Happy New Year!

Christmas was wonderful. We had temps in the 80's. Pool and Jacuzzi weather for sure. We ended up having more than 40 people. Lisa did make a comment a few days later that she is not sure if she wants to do this again next year. A lot of the people stayed until 1:00 AM drinking and Lisa was left cleaning. I went to work at 7:30 and when I left the party was in full swing. 

Oreo has gained a bit of weight! 

For New Year's Eve we are going to see The Wolf of Wall Street and then we will go to Canter's Deli which is becoming a tradition with us to have our first meal there to ring the New Year in with. Nothing better than Jewish Deli food!! Have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a Happy Healthy New Year! See you next year!

Happy Holiday's

I have been so busy I haven't had much time to blog. I didn't realize it had been almost a week already since I blogged last. We had our Christmas Party at work today and we got out early. I have been busy wrapping and organizing my presents to take to the kids house tomorrow. It is a quiet evening here in my home tonight. The family are spending Christmas Eve at their friends house who will then all be at their house tomorrow for Christmas. So I am enjoying the quiet with my kitties. I always go over there at about 7:00 AM to open presents and have a nice big breakfast. I hear Natasha will be making French Toast. I will head back home and then go back around 2:00. There will be about 40 people for dinner tomorrow. We are having Prime Rib, 2 Turkeys, Honey Baked Ham and all the fixings. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I will get around to your blog visits in the morning. I am beat.

12 Guests of Xmas

Every year Doug Benson of the Doug Loves Movies & Doug Benson Movie Interruption shows has his 12 Guests of Xmas. This time there were actually 13 guests a surprise guest from the TV show Madmen,  Rich Sommer came along with Jon Hamm. It was a great show and it was over 2 hours long. Afterwards the 10 of us that all became friends 2 years ago from these shows went to a late dinner at 11:00 at Jerry's Deli in Studio City. Needless to say I am tired today. I didn't get home until 12:30 and had to be up at 6:00. Tonight is my nail appointment and then home to relax and get caught up in my recorded TV shows. At least there are not too many in my DVR since most shows will be off until Jan and Feb. It is really hard to believe it will be Christmas a week from today. Full steam ahead. It is going to be a very busy rest of the week. I am only working Saturday. Long story short I was given Sunday off in error at the Hospital. So I am going to make the hours up by working Christmas Day 8PM-!2AM and then 4 hours on the 26th since we have it off at my full time job. I will work 10:30-2:30. So my plan with my surprise day off Sunday is to do some deep cleaning, wrapping presents and go to lunch. Saturday before work I am getting together with the girls that I use to work with at BofA at Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant. I will be there Friday night with dinner with the family also.

Jon Hamm & Rich Sommer 

Josh Malina, Samm Levine & Jon Hamm 

Josh Malina, Kevin Pollak, Samm Levine, Jon Hamm & Graham Elwood

Jon Hamm & Graham Elwood 

Housekeeping Meme

Housekeeping Meme
This week let's talk about housekeeping.

It is something we all have to do and it might be fun to see who does what and how!
Maybe you have tips to help us all out or special cleaners you can recommend.

1.Do you enjoy housework? I use to love it but since I have been working 2 jobs now for 12 years it has become a real chore for me to find the time.
2.What chores do you dislike most? Vacuuming and cleaning my mirrors. I have 2 sets of carpeted stairs and 3 bathrooms with very large mirrors in them to clean.
3.Which chores do you enjoy? Dusting and a moping my 3 bathrooms and kitchen floors.
4.Do you have a favorite cleaner? Ed Fred Shower Stall & Tile Cleaner it is a miracle how it works to to remove lime, rust, soap scum and oils.
5.Household appliance you can't live without? Toaster Oven
6.Powder, liquid or new drop in? Drop in for Dishwasher, Liquid for washing machine
7.Softener? favorite brand? I am not even sure?
8.Softener sheets or liquid? I use sheets
9.Dryer or clothes line? Oh a dryer of course!!
10.How often do you change bedroom linen and bathroom towels? Sheets and towels once a week. I live by myself.
11.What one thing would you just love to have to aid in your housekeeping. I am just too picky to let anyone else clean my house the only thing I would consider letting someone to do is my windows and steam clean my carpets.

I am working this weekend. Tonight Don Cuco's with Paul, Lisa went out of town for a Birthday party overnight. Sunday is the Survivor finale and Reunion show. Next week a very busy week for me. I have something to do every night through next weekend. Have a great weekend!

