T.G.I.F.

Yesterday's meeting went well. When we spoke about the project in question, my immediate boss said I should be our company's producer on set, etc. Our boss nodded and said yes. That was it. Cool. Now we have to make sure the studio and the other production company are okay with it.

After a long meeting I bought some Girl Scout cookies from his daugther. Sorry, eating right will have to take a break for a weekend. Samoas only come out once a year. I had to get some.

We (I and the producing partners) went to lunch at Border Grill and I managed to get a little buzzed after having a celebratory Mojito at lunch. We were next door to West Elm. I broke down and finally bought a new duvet cover and comforter. I'm not take Italian lessons this semester so I used that money to pay for it.

I had to say good-bye to the comforter I have had for a very, very long time. I could no longer take it to the tailor for repairs. I bought it for $5. I had a great summer internship during college at Bloomingdales for one of the housewares buyers. I worked in the flagship store (59th and Lex) and got to know the sales associates in the Ralph Lauren home dept. When items were discontinued we were able to buy them for dirt cheap. I didn't care that my comforter was a king (I had a full size bed) and a light pink, which didn't match my other bedding.

That comforter and the other bedding I bought lasted a long time. I don't know if the quality has gone down over the years but my pink Ralph Lauren comforter has "lived" with me in New York City, Jersey City, Washington D.C., Verona N.J., Little Rock, Austin, and Los Angeles.

Thinking like a guy

I don't think women need to act like men in order to do well in business. However, Hollywood is a boys town and sometimes you have to play by their rules to get anything done.

I have a big meeting with my boss today at his house. We are going over the entire slate of projects. We also have to discuss what my role will be on one of the projects that might be going into production this year.

I had a long conversation with his producing partners and they are supportive. My friend, a female producer at another company, gave me some great advice. Instead of going into the meeting thinking I need to prove that I belong at the big boy's table, I am going to be like my male peers and act like I am already at the table. A man with the same title and experience as me wouldn't even question whether he would be a producer on the movie.

What I don't know I will figure out or ask someone who does. My male peers have such a sense of entitlement which is one reason they move up quicker from D-Boy (development exec) to producer. They don't worry about silly things like experience or proving themselves. They know their powerful friends or mentors will help them out.

We'll see how the meeting goes.

Wow I am out of shape

I am talking about writing. Today I woke up at 7:00, didn't go to the gym and worked on the novel for an hour and a half. Yesterday I had to drag myself out of bed at 5:15 a.m., worked out for 40 minutes then came home to edit before work.

These few weeks off have thrown me off my schedule. I hope this weekend will help me get back on track.

Heading South by Laurent Cantet, The Hills

I really liked this movie. It was upsetting at times but the performances esp. Charlotte Rampling, Karen Young (the FBI agent who was Ade's handler on the Sopranos), and the newcomer Menothy Cesar were excellent.

The movie is based on the short stories of Haitian author Dany Laferriere. Three middle-aged women traveling from North America meet at a high-end lush private resort in Haiti. It's 1978 and Baby Doc's Haiti is in the middle of turmoil. However, everything is chill at the resort.

The women feeling invisible at home, revel in the attention they get from the young, gorgeous local men. Two of the women are in love with the same 18 year old, Legba (Menothy Cesar) but they really don't know anything about his life beyond the resort. The local men are happy to get presents, attention, and money.

The movie asks many questions. Is it what the women do exploitation? What impact do the tourists have on the people who lived there full time? I just read an article about vacations that mostly British, American, and Canadian women go on to get their groove back. Everyone knows the game. The women (usually 30 and up) and the locals act like they are "dating" but the real deal is the women are paying for sex. The article interviewed several women who go every year to the same Jamaican beach. Some of the women continue to send men money once they are back home.

Why are the majority of these women are British and American? Why aren't French, Italian, German etc. women doing the same in larger numbers?

The Hills - I watched it last night because Andre Leon Talley was on it. This show is hilarious. Spencer is such, like, a jerk.

March Madness Final Four and a very difficult choice

I cannot believe it. I am going to root for Georgetown. Georgetown hasn't won the big one since 1985 and they are the underdogs. I gotta support the Big East and I don't follow any of the other teams.

I would like to know where did the last few years go? How is it John Thompson's SON is coaching and Patrick Ewing's SON is playing with the Hoyas? I clearly remember screaming at the top of my lungs at the Carrier Dome "LET'S GO ORANGE" and that Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas (btw what the hell is Hoya?) sucked.

Now I have bunch of Georgetown alums in my life. I do not know how this happened. My attorney and several of my close friends went there for undergrad or law school. In order to maintain our friendship we do not discuss the Big East.

I love college basketball. Pro-ball I don't follow as much. I am not a Lakers fan and the Knicks broke my heart during 1994 NBA Finals in Houston. I will never forget Game 7, freaking John Starks shooting brick after brick in the last few minutes. Ugh!

My book

The days of sleeping in until 7:00 a.m. are over. Last week I received notes on the latest draft of my manuscript and found a freelance editor. Now it's time to start waking up at 5:00 a.m. again and writing before going to the office.

One screenwriter/director friend asked me why would I work with a freelance editor. She thought one writes a book, finds an agent, agent sends it to publishers, editor at publishing house buys book and edits it.

Back in the day a mainstream fiction writer with potential might get a deal. Now that manuscript better be close to ready. The marketing dept. has to believe they can actually sell the book. I don't have a MFA, did not major in creative writing, and I have never written a novel before. I feel more comfortable having an editor look at my ms before I start sending it to agents. I see it as an investment in my future. The editor does not re-write the book. She does basically what I do when I read scripts for our projects, give extensive notes.

I am really excited about working with my editor. Until last year, she worked at a major publishing house. She is not cheap but at least she isn't asking for an outrageous amount like the other editor I spoke to. She is a better fit since she worked mostly in commercial fiction and the other editor's background was in literary fiction.

Her comments were very similar to the other two I received last week. Very positive overall but there are some structure problems. For example, in the beginning I don't provide enough info so non-industry insiders will get the whole Hollywood scene and rush too quickly through it. However, it still takes too long to get to the heart of the book. So basically I have the worst of both worlds. Ugh. She will be sending me an editorial report next month. In the meantime I am going to fix some grammar issues.

I haven't touched the ms in five weeks. Looking forward to getting back into it...and a little nervous.

Calvert DeForest (aka Larry "Bud" Melman)

According to his wishes there will be no funeral service. He had no living family members :(

I remember many late nights in college sitting in my dorm room with friends and laughing our asses off during Letterman's NBC years. He will be missed.

There are a bunch of clips on YouTube.

It's Birthday Week, bye bye Blockbuster

Tuesday was my brother's birthday, today is my dad's and Sunday is my sister's. Happy Birthday!!!

Spoke to my dad today. He sounded great. The cancer is not growing and he is in good health otherwise. My mom is taking him out to dinner tonight. I wish I could be with them St. Martin. I would take them to Le Gallion beach for a nice lunch and some drinks.

I have finally signed up for Netflix. Given what I do for a living I should have signed up a long time ago. I like to go to the store and browse but after yet another frustrating experience this past weekend, I had to say good bye to Blockbuster.

I do not understand how a store in the city where the entertainment business is based could have such crappy selection of movies. Horrible!! The foreign section is a joke and they are always out of everything except for the biggest hits. I have been trying to rent ENDURING LOVE starring Daniel Craig for months. You would think that after Casino Royale opened they would order a few more copies. It's not like LOVE is some random movie. It was well reviewed Stateside. I went on Netflix.com and I'm astounded by the depth of their selection. The foriegn section alone is worth the price of membership.

Anna Nicole's baby and DNA

Some of the tabloid craziness has died down. Now the news is focusing on the two sixth-graders busted for having sex at school.

I agree with Sognatrice (aka Bleeding Espresso) that the legal aspect of this sad death is very interesting.

I do not understand why Howard K. Stearn is appealing the order to take a DNA test. If he is the father, what is the big deal? Take the damn test so this poor little girl can have a chance.

There's something not right about this whole situation. Maybe Howard wanted Anna to move to the island because there the name on the birth certificate regardless of biology is considered the father. However, given all the press I guess the local government decided to allow testing. One of Anna's close friends is saying Howard is gay and she was so drugged up at the end she had no idea what was going on. Who knows if he is but what I do know is, if one of my closest friends was eights months pregnant I would not give them shrooms, tape them, and laugh while they can't even see straight. This guy is supposed to be an attorney looking out for her best interests? Sorry, for poor judgement alone, he needs to be far away from her kid.

I still want to know what he was doing when two healthy (meaning not suffering from any uncurable illness) adults dropped dead under his watch within 5 months. The timing is very, very strange.

I Love New York on VH1

I really don't know what to say about this trainwreck. Of course I can't wait until the finale.

I survived the ShoWest dinner

I'm back from Vegas. I won, then lost $80 playing at the roulet table.

My boss and I had lunch at the Border Grill. I feel to peer pressure and had a mojito. I was pretty much flying the rest of the afternoon. I don't think you are supposed to drink after taking Sudifed.

It was good to spend time with my boss outside the office, although yesterday was a rough day. It should have been an exciting day because of some great news we received about one of our projects. However, a producer on another one of our projects has lost their damn minds over some Hollyood nonsense.

After gambling a bit, I showered and changed for the dinner. We met up with our agents and went to the ceremony. I enjoyed seeing the clips from upcoming summer movies. I'm not sure about Michael Bay's TRANSFORMERS. I thought the toys kicked ass back in the day but do I really want to see a movie about them? I'm just saying.

One thing that shocked me was brothers saying "hello/good morning" smiling,etc. Stop the presses. At first I was so thrown off I forgot to reply. The other shocking thing was all the stripper-type outfits on women from ages 15 - 60. Stripper wear is fine...for strippers. If you are in high school or a grandma, come on. LOL

Viva La Vegas?

Yes, I am off to Vegas for work. I went to Vegas a couple years ago for a very bizarre film biz meeting.

