saturday at the loftydog's bark-er park

Is anybody else headed over to The LoftyDog Academy's Open House at the Bark-er Park? It's downtown's only indoor dog park and one of Wonton's favorite places to hang out (he loves to slide down the doggy slide). Stephen wrote it up on Angelenic and took some great pics, check it out if you haven't already. As they mentioned, it's a membership dog park, which gives me some peace of mind since they screen the dogs to ensure they're healthy and flea-free. The Open house is from 2pm -5pm today - it's a good way to try out the park and their facilities before committing to a membership. Wonton and I hope to see you and your downtown dog there!

The Loftydog Academy
525 South Hewitt
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-617-BARK (2275)

Open House: Saturday, September 6th, 2pm-5pm

Regular Hours:
Monday - Friday, 7am - 7pm
Saturday & Sunday, 10am - 5pm

wanna buy a Mer-Lion?

UPDATED 8.21.08: Sold the fridge, kitchen cabinet, kitchen table/chairs, small sofa, microsuede sofa/chair set, wardrobe and Mer-Lion! Yay!

Unbelievably enough, the washer/dryer, gas stove, and metal shelving unit are still available. If they don't sell by Friday, we're hauling them to the Yuppy Yardsale this Saturday (oops, the site isn't updated with the new info yet).

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was redecorating. We finally put some stuff up for sale on Craigslist, even the Mer-Lion that stood guard in our elevator lobby, greeting everyone as they exited the elevator. Most of the stuff we're selling was acquired two years ago when we first moved into our loft. It took my husband Jim almost that long to tell me that he didn't really care for the Mer-Lion that much. So the Mer-Lion must go, just like everything else on this list:

O'Keefe & Merritt Gas Stove - $150
White IKEA Pax/Komplement wardrobe - $125 SOLD
Green microsuede couch and king chair - $250 SOLD
Small sofa/love seat - $25 SOLD
Round kitchen table and three chairs - $50 SOLD
Ikea Udden kitchen cabinet - White - $75 SOLD
Metal/glass shelving unit - $50
GE 18.2 Cu. Ft. Top-Freeze Refrigerator - $120 SOLD
Admiral (Maytag) Washer and Electric (220v) Dryer - $150

And finally the Wire and fabric Mer-Lion statue - $100 SOLD

You can contact Jim directly if you're interested in buying any of our stuff. Please don't make Jim haul whatever we don't sell off Craigslist to the Yuppy Yardsale, I don't think his back can take it.

playing catch-up

I realize I've cheated you. A lot has happened between January 10th and May 30th and we need to do some catching up:

Jim and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary in January. Couldn't be happier.

I got my hair cut. It's short. I liked it a lot, but now I think I'm bored with it and want to try something new again.

Wonton was fixed and was a grumpy conehead for a while. But then in April we celebrated his first birthday with a party at The LoftyDog's new space at the Barker Block. Good times. Most recently, he underwent eye surgery to kill off the hairs that were growing inside his eye and poking his eyeballs. Post-surgery he looked like he'd been punched in both eyes, but it was successful and he's recovering nicely.

I finished that screenplay that I had been working on since Jim and I were first engaged, and now I'm halfway through another. I've got a July 1st deadline on this one and then I start outlining the next screenplay, which is based in present-day downtown Los Angeles. Are you ready for your close-up, Historic Core?

I'm taking a film financing/producing class at UCLA Extension on Wednesday nights. My producer is teaching the class and he's amazing. Last semester his class was filled with entertainment attorneys (a partner from my attorney's firm took the class), this semester, not so much. But the case studies and his insights are incredibly helpful. I think I learn more when he veers off-topic.

Jim and I had both been volunteering a lot of our time to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council, but we've really stepped back from that. We both put in a lot of time, a lot of energy, and because of the leadership we didn't feel like it was a good use of our time to continue. You can read a little bit more in the comments section of this blogdowntown post. It's quite the kerfluffle. I'll continue to support worthwhile activities and volunteer for specific projects, but mostly I hope that the upcoming elections bring about a drastic change in the leadership so that we can remain involved and active in our community.