Traditions Meme

Traditions Meme 

1.Are traditions important in your family for holidays or do you just celebrate without them? It has changed since my parents are gone my sister and I follow the traditions of my son and daughter in law. We always celebrate July 4th with a BBQ as we do Memorial Day. Halloween we always go over to their house for dinner and to hand out candy. Of course we celebrate Thanksgiving & Christmas with dinner at their house. New Years Eve Joe and I always go out and we end up at Canter's Deli for our first meal of the year there.
2.Is there one particular tradition that is most important to your and yours? Thanksgiving and Christmas
3.Did you incorporate any new traditions with your family that are in addition to ones your parents held? No
4.What are they? Do you think tradition is important? n/a
5.Are there any traditions you do not include that you would like to try? What are they? Christmas in Maui.
6.Can you tell us why your traditions are special to you and how they benefit you? They are special because it quality time with my family.
8.Are there daily /weekly/monthly traditions you follow? I usually go over to their house on Wednesday for dinner and Survivor and since I don't work at the hospital on Friday nights anymore we go out to dinner usually at Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant every Friday night which I love.

I have been super busy at work. Shipped over 200 boxes of See's Candies and I had to pack and put the postage on each one. It took me days. Tonight Chris and I have a fun play to go to at Garry Marshal's Falcon Theater in Toluca Lake. Falcon Theatre. Troubadour Theater Company's presents, Walkin' in a Winter One-Hit-Wonderland. It is a holiday cabaret "clip show" as one of the Troubadour Theater Company's most beloved characters, Winter Warlock, takes a walk down memory lane while crooning some chart-topping "one-hit-wonders" with his holiday friends. 'Tis the season for fun and reflection, so break out your tape decks and Walkmans and head on down to the Falcon to hear the incredible story of the tallest Troubie this side of town! They always put on a great show.

Blogadays - Day 8 - A Christmas Meme

Thank you, Kim, for this meme!

1 Eggnog or hot chocolate? Don't like chocolate, but I do have a small glass of Eggnog around the holidays!

2.Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? He use to wrap most presents but big items like bikes he hid in the closet.

3. Colored lights on the tree/house or white? I like white lights

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No

5. When do you put your Christmas decorations up? When I got real trees just 2 weeks before Christmas but since I got a fake one usually Thanksgiving weekend.

6. Favorite holiday dish? Candied Yams

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? So many to choose from. When we were young we would celebrate Christmas Day in San Diego, La Jolla with my Mom's family.

8. When did you learn the truth about Santa? At 4 or 5

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open just one on Christmas Eve. I have friends that only celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve.

10. How do you decorate a tree? Country ornaments

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love looking at it from a distance. Right now I can see snow in our mountains out my window here at work in Arcadia.

12. Can you ice skate? I use to love to ice skate. I would be too afraid now to try it.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Barbie Doll

14. What is the most important thing about the holidays to you? Spending time with my family and friends.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pecan Pie

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Opening presents at the break of dawn and then dinner on Christmas Day.

17. What tops your tree? Lady with a beautiful dress.

18. Which do you prefer-Giving or Receiving? Giving

19. Favorite Christmas song? Mel Torme's The Christmas Song

20. Candy Canes-Yuck or Yum? Yum

21. Favorite Christmas show? Saturday Night Live Christmas

22. Saddest Christmas song? I am not a Christmas music person at all so I am not sure?

I was always so fascinated that a Mel Torme a Jew wrote a Christmas song! As I said in my meme answers I am not into Christmas music but this song I just love. He was dubbed "Velvet Fog" Blessed with impeccable timing and a smooth, mellow timbre, Mel Tormé was known during his heyday as "The Velvet Fog." Tormé was the consummate entertainer: as a drummer, singer, composer, arranger, lyricist, writer and actor, his career spanned nearly the entire 20th century of American pop culture. Of course, underlying it all was an intuition for jazz composition and vocal phrasing.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Mine is a working weekend. Tonight we will go out to dinner at Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant and on Sunday Joe and I have a improv show at the Upright Citizens Brigade after I get off work.

