forget just how depressed everyone was. What was both moving and inspiring was the story of Ralph Geidel, a New York Fire Fighter ~ a humbling reminder of what it takes to be a hero… makes me want to run away and help the starving and needy in less fortunate parts of the world. But, I’ll stay here instead and vow to finally get my butt in gear and do something locally.

On anther note entirely, I believe I’ve found my muse again… and his name is Craig. Doesn’t he look handsome in his funereal suit and tie?

Haven

Cynthia found it entertaining and engaging. I thought that Orlando Bloom must have needed a tax break and a vacation... that or he owed first-time feature director Frank Flowers. The film was shot in 2003 and has, from what I can gather, gone through the film festival circuit. The thing that bugged me most was the obvious attempt to be different simply for the sake of being different i.e. jerky, out-of-focus cinemaphotography and non-linear story line ~ with lots of exposition for the slow pokes in the audience. It opens next week. You decide.

Zihuatanejo Sunset

View from our hotel

In Search of a Muse...

Since I can't find one, I'll give you this brief update:

Zihuatanejo is a charmingly authentic fishing village unspoiled by hoards of tourists. It has beautiful beaches and enough restaurants, night life and shopping to keep it interesting. In fact I could have used another three days... which likely would have led to another three... and another and another.... As my good friend Skip said, "vacations suit me."

Speaking of Skip ~ pick up the September issue of San Francisco Magazine and turn to page 194 to see him looking totally hot and stylin'.

Then get ye' to the De Young to see the Cheech Marin exhibit of Chicano/a art. Allow plenty of time as there's tons to see ~ all fabulous. Also, the Gee Bend Quilts. Try going on a Friday evening when the foyer rocks with people dancing to live Cuban music and the Peach Sangria and Raspberry Margaritas are strong enough to warrant having only one!

Kitties, Death and Chi...

Friday, June 30th, at 6:30 pm, Christopher was pronounced ~ by a very sweet veterinarian ~ to be “at rest.” Very nicely put. I don’t know who was the bigger bag of blubber, me or Frank. Actually, I think I won the gold.

We retired with a bottle of plonk to Frank and Anthony’s apartment to dispose of Christopher’s accoutrements ~ nothing like cleaning out kitty litter after the kitty has departed this world... poor Frankie. Anthony took it all in stride. After all, if you want to be brutally real, he’d had to “put his mother down” in November. And, the day that Frank had made the decision (um, the appointment) Tilly had put his 95-year-old grandmother in her grave and responded to Frank’s tear-stained news with hilarious laughter. Still, Christopher was Frank’s companion for more than 18 years, so Anthony cooed sympathetically as best he knew how.

Naturally, we went out ~ Mi Linda Yucatan, the boy’s home away from home, received us warmly and promptly ponied up a pitcher of sangria. Frank only burst into sobs once over dinner and I’m not entirely sure it was caused by the cat. By the end of our meal, the restaurant had filled with cute gay couples… even more heartbreaking when you’re sick of being single.

In for a penny, we spent a pound ~ or two ~ at the Abbey Tavern, whose Sangria is very tasty, if I say so myself. Unfortunately, they were at the bottom of the barrel so we switched thereafter to French Martinis ~ not to be recommended, but being a Friday night wake, whatyagonnado?

Between bouts of pinball, Frank declared “I killed my cat.” At which point, I’d pat his back and nod to the bartender, “Yup, we’ll have another round.”

It will come as no surprise then, when I tell you that 3 in the morning found us gathered in the kitchen to watch Anthony sheer off Frank’s hair. After all what better time to make decisions about your looks than when your 'tired and emotional'. Not that with Anthony as a hairdresser Frank was ever in danger of having a f***ed-up do, and, if this blogger can get it together, I’ll post the video (but don’t hold your breath). As I write, my poor Mac is slogging away in the background compressing a 12-minute documentary for the Web. If only I could afford more RAM, but that’s another tale of woe.

Now Frankie is in Dublin, and tomorrow London, so hopefully the change is easing the pain. As for me, I’ve been giving my own cat extra attention, ‘cos who knows when the day will come and it will be my turn.

Meanwhile, the country celebrated Independence Day. Needless to say, San Francisco was shrouded in fog. With Frankie jetting his way across the pond, Anthony and his hot boyfriend, Robert, and I went to our friends, Nick and Lawrence’s, annual barbeque. Those two hotties live in the Excelsior where the sun shone upon us even as the afternoon wind kicked up. Gracious hosts always, we stuffed our faces with endless treats from the barbie accompanied by Lawrence’s trademark punch.