I know Vegas is the fastest growing city in America and many people loooooove it. It's trippy. I remember the first time I walked into the Bellagio and saw the "canal" complete with gondalier (sp) that goes nowhere under a bright painted blue sky. In L.A. they constantly play the "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" commericals.

When I first started out in the biz, all the guys were constantly going to Vegas (some still do) and I see it as a kinda frat boy/bachelor party hang out. One of my girlfriends said she wished another friend would hurry up and get engaged so she could plan a bachelorette party in Vegas. I'm sorry, I am a grown ass woman and have no desire to go to a strip club to see men (who are mostly likely gay) "dance" to bad music. I would rather stick heated toothpicks in my eye.

Dreams from my Father, The Namesake, The Farming of Bones

I started to read these books during my trip to Rome (I had a lot of down time at Heathrow) and really enjoyed them all.

It was interesting to read Barack Obama's DREAMS FROM MY FATHER since he wrote it way before running for any public office. His memoir deals with his quest to find out more about his Kenyan father and what it means to be a black man in America who was raised by his white mother and her family. That in 2007 some black folks are questioning his blackness is crazy. I will have to post on that BS later.

Jhumpa Lahiri's THE NAMESAKE is about Gogol Ganguil a first generation American of Indian parents. At first he wants nothing to do with their traditional ways, hates his name and feels like he doesn't fit in anywhere. Although Gogol is techically the protagonist, it is the story of his mom, Ashima, that moved me the most.

There was one passage in THE NAMESAKE that really jumped out at me. There is a female character who like Gogol is first generation American. "Immersing herself in a third language, a third culture, had been her refuge - she approached French, unlike things American or Indian, without guilt, or misgiving, or expectation of any kind. It was easier to turn her back on the two countries that could claim her in favor of one that had no claim whatsoever." Switch out the words French and Indian for Italian and West Indian and pershaps this passage eloquently describes the freedom I feel when I'm in Rome.

Edwidge Danticat's THE FARMING OF BONES. Devestating and yet I could not put the book down. In 1937 there are rumors that the dictator of the Domincian Republic wants to get rid of the Haitian laborers. He feels there are too many and this not good for the future of his country. Some are killed, other flee to the border back to Haiti. The novel focuses on Annabelle a young Haitian housekeeper, the wealthy family she works for and her boyfriend Sebastien, who works in the cane fields.

This novel is at times horrific, beautiful, sad, joyful, painful, and hopeful. The writing is gorgeous. I love reading about history and I barely remember hearing about this shameful event. One thing that was so strange is how they tried to determine who was Dominician vs. who was Haitian since the two countries share an island and there had been quite a bit of intergration. Skin color was not the most reliable way, there were plenty of dark skinned Dominicans and light skinned Haitians. One method was, could the suspected Haitian "thrill" their Rs. Even the Haitians who spoke fluent Spanish, along with Creole and/or French had trouble with rolling the Rs. Needless to say those pages were hard to read.

Hello, my name is not Stella and I did not get my groove back

The next woman who asks me if I met a man on my trip might get hit upside the head. I went to a screening last night at CAA and was asked the question several times. When I said no, I could see the disappointment in their faces. No one asked about the art, food, the city only about hooking up. I started to feel bad. Perhaps my trip was not "successful" because I failed to meet the man of my dreams or at least the fling of the week.

Believe me I would like to end my strike (or at least have the two sides meet at the bargaining table) and have some romance in my life. It just doesn't seem in the cards for me. I tried online dating and it was not fun. Men here are really picky and I rather be rejected to my face not via email.

I have struggle with the whole organized religion "thing" but now might be the time for me to call for some heavy duty help. That is right, I'm talking about God and Jesus. I know with everything that is going on the world the last thing these two need to focus on is my little situation but seriously I don't know what else to do. I cannot go yet another year without a single date.

New Neighbor, a cold and fires.

My loud neighbor with her even louder young daughter moved. She asked me if her daughter had kept me up lately. I didn't have the heart to tell her the truth so I said it had gotten better recently.

I think the apt. next door is cursed because now a single guy lives there with one of those annoying little Paris-type dogs. The dog barks non-stop. Great.

I think the worst of jet lag is over but now I have a cold. ugh. I have a meeeting on the other side of the hill and a screening to go to tonight so laying in bed all day is not an option. Anyway that damn dog would keep me up.

The fire season has started early due to the dry rainy season. Yesterday it was close to 100 degrees with strong Santa Ana winds. Two big brush fires broke out in Orange Co. Two houses were destroyed but no one was hurt.

My dinner with Clive

Around 6.00 p.m. yesterday evening my boss's producer partner says to me:

PP - "Can you go to this dinner meeting for me? I am slammed before leaving town tomorrow (for an event with a client)."

Me - "I hate what I am wearing, I'm jet lagged and I wasn't in the last meeting about this project. How will I be able to contribute to the discussion?"

The other producing partner - "You are crazy. Go home and change, quickly watch the movie (a film the other production company and directors referenced), have some caffeine and get to the Four Seasons by 8:00."

Okay, so the jet lag has clearly made me speak nonsense. Instead of being excited to meet one of my favorite actors, I was looking forward to getting into my jammies and going to bed. It is a good thing the women I work with knew I wasn't myself yesterday. Some how I rallied (ha) and met my boss, the other producer, the directors, and Mr. Owen.

Most actors seem much smaller in person since the camera adds weight. That is not the situation with Mr. Owen. He is one of the few male actors who has "it". Not only is he extremely talented but is also smart, freaking hilarious, and has quite a presence. The meeting went well. Some random (and bold) women stepped to him as we were walking toward the lobby. He was very gracious. To have people approaching you all the time must get really old, unless you are one of those stars who needs constant validation.

We were all saying good-bye. I held out my hand to Mr. Owen and instead I got a kiss on the check. I am a professional, therefore I did not act stupid, i.e. pass out or something.

I usually don't post about the talent I meet/deal with through work but he is on another level (that voice, that accent). I walked away from the meeting thinking it's great to meet people who are actually trying to make good/interesting movies. He and my boss are actors first. Yes, it's nice to make some money but they also do theater and are in for the craft...the other stuff is gravy. Attitudes like theirs are rare these days.

Treadmills vs. walking around Rome

This jet lag is not fun. I felt like I was drunk all day at work yesterday. My office loved the biscotti I brought back.

Yesterday I woke up at 4:00 a.m. so I made a pizza sauce. I bought the pizza dough at Trader Joe's and made the pizza for dinner last night. A pizza stone really makes a difference, it was delicious.

Today woke up at 2:00 a.m. then at 5:00 a.m. I went to the gym at 5:30. I was bored to tears walking on the treadmill. I tried to visualize walking around the cobblestone streets near Piazza Navona instead but it didn't quite work.

I told my sister the next time I go to Rome I want to be looking at apts. for a long term stay. It is just too hard to come back.

Some random observations during my Rome trip

Orange pants - Takes a confident man to rock pants that color.

The Burger King chicken strips ad - I don't know why but everytime the commerical came on I laughed my ass off. Something about the chickens speaking Italian cracked me up.

The Norbit ads - Even more offensive seeing them overseas. Enough with these types of movies. I am sick of sexist and/or closeted black men wearing fat suits to portray the worst stereotypes of black women.

People walking arm in arm - I saw men, women, kids, couples and a few grandkids with their grandparents walking arm in arm. I think it's sweet. One of my fondest memories is walking around Piazza S. Maria locking arms with my friend Giampiero.

The word "tesoro" - It means treasure and I heard it over and over again in Rome as friends said it to each other.

Not a single news report on Britney or Anna. I went to the supermarket in L.A. yesterday and that is when I found out Anna has been buried (finally) and K-Fed and Brit's mom have basically kept Brit away from her own kids. Poverina, good thing she is in rehab.

Hair issues - So when I move to Rome where will I get my hair done? Last year through a friend I met one black women who lived in Rome for a semester during college. She was in town visiting our friend and she told me she and her friends had to go to Milan for a touch up. I stopped relaxing (to make it straight) my hair a while ago but I still need to get hair cuts or what if I decide to twist it or press it? The few local black women I saw had bad wigs or jacked up hair.

Walking - It was nice to be back in a city where people walk. There is something very alienating about being in a car all the time.

Food - Not seen as a means to an end but something to be enjoyed. I don't know anyone in Rome doing the Zone, South Beach, Jenny Craig etc.

Waiters - They don't tell you about their recent auditions.

Sex in the city - I was there during the winter and Rome was still sexy.

L'utimo giorno (the last day)

Sigh! Okay someone is messing with me. As if I didn't already love this city, today is one of those perfect spring days. I had great weather all week. Today it's around mid to high 70s and sunny. All the outdoor caffes are packed.

I got lost once again this morning. I was trying to check out the area just behind Trastevere and ended up near some big park (Dora Villa area?). I walked all the way back home then had a quick lunch outside at Caffe Marzio (sp), which is on the S. Maria in Tastevere Piazza.

Last night hung out with Ettore in the Piazza Navona area. Earlier in the day I went to Santa Vittoria and it was closing hours again, so I will have to see that church another time. I had lunch at 'Gusto Osteria. I had the Orechiette with Clams and some kind of greens (maybe the infamous chicory?). Seriously, this dish was so good I almost passed out. Alright that statement was a little melodramtic but the food was that delicious. While I was there the owner put on Barry White's greatest hits.

Between Barry's (may he rest in peace) deep sexy baritone voice and the food it was sensory overload. Speaking of sexy, there was no exchanging of numbers (or anything else)with members of the opposite sex on this trip but I am continuing on my quest to bring "sexy back" to my world in L.A. So what if no one else notices, the days of moping, whining, worrying about the future, obsessing about the past, and being on strike must come to an end.

I will be flying all day tomorrow, so I must go and pack.

Ciao bella Roma.

pasta grigia, scooters and window shopping

Yesterday was a very good Friday. I checked out the cool little shops on Via Governo del Vecchio (I think that is the name of the street). It's near Piazza Navona and I first read about the area in the New York Times a couple weeks ago. Some of the clothes are very pricey and are made by local designers. Given my budget I only window shopped at those stores. I did buy some great smelling soap and some cute earrings that weren't expensive.