Heading into Christmas Now!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Mine was wonderful even though I worked 4 hours on Thanksgiving and since I had Friday off at my full time job I opted to work at the Hospital and on Saturday also. But I took Sunday off!! Here are some pictures from Thanksgiving. We had 2 turkey's one stuffed and roasted and one Paul deep fried. We had all the fixings plus of course pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, Oreo pie and a cute Baskin Robbins Ice Cream cake with Reese's Peanut Butter Ice Cream. The kids all went ice skating later that evening. The parking lot in Burbank where we usually park to eat dinner at Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant was turned into an ice skating rink until January. It was just too late for me and I was tired and had to be up early to drop my car off at the mechanic and then get to work at the Hospital at 8:00 AM. So I did not go but they all had fun.

Have a great week ahead. We are heading into Christmas now. I am pretty much all done with my shopping. Just a few odds and ends to get. This week I will send all my Christmas cards out.

Dinnertime

Dinnertime

Do you prepare a menu for the week? Do you stick to it or are last minute changes a habit?

No never. I go out to eat at least 3 times a week at restaurants and at my son's house. When I do eat at home my go to meals are usually blintzes, potato latkes, baked potato, salad, grilled cheese sandwich, scrambled eggs & french toast. 

Do you spend a lot of time planning menus? No and never did. 

What is your family's favorite menu for dinner? Chicken tacos, broccoli and beef, green pepper chicken, BBQ, roasted Turkey, vegetable soup & chili w/cornbread. 

Do you eat out during the week? Regularly or is that a special treat? Regularly if not at a restaurant at my son's house. 

Is dinner simple or elaborate? Simple to elaborate 

Do you have dessert after your meal? I am usually to full to eat dessert unless it is a special occasion then it is pie, cake and ice cream. 

What beverages are served at the dinner table? Ice Tea & sodas

Do you serve different foods in summer and winter? We really don't have a winter in Southern California. We still BBQ and eat the same foods year round. 

So happy it is Friday almost. Joe and I are going to a show at the UCB Theater The Ronna & Beverly Show their guests are Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) & Bob Harper (The Biggest Loser) This is a very funny show. ‘Ronna & Beverly’ is a live chat show hosted by America’s favorite fifty-something Jewish mothers (played by thirty-somethings Jessica Chaffin and Jamie Denbo). We will grab a bite before the show at Birds Cafe. And I am working Debbie's shift this weekend at the Hospital 12-8 the graveyard and she is working mine. So I will grab about an hour sleep after the show and then go to work at Midnight tomorrow night. Saturday after I get some sleep the kids and I are going to dinner and to see The Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn. Sunday when I get off at 8:00AM I will head over and get my oil changed and then go home and sleep. Have a great weekend! 

Hearth and Home

Happy Wednesday. I am posting kind of late but was busy at work all day today and just now had a minute before I head home to post. I am heading to the kids house after work for dinner and to watch Survivor. I enjoyed doing Annie's new meme for the week. I wish I had more time to elaborate on my answers. So here we go! 

"Hearth and Home"


What does your dream home look like?  Can you describe it inside and out? I really don't have a dream home. I love my little townhouse. But if I were to win the lotto I suppose I would buy myself another townhome that was bigger than my 1250 sq feet and with a fireplace in the master bedroom and living room. It would be an English Tudor style building. I have seen a few of these in Burbank near my son's house in the Burbank Hills. I added a picture below that I actually found online which is for sale in Burbank right now. It does have 2 fireplaces and a balcony off the bedroom which is upstairs.

For Sale: $539,935

Bedrooms:3 beds

Bathrooms:3 baths

Condo:1,610 sq ft

Lot:0.35 acres 

What style of decorating do you lean toward, or are you an eclectic decorator using whatever is on  hand? I tend to be eclectic, I have antiques from my parents mixed in with a country style decor.

Want about fireplaces or woodstoves? Have one?  Love it or too much work? Living where I live we really don't need woodstoves that is for sure. The only two things that I wish my place had was a fireplace in the living room and and a balcony off my bedroom instead of the bay windows.

Describe your idea of the perfect day at home. A perfect day at home would be relaxing and watching TV or a movie which I do whenever I have some down time usually before work.


I will be around tomorrow to return blog visits. Have a great evening!

Sight & Sounds Meme

Happy Monday all. I had a great weekend I just worked but we went to dinner on Friday night and Joe and I went to a midnight show of "You're Next" with the filmmakers and cast. I did not get home until 3:00 AM. The Q&A went way long. I didn't have to be to work until 3:30 so I got my 7 hours of sleep. Sunday I worked 10:30-7 and came home and watched The Walking Dead, Talking Dead and the Good Wife.




Meme: Sights and Sounds

1. Do any smells remind you of anything or anyone? Do they evoke feelings and emotions for you? A turkey roasting in the oven reminds me of my Mom. She would get up at 5:00 AM on Thanksgiving and start baking and cooking for our Thanksgiving dinner.

