Los Angeles

To be honest I wasn't sure what I was going to think of LA. I had heard that it was smoggy, the driving was bad, it was stinky hot and it was sort of a big tourist trap full of plastic fantastic people. But I do have a few friends who live there, either full of part time, and we had our baseball tickets so off we went.

We had a rough time when we first got there with Dollar Rent A Car, a story I won't go into here. By the time we headed to the accommodations (for the second time that day) we just wanted to eat. On our first trip to the apartment we had passed a place called Tommy's which looked like an average burger joint; the prime selling feature was the large amount of parking and the fact that it was around the corner from our apartment. We decided to pull in and take our chances and we ended up with a winner. Tristan said it was literally the best burger he had ever had. We were actually at the original Tommy's, though they now have a few locations. The original burger is one with chili on top (I opted out), and looks like a heart attack on a plate but it really hit the spot.

After we got settled and had a little rest we headed up to the Griffith Park Observatory. The park and the telescope were really great to visit at night, and we took in the city views. Following that we went to a place that our friend Kris had recommended El Conquistador. The menu was standard Mexican fare but the margaritas were the real star. The atmosphere is also worth the visit.

Another stand out in the fast food arena was Pinks Hot Dogs. We were warned there would be line ups, but we went mid week and at an odd time (around 3pm) so we really didn't have to wait very long. And boy was it worth it. Tristan had the Today Show Dog which featured 2 hot dogs, chili, guac and other assorted toppings, I had the Emeril Lagasse featuring a few spicy items. They have a patio out back where you can eat in the shade, these are not walk and eat dogs.

We had dinner out with friends two nights in the city. The first was with my friend from high school Phil, who works in Pasadena. He recommended a place in Silverlake called The Red Lion Tavern. A solid German tavern the menu featured large portions of authentic fare and a great beer list. The night we were there a man was playing the keyboard and his first song was "I love LA" by Randy Newman. Big points.

On our final day in LA we had two stand out meals. We drove out to Santa Monica and walked along the sand all the way to Venice Beach to take in the scenery. Venice is a trip and while there are tons of small cafes on the board walk one just off the main strip caught my eye, a place called Larry's. The patio was nice, and with a sophisticated menu and quirky cocktails it was a great place to relax. The photo of the pizza seen at the end of the entry is from Larry's

We drove back into the city that night to meet our friend Micheal for dinner. He had made reservations at The Little Door restaurant. The restaurant is noted for being one of the most romantic in the city and for good reason. The primary ceiling in the restaurant is a living one made of incredibly dense vines. Totally beautiful. The food was excellent - but the price point is pretty high. We had been pretty good in LA so we were ok with a bit of splurge.

And that was pretty much LA from a food standpoint, a few things we found helpful:

• Had Dollar Rent a Car not screwed up we would have had a GPS (they had run out even though I had reserved one) - I cannot stress how much this would have come in handy. To avoid massive roaming on our smart phones we had to use the wireless at the apartment, Google Map our day and then write it all out by hand before leaving for the day.
• If you take in a Dodger Game don't bother with the All You Can Eat - those Dodger Dogs are terrible. Also bring your passport if you want to buy beer and look younger than 60, they don't accept any other out of country ID.
• It sounds cheesy but the Star Tour of Homes we did was actually pretty fun. Particularly because then we could both look around without being worried about directions. We did this one and got the kids price, see if you can negotiate for it. Our tour went through more than just the homes and included Rodeo Drive.
• Our only really "celebrity sighting" was at The Grove shopping mall in the food court. We were eating at a Cajun restaurant and this guy, was sitting next to us. But every time I read People or US they always have photos of celebs shopping at The Grove, probably a good bet for some kind of sighting.

Email History

Like so many people of my generation, I have multiple email addresses. Three to be exact. The Oatmeal, has a great comic about what your email address says about you, but then again The Oatmeal has great things in general.

Indeed, my old Hotmail address still exists, though I rarely check it anymore, I keep it around in case it happens to be the only address someone has and they need to get in touch. Though I suppose they could just go one Facebook or Google me as one person did (not that I am famous, but there are not too many Toronto Hilary Green's out there). It is also where I get some e-blasts that I need to get but don't need to look at on a regular basis (CAEA I am looking at your E-Drive here) and where I have an extensive file of great emails from my university years.

Today when I was cleaning out the inbox I took a look in a folder I had labelled "I Like." Two things stuck out at me. I'll give you the sort of melancholy one first. It was an old email from a friend who passed away. For some reason in 2002 I circulated around with our friends that asked what the three songs would be at your funeral. My friend Bryce who passed away a few years later wrote:

Bad as they seem, Hayden
Motion Picture Soundtrack, Radiohead
Ice ice baby, Vanilla Ice... But all funeral attendees would have to replace the word "ice" with "Bryce"

And it made me think of him again.

Then I kept going and found this poem that my friend Kristopher wrote, it would have been when we were all (you know all of us right?) living together. I guess we were writing door poetry in the mornings for each other or something silly like that. And since it has to do with food I thought I would publish here (Kris don't sue me!)

HOT TEA?
maybe this tea won't be hot.
a quick sip tells me it is not.
a burning feeling, then to numb,
to think tea cool, that was dumb
my tongue now feeling thick and hurt,
the roof of my mouth raw and burnt
i slap my thigh in anger and scorn,
why do i do this every morn.

As you can see by the poem above and image below (of Bryce and a lens) both these guys were a little bit silly, if they had ever met they probably would have got on like a house on fire.

It's been too hot again to cook, but here is a link to an easy salad to see you through.

A Collard in the Sun

In 2003 I encountered something I never thought I would.

The possibility of a male roommate.

After university my three best girl friends and I moved in together. We found the perfect four bedroom house close to downtown. It was a regular slumber party. But that was relatively short lived. Dear Kinnon had to take a contract out of town starting in early 2004, and so we had to find another roommate.

Not wanting to live anyone really new, we were open to suggestion. So one night while Kinnon was at the pub she was introduced by a mutual friend to an actor looking to move from Winnipeg to Toronto sooner rather than later. After a GlenGarry Glen Ross style interview we agreed that Kristopher could be our roommate. And he has lived in that house ever since (pretty much).

He brought with him a penchant for flannel and healthy eating, especially organic eating. He was ahead of his time. This past Saturday I went with Tristan to the house where now Kristopher, Jenny and Kinnon live on the main floor and Avery and Ian live in the apartment above. The snow as pretty crazy, but we made it and because of the weather I brought a fairly simple appetizer, chips and homemade dip.

The idea was that everyone was to contribute something to the meal. And what a great meal it was. Ian and Avery provided beef tips, mashed potatoes and roasted veg, while the main floor crowd provided a dessert and the following recipe for collard greens. It is Kristopher's recipe and it was pretty damn good. Being a man of few word's I will simply put what he wrote to me when I asked him for the recipe:

"It was really simple. All I did was wash the greens, then tightly roll them up together and thinly slice them. Chopped up one small onion, and saute in about 2 T olive oil. When onion starts to brown add the greens and saute until limp. Then add salt. (I use Celtic Sea Salt) Presto you have Collard Greens Brazilian style."

Because of the amount of wine consumed I didn't really get a proper picture of the greens, but I am sure your imagination will take you there.