I had lunch at Maccheroni in Piazza Coppelle. I had the fantastic pasta grigia which is Rigatoni with wine wine, bacon, cracked black pepper and goat cheese.

I worked up quite the appetite because I kept getting lost in the side streets around Piazza Navona and couldn't find the restaurant. After lunch I walked around the Prati area (near the Vatican), then back home.

Okay, so my usual Friday night routine in L.A. is as follows:
All my friends are exhausted from work. They have scripts to read or notes to do. I stay home make some dinner, read a script or two to get a jump on the weekend read, then I watch "What Not to Wear", the local news until maybe 10:30 then I go to bed.

This was my night last night:
Three different friends calling at around 6:00 p.m. asking what I was doing. I already had plans with my friend Giampiero. We met during my first trip to Rome through a friend of a friend back in L.A. He used to live in L.A. and still has an apartment there. We went to dinner aroung 8:30 (very early for him). The restaurant is called Ripa and it's in Trastevere. The food was outstanding! We had clams and mussels to start and the waitress insisted we try (on the house) the sea snails which were incredible. I haven't had snails or conchs in a long time (so I was not really into it) but once I tasted the butter and garlic delights I was very happy.

G. picked the wine, I can't remember the name but it was a white Siclian wine. I had the white fish w/fresh tomatoes and chicory. I was told you can't get chicory everywhere in Italy. I wonder if I could find it in the US? It's a bitter green with spicy kick. Around 11:00 we asked for the check (if you don't ask they might not bring it. It's considered rude to give you the check while you are eating) and G. told me to not to even try and reach for my wallet.

Next stop. One of his agents (he is an actor but not crazy) and his partner had a party and we stopped by for dessert. I walk past this building in Trastevere everyday. Who knew that behind the huge, heavy doors was such a place? Freaking incredible. I also met some of the most attrative men in my life at the party. All were actors....and gay. Lots of couples. Everyone was so friendly and took the time to explain what was going on with the San Remo music festival.

Final stop. G., myself and some of the women from the party (all straight, smart, beautiful...and single) went to a new bar called Etabli. It's near Piazza Navona. I had to get on G.'s scooter with a dress on. Second time this week I have been one (Ettore and I rode to our meeting on Thursday) and I am not comfortable flying through the streets with drivers who talk with their hands all the time.

If you are in Rome check out this place, Etabil. It has only been open for 2 weeks. It's a bar/lounge with plenty comfy chairs, magazines, books, really cool but without the attitude. I had to speak more Italian last night since the women spoke only a little English. One of our waitresses was an American expat who has lived in Rome for 18 months. She was very friendly. We finally ended the night about 3:15. Again G. refused to let anyone pay.

I said to G. I have to remind myself that I'm on vacation and if I lived here I would probably fall back into the same routines. He pointed out that everyone I met worked a full day yesterday and the women we went to the bar with, an important casting director, a senior agent, and a production designer, have very busy careers and yet find the time to see their friends and have a life. Point taken.

An American in Rome

I have really lucked out with the weather. Today is the first cloudy day, not bad for winter weather.

I had a nice lunch meeting yesterday with Ettore and three producers. Where did we eat? At a Sushi place called Zen in the Prati area. I felt like I was back at Sushi Roku in L.A. except for the everyone speaking Italian thing.

It was stunning out so I walked back home. The area around the Vatican was very crowded. Later that afternoon I met the bella ragazza Shelley. Check out her blog, At Home in Rome. It's very smart, interesting and entertaining (just like Shelley). We went to the bar Friends (it has nothing to do with that fake NYC show. LOL) which is a great place to chill out. I had such an incredible time, hearing more about Shelley's experiences and what brought her to Rome in the first place. She was so encouraging about making the move. I noticed both she and Tracie B speak flawless Italian. Of course it helps that they live in a place where it is spoken.

I met Denver for dinner who has lived in Italy since grad school. She went to NYU undergrad for film and received her master's in film here. She is a screenwriter and a casting director. We have a mutual friend back in L.A. If you are in Italy you can see the latest film she casted "The Night Before the Exams - Today" which was directed by once of her classmates. We met last year when I was here and it was good to see her and catch up again. We went to a very good place off Campo dei Fiori. I have no idea what the name of it is. As we left at 11:00 and some people were walking in for dinner.

It is hard for me to explain to my non-Italophile friends back home how my first trip to Rome changed my life. I have traveled to other foreign countries but I was surprised by Rome. I felt to my core that for some bizarre reason this is the place I am supposed to live. Talkng to expats here makes me realize I am not crazy. I told Denver last night, that on my first morming here I walked to Piazza Navnona. It was very early and the sun was just peeking over part of the Piazza. I can't explain how happy and moved I was that very moment.

See Naples and Die

I can't remember which famous artist/writer said that quote. He was talking about how incredible the city is and after you see it you can pass on. I thought of that quote often yesterday as I tried to cross the street.

First I digress, while walking to the internet place I bumped into Matteo (the friend who was in L.A. last week) at the end of my block. He lives a couple yards from my apartment. We acted like we haven't seen each other in years. Anyway I have a lunch meeting today so I could not join him and Martina for lunch.

Speaking of L.A., in the last three days of watching (I barely understand a word, the newscasters speak so quickly) the morning news on RAI I have not seen one story on Anna Nicole Smith or Britney's meltdown. It is kind of strange, they were the lead stories on the Today Show last week.

Okay back to Naples. I can't really discribe how intense it is. Naples makes Rome seem like freaking Mayberry. I walked out of the station and it was more hectic than NYC's Port Authority. The noise, the traffic. I swear most of the cross streets lights don't work and if they did, people ran the red lights anyway.

I got lost and went to Castel Nuovo. I asked the wrong man for direction to the Museo Archeloglogico Nazionale and got lost again. I finally gave in and put my life in a cab driver's hands. What an amazing city. We up these tiny side streets, went along the water, the to the Museo.

Many of the artifacts from Pompeii are at the Museo. I really enjoyed it. The "secret galley" is somewhat trippy. No kids under 14 can enter unless they are with an adult. Let's just say back then folks really liked to get their freak on. I also noticed a mosaic that the series ROME uses in the opening credits.

I met Tracie B (and briefly met Gennaro who gave her a ride) and we went to lunch at a place not far from the Museo. Of course I can't remember the name. I think it was Soprilla? This pizza was amazing. I had a great time meeting Tracie B. She lucked out that my analog self still doesn't own a digital camera. She claims she is not photogenic. Whatever. Tracie is gorgeous so I don't know what she is talking about.

After a three hour lunch (apparently, we both love to talk), we took the metro to the Chiaia area. Tracie refused to let me pay for lunch. Next time I'm treating. The metro was spotless and nobody was pushing. This area is close to the bay. Very pretty with a lot of cool shops, bars, cafes, plus the high end stores like Gucci, Prada (I am not feeling the new Prada shaggy bags. I must discuss with Sfashionista upon my return to L.A.) etc.

We walked back towards the station and then hoped in a cab. Tracie B had to remind to put my wallet anwyay pronto. I got on the wrong Eurostar. I thought my train was leaving early but I was on the express one. I paid 15 extra Euros while on the train but it was worth it. It took only an hour and a few minutes to get back to Rome.

I cannot believe how two cities so close to each could be so different. I felt like I was in another world. In the last year I have seen several travel articles on Naples, in places like the NYTs, Travel and Leisure, and Vanity Fair had one last month. I don't think Naples (the most densely populated city in Europe) is going to turn into a Disneyland time place anytime soon even with all the "it's the in place" to go to hype, which is nice. I didn't see many tourists at all, just a few Americans and British people at the Museo.

Naples is like NYC in the 70s. The energy is unreal. I found it overwhelming. It's not laid out on a grid like New York, or easy to navigate like Paris. Naples is a city of contrasts, sublime beauty next to chaos. I saw a mafia gathering for a funeral. That was interesting. The police were everywhere.

Once I left Termini, I was too busy talking on my cell phone (confirming planes for today's lunch) and got lost walking home. I passed by the Coliseum, which was so not in the right direction. I took the long way home but I didn't mind. While I was on the phone an Italian man around my age with a cane and a limp said my english was great and I had a fantastic smile. I don't why homeslice was all up in my conversation but it was pretty funny at the time.

I am sorry I am not more computer savvy and all the directions on this computer are in Italian, so I can't link to Tracie B's post. You can find it on the left under Tracie's Life Italian. She has great photos of Ischia and posts on food, wine and her version of La Dolce Vita.

Naples is molto bananas

I will have to write about it tomorrow. I am wiped out. I slept for only 5 hours last night.

I thought we were going to have an early evening last night since I was meeting my friend Ettore, his girlfriend and their 3 months-old baby boy. We went to a local cute place off Piazza Navona. Everyone had to stop and say "bello bambino". Their son is so cute, it's not right.

Around 10 we started to walk back to Ettore's car. He stopped by a bar to see if his brother is there. He is. All his brother's friends came out and checked out the baby. Another friend cames over on his scooter and I noticed he was quite cute and looked familiar. It's because it was the actor Claudio Santa Maria. Very nice guy and he scored major points with me when he complimented me on my Italian. We all stood outside and talked for a while.

The music at the bar was great, lots of Prince, Marvin Gaye, and the Police. Around midnight my friend's girlfriend said she needed to get home and get ready for work tomorrow. I couldn't believe how many people were out so late on Monday. Ettore said it was very quiet and in the Spring and Summer the streets are packed. I walked home and by the time I went to bed it was 1:00 a.m.

Tomorrow I will try to post about my day in Naples with the one and only Tracie B.

Ciao from Roma!

I realized two very important things today:

I really "heart" Rome and my Italian sucks. I swear it's worse than last year. Not taking classes for six months clearly has set me back. I went to Trenitalia at the train station to buy tickets for Napoli. I thought this should be easy enough to say in Italian. The ticket lady busted out laughing. Not in a mean way but more like, "You get an A for effort. Now we are going to switch to English."