The boys and I were going to go dancing but got too comfy back at my place, where I had insisted we go so that I could put on black for the evening.

Instead, I introduced them to the flow of chi via my chi-machine and we watched Blade Trinity on DVD… such an elegant combo, don't ya think:-)

In Favor of Booty...

In response to the comment on the previous post... the fact is Frankie has an awesome butt.

Now, he may not appreciate me writing this, but (pardon the pun) since Frankie is a little down (okay, make that a lot) because he had to make the decision today to put his kitty of 18 years to sleep ~ and get this, make an appointment to do it (does that bring back memories of Soylent Green, or is that just showing my age?) ~ on Friday, I'm hoping that this will give him an ego boost.

So, Frankie and I were scoping out new apartments for him in my 'hood and, post-apartment fall-out (another story entirely), decided to get a bite to eat on Haight Street. Meandering our way to one of the few choices for decent food on Haight, we stopped in at Villains Vault where Frankie decided he needed new jeans.

Not that I'm being a critic, but Frankie likes to wear his jeans so that the waist band sits on his hip bones, or, in other words, the crotch is approaching his knees. This, IMHO, does not flaunt his ASSets. So, when the sales girl was pulling out pairs of jeans for him to try on, she had a rather dubious look on her face.

Over the next chunk of time (I wasn't really counting as my belly grumbled for food), I lounged in the conveniently placed chair while awaiting him to model each pair for me... and lo and behold, the sales girl had a new appreciation for what Frankie has to offer... yummy bootie!

About a dozen pairs later, although every pair fitted him to a T, we settled on the two styles we liked best... and then the true debate began. Just how much does one spend on a a pair of jeans these days?

We put the $325 pair on hold and settled on the $175 shoe-in... which he's been wearing... low-slung so that no-one would ever have a clue of the cute ass he's hiding.

Call me old fashioned. Or just call me a girl who appreciates a nice butt.

As for Frankie's kitty... a moment of silence please for a beloved pet at 5:15 pm this coming Friday, June 30th. RIP Christopher. You are very loved.

De Young Museum...

Feeling horribly guilty that I have not maintained this blog... In the meanwhile, here's a pretty picture from Frank and my trip to the De Young a number of weeks back... and, yes, that's Frank in the photo.

The Devil Wears Prada -- two enthusiastic thumbs up!

Saw it last night at a GenArt preview. Meryl is impeccable... Stanley Tucci is fabulous... Anne Hathaway is luminous... Emily Blunt is so perfectly bitchy... and the clothes... well, they're enough to make you want to be that size 0...

Wine Tasting in North Beach...

Darn if I didn't forget to mention yet another yummy discovery ~ we'll get to those in a minute ~ Coit Liquors has added a wine tasting area to their already fabulous store at 585 Columbus Avenue.

For a piddling $8, I tasted:
2003 Saint Roch Lirac, Rhone, France ($11.99/bottle)
2004 Can Blau, Spain ($16.50/bottle)
2002 McLean Farm Shiraz Reserve, Australia ($17.00/bottle)
2003 Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, Washington ($19.99/bottle)
2004 Unti Grenache, Sonoma ($26.99/bottle)...

The Rhone was lovely and a good intro to the rest... with some food to accompany it, it would have done well. The Spanish had more texture and I liked it find upon tasting, but once I tasted the rest... mmm. The Auzzie was very smooth and silky. For best value, the Washington Syrah came out on tops. For absolute indulgence the Grenache (did I mention that I'm totally into Grenaches these days?) was the ultimate.

James, my tasting buddy, couldn't resist ordering a taste of 2002 Mario Perelli Minetti Cabernet Sauvignon ($18.99/bottle) ~ OMG!!! Run, not walk, RUN to buy this amazing wine at this incredibly cheap price. It's from a 96-year-old winemaker in Napa.

If I had the money, I'd be buying it by the case!

Vino, Art and Life...

Just when you think you've met the best bartender, dammit if along doesn't come another...

Enter Gabe from 111 Minna. He also curates the art collection... not sure which I hanker for most ~ one of his amazing margaritas or one of the fabulous pieces adorning his walls. Since I can afford a margarita and I already own so much art it's being displayed horizontally beneath my bed, I guess the decision is made. Besides, Anthony was there to save me from myself. Can't say I did him the same favor. He spent hundreds of $$$ on super cool t-shirts designed by Byron of Virgin Sixty-Nine. Check out Byron's designs here.