You've probably heard about Raw Materials and Winstead Adams Projects, our new venture with my brother-in-law James. That's been keeping me very busy, but I'm amazed at how much I'm digging the work. Maybe because I'm spending more time talking to artists than I thought I would. Have you come to see any of our shows? We'll be open for this month's Downtown Art Walk (we're a sponsor!), which is this Thursday. Stop by and say hi if you're in the neighborhood, and take a look at some amazing works of art.

I know I'm leaving out a lot of stuff, but I'll probably blog about stuff as I remember. And I promise I won't let that much time go between posts again.

last weekend started on wednesday

This is how far behind I am, the pic above was from the Bloggers & Beer event at the Library Bar - not last week, but the week before. I know, I suck. Anyway, we started by attending the DLANC Board Meeting at the Palace Theater. I almost forgot how funny downtown booster Hal Bastian is. He was such a riot, he added a shot of comedy to an already hilarious meeting. We ate pizza, discussed stuff, and then Dave projected his downtown filming notifications map on a large screen. If you'll notice, I placed a permanent link to it on my sidebar, for easy access. Hal also announced a community event for downtown Los Angeles dogs of all faiths (and their humans), comprehensively called "Downtown Dog Day Afternoon at the Cathedral". Sadly, I don't think my Wonton will be old enough to attend.

Afterwards, Dave, Penelope, Jim and I walked over to the Library Bar to check out the Bloggers & Beer thing. I was hoping to finally meet Mondo Rick-o, but I don't think he showed up. I also realized that most of the pics on his blog are of him sans shirt, which would make it difficult to recognize him since he'd most likely be wearing a shirt. It was a fun event and I'll probably go back to the Library Bar when it isn't lousy with bloggers (not that there's anything wrong with bloggers).

ach, doontoon!

Much as I love the original, as sung by Petula Clark, this rendition of my blog's theme song, as delivered by groundskeeper Willie in The Simpsons, slays me.

catching up

This screenplay rewrite is taking forever. The second screenplay I've been working on is taking shape, but so far I hate it. It's just not very funny yet. For ScriptFrenzy, I wanted to work on something contemporary and completely different from the other project, so I'm writing a broad, raucous comedy, set in the present day at a fictional southern California university, based on my college and sorority experiences. The other one? A period drama, set along the Underground Railroad in the six years since the end of the Civil War. Yeah, that one's a real party.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my June calendar is pretty full. There's been a lot going on, not just career-wise and not just downtown. We actually went west of La Brea - to the Fox lot for a reception and screening of Al Pacino's documentary, Babbleonia at the Little Theater. There was a Q&A afterwards with Mr. Pacino, and he answered damn near every awkward, eye-roll-inducing, gushing, brown-nosing, suck-up question thrown out that night. We were told that the attendees were a combination of press and student filmmakers, but it seemed like the majority of questions were lobbed by aspiring actors. He does tell a good yarn, though. He told the story of how "Attica!" wound up in that famous scene from DOG DAY AFTERNOON (the AD suggested he yell it), what it was like to work with Francis Ford Coppola and Sidney Lumet, and how he came up with "Whoo-ah!" for SCENT OF A WOMAN, and how to stay relevant (he came straight from the OCEAN'S THIRTEEN premiere, which we saw last night). We rounded out that evening by going to this wonderful Indian restaurant behind the Writer's Guild Theater on Doheny - Chakra. I ate there once before with my Development Exec, but it was the first time for Jim. I had the lamb vindaloo and he had chicken tikka masala. The food was even better than I remembered. Every time we venture out to the westside, I plan to eat there. It's that yummy. I wish we had an Indian restaurant downtown that's open late and beautiful, serving yummy food like Chakra.

I missed a lot of events last week. We went to Disneyland last Wednesday to preview the new Finding Nemo submarine ride, but it broke down. They tried to fix it and we waited, hoping they'd get it together in time, but no such luck. They invited us to come back the next day and preview it, but they had no guarantees it would be up and running, or that it wouldn't break down again. Oh well. The ride opened yesterday, but I think we'll wait out the crowds before going back.