I have spent so much time worry about the grammar my vocab is lame. I can conjugate the hell of out of a verb but I'm having trouble stringing together a sentence in italian that makes sense.

Let's see, I have been in the city for less than 24 hours and already have received some very enthusiastic "Ciao Bellas" from a couple male members of the geriatric set. Thanks Gramps. Seriously, a compliment is a compliment.

Woke up to a very nice and sunny day. I like the apartment and neigborhood I'm staying in. I wish it had internet but there is a internet place close by. The apartment is only a few blocks away from where I stayed last year. I went to the supermarket (this time I said "si" when the cashier asked me if I wanted a bag. Last year I had no idea what she was saying). I got lost walking to Piazza Navona. Unfortunately Bernini's Four Rivers Fountain is being renovated. While I stood in the Piazza, I thought, "I am just so freaking happy be back."

I walked back to Trastevere, spent some time in Santa Cecilia and "found" a small church not far away that I had not noticed before. It was pretty old and had the tiniest tower. Finally I had lunch at Le Mani in Pasta. Oh. My. God. I have been think about this stupid pasta dish for months (gnocchiette w/fava beans, cherry tomatoes and truffles) and it was as good as I remember. Waiter was very nice, winked alot. lol.

After getting my tickets at Termini, I wanted to go to Santa Vittoria church but it was closed for a couple of hours. I walked the street down past the Capital. It still trips me out to see officers with machine guns. I also think it's weird most of them are gorgeous. Is that a law? Are ugly men not allowed to apply for the academy? I wound not be surprise since employment ads here can state age requirements and that applicants be attractive. In the USA that would be a lawsuit so they don't put it in writing.

I continued on and hit the clusterfuck, aka The Trevi Fountain. Okay, this is supposed to be low season and the whole area was packed. I had to fight through the crowds to throw in my three coins.

I had my first gelato of the week after seeing the fountain. I was too tired to find San Crispino. I must have walked six miles today, therefore I am not concerned about the pasta and wine I had for lunch.

I finally made it back home and now I'm going to walk back over to Campo dei fiori area to meet a friend for dinner.

Tomorrow onto Napoli.

Vado Roma oggi ( I go to Rome today)

Last night I sat on The 10 for almost an hour. I was returning back to my apartment after going to the Spirit Awards party at Shutters in Santa Monica. This is a trip that should take 15 minutes.

I calmed myself down by repeating, "You are going to Rome, You are going to Rome". I have no idea why there was so much traffic at 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday night. La Cienega was also backed up but that was because of all the pre-Oscar parties.

I am going to try an experiment by dressing a little nicer (by L.A. standards) for my flight. I don't have to be sloppy to be comfortable.

Usually on very long flights I wore these Old Navy cargo pants and my cross trainers (as they were the heavies shoes I traveled with). I think it might be too cold and dark to go walking/jogging at 6:00 a.m. I will be walking alot during the day anyway. I'm leaving the clunky white workout sneakers at home and taking my green and grey Puma sneakers.

Off to the gym, then I have to finish cleaning and packing. I will be spending hours at LAX and six hours at Heathrow. Good thing I have plenty to read.

YOU on a Diet - Week Four

I have lost 3 and 1/2 inches from my waist. Considering last week's junk food fest this is good news.

I am going to try and maintain this size or maybe even lose another inch or two. That said, there is a plate of Cacio e Pepe (bucatini pasta with cheese, olive oil and cracked black pepper) with my name on at 'Gusto Osteria.

The timing of my Rome trip could not be more perfect

Yesterday as I was leaving the office my co-worker said:

"Please try to have a good trip. You seemed postal the last couple of weeks and I can't run as fast as I used to."

The blinding migranes are gone, so my mood is much better. I know already what I'm going to wear to the Independent Spirit Awards party, no need to stress out about it. I had a pedi yesterday, getting my brows done today and will get my manicure tomorrow morning before the show.

I have to do laundry and clean today. I like coming back to a clean apartment.

I saw Francesco's show on Wednesday. He went to Rome and Naples. He shot in one of my favorite places in the world, the Borghese Galleria. He also spent time in an underground tunnel in Naples that was incredible and kind of creepy. I am so looking forward to my trip. Sometimes I forget I'm going. Then I remember and try not to do a spastic dance, ala Elaine on Seinfeld.

Why are people so flakey?

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say they are going to do something then don't it. I was supposed to have a conference call this morning. I left my gym class early so I could be home in time and changed my scheduled. Haven't heard back from the person.

An actor friend in Italy I'm working on a project with, told me the producer of his latest film is interested in our project. Said producer is in L.A. and wants to meet. I call producer, he's says he'll call back in an hour. That was three days ago.

I don't know why after working in this business for eight years stuff like this still annoys me. I need to take a deep breath and relax.

The Secret, The Secret, The Secret

I first heard about "The Secret" at a dinner party back in October. Now everywhere I go I'm hearing about this DVD/Book. Oprah did a show on it (I didn't see it) the other week and the response to her website was so strong it almost crashed her server.

Several friends of mine said it changed their lives. It sounds like it has a lot to do with the laws of attraction. Basically, if you focus is on negative things, negativity is what you will get back in return.

You know I am not a fan of the super "crunchy" stuff I'm subjected to by living in LaLa Land, but this is something I am going to check out after my trip. It can't hurt.

Rome - one week from today

I just have to make it through a hectic week at work. There are so many things I need to do before getting on a plane.

Speaking of Rome, last night's episode was fantastic.

YOU on a Diet - Week Three

I am not going to measure my waist today. I am bloated and look like I'm in my second trimester. I did break down yesterday and bought some candy from the store across the street from my office. I then went to Trader Joe's and bought a bag of air-popped popcorn and a bottle of blood orange Italian soda.

I had to leave work early. I was sitting at a nice lunch when all of a sudden, I got the worst migrane. It felt like someone threw a vice at my head, then put my head in the vice.

Before the migrane and cramps extravaganza, I was having a great lunch with one of my favorite people. She is a producer at a pretty big company but is very laid back and down to earth. She grew up in L.A. and lived in NYC for a couple of years.

I was feeling a little down about my non-valentine having ass and felt better after talking to her. We were cracking up talking about the whole weird dating scence here.

She met her husband at the valet line at a hotel. He was in town on business and they started dating long distance. They were married within a year and now have a baby girl.

I had a chance to really talk to him at Sfashionista's baby shower a few weeks ago. He's been living in L.A. for about a year now. All his wife's single friends complain about not dating and he can't understand what is going on with the fellas out here. He told his wife I should move to Chicago. I would be "scooped up" in a minute. LOL.

Black Barbie is on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Jennifer Hudson is on the cover of Vogue

LOL. This is too damn funny. If you want to be taken seriously as an actress, you should say "no" to posing for the S.I. Swimsuit issue. The news, yes the news, was breathlessly saying how Beyoncè was the first non-model or non-athlete on the cover, blah, blah, blah.

Meanwhile, Jennifer, who is not a size 0, is going to be on the cover of one of the most influential magazines in the world. I can't wait to get my copy in the mail. It's the Power Issue and I rather read about smart, powerful women doing interesting things than read yet an another interview where a certain person said she had to hold back on her singing so she wouldn't overshadow Jen.

You know Matthew Knowles is salty.

It's Valentine's Day

Whatever.

The Brambles by Eliza Minot

Despite the abrupt and somewhat strange ending, I really enjoyed this book. It's a funny and at times poignant portrait of the adult Bramble siblings as they deal or not deal with each other and their father's illness. I thought Minot (who lives in Maplewood, NJ) nailed the stress of a former career woman turned overwhelmed suburban mom. I laughed out loud when she described Margaret constantly hearing "Mom, Mom, MOM!"

I'm bringing the following on the plane: TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf, THE NAMESAKE bu Jhumpa Lahiri and THE FARMING OF BONES by Edwidge Danticat. I have been swamped with scripts to read for work, so I haven't had much time to read for pleasure.

Speaking of books, I am waiting for feedback on mine from one writer friend and a freelance editor. I am nervous.

In the meantime, I have an idea for a travel article for solo women travelers and I should start reseaching it, so I can pitch it. Other than my blog, I haven't written anything in two weeks. I do like having my mornings back, but I feel kind of off.

The Police

They can stand close to me anytime they want. I watched the first hour of the Grammys. The Police looked great as did Mary J. Blige, Prince, and Justin Timberlake. I choked up when Stevie Wonder talked about his mom (I am so PMSing). I am trying to be less snarky in '07, so I will not comment on Black Barbie. I did change the channel when she started singing. T.I. looked very handsome in his tux and I don't know what happened with the chick from the Pussycat Dolls. After 9:00 I switched to ROME which was a great episode.

My sister and I were talking about The Police the other day. My sister is ten years younger than me, but my brother and I played them all the time and she became a fan. I know we did not have cable when the video came out for "Don't Stand So Close To Me." My parents did not want to encourage us to watch TV so we were probably the last family in Verona to get Suburban Cablevision. Anyway, I think I saw the video on Friday Night Videos or whatever the name of that show was. I knew who they were because of "Roxanne". That was a huge single for them and it was one of the few records back then that got played on both Pop and R&B stations.

When I saw the video, I fell in love. Steward Copeland is one of the greatest drummers, ever and Sting, really I mean the man was just incredible. Good singer and very, very handsome. I bought the Zenyatta Mondatta album and played it to death. Every single track on that CD is great.

During college I saw them play at the Carrier Dome during the Synchronicity tour and was very sad when they broke up. "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", "Message in a Bottle", and "Every Breath You Take" (aka the stalker song) are some of my favorites songs of all time.

Anna Nicole Smith and the diaper wearing astronaut

It's official, people have lost their damn minds. I feel bad for Anna's family. That said, what is with the "Candle in the Wind" references? She was not Marilyn Monroe. Her death is not a "national tragedy". This did not need to be the lead news story during a time of war and the Scooter Libby trial. One of my friends works with a woman who said Anna is a legend. Okay for what? I don't get it.

I do think something is up with her lawyer/"husband" (the marriage is not legal). How is it he was around for two very suspicious deaths within a five month period?