Moving on... Friday night I hooked up with Paula who is currently curating "Torments and Other Love Delicacies" at Melting Pot Gallery, 1340 Bryant.

I also met Mr. Brooklyn aka Renee Fressola, a fab artist, who will be having a show at the Melting Pot in August. Check out his work at www.renefressola.com.

Moving right along, I hooked up with the gang at what Frankie is calling our standard Friday night spot... i.e. the bar at Sushi Groove South where we love everybody there. A million Negori's later, we ambled down the street to DNA Lounge and swanked in ahead of the line to Bootie ~ wow!

Adrian and the Mysterious D have come a long way. While the music is still a mash-up, the people no longer are... Bootie is seriously mainstream and the place was jumping. Congratulations!

We danced our booties off until 3:00 am, at which point, I declared it time to go home... zzzzzz.

Saturday saw Frankie and I at Crushpad's 3rd annual open house. What a fabulous concept ~ hook up with a bunch of friends, pitch in a few hundred bucks each, decide what wine you want to make and Crushpad practically does the rest ~ it's up to you how involved you want to be ~ a couple of years in oak barrels et voila, you have your very own wine label.

As if we weren't already verging on sozzled, we mosied on over to the Mix and met some extremely cute and fun people. I was very flattered to be hit on by the sweet and lovely Dana... didn't dare tell her that I was twice her age and then some!! As if it matters... as Dave likes to say, "it only means you've been renting your apartment longer than me." More to the point, I guess, we don't play on the same team... bit of a pity, really.

Next on the agenda was an art show at Red INK Studios, 1035 Market Street, featuring a cast of really diverse and amazing artists.

Thought the art was amazing, Frankie and I were wearing a little thin... more importantly, he wanted to put on a cute outfit for the rest of the night... whatever happened to dinner?!

Oh, that was a slice of cold leftover pizza chez Frankie and Anthony's while Frankie got cuter than he already was and Anthony touched up my make-up in between deliberations of what accessories to wear. "Oh, I think I'll just add the bling, bling Dior cube to the chain dangling off my Prada (or some such fancy designer) pants." One of these days, I swear I'll upgrade from my Gap jeans!

We skipped the friend's house party we were supposed to put in a face at and copped a cab on over to Pink for the "Summer Soul Sessions," where our friend, Shane, had a VIP booth reserved, which was very, very nice, indeed:-)

Fabulous crowd. Great music. Fun scene.

It only got better when a tall, dark and very handsome man asked whether I would like to dance. Well, that was an offer I couldn't refused.

It got better. He knew how to dance!

It actually got a lot better, but time is wearing on and I'm debating whether I'm going to put on my glad rags and go to Trannyshack for Madonna night...

I'll keep you posted;-)

The Best Bartender in L.A. ~ Jimmy Bradley

Now, lest Jimmy think that I’ve forsaken him for Craig… let me tell you about the best bartender in the State ~ and I can say that because San Francisco’s top bartender is on hiatus in Guatemala right now (Hi Thad… hurry home!!).

What’s a bartender for? Well, pouring you a drink is one thing, making suggestions as to what to drink is another, being patient while you deliberate is one more, making you feel beautiful and charming on top of it is the ultimate.

Point in case, last week I hooked up with Amy, on a rare trip into town, at the end of the workweek. I had driven in from Marin and noted that the holiday traffic was way backed up. Being a good pal, I called to let her know. We settled on meeting at Kezar in Cole Valley for one drink. By the time we walked in the bar, our spirits were high and she was contemplating staying in town for a gal’s night out. Now, here’s where a bartender can make or break the situation. Amy, in her charming, and usually winning, way announced “I hear you pour the best Margarita in town!” The bartender’s expression remained flat; in fact it was like we were bothering him. “Salt or no salt?” was his deadpan response. Not to be deterred, Amy came back with another cute rejoinder, but try as she did, she could not get that a**hole to crack a smile. Sure rained on our parade. We would have stayed but his company was too overwhelming.