Instead of going to the Hope for Firefighters thing last week, Jim and I picked up a brand-new, shiny, red Prius. Driving it is a little odd for me, being so used to my old Jeep (my third one!), but I like it a lot. I especially like that we used one gallon to drive to Pechanga on Saturday. One gallon! Woo hoo! What I didn't like was no notification about Sixth Street being closed due to a Neutrogena commercial. That made it difficult to exit our parking garage, but nothing was stopping me from attending the Lemon Butter Club meeting. Thankfully, they were gone by the time we came home several hours later and we didn't have any problems entering our parking garage. There were other FilmLA developments - their contract was up for renewal June 30, 2007 and the City didn't have an RFP handy, so FilmLA asked for a one-year extension of their contract, but Jan Perry countered with six months, which doesn't matter because City Council can cancel the extension with a 30-day notice - oh just read about it here.

What else is new? Oh yeah, I went back to the gym and found a new trainer that I really like. This past week, I felt like I'd been hit by a truck, but in a good way. I just might hit the gym after posting this.

We did manage to hit Grand Performances' block party yesterday, and just in time to catch Ozomatli. I saw them the last time they played Grand Performances, which was incredible. I spent most of the weekend writing and rewriting, but neighbor Dave pinged us to head over with him. I had to finish writing, so we caught up with him later. I took some video of the event and I'll post that in a day or so. It was packed, so we didn't see any other downtown bloggers covering the event (other than Dave, that is), but of course they were there.

This week looks like it's going to be just as busy, if not more so. My brother-in-law James is coming home from NYC tonight, so we'll probably have dinner with him and Angel tonight. Tomorrow night is the Bloggers & Beer event at the Library Bar, anyone going to that? Thursday is Downtown Artwalk, but with the new, free Artwalk DASH buses running from 7-10pm, I'll probably do more riding than walking.

I know there's lots more going on that I haven't blogged about, but I have to get back to the screenplays.

yet another barbecue

After running around attending other people's weekend festivities, Jim and I had one more event to hit on Sunday night - the barbecue we hosted at our loft for friends, family, and a visiting dignitary from the Philippines, my cousin Dr. Bert.

I didn't take any pictures because I was running around getting everyone fed and full of drinks, but thankfully, Angel blogged it and posted some pics. Ed and Davefrom blogdowntown 2.0 were both in attendance and wielding some impressive camera lenses, so hopefully they'll post some pics soon, in which case I'll link to it.

There were a few teenagers at the barbecue and they were snapping up a storm as well. I'm expanding my reach - I'll be on a few MySpace pages soon! Okay, that's scaring me a little bit now that I think about it.

Anyway, thanks to all who helped out, brought some food and/or drink, and those who came out and helped make it such a fun gathering. Jim and I slept through most of yesterday, recovering from all the weekend activity, but we had a blast and hope everyone had a great holiday weekend as well.

saturday at clifton's

Jim and I had a very full holiday weekend. On Saturday, we hit the Southern California Restaurant Historical Society thing on the third floor of Clifton's Cafeteria.



The LA Times wrote it up, saying there were about 70 people in attendance, which sounds about right but I'm still waiting for Brady to point out the inaccuracies in that article. I thought that with so many blog posts about this event (here, here, here, here, and here)that it would be lousy with bloggers, but not so much. We ran into fellow downtown blogger Don Garza, recognized a few faces from around the Historic Core, and met some really nice people (Hi Susan! I really am glad you came up and introduced yourself!).

After the illuminating talks from D.J. Waldie (Author: Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir) on postwar dining in Lakewood, Charles Perry (LA Times Food Writer and president, Culinary Historians of Southern California) on the first cafeterias in Los Angeles, Chris Nichols (Los Angeles magazine editor, author of "The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister") on architect McAllister and his midcentury restaurants, and special guest Robert Clinton, third generation owner of Clifton's, we were HUNGRY! So we went downstairs to enjoy some cafeteria food and to take in the scenery.







It was a good start to the weekend.

movie nights

Jim and I went to the 21st Annual Last Remaining Seats screening of North by Northwest at the Orpheum last night. We really enjoyed it - Jim had never seen it before, and I've never seen it on a big screen.

Before the screening, there was a reception next door with some yummy food and drinks. I'd post more pics, but they came out lousy.


So much to say about last night, but I have to get going, I'm running late again. I'm headed over to a POC thing at the Writer's Guild Theater with Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio.

sb lofts

I looked out my kitchen window this morning and noticed a crane lifting stuff onto the SB Lofts' rooftop.