Last week the news was all about a crazy woman wearing a diaper so she didn't have to take a ten minute bathroom break as she drove "to confront" her rival.

If I turn on the TV this weekend, it will be to the Food Network and Travel Channels. So far they have not changed their programming to offer breaking news about either of these women.

Francesco's Italy from Top to Toe

This is a series that was produced by the BBC. The first episode aired last night on the Travel Channel. There are only 4 or 5 episodes.

It is great. Francesco is a good host, very funny, and insightful. I think he is a Count or something and lives in Venice.

Last night he went to Padua, Bologna, Verona, Portofino, Milano, and Torino. The Giorgio Armani segment was pretty funny when Mr. Armani was trying to help Francesco find a jacket.

I really can't describe how beautiful the art and architecture were.

YOU on a Diet - week 2

I have lost 2 inches from my waist. I feel so much better. I sleep very well and I don't crave candy. I had two little cookies from the Gelson's bakery on Sunday and it was fine. I didn't feel the need to eat an entire bag.

I tried whole wheat pasta. I know it's better for you but it will take me a minute to get used to the taste. Speaking of pasta, in 20 days I plan to eat some at Le Mani in Pasta. It is one of my favorite places in Rome.

Buon Nutella Day!!!

Yes everyone, a joyous day has arrived. My sister is the one who first introduced me to this fantastic treat. She spent the summer between her junior and senior year in high school at a school in Dijon, France and basically ate it everyday. She also spent alot of time drinking wine and kissing boys but I digress.

I heard the version sold in the U.S. is different (they try to make it more peanut butter-like), so I will be buying a jar to bring back to L.A.

Congrats to

shelley

sara

for organizing this new holiday. Tomorrow they will be posting a round up so check their sites for delicious recipes from all over the world.

Nutella recipe

Tomorrow is the official World Nutella day. I will post a link to the website tomorrow. It is going to be a crazy day at work tomorrow so I'm posting my choice today. Just looking at it makes my mouth water. Enjoy.


From the Food Network:

Banana Nutella Crepes
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello
See this recipe on air Sunday Feb. 18 at 1:30 PM ET/PT.


For the crepes:
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch salt, preferable gray salt
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons hazelnuts, peeled, toasted, chopped

For the filling:
4 bananas
3 tablespoons butter
2 fresh bay leaves
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup tangerine juice
1 cup fresh raspberries, optional
1 small jar hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Confectioners' sugar, for serving


For the crepes:
In a non-reactive bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. In a separate bowl mix the flour and salt. In a small sauce pot or saute pan over low heat melt the butter and cook it until it is light brown.

Add the egg and milk mix to the flour and salt and mix well so that there are no large clumps. Add the browned butter and mix to incorporate, being careful not to overwork batter. The batter should just coat the back of a spoon. If seems too thick, thin it out with a little more milk or water. Let the batter rest for 1 hour prior to cooking crepes.

For the filling:
Peel bananas, cut in half lengthwise and then cut 1/2-inch slices widthwise. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat melt the butter and cook until lightly browned, add the bay leaves to the hot butter and cook until it crackles slightly, add the lemon juice and sugar, stirring so that the sugar dissolves. Add the bananas and tangerine juice and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes so the flavors incorporate and the bananas are hot but not mushy. Add the raspberries, if using. Stir gently to combine. Set this mixture aside and let cool slightly.

After the crepe batter has rested for 1 hour, heat 1 (10-inch) nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 ounces of the crepe batter to the pan, remove pan from heat and tilt slightly to spread the batter over the entire pan. Return to heat and sprinkle the top with 1 teaspoon of the chopped hazelnuts. Cook for about 1 minute until the bottom side is lightly browned. With your fingertips and a spatula, carefully flip crepe and cook the second side for about 15 seconds. Set the cooked crepe on a baking sheet and repeat until you have used all of the batter. You should be able to produce 8 to 10 crepes.

Lay the crepes out on a flat surface. Spread each crepe with about 1 tablespoon of hazelnut spread. In one fourth of the crepe, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the banana mixture and fold the crepe over in half and in half again so that it has a triangular shape. Repeat this with all of the crepes.

For the sauce:
In a small saute pan over medium heat melt the butter and cook until lightly browned, add the lemon juice and brown sugar and stir to dissolve.

Serve the crepes on a plate with the sauce spooned over the top and sprinkled with the remaining chopped hazelnuts and confectioners' sugar.


Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: about 8 to 10 crepes
(the user rating on this one was 5 stars...the highest)

The Jackson 5 enjoying themselves on VH1 Classics

I was at the gym this morning on the treadmill going nowhere fast. One of the TV monitors was showing the VH1 Classics channel. After a Peter Frampton song, they showed a video for the song "Enjoy Yourself." It looked it was from a live show like Top of the Pops or something. Michael was so handsome with his huge 'fro and electric blue jumpsuit.

I am not going to ask again what the hell happened, but I almost teared up seeing that video. I think all his plastic surgeons should be arrested for crimes against nature.

Later a Journey video came on. Steve Perry's shirt was unfortunate but what a voice. I know people like to talk smack about Journey saying they are cheesy. I think this is unfair. Most videos from the 80's were cheesy. Although special mention goes to Journey's "Separate Ways" video. It's one where they are standing on a shipping dock somewhere.

Speaking of the 80's one of my college roomates was in town for work. We went to dinner at Angelini Osteria. As always the food was amazing. I had fish instead of pasta, only one glass of wine, no bread or dessert.

I cannot believe my friend is married with two boys. It seems like only yesterday we met on Boland 8, our dorm freshman year. After dinner I looked at the coffee table book on Impressionism art she gave me one year for Christmas. She signed the book and I cracked up reading her comments. For some reason she name checked Corniela Guest (the daughter of the late, great C.Z. Guest). She also wrote we would be friends forever and twenty years later that is true.

emotional eating per YOU On A Diet

I am happy to report that I have already dropped an inch from my waist since I started reading the book. Despite the lack of pasta, Jelly Bellys, Swedish Fish, apple pie, popcorn, and other things I enjoy have not turned into a cranky, beeatch.

I'm now on the chapter regarding emotional eating. According to zee book, I like to eat the above items because I am depressed and sexually frustrated. Hello, Ray Charles could see that. Well, actually I don't think I'm depressed anymore, but the other reason is cause for alarm. Seriously. The book also points out that the section of the brain that deals with sex also deals with appetite.

I was at an agency meeting today with my boss and during half the meeting I was thinking about sex. I wondered "why am I stuck in this conference room? I would rather be at L'Ermitage or Chateau Marmont meeting my sexy boyfriend." Then I remembered, oh hell, I don't have a boyfriend, not even a lovah!

Okay, so post Rome I have to figure something out. I refuse to be "on strike" for all of '07. It just isn't right. I talked to my friends about fix ups. All the decent men they know are married, the others are gay or are single for a reason. Also, in L.A. a major problem is my age. Most of my peers want to date women at least 10 years younger.

I'm an Auntie....again

My nephew Quincy (aka "Q") came a little early, just like his older brother.

Very excited.

Four weeks until Rome

Four weeks from today I will be on a plane. I don't arrive until almost midnight the next day. I'm using flyer miles so I have no complaints. I have been in the best mood despite my car drama of last week.

Last night I went to a co-ed baby shower and several people couldn't believe I was going out of town again. Didn't I just get back into the country? Yes, and I plan on not bringing a single script with me. Okay, maybe one or two to read at the airport. I'm not going to sit in any piazzas in Rome reading scripts.

I had a great time last night. It was a heavy industry crowd (the dad-to-be is an agent) but the people invited were true friends not just biz colleagues.

What a difference a year makes. I stopped going to showers last year because I would leave feeling awful. Now that my clock has rung (that ticking sound is finito) I don't beat myself up about not having kids. What's done is done. I could adopt at some point if I ever earn a decent salary, but I know my chances of having a baby at this age are slim. When I was younger and the window was still open I felt all this pressure like time was running out. That I wasn't dating didn't help.

I love my nephew and can't wait to meet nephew number two who should be making his entrance into the world in a couple weeks. Yes, I did think by this age I would be married with two children, but it didn't work out that way.

I have to say without getting all L.A. crunchy, working on the book also helped. What started out strictly as an American woman in Rome book, has also touched on identity and how do we define success. The yardstick used here is making me crazy. I need to define it for myself. I don't know when the American dream became all about getting paid and/or being famous.

Speaking of being famous there were some actors at the party last night and a bunch of writers and directors. Some of them I have not seen since my first production company exec job. One director I met when he was a music video director and my friend had just signed him as a client. Since then he has directed four films including a couple of huge international hits. I was truly happy to see how well everyone was doing, including my hosts. When I first met my friend he was an assistant (an agent in training) on a desk working insane hours. He still works insane hours but now he is kicking ass and has some incredible clients. His wife (aka sfashionista) has become one of my closest friends and is one of the most creative, grounded people I know.

One of my friends at the party who is a little older than me told me I must live in the present more (yes she is a native so. cal woman). She is right. It's hard to do. I need to stop dwelling on the past and obsessing about what may or may not happen in the future. It's a very American way of looking at the world. Sometimes things are just out of our control, shocking as that might sound. My Roman friends think it's hysterical when I say things like "I'm planning to move to Italy in three years." It's crazy talk. I mean who the hell knows what will happen next week?

So I might not have a nice ride or a kick ass house in the Hills, a boyfriend or a bunch of money in the bank. It's okay.

You on a diet by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

I finally broke down and bought this book after hearing so many good things about it. My mom used to work with Dr. Oz and said he was the nicest man.

I kick off the diet on Saturday. I better finish my swedish fish candy today.

Lezione italiano, car drama

I finally have my car back after paying over $300. I forgot to mention in an earlier post the stronzo (shithead) who hit my old car last year is not paying my insurance company. Therefore I will not be reimbursed my $500 deductable. I am so glad I called my insurance company the minute the accident happened and did not let the mom of the driver convince me to resolve the problem ourselves. I highly doubt she would have sent me a check for 4K to pay to repair my old car.