Back to Jimmy… when Ms. D and I walked into Primitivo just two nights after our most recent visit, mostly because we simply couldn’t bear to stay away, he greeted us with an enthusiastic fist-clutching “Yes!” as if he’d been hoping all night that we’d show up. Now, that’s what makes people return time and again to their favorite haunts… being made to feel special. It doesn't matter that he has a girlfriend and we can't fantasize about him asking us out (well, we can, but what would be the point, especially when there's Craig who's single and, dare I say, more age appropriate), we're happy to bask in the glow of his boyish charm for the evening. Salut!

p.s. Primitivo is on Abbot Kinney ~ you can check out my quickie review on Yelp.

Craig Ferguson in San Francisco... Part III

Well, surely, with my man in town, you didn’t think you were getting away with just two posts about him, duh!

Last night, I put on my glad rags (i.e. a skirt) and met up with the Divine Ms. D, newly relocated from LA, for a bite to eat in North Beach. Originally planning to hit Rose Pistola’s we were both running too late to make the battle to their bar worthwhile.

Quick interjection, I was at the Sanchez Grotto where my friend Melodie and others park their booties on a daily basis to hammer out brilliant prose. Hers is due out this fall and titled “My Lost and Found Life” (see photo).

D and I landed up at Piazza Pellegrini on Columbus where we were delightfully surprised by the staff, including the darling owner, and the most delicious Italian food this side of Milan. But we were in a rush and had to bid a hasty farewell ~ baci to all ~ promising to return very soon.

I was bummed when we got to Cobb’s Comedy Club to discover that a line had already formed. Never mind, we got a pretty decent seat appointed to us by the very efficient, if not in fact Nazi-like staff. It was enough to make me declare that I would never return to Cobb’s again. What can I say, they were just trying to do their jobs… get everyone in place to buy their two drink minimum before the show started. Thankfully, the show was funny. Mike Capozzola hosted and Brian Malow warmed up for Craig. Before too long, tears were streaming down everyone’s faces.

Craig looked way more dapper than he had in his writer’s duds – all in black ~ I swear, he must have studied the San Francisco style ~ with his hair coiffed, he looked very handsome indeed. To be truthful, however, he wasn’t tickling my funny bone quite as much as I’d expected. And, naturally, I couldn’t keep my big mouth shut, so when he polled the audience on who was there from Canada, I spoke up and asked why he didn’t poll on who was there from Scotland. Give the man his due, he stopped to politely listen to me… and then moved on. Of course, I had to speak up again, as well as give him my card at the end of the show. At least I know at this point in time, Craig Ferguson knows I exist, which is enough until I get my boss on his show (fingers crossed).

Quick note to Craig ~ Dear Craig, If you read this when you next Google yourself, have a heart and support a fellow author and filmmaker trying to make a difference in the Indie world, pretty please. Signed your most devoted fan… xoxoxoxoxoxo

Craig Ferguson @ Edinburgh Castle… Part II

Craig signed my book, well, actually, his book, for which I paid. He even had a conversation with me. Either he’s very good at what he does ~ you know, interviewing/responding to inane people ~ or he’s actually for real. Now, here’s my theory… he’s Scottish and the Scots are the most stoic fools on the planet. They’ll cut off their noses to spite their faces faster than a highlander approaching a sheep’s zipper (think about it). So, I think he’s real. Looking into his eyes and shaking his hand, hearing him say, “Thanks darlin’” was real enough to send me out the door on a puff of Pheromone. Five minutes later, I’ve been asked out to the movies and dinner by two strangers independent of each other ~ all the while I’m on the phone deliberating with Mr. ? over the logistics of hooking up for a drink ~ and the strangers both look hot. Uh. I gave them my number.

And then, Mr. ? looked hot. Nice hug, in fact. Ten minutes later, I commented that I missed my favorite bartender, Deb. He said, “you know Deb?”

Fifteen minutes later, we’re in my old stomping grounds, from this time last year when I was at film school having the time of my life, to find that Deb and her gooooooorgeous man, Brodus (sp?) have taken over the old SubLounge, given it a fab face lift and renamed themselves Retox (how cool is that?). I love this town. Meanwhile, Mr. ?, who has asked that his moniker be upgraded to Loki, had very Roman hands… kiss, kiss, bye bye.

I made it home in time to hear Craig’s monologue, and it made me happy to think that he was sleeping a mere three miles away from me. Maybe someday the distance will be shorter… sigh.

Craig Ferguson @ Edinburgh Castle...