2. Do you have a signature perfume that you love to wear? I don't like perfume have not worn it in years. What I do wear is a Bath & Body Works splash "Vanilla Bean Noel" I get enough cremes, shower gel and body splash to last me for about nine months until they bring it back out in November.

3. What kinds of scents do you find pleasing? Cinnamon Bun, Pumpkin, Vanilla, Gingerbread and White Birthday Cake.

4. Do you enjoy burning candles in your home? What scents do you like? "See above"


5. If you had to choose one landscape to view every day, would it be a city, farm, forest and country perhaps with pond or lake, or the ocean? Suburbs of a City


6. Do you like to have art hanging in your home? What kind do you like most? Yes, I am very collectic when it comes to art. I pick up paintings from local artists. The last painting I purchased at an arts and crafts fair in Lake Tahoe is a painting of a women in bed with cats all over the bed. Very fitting for my house.

Have a wonderful week ahead. I have a light week this week in the evenings. Only have Doug Loves Movies on Tuesday and the rest of the evenings I am open. I have a DVR full of TV shows I have to get caught up in.

Happy Hump Day!

The week is flying by and before you know it it is going to be Thanksgiving!! I have a very busy week this week I had 2 shows already Monday & Tuesday night, tonight is my nails after work and Thursday I am going to go visit the kids. Friday night we go to Don Cuco's Mexican restaurant every week for dinner and after that Joe and I  have  "Friday Night Frights" at the Cinefamily at Midnight the movie "You're Next" with filmmakers and cast in person. This is a horror film that we didn't get a chance to see when it was out. It looks really creepy and scary!  And of course a few pictures of Layla who will be 3 month old on the 12th. She was born August 12. Technically she was 12 weeks old on Monday.

My Random Randomness Meme, part 3 


1) What room are you in? In my office at work
2) Can you solve a rubix cube? Never even tried
3) Are you psychic in any way? No
4) What star sign are you? Cancer
5) What's your favorite color? Pink
6) What's your lucky number? 13
7) Do you have any chores that should be done now? Clean  my closet
8) Did you have a cherished childhood teddy bear or other toy? No
9) What was the last thing you bought from a vending machine? At work trail mix
10) What shoe size are you? 7 1/2
11) How many pairs of shoes do you own? Too many to even count
12) If you were prime minister/ruler of the world what laws would you make? I would put the my laws to a vote by the people
13) If you were a super hero what powers would you have? Flying and strength
14) and what would your hero name be? Pink Lady
15) and what outfit would you wear? Something cute and pink
16) What was your last dream about? I can't rememeber
17) What would you do if you won the lottery? First thing quit both jobs!
18) Would you like to build/design your own house? Yes with my son of course, he built and designed his house and it is gorgeous
19) Which form of public transport do you prefer? I actually like our subways. If I worked in Hollywood or downtown I would take it.
21) Can you juggle?No

My Grandson a Pimp Daddy!

I need to change my blog graphics this weekend. I meant to do it last might but I was to tired and I can't at work because my graphics are at home :) Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween. Justin and his new girlfriend dressed up along with Natasha and a few friends.

Justin "Pimp Daddy"

Jerry, Chelsea, Charlotte, Natasha, Kayla, Justin and Andrew 

Tonight we are doing our weekly dinner on Friday's at Don Cuco's Mexican Restaurant and then going to see Last Vegas, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Robert DeNiro & Kevin Kline. It looks very funny!

I am working an early shift on Saturday because we have a FREE SNEAK PREVIEW: The Motel Life (Kris Kristofferson & filmmakers in person!) I have always loved Kris Kristofferson. sexy as hell. I am very excited about seeing him and this new movie that also stars Emile Hirsch & Stephen Dorff. Being members of the Cinefamily Theater we get to go to these type of members only shows and all the other shows like the Movie Interruptions we get in for free and get a seat on one of the many couches they have first come first serve for members only. Speaking of "Doug Benson's Movie Interruption" we are going to one Monday night The Lone Ranger. It was a BIG BOMB and I always knew from the looks of it it wasn't going to be good. So bad movies are the most fun to interrupt! And it is a long movie too! I know already one of his co-interrupters are going to be Zach Galifianakis because last Monday at the "Benson Interruption" we went to he asked Zach who was his co-host if he would come interrupt The Lone Ranger. 