I went to my make-up class last night. It wasn't too bad. We worked on comparisons (meglio, meno di etc.) This class is one chapter behind us. I don't like losing a chunk of my weekend, but it's better for me to take classes on a Saturday. Trying to get to Westwood after work is a major pain. I am so wiped out from work I really can't concentrate in class. After class (two of my friends are in the class) we went to the "W" for dinner. It was good to catch up. One friend is dating a man in Florence. Amore.

I called Forest to say congrats on his nomination. I figured I would call his cell and just leave a message since he is so busy. Of course he picked up. I really hope he wins. He was amazing in LAST KING OF SCOTLAND.

I love New York, The Hills and a little Ocsar

Yes, it's Oscar morning. I haven't printed out the list yet. From what I saw on the news there are many major stunners. Glad to see the surprising Ryan Gosling, Pan's and Paul Greengrass noms. I still haven't seen Dreamgirls but for it not to receive a best pic or directing nom is a shock, since the PR campaign was spinning it to be a lock to WIN best pic (I didn't believe that. Everyone here who has seen it says it's okay not great, esp. once Hudson's character leaves).

All this love for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is very interesting. Can it pull an upset against BABEL? Oh well, I will be on a plane to Rome during the Oscars so I will have to hear the results when I stop over at Heathrow. I hope my former boss, Mr. Whitkaker, wins for best Actor.

Now from honoring the best in film, let's talk about the worst in TV. I LOVE NEW YORK is so bad it's amazing. Last night there were so many great quotes like "Pootie has lost his damn mind" or "Jesus, let's us pray for Whiteboy (yes that is one of the bachelor's name) who lost a friend today." We had temper tamtrums, a man passing out and a bacherlor named T-weed (another great name) who said he was worth a 100 million dollars (hahahah). It was all fantastic.

I have never watched LAGUAN BEACH or the HILLS before. I watched THE HILLS last night because it was on before J.Lo's dancelife show. I couldn't stay awake past 10:40, so I only saw THE HILLS. I fear for our nation. Why does everyone one the show say "like" every other word? Who are these young clueless people?

My car still isn't ready. Very annoyed. I have to catch a ride with one of our screenwriters for our studio meeting. I better have the car this afternoon so I can make it my make-up Italian class tonight.

HBO's ROME

Too bad this is the last season. I don't understand why, since all the sets have been built already. I wonder what they are going to do with them once the show shuts down. They spent over $100 million on the sets.

When I was in Rome back in May, a friend at HBO arranged a tour. The historical consultant, Jonathan, along with Grace, one of the producers (who I met randomly at a dinner the night before), took me around the set. Unbelieveable. The scale of the sets and the amount of detail were incredible.

It was funny to see "Roman soliders" in full costume, smoking and speaking Italian on their way back from lunch. The scene I watched on set (the show down between Marc Antony and Octavian) aired last night.

I also saw the sets left over from the GANGS OF NEW YORK. Where is Daniel Day-Lewis these days?

Car issues again, Hillary get in the ring, the book

First, I missed my Italian class today because my car started smoking, made a horrific noise and wouldn't start. AAA came and towed my car. One of my belts broke and it will cost me $350 to get my car back on Monday. Sigh.

Hillary says she's in. This is shaping up to be one of the most interesting Presidentials races in decades. There are a bunch of Republicans and Democratics already in the race. It has been years since we haven't had an incumbent or current VP running. I am still doing my research on the candidates. Looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

I spoke to one freelance editor yesterday. The fee? $8,000. Let's just say that is way past my budget. I am waiting to hear back from a few others.

Last night a screenwriter friend took me to dinner at Ago to celebrate my book. She is so sweet. I am still working on it but she said finishing drafts of 300 plus pages is an accomplishment. She liked the book and had some good notes. She is a very talented writer and her comments made my day. She also told our waiter I spoke Italian (ha). He asked me some questions and then complimented me on my outstanding Italian. (ha, again)

Yet another book about Rome

So I'm reading my daily dose of Media Bistro and there is an article about Regan Books. The imprint is being shut down. One of the books that will be now published under the HC name is a memoir called WHEN IN ROME. How An American woman lost weight, eating, living and loving the Roman way.

Of course I had a freak out. This book is coming out May 07. From working in film I know buyers do not like to buy material that is similar to what they already have in development. I am trying to get more info about the book. I think it might be more in the vein of FRENCH WOMEN DON'T GET FAT. I hope so.

My sister told me not to worry. WIR is a memoir and my book is fiction. If I would be so lucky to find a buyer for my book it would be at least a year or two before it came out.

I am also stressing out a little because I am close to the finish line. Yes, I have had people give me feedback. I like getting notes and working hard to make my book better. However, looking for an agent is a different story. I don't want to embarrass myself and nobody likes to have something they have worked on for so long be rejected.

I'm beginning the process of looking for a freelance editor to read my book before I send it to any agents.

Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro

One word. Amazing.

The story of a young girl during 1944 in Facist Spain, this movie is a stunning work of art and an accessible moving film. The fairytale world is creepy, but the human world of "Il Captain" is even more frightening. Sergi Lopez, whom I've seen mostly in French films, plays a brutal man. Some of the movie is tough to watch and it is def. not for young children.

One of the producers is Alfonso Cuaron, who directed the incredible CHILDREN OF MEN. It is outrageous neither one of these two brillant filmmakers were nominated for a Director's Guild Award.

Golden Globes

I spent MLK jr. day watching a little bit of the parade and suffering from the migraine that would not go away. I stopped working on my book, my head hurt so much.

Regarding the Globes: I thought Meryl's speech was great and was glad to see Forest and Helen win. Sasha Baron Cohen is very attractive. I am not mad at Isla.

The Globes seemed to lack energy this year and I kept switching back to that wonderful show, I LOVE NEW YORK. Mere words cannot describe it.

That's all. Back to work.

First day of Italian class, Under the Sand by Francois Ozon

Allora, my first day of Intermediate Level Two wasn't too bad. Yes, I would start speaking in Italian then switch to some bizarre combo of English and Italian. After six months of no classes, it will take a while to get up to speed.

I really like my Professor, Laura (pronounced laawh -rra). She is from Northern Italy and has been in the U.S. for only a few months. She moved here with her American husband. I understood 90% of what she said, which is pretty good. My former Professor was from Genoa, but he lived in Rome for years. I notice when I would take classes with subs from other parts of Italy I had a hard following their accents. There was one professor from Milan who spoke so quickly, I was completely lost most of the class.

We spent a majority of the class on grammar and of course it was....the dreaded congiuntive (the subjective). A verb tense rarely used in English, but important in Italian. I think I finally got it, well at least how to use it in the present. My class is small, five of us and we are around the same level. There is one big director in my class. We were talking after class. He mentioned a book I like and he is going to direct the adaptation. I have to say he was very down to earth during the class and not stuck up. I knew his name and credits, but not what he looked like.

UNDER THE SAND by Francios Ozon. This is the fourth film of his I've seen and like the others, I enjoyed it. Charlotte Rampling is fantastic. She plays a women who's husband disappears while swimming at their country house. However, she pretends he's still alive much to the dismay of her close friends.

Thank god for foreign films and filmmakers or else Charlotte Rampling, Dame Judi Dench, and Helen Mirren would not be working. This Hollywood fascination with vapid pretty non-actresses, like the Jessica's (Simpson and Alba), is boring. I'm still salty about the last Oscar ceremony, where a celebrity like Alba (granted she looked pretty in her dress and was in Us, People etc. and I hear she is very nice) was selected to present, but an oscar nominated actor who is routinely hailed as one of the best cannot. I have to remind myself I work in a business and get over things like that.

David Beckham and Posh Spice are coming to Los Angeles

Yes, there was a terrorist attack against the American Embassy in Greece, but the number story on the local news last night was the arrival of the Beckhams.

They will fit right in. David according to Variety, wants to act more. While I am over men who are too manicured, esp. those with high pitched voices, David is an outrageously good-looking man.

Victoria Adams Beckham, with her sized double zero self and huge fake breasts, will be right at home not eating at Mr. Chow's. I am glad Katie Cruise's friend will be here. Poor Katie is probably very lonely.

I don't know if this will increase the popularity of the world's number sport here in the U.S. I remember when Pele came to play for the NYC Cosmos in the 70's. I could tell you the names of some of the French, Brazilian and Italian players, but I don't know a single member of the USA team.

In other news, a USA Today cover story said over 80% of Generation Y (18-25) number one or two goals were to be rich. 51% want to be famous. The pollster said the reality TV craze and mags like Us etc. are fueling these desires. Great.

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

I zipped through this novel in a of couple days. Her writing just blows me away, but I didn't emotionally connect with some of the characters.

If you go to the reviews on Amazon, they are very split. Some are call Smith's latest book a masterpiece and very deserving of the Booker nomination. Others, were quite harsh.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Truly human, fully ourselves, beautiful," muses a character in Smith's third novel, an intrepid attempt to explore the sad stuff of adult life, 21st century–style: adultery, identity crises and emotional suffocation, interracial and intraracial global conflicts and religious zealotry. Like Smith's smash debut, White Teeth (2000), this work gathers narrative steam from the clash between two radically different families, with a plot that explicitly parallels Howards End. A failed romance between the evangelical son of the messy, liberal Belseys;Howard is Anglo-WASP and Kiki African-American;and the gorgeous daughter of the staid, conservative, Anglo-Caribbean Kipps leads to a soulful, transatlantic understanding between the families' matriarchs, Kiki and Carlene, even as their respective husbands, the art professors Howard and Monty, amass matériel for the culture wars at a fictional Massachusetts university. Meanwhile, Howard and Kiki must deal with Howard's extramarital affair, as their other son, Levi, moves from religion to politics. Everyone theorizes about art, and everyone searches for connections, sexual and otherwise. A very simple but very funny joke;that Howard, a Rembrandt scholar, hates Rembrandt;allows Smith to discourse majestically on some of the master's finest paintings. The articulate portrait of daughter Zora depicts the struggle to incorporate intellectual values into action. The elaborate Forster homage, as well as a too-neat alignment between characters, concerns and foils, threaten Smith's insightful probing of what makes life complicated (and beautiful), but those insights eventually add up. "There is such a shelter in each other," Carlene tells Kiki; it's a take on Forster's "Only Connect;," but one that finds new substance here.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The two characters I had the biggest issues with were Kiki and Levi. I couldn't latch on. There is a difference between Black American culture and Black British culture. I didn't get Kiki at all. Why did she marry Howard? Why did she have no friends? What Black American mother from that generation shrugs when her teenaged son stays out all night in Boston, a city with serious racial problems. Just curious is 'scene" the new slang ala "word"?