I walked into my apartment at 7:30 pm fearing the worst. I managed to defer the full-body slam onto my bed in utter despair over missing the opportunity of a lifetime to my grossly over-rated adult façade, sufficiently enough to google “Craig Ferguson.” A couple of swift clicks later ~ after all I’d been down this road before ~ I was at the page where I’d first read that Craig was coming to San Francisco. Ah ha! Not an idiot. The reason I didn’t know the hour at which he would be appearing at Edinburgh Castle was because the pub didn’t know either. I called the pub fully prepared for a long and challenging wait. I was surprised. Though there was noise in the background the bar tender was willing enough to engage. When I repeated the question, his answer gave me an even better surprise ~ “Craig will be on at 8.” Woo-hoo!

Fastest shower make-up change of clothes and up-do you’ve ever seen in your life later I’m out the door. In fact, I am standing, newly purchased book and Corona in hand, a mere twelve feet from the mic at which Craig will appear… any minute now. Which he did. Looking very un-CBS-like… kind of, actually, like a writer. His notoriously unruly hair looking like, shit, like he didn’t even try. The shirt untucked ~ had he spent an afternoon in a café assimilating San Francisco’s unkempt vogue? Or was he possibly hiding something that his usual single-breasted jacket (one button always undone) camouflaged to render him swavey and deboner? Who cares? He is incredibly thoughtful, smart, and insightful, and, heck, let’s not overlook the more important fact… he’s fucking hi-fucking (his word) -larious.

I am so proud of my wee Scots lad… although Craig likes to report that he’s not so wee in certain areas, if you know what I mean. Mmh! I wonder why he feels compelled to mention something like that? Inquiring minds want to know☺

Happy Birthday to TV's Craig Ferguson!

... XOXOXOX

Craig Ferguson

How could I forget to mention?!!

The love of my life, none other that the fabulous TV's Craig Ferguson, is coming to town... wild applause amidst whooping cheers of joy!

He's going to be at Edinburgh Castle:

Thursday, June 1: Time TBD
Edinburgh Castle in SF
950 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA
(415) 885-4074

And doing three nights of stand-up at Cobb's, June 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.

I already have my tix. Do you?

Postscript...

Just checked my horoscope for tomorrow ~ eerily on the nose ~ had to share...

You're particularly prone to romantic flights of fancy, with Neptune in your love zone. Neptune actually first moved in here in 1998 - thinking back, can you see at all that you became a lot more idealistic about romance around then? Did you start to feel you would have a better chance to recognise a soulmate? Or perhaps you started on a merry-go-round of attracting more shady lovers? (Shady people are the downside of Neptune, while soulmates are the up…) Neptune's active today - those flights of fantasy are extra possible. Enjoy them if you can, but be careful if you smell a rat!

The link for your own daily planetary prediction is on the right... or if you prefer click here.

Over and out.

Ambiguous Labeling...

Missed what’s come to be my weekly blog entry because after class last night I met up with a ? for drinks. What’s the question mark? You know, everybody likes to label people… hi, this is my “husband,” ~ that’s a favorite once you snag one; or, hi, this is my “best friend,” ~ a favorite introduction of Mr. A's (who from now on will be known as Anthony, since we ~ the royal we ~ are now naming names), to whom I always throw an upshot eyebrow, (turns out, after much apologetic explaining, I’m one of three ‘best’ girlfriends, we never got ‘round to counting the boys); or how about, hi, this is my “partner” ~ to which I usually ask, “oh, what business are you in?” Duh, this is San Francisco… So back to my ? of last night…

We met last August at Carlos’ going away party ~ which is another story ~ Carlos drove halfway to New York and did a U-turn. So, Mr. ? and I hit it off and went on a couple of ‘dates’. What constitutes a date? Well, usually drinks and dinner are involved, leading to something more intimate, though not necessarily all in one fell swoop. However, on our third encounter he announces, admittedly abashedly, he has a ‘girlfriend’. Now, what’s a girlfriend, especially when you’re seeing another woman? In this case it was one being phased out; Mr. ? just didn’t have the heart to be the one to do the phasing since she was on her way out of the country, permanently. Since playing second fiddle isn’t one of my talents, we left it at that.

Advance three months and I get a surprise call to meet for drinks, which didn’t transpire because he got held up at work and was leaving for Iceland the next day. Advance four more months and now we’re playing the ‘let’s get together’ game ~ schedule, cancel, reschedule, cancel, schedule again… which brings us to Kezar, my (or in this case ‘our’) local watering hole, last night. Three stiff martinis later, he’s on my couch giving me a foot rub while trying to convince me that I really would enjoy a man sleeping with me. Wrong. I like my bed to myself… which may explain why I’m single.