Have a great weekend ALL. 

Happy Halloween!!!

The Back in Time Meme  

1.  What games were popular with you as a child? Monopoly but I never liked playing games and still don't. Any TV program that you looked forward to? I Love Lucy, Tonight Show, Life of Riley, Oh Susanna, December Bride, Father Knows Best, Ozzie & Harriet Show, George Burns & Gracie Allen Show, Lassie, Ed Sullivan, Ann Southern Show to name just a few. I was always a TV buff!


2. What subject rocked your world in school? History and my teacher in Junior High was Sir Richard Attenborough's cousin, he made it so interesting! 

3. What subject did you really dislike, if any. Why? Algebra, I didn't get it!

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?  Did it happen? Well back in the day we just thought as women we would grow up and get married and have kids. The aspirations I had I guess were to be an actress or psychologist. Didn't happen. 

5. Do you still keep in touch with old friends from school days? Yes my closest friends Wendy and Debbie. Debbie works with me at the Hospital we have known each other since we were 13 years old. 

6. If you could turn back the hands of time, would you go back in time? No!!!!!!

7. What did you consider a good time when  you were a teen? Going to Hollywood on my boyfriends motorcycle and going to the famous Whiskey A Go Go. 

8. What or who influenced you most from your younger  years? Why? I guess TV did in a way but of course it was not a realistic view of life. My family and friends did. A day doesn't go by that I don't remember something that was said by a friend or family or that we did together.



Thanks Annie for the great meme. Yay Survivor tonight. I am going to watch at home. I was out every night this week and want to relax at home and watch instead of going to the kids house. Tomorrow night I will go to the kids for Halloween. As I posted before Lisa & Paul go all out for Halloween.

And of course a few pictures of Layla & Lily

Comedy Nerds

Tonight after work Joe and I have a show at the Nerdist Theater on Sunset in Hollywood. If any of you watch the Talking Dead after the Walking Dead the host Chris Hardwick is the owner of the Nerdist Theater that is in the Meltdown Comic Book store. In the "Benson Interruption" instead of interrupting movies he interrupts comedians that come up, usually they are a surprise but I heard two that will be there tonight which are Zach Gallifinakis & TJ Miller the rest will be a surprise. We will have dinner before the show at El Compadre Mexican Restaurant. This restaurant has been there since I was a kid. We use to go there when we lived off Melrose Blvd in the 50's.

Sunday Stealing 

Movies/Television Meme

1. Name your favorite television shows right now: The Walking Dead, Survivor. Homeland,  Law & Order SVU, Blue Blood, Hawaii 5-0, Elementary, American Horror Story, Person of Interest, Scandal, Chicago Fire, The Good Wife, Talking Dead, Revolution, Criminal Minds, The Black List, Hostages, CSI Las Vegas, Saturday Night Live, Mike & Molly, Mom, 2 Broke Girls, The Big Bang,NCIS Los Angeles, Nurse Jackie, Shameless, Californication, The Mentalist, @Midnight, Pete Holmes Show, Comedie Bang Bang, The Crazy Ones, Under the Dome, Motive, Rookie Blue, Rizzoli & Isles, Perception, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, Bill Mahr Real Time, Jon Stewart, Colbert Report, Veep & Graceland

2. Name a few movies you’ve recently seen: Prisoners, The Conjuring, We're The Millers & The Family

3. Your favorite canceled television show: Brothers & Sisters, CSI Miami, CSI New York, Law &Order CI, Law & Order, Law & Order Los Angeles, Ironside, Flash Forward, Trauma & The Event.

4. Name one movie you wish you hadn’t wasted time/money on recently: I am very careful about what I see in the theaters. I will wait to rent a movie on Netflix if I feel iffy about it.

 5. Favorite candy/food to watch movies with: Diet Coke, Popcorn, Milk Dudes & Red Licorice

6. Three favorite TV channels: CBS, Showtime & ABC

7. Do you watch more movies at home or at the theater? More at home I have such little time with working 7 days a week and all the TV shows I watch. In the Fall season I put my Netflix DVD on hold I just keep the streaming account open.

8. Is there a time of year that you watch more TV? Fall & Spring when all the shows are new!


And of course a few pictures of Layla & Lily. She is 11 weeks old today.

She is really a very sweet kitty but I am afraid she is going to be wild like Lily was and still is. She is so hyperactive just like Lily is and was as a kitty. Billy Elliott was playful as a kitty but much calmer and mild mannered than these two.