My friends are spilt on this book as well.

Back on track, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown

I am back on schedule,waking up at 5:00 a.m., going to the gym and then writing for two hours before work. I extended my workout to forty minutes. I was started to look like the Michelin Man so I had to cut into my writing time a little bit.

I am enjoying this latest re-write. One of the notes I received said the bones of the novel are there, but I needed to add some meat. Taking the time to sit and re-reading it over the holiday after taking a break really helped. I was able to read the book with semi-fresh eyes.

Speaking of novels I read ANGELS AND DEMONS by Dan Brown. My sister let me borrow her copy. It's a very quick read and not grounded in reality. There is no way you can get across town the Historic Center of Rome within minutes. Akiva Goldsmith is getting paid four million dollars to adapt the screenplay. On Hollywood-elsewhere.com one poster said that is a lot of money for Zeroxing a book.

We'll see if they can make an entertaining movie out of this book. There is even more exposition in ANGELS than in DAVINCI CODE, which was the most boring movie I attempted to watch in a long time. They are going to have to spend a lot of money on sets, since they will not be able to shoot anywhere near the Vatican. Unless the movie changes drastically from the book, I imagine the Catholic Church will be salty about this movie. I'm very curious to see who they will cast. Perhaps Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Alessi Boni among others, will be joining Tom Hanks. ANGELS will probably be just as critic proof as the first one and make a zillion dollars worldwide.

Alfonso Cuaron's CHILDREN OF MEN, I LOVE MISS NEW YORK and a cure for the post-holiday blues

Wow...I am still trying to figure out if the movie I saw was one of the most depressing movies I have seen or one that showed the power of humanity. What I do know is the movie is visually stunning and Mr. Cuaron is one of the most talented directors working in film. Period. I loved A LITTLE PRINCESS and Y TU MAMA TABIEN. I hear his HARRY POTTER (The Prisoner of Azkaban) is one of the better ones of the series. I could not get into the first one so I haven't seen any of them from beginning to end.

The premise is in 20 years or so humans are not able to reproduce and Britain is the only country left standing. Terrorists have used nuclear bombs to wipe out most of the world. Millions of refugees are pouring into England and the gov't is rounding up all illegal immigrants and taken them out. Literally. Clive Owen has to get one of these refugess transport papers. That is all I'm going to say. Despite following the movie with a Miss New York chaser I still had trouble sleeping. There is one shot alone that is worth getting the DVD for. I hope in the commentary the filmmakers explain how it was executed.

I LOVE MISS NEW YORK. Really what is there to say about this? Where did they find these men? Chance is crazy and Romance? Please. Sister Patterson, (I thought her name was Michelle), Miss New York's mom is rude. Also I wonder
how do people get tiime off from work to appear on shows like this.

This time last year I went into a major funk after spending time away and with my family. The best way to cure these blues is to think about my next trip. I booked a trip to Rome using my Frequent Flyer miles. I am already counting down the days. I am leaving the day of the Oscars. Can I afford it (I still have to pay for housing and food), not really. I do need to buy a lap top and a new couch? Yes. Instead my mental health is more important and already my mood better. Non vedo l'ora per la mia viaggio. (I can't wait until my trip) .

Anguilla, melodramatic relatives and I heart Williams Sonoma

It's good to see that Anguilla (italian for eel, named by Christopher Columbus) has not turned into a super sceney St. Barts. Yes famous people do go there, Bill Clinton was playing golf the day we went to check out St. Regis Temenos, but Anguilla is still laid back. I heard the local gov't is putting a hold on any new foreign investment.

The island is part of the British West Indies, population approx. 8,000. Both of my grandmothers were born there and I spent many summers helping herd goats, freaked out by mongoose, and going to the beach.

I love going to SXM, but there is a downside to small island living. One of my aunts had a fit because she felt we didn't spend enough time with her at her birthday dinner. She was worried one of the other guests was going to gossip about how her nieces and nephew didn't care about her. She was so salty she dissed my mom at church, as if our mom had anything to do with our "horrific" behavior. We called our high maitenance aunt and worked everything out. My aunt is too much. She is so fearful of "catching a draft" and getting sick, she puts on a hat before she opens her fridge.

I used the W/S gift certificate from my sister and brother-in-law. There was a big sale at the Beverly Hills store. I bought Ina Garten's latest cookbook. There are at least 15 recipes I want to try. I also score with a blue and white cheese platter from France that was so pretty. I almost lost my mind in the store.

online dating

My sister during the holidays kept encouraging me to give try it again. I do know two women who have met their boyfriends online. However, it's not for me. It's very time consuming to read all the profiles and I have heard too many horror stories about men posting old/fake photos or just lying about their single status. Seeing how one of the things I miss about living back east is the sense of community and the daily human contact, why would I date online?

Seeing this article in the NYTs sealed the deal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/nyregion/07triangle.html?ref=nyregion

The Westin, beaches and french bagettes

I have heard the horror at Dawn beach looks better on the inside. We drove by there last week and I almost cried. The hotel looks very corporate, like it belongs on Route 3, miles outside NYC. It takes up too much of the beach and the parking lot is huge. That side of the island is very windy and is on the Atlantic Ocean side. I heard more than one local saying they hope the next big storm takes it out.

I don't know what the Westin was thinking. This hotel is part of the Starwood group which includes the W and the St. Regis, which are very nice. Why would they build a non-descript hotel like that in the Caribbean? Also what was up with all the security? Yes crime has gone up, but St. Martin is much safer than other islands and cities in the U.S.A. I get the sense this all inclusive hotel (you never have to leave because there is a casino in the hotel) is for people who want to come to the Caribben, but not stay IN the Caribbean. The food and drinks are very expensive and most of the staff seem to be from other islands, so their knowledge of the island is limited (see jess's blog for a first hand account). Who cares that they have the largest infiniti pool on the island? We can use infiniti pools back home. Beaches like Dawn Beach are rare. I was talking to my former boss who has a time share on the Dutch side. There are no property taxes or capital gains taxes on that side of the island. Also zoning laws (if there are any) are lax. This is why the Dutch side is more developed than the larger French side. On the French side there are taxes and zoning laws (and the roads are better). The amount of construction happening now is going to over develop St. Maarten right into the ground.

Speaking of beaches, Le Gailion was incredible and we loved Guana Bay which we visited for the first time. It's a little hard to find, but worth it. The old Scavenger's crew is there on Sundays and will be opening full time sometime later this month.

I ate so much fresh, warm french bread, none of my clothes fit. LOL. I also average two frozen drinks a day. Good times.

Happy New Year!!

I just returned a few hours ago so I will post later about my fantastic trip to SXM and Anguilla. I already miss the view of the mountains from my bedroom and bathroom windows.

First, I hope everyone had a great holiday and best wishes for 2007. I like lists and always make resolutions. I usually stick to 75% of them. Last year voluteering and reading more non-work related books were high on the list. I will try to continue with those resolutions this year. In no particular order here are the new ones I wrote the other day for 2007:

1. After being in paradise for two weeks, I realized I really must talk to my landord about some changes. If she refuses to do them, I will move budget allowing.

2. Lose weight. I'm not going to go on a "diet" but will try to eat better. The goal is to drop one size,

3. Finish novel.

4. Save more money, at least 10% of my little salary.

5. Taking writing classes

6. Understand Intermediate Italian level two esp. freaking Passato Remoto and Congiuntivo.

7. Go on at least one proper date. Not sure how I will accomplish this goal but I figured it wouldn't hurt to say it out loud. I am so ovah this "strike". My mom asked my brother in law during the holiday about fixing me up with one of his friends. Between my hairstyle and my single status she is very concerned about me. LOL.

8. Get a mammogram and a check up at the dentist. I don't have dental insurance but it's better to pay now for maintenance then wait until something hurts.

9. Be more patient, less judgemental and critical of others and myself.

10. Try to look at the postive side of things instead of dwelling (obessesing really) on the negative. I made major progess on that front in 2006. Having a job I enjoy and spending less time with super negative friends has help but I could improve.

11. Consider moving up my "stop living in L.A. full time" goal. Instead of three years maybe I could do it in two. We'll see. I have already cleared one major hurdle by getting my E.U. citizenship.

12. Yes it's a cliche (ala stop and smell the roses) but I really need to have more balance in my life and live a little.

Okay I have 80 new emails to read. In later posts I will do a SXM wrap up. Other than some drama with a very melodramtic aunt I had a great time. I spent some quality time with my family, met blogger Jess, relaxed at some of my favorite beaches for hours and saw some hot gerdamnes (not sure about the spelling. They are the police on the French side, very attractive).

greetings from SXM

This is a French keyboard and the keys are different, so please excuse any typos.

St. Martin is beautiful and hot. It's 86 degrees today. The new airport is great, but I do miss the old school one a little bit. I spent all day at the beach yesterday. Le Gallion was so tranquille.

Of course my mom had to make a comment about my hair. She asked me if I didn't have a chance to get it done...it didn't look good. I love my mom. I flew for hours and that was her second comment. My sister laughed about later. I mean what can I do, our mom is conservative and I refuse to wear my hair like Condi Rice. Ha!

Happy Holidays!!!

This ragazza is off to St. Martin and Anguilla for Christmas. I'm looking forward to seeing my parents and the rest of my family.

I will be trying very hard not to check emails, so I might post only once a week during the break. I plan to spend a lot of time on the beach.