During the Internet boom-years, I met with Cheryl, the building manager, to lease office space. She took me on a tour of the building, including the 13000 sq ft penthouse. She asked where I lived, and I told her that I lived in the penthouse of the Alexandria Hotel down the street. She said, "I have a funny story about Marty Sr. (then-owner of the hotel). I had asked him about managing the hotel for him and he pulled pulled a gun on me." Yeah, that sounds like Marty Sr.

Downtown sure is changing.

who left the lid up?

It's Wednesday, so Jim and I walked to the Central Library Farmer's Market to get our tamale fix, pick up some fruits, some flowers, and maybe some snacks.

There's a new crosswalk at 5th and Main Streets:


Nice pattern.


I read on blogdowntown that the new automated pay toilet near Pershing Square was finally operational, but it didn't look like I'd be able to use it.


I approached the guys repairing it to ask how much longer, but they were so engrossed they didn't pay me any mind. So I eavesdropped.


Guy in green shirt on the left says, "I don't know which one needs repair."

The guy pointing, "I think it's this one."

"Why that one?"

"Because when I touched it, that's when it all went, you know."


Someone really needed to go, but it didn't look like that was going to happen at this APT. It looks like the seat retracts for cleaning and when it isn't operational.

'gina watch

Jim and I were in Little Tokyo for lunch today and to check on Pastagina's progress. I'm really looking forward to the day when I ask Jim what he wants for dinner, and when he says, "I want 'gina," I can say, "Hell yeah you can have 'gina for dinner!" Unfortunately, from the looks of things, the new Pinkberry on 2nd will probably open before Pastagina does.

The poster in the window says the store was scheduled to open in March 2007, their website says May 2007. Okay, they still have a little time before they blow that deadline.


What rhymes with Pastagina? Kajima!


What other downtown buildings rhyme with Pastagina?

downtown dog owners beware!

I read the craziest thing over at newdowntown - first there was this:

"Dear New Downtowners,

Please keep an eye on your dog when walking him/her in the downtown area. Apparently, there are a couple guys who are making accusations towards dog owners saying they "stole" their dog and are demanding that the dog be returned to them. They say their dog jumped out of the window of their car and then say you are taking the dog. They even go so far as to call the police. Please be very careful when leaving your dog - even for a minute - while you pop into a store or run in for a
coffee."

Kind regards,
Nancy-Jean Carlson, Owner
Pet Project,
Downtown's Exclusive Pet Food Home Delivery Service

Then, from Joe (you know Joe, he's always walking his beautiful dog Ruby around 4th and Main) comes this horrifying story:

"Thank you for posting the warning, Nancy-Jean.

Unfortunately, I was a victim of the two Hispanic guys yesterday (4-25). I was returning home from a dog walk around 4:30 pm with my bull terrier Ruby when they confronted me on the street at 6th and Main and tried to take Ruby away from me.

A police car stopped and the men told the police I took Ruby from their car. The police believed the men! One cop asked me how old Ruby is. I told him 9 years old. He told me that Ruby is two years old. "That is not your dog," one cop told me. "You have to return their dog."

I was pushed against the parking lot fence and handcuffed. Then I was placed in a police car while Ruby remained with the two men.

The officers were abusive. They asked me if I was under the influence of medication and if I wanted a white dog just like one I had when I was little.

I finally convinced them (after much begging) to take me to the San Fernando Building to establish the fact that Ruby is mine. Another cop car arrived and stayed with the men and my dog. One cop said "coo coo" the whole two block trip home. They also referred to the cardboard box they thought I lived in.

Things changed when I reached home. The building security guard, neighbors, the management crew, business owners (including Nancy-Jean) and Tom Gilmore and Trish Keefer all vouched for me and Ruby. The other cops brought the two men and Ruby to the building and everyone identified her. A third cop car later arrived. The handcuffs were finally removed and Ruby was returned to me.

Despite all of that, though, I still had to take the two cops to my unit to show them proof that I live with a dog. Then later they returned to take pictures of Ruby and me together.

I have filed a complaint against the two cops and I am going to meet with them and the head of Central Division on Monday afternoon. I was abused by those two cops and I will do my best to make them accountable for their bad behavior.

...and the two men? They were turned loose and could still possibly be around the area. Other dog walkers should wisely take Nancy-Jean's warning to heart."