So Mr. question mark ~ was never a ‘boyfriend’, but definitely potentially more than a ‘friend’. Does that make him a former ‘flame’? I like that… infers there was something smoldering that never ignited. Or does a flame mean it was already lit ~ a torch, albeit a small one, already burning ~ that simply fizzled out?

Ooh, now my system informs me that Marvelous Matt just sent an email… let’s see what he has to say.

“Booty call?”

Now, that’s a label I like ~ do we know how to say "boy toy"!

In Absentia ~ Mia Culpa ~ MI III and more...

Well, I’ve been very absent, which seems to be my theme tune for this blog these days.

To catch up…

My new favorite restaurant is Sushi Groove South… having been there a few times in the same amount of weeks, most recently on Cinco de Mayo, when it was just Frankie and I putting in an appearance. Never mind it was only the two of us… a table was found immediately and we were treated like royalty by the entire staff and Teddy, our new favorite major domo, who spoiled us with treats. Kampai!

Before that we had seen MI III. Kudos to Michelle Monaghan… though I don’t know her personally, she’s within the extended family network. If you’re a Pro on Imdb.com, you’ll know that she’s ‘Numero Uno’ on their Star Meter. And, isn’t she fabulous? Word is that she’s not only lovely on the screen, but fabulous in person. And, hey, now that she's been Tom Cruise's on-screen wife, you know she's headed for the big time. Wasn't that what made Renee?

Later, much later, that night you would have caught us at Marlena’s cavorting with some of our favorite drag queens. I shot it all (well, not exactly 'all') with my new cell phone, so no promises, but a video is on its way to this very blog.

Let's see... What else?

On another ‘Fun Day with Frankie’, we aimlessly wandered the new De Young Museum. Maybe it’s because we were aimless (thanks to our Margarita lunch at Tommy’s) the collection struck us as being rather haphazard. On the ground floor, lots of modern stuff, while on the upper level, a mixture of furniture and last century American Art mixed in with native masks… Oh, well, the architecture is to be admired, for sure. And don't be like us... to late upon arrival to miss the 'scenic tower'.. you know, the one that blights the landscape from the exterior.

On a completely different subject… this is single in San Francisco after all… One of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time, albeit over six hours long ~ The Best of Youth ~ hey, it’s great for studying Italian. A film that takes you throughout Italy as it tracks a family through generations. The film won ‘Un Certain Regard’ award at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival and a slew of others at various other festivals. It’s actually available on Netflix, which alone will tell you something. I give it three thumbs up, okay two thumbs and a toe… go rent it!

Speaking of Festivals, The Damnedest, Finest Ruins will be in one festival that I know of for sure. Mark your calendars for the Wine Country Film Festival, July 28th, in Napa... please!

My friend Marie has turned me on to a new skin care line, Arbonne, and I love their Gelee Transforming Lift as well as their eye cream. Marie will be repping their products, so if you want in on the ‘in’ drop me a line and I’ll put you in touch.

Scary movie recommendation ~ High Tension. It’s a French flick (which you can watch dubbed in English). It’s slightly bizarre in its lack of explanation, but it will make you double lock your door, I guarantee… and possibly think twice before taking off to a remote location with your new best friend! Oops, didn’t I learn that lesson when I went to New York back in February? (see previous blog)

Okay, so we're somewhat caught up...

A personal detail that enquiring minds might be asking... Boy Toy is seriously in absentia... seems the Gods over at Lucas keep him on the road... "What good is a toy when you can't play with it?" is what I want to know!

Speaking of toys, or more like games... I am so loving playing the Da Vinci Code Quest... only two days to go and hopefully I'll make the 10,0000 (that's right, TEN THOUSAND) finalists and be eligible to crack the final code and win that first-class trip for four to Europe. Phew! That will take care of my impending birthday angst!

Da Vinci Code

Between work and socializing I’ve been too busy to maintain this blog, but not too busy to play the Da Vinci Code Quest on Google. I swear it’s addictive -- I’ve solved 17 clues to date and now I have to wait for more puzzles to appear.

Hoping to win four first-class tickets to Rome!! Now, that’s an incentive to study the Italian I’ve been taking classes for but not boning up on in between our weekly gathering.

Speaking of puzzles, the formerly Bodacious Ms. B will now go by her given name of Amy. More names to come...