I hope everyone has an incredible holiday and see you in 2007.

Is there any role Kate Winslet can't play?

There is a reason she has been nominated for an Oscar 4 times already before the age of 30.

She was the best thing in THE HOLIDAY (other than the set design).

I just watched LITTLE CHILDREN. I looooved the book and the movie was depressing, but well acted. I forgot I was watching Kate and got sucked up in the story and these peoples lives.

I am finally over my cold. I also had a migrane for two days last week so I didn't go to the gym at all. It felt good to get back to the gym this weekend. I can't believe I have to get into a bathing suit later this week.

It's official

I'm a member of the E.U. The French Consulate called me yesterday and said my passport is ready for pick up. I'm going to pick it up today. Excellent.

I thought I would be able to get on the shorter residents line next week in St. Martin but my sister reminded me that the airport is on the Dutch side of the island (St. Maarten) so I will have to stay on the vistors line at customs. C'est la vie.

I just signed up for Intermediate Italian level 2. Two of my friends are repeating the class as well, but are going to take it on a week night. I am going to go on Saturdays. It would be great to be in the same class again but my brain is fried after work and sitting in traffic for an hour before class doesn't help. The grammer in this level was molto difficult, which is why I'm taking the class again. I will bring some earlier chapters with me over vacation to review. I haven't been in class since June. January is going to be fun. ha!

Volver by Pedro Almodovar, the Princess Diana report

What a good film. Penelope Cruz was fantastic. If you have only seen her Hollywood films please rent her Spanish and Italian films (ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER, OPEN YOUR EYES, DON'T MOVE). She is very talented and the pretty girl roles she is offered Stateside don't do her justice.

Her performance will def. be nominated for an Oscar along with Helen Mirren for THE QUEEN. Hopefully Meryl Streep will also receive one for DWP. She was great, but sometimes comedies are not nominated.

I know Mr. Fayed lost his son, but he needs to stop. The Princess was not pregnant and was not going to marry Dodi. Diana was not assasinated because the family didn't want her to marry a Muslim. Today on the news Mr. Fayed said he will never change his mind. Did he forget the hotel they stayed in belongs to him and the driver worked for him? She was very close to her boys and never mentioned marriage. The relationship was not that serious. I feel for her sons who cleary want closure.

one week!

That is all I have to say.

It's not very "Christmasy"

I am so over this stupid cold.

Anyway, I was driving down Wilshire and it occured to me that Christmas is only a few days away. It doesn't feel like it. I can't say it's because of the warm weather, I will be spending the holidays in a place where the avg. tempature is 80 degrees. I think it's the lack of certain smells, sights, and sounds.

I miss the smell of chestnuts, hot dogs and knishes (sp) . I don't miss the smell of urine though. I miss the amazing windows at Bergdorf's, Barneys, Bloomies, Saks, the tree at Rockefeller Center, the ice skating rink, walking through Central Park after it snows. I miss the energy of Manhattan, the diversity, the buildings, the subway artists in the tunnel between Port Authority and the local trains, men giving me the "what's up sister nod", men wearing suits, my former doormen who would look out for me, chinese/deli delivery.

On the Jersey side: Wood burning fireplaces, football games, Kings grocery store, Short Hills Mall, South Mountain Reservation (with it's kick ass view of "the City"), Christmas Eve service with usually one bad vocal performance. I remember one year a boom box was involved. It wasn't pretty. Christmas day the uncles (Mom's side) coming over and getting in heated discussions about politics (one, I believe, loved him some Nixon), my mom's cooking, my dad playing the same Christmas records from 1972 and trying not to get into a fight with the Nixon loving uncle.

Now I just count the days to go on break. I avoid the mall and I just don't feel in the holiday spirit. Maybe that will change next week when I see people walking around with the Santa hats on and every station is playing Calypso/reggae-ish Christmas music.

Out sick, Fergelicious

Yesterday I did something I hardly ever do...nothing. No gym, no scripts, (I did watch a movie for work), no shower. I needed to clean, work on the book and a zillion other things, but I got under a blanket on my couch and watch the Rick Steves' Italy marathon on PBS instead. I felt guity until I started sneezing again.

I hope this cold goes away soon. I do feel better this morning. I had soup for lunch yesterday and drank plenty of liquids.

I won't be able to stay in today. Too much work to do and I have a meeting this evening.

Re: Stacey Ferguson
I couldn't stand Fergie's single "London Bridge". Despite my better judgement I really like the second single "Fergelicious". It's very, very catchy.

James Kim, a sad story.

Of course I don't know this family, but I was sad when I heard on the news his body was found. At least he didn't die in vain. Were it not for his tracks the search team might not have found his wife and children.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061207/ap_on_re_us/missing_family_80

Two weeks

From today I will be on my way to St. Martin. Of course I'm excited to see my family, but I'm also looking forward to sitting on a beach (perhaps Le Gallion, Baie Rouge or Friar's Bay) with a margarita, some books and chilling.

Work is so insane now. Some of my colleagues are irritated every time the phone rings. I love that people are sending me scripts (not!) for me to read over the break. Three of the big talent agencies are shutting down on the 15th, as will most productions companies (including ours). Since I'm a consultant I only get paid when I work. We are shutting down so early I will miss three weeks of pay. Oh well.

Draft number 11, finito! A little good news

I am done with the latest draft of my book. I'm at 81,000 words and 301 pages. I will continue to work on it during the next 2 weeks then print out a copy to edit while in the Caribbean.

Meanwhile an indie film I worked on (the first one I received a producer credit for) was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. I'm so excited for the director and the producer. The reviews were somewhat scathing, it was a tough shoot (an under 2 million dollar budget with a zillion locations and a pretty big cast), editing drama, plus we shot a big chunk of the movie in the Valley during the summer. One day an extra passed out from the heat. I had no idea the film was even submitted until friends started calling me at work.

I don't know if I'm going to the ceremony yet. It's held the day before the Oscars. I was very happy to hear Daniel Craig was nominated for INFAMOUS. Hopefully he will be there. LOL.

I think I'm good for at least the next 12 months

It was great to see some friends last night. I even saw the agent who made the "intimidating" remark. Several females colleagues went on and on about my new hair style and said the nicest compliments. I got nothing from the men, but not surprised.

I did have a few agents/managers pitch me writers for some of our projects. Bumped into a few people I haven't seen in years who said "oh it so great to see you again." It was clear they didn't remember my name but seeing how the room was packed, but not diverse, my friend and I stood out.

These "parties" are so weird. A few people did start to dance as we left, but basically you spend a few hours networking. I wouldn't call it fun way to spend a Friday night.

There were some moments when my friends and I laughed out loud. After my only drink of the night (somewhat of a light weight these days), I made crass remake to my friend (joking) about the lack of sexual attractive to the frat boys. She started laughing and we didn't realize that a female agent overheard us. The agent looked around the room, shrugged, and said she didn't know how to help us. :)

When I was a jr. development exec I used to go to these parties all the time. Around three years ago, I cut way back. I have so much work to do, I can't be out on the town all the time. When I do go out, I want to really socialize and relax with my friends not go to a work event fronting as a party. During the car ride home my friend said it was good for my career that I went. Yes I totatlly understand and now I don't need to go to another one of these for a few months.

Off to the gym and then to write. I'm working on the last chapter of this re-write. I am going to clean up the draft the next two weeks then take a copy home with me to read during the break.

The green-eyed monster

As my brother would say, "Not a good look." Yesterday a friend called me to talk about some work stuff and a guy she met. She went out with an actress friend of ours to a Hollywood hotspot and had a great time. She mentioned a well respected, talented foriegn actor (and very good looking one). When I figured out the actor and the guy she met was one in the same, I told her I had to go. I couldn't believe how salty I was. I did call her back once I got home and apologized.

Okay what was wrong with me? Yes, I like many other women think this guy is smoking, but it's not as if I know him. It was so random of all the men , why is she hooking up with him? This is one of my friends who complains about not dating in L.A. However, she is very confident. I thought about my reaction some more and I think I just don't get it. What kind of energy am I putting out there? I have a great group of friends, so it's not like I'm anti-social but men never talk to me here. I'm invisible.

Another friend at a dinner party told me my name came up during a meeting at her agency. The male agent said nice things about me (regarding smarts), but also added that I was intimidating. What? I have had one lunch with him and several phone calls. He is one of the most intelligent guys I've met out here. Great taste and very well read. My brother said the same thing to me years ago but I told him he was tripping. I can't count how many women I knew in DC who said they weren't dating because they were too intimidating. That was not the reason. I am not one of those women who set impossibly high standands and then complain when no men can reach them.

Where is this "intimidating" stuff coming from? My friend from the dinner party said there is a super girly thing going on in the culture and L.A. is the extreme of this. I don't come across helpless or silly. Anyone who has read this blog knows I can be very silly but I do notice when I leave the country are things different. It makes no sense, I'm still the same person. I think of the Susan character on DES. HOUSEWIVES and I see what my friend is saying. The character is a 40 something woman but acts like a dumb ass teenager. All giggly and super insecure. Why must we have two extremes, either women are emasculating bitches or dim, non-threatening pretty girls? I don't know any women like that.

That said maybe there is some non-approachable vibe I'm giving off. I have heard the "intimidating" thing one too many times. I remember being very offended when a good friend said I was the black Miranda. Hello, I would like to think I make better clothing choices and I am not that cynical, angry, agressive or successful. As a creative person I thought she would say I was more Carrie-ish without the immaturity, poor spending habits or the occasional what the fuck is she wearing outfits.

I have to go to an industry party tonight. A friend is dragging me and I'd rather stay home and work on my book. While I am looking to seeing some people I haven't seen for a minute, I hate spending Friday nights talking about the biz. It's going to be a very frat boy crowd, a lot of "I'm a player with my leased Mercedes and best friends with such and such star." These "parties" are not fun.

I'm going to try a little experiment. I will buy a new outfit and walk into that restaurant and treat it like it's a party, not a networking event. Let others work the room and try to one up each other. I will seek out my friends, have a few drinks and who knows, maybe have a good time.