Joe

As a former dog owner (Flagg passed away in 2004 after 13+ wonderful years) and fan of Ruby (we ran into them often when Jim lived at the San Fernando), I was sick when I read of Joe's encounter with the police and wish him the best of luck on Monday when he meets with the head of Central Division. I shudder to think that the two men were left free to prey on other dog-owners. Be careful out there!

Zombie

Hello! Guest Blogger Jim Pascoe here.

I'm not new to blogging, but most of the time on my site, jimpascoe.com, I'm either promoting my writing or declaring that I'm the prime minister of Iraq ... sadly, a post I have vacated. I'll try to capture the Celianess of this site.

I know! I'll use code names!

So Gab and I are moving our stuff from the Flophouse (first code name) to the Loft, carrying suitcases and boxes of baby clothes from the car down Los Angeles Street. When who comes a' walkin' down the sidewalk?

Not Keanu Reeves (not a code name). No, it was Melvin (code name).

Melvin is a zombie. As in un-fucking-dead.

No. I'm serious. This guy -- I mean Melvin -- was slowly making his way down the pavement, but everything about him: his bandaged calf, his awkward gait, his cloudy eyes, his open mouth ... dude, this was a for-real, 100%, just-like-they-used-to-make-them-in-the-movies ZOMBIE.

It was actually Gabrielle who first pointed out his true zombie nature. She was like, "that guy, Melvin, is a zombie."

Yeah.

It was just like the zombie apocolypse but with hundreds less zombies and no cool quarentine signs wildposted everywhere.

I thought about shooting Melvin in the head. Then I thought, Melvin, I don't know you. And you're a freakin' zombie. Let's make a deal. You don't eat my brains, and I won't splatter you head open in the middle of the street. Just keep stumbling away from me, and you'll be okay in my book.

Tonight, there was no sign of Melvin. Was I hallucinating last night? Or is he still out there somewhere, a couple broken steps farther into oblivion?

heeding the call, looking for signs

Today, LA City Nerd issued a call to action - for bloggers in Los Angeles to take pictures of their community name signs in the city and post them to this Flickr group. Here's a list of all the community names.

I came back from a visit with my art dealer and snapped this Old Bank District sign. But what's that in the distance? A billboard for a downtown strip club? No, look closer, in front of the billboard.


It's the Toy District and Historic Downtown signs.


More signs from the Historic Core, Fashion District, and Gallery Row:






It was a nice day and I ran into Ginny, Bert and Ben at Lost Souls Cafe. Have you tried their ube shake? So yummy.

a taste of dance

Every year around my birthday, the Music Center hosts A Taste of Dance, a day full of dance classes ($1 each lesson!) on the Music Center Plaza. So even though I may be in denial about getting older, the classes remind my body that it's been a long time since I was a theater arts/dance major in college. This year, A Taste of Dance takes place this Saturday, March 24th, from 10:30am to 4pm. Who wants to join me in a few dance classes this Saturday?

It all starts with a free 60's warm up at 11am, then 20-minute classes will be offered in:

Clogging
Dance Team
Hustle
Modern Jazz
Ragtime Dances

Then from 1:30-3:30pm, these 20-minute classes open up:

Jitterbug
Native American Dance
Steppin'
Tap
Texas Two-Step

At 3:30pm, they wind it up with free line dancing classes for all. I can't promise I'll participate in the line dancing. I'm very line dancing-averse. I can't explain why, but sometimes at my family gatherings, they line dance. I try to break it up with karaoke, but sometimes it doesn't work and they continue to line dance.

Truthfully, I'm not that excited about the choices in dance classes this year. One year I was able to take hula, capoeira, bhangra, african, and ballet folklorico classes. I loved the bhangra and the african dance classes, they were energizing and fun. I tried, but I felt like a clodhopper during the ballet folklorico class and probably looked worse. The capeoeira class was my least favorite. I almost kicked myself in the head during one maneuver. And no, I wasn't trying to kick my head.

I'll probably feel like I was hit by a truck the next morning, but I'm going to do it. Seriously, if anyone wants to join me, email me or leave a comment. If we get enough people maybe we should get t-shirts.

WHEN: Saturday, March 24, 2007
11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
WHERE: Music Center Plaza
ADMISSION: $1 per 20-minute lesson
First come, first served.
Tickets available for purchase starting at 10:30AM (cash only).

Limited class sizes,
Dress in comfortable clothes/shoes, some classes are danced barefoot.
No prior dance experience necessary.