Saturday in Manhattan
Ali left for the Sheriff’s Department bright and early this morning. I wasn’t sure why and I didn’t ask too many questions because a far more pressing matter was how I was going to single-handedly keep Maya busy all day. Ali staying out of jail was his own problem.
After making her a milkshake and giving her cereal, I put her to work sweeping her Joe-O’s off the kitchen floor.
Cinderella needs to earn her keep.
Afterwards we decided to make our first foray into raw desserts and we made Chocolate Fudge Babies.
These smelled amazing and took about 5 minutes. I haven’t tried one yet but Maya licked her plate clean so they must be good.
My daughter is such a lady.
Since we had no idea when, or if Ali would be back from his adventure at the Sheriff’s Department, Maya and I decided to head to Manhattan Beach to kill some time at Color Me Mine.
This is a great place for kids. Not only do we get to do artwork but Maya dropped crumbs everywhere and spilled her drink and we didn’t have to clean it up!
I’m fairly certain we are no longer welcome at this particular location.
Neither of us have any artistic abilities whatsoever, but I think we did a pretty good job anyway. Maya’s heart plate was clearly the star of the show.
But I didn’t do too badly either.
Afterwards Ali managed to make bail in time to meet us for lunch at Petros Restaurant. I think this is the third time in a month we’ve eaten at Petros. If it ain’t broke…
I ordered the Swordfish Souvlaki again and it was as good as I remembered. Ali surprised me by venturing away from the tried and true Chicken Spaghetti and had the Chicken Souvlaki instead.
Despite his angry demeanor I believe he enjoyed lunch quite a bit. This would be his demeanor even if he won the lottery. It takes a lot to make him smile. We’ve been married something like a million years and I am still trying.
I was craving some dessert after lunch but went for a cup of decaf instead. It hit the spot.
Ali doesn’t like people to know he drinks lattes so we’ll pretend this is a cappuccino instead.
Not only was this a latte cappuccino but it was a $6 latte cappuccino. Sorry, but I’m going to pay $6 for coffee it better be with a view of Seine.
After lunch we visited with Ali’s family and then headed home. Since we had two cars Maya decided to go with Ali and I drove home solo. I did miss her incessant chattering a bit, but what did I really miss (other than the gagging sounds I often hear coming from the backseat)?
The carpool lane. Traffic was pretty bad. But I probably deserved it for writing what I just wrote.
Maya is finally in bed and we are about to watch The Soloist. Good night all!
Round 2 – The Good and the Bad
The Good: The sun came out this morning after four straight days of rain:
The Bad: That was all we saw of the sun today. Five minutes later it started raining and it hasn’t stopped since.
The Good: The doctor told Ali this morning that his chest pains are not an indication of a heart attack.
The Bad: He too is now banned from eating bread and pretty much all other carbs. Between the two of us and all our dietary restrictions eating out is now going to be impossible.
The Good: I am a better wife than I thought…I walked in a downpour to get Ali the lunch of champions – Lentil Soup from Corner Bakery and drugs from CVS.
The Bad: Instead of saying thank you for battling the harsh winter conditions, Ali informed me that I bought the wrong Sudafed.
The Good: I didn’t push him off the balcony.
The Bad: He is still here and is asking me where the receipt is. I think he expects me to rush back and exchange it.
The Good: I had every intention of making something other than eggs and defrosted vegetables for lunch. I even researched a good recipe for Butternut Squash Soup.
The Bad: I was too busy putting my husband’s drug addiction before my own needs. At 1:30 I gave up all hopes of soup and had….you guessed it. Scrambled eggs and defrosted vegetables!
The Good: When I went to pick Maya up from school the temperature had risen to nearly 60 degrees!
The Bad: While taking the above picture I happened to notice that a little yellow light in the shape of an engine was lit up. That can’t be good.
The Good: Maya had a great time at the Play Place and this time she left with all her teeth intact.
The Bad: A lady I had never met before decided to give me a lecture about how I would “absolutely regret it I didn’t have more children.”
The Good: I am excited that twenty-four of my readers want to take L.A. Candy off my hands.
The Bad: Only twenty-four of my readers want a free book? If you are interested it’s not too late to enter!
Book Review – L.A. Candy (and a Giveaway)
L.A. Candy
by Lauren Conrad
Lauren Conrad’s departure from The Hills coincided with my departure from watching The Hills. Why? Because after Lauren left, the show took on a weird Jerry Springer quality. Who wants to watch Kristin Cavallari swearing like a sailor as she walks around dressed in her sleaziest ensemble? The rest of the cast is just as bad : Audrina is a space cadet. Brody’s only claim to fame are his famous parents. And Heidi and Spencer? There are no words for them. Or none that I am willing to write on this PG-rated blog anyway.
I was never an avid fan of The Hills but of the episodes I did watch, Lauren was always the classy, stylish, and articulate one. I think she is quite pretty as well – I have seen her several times here in Los Angeles and she looks better in her sweats than I do on my best day! Sad but true. Anyway, I have to admire her tenacity for turning her 15 minutes of fame into a respectable business. She is quite a role model for the MTV crowd and God knows they need someone other than the cast of Jersey Shore.
Last week when I admitted that I’d finally purchased the book L.A. Candy, many of you emailed me and left comments asking if I would do a book review. Your enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself pushing my stacks of reading material aside so I could get started. I really, really wanted to like this book, but a few pages into the story I nearly relegated the book to Maya so she decorate it with pretty pictures. It was only because of some weird sense of responsibility that I forced myself to push through.
Nobody can say that I am a quitter!
While L.A. Candy is marketed as fiction, it is really a semi-autobiographical account of Lauren’s experiences in Hollywood and her subsequent rise to fame. In the book, fictional characters Jane and Scarlett take the place of Lauren and Heidi. These two best friends move to Los Angeles from Santa Barbara and immediately immerse themselves in all things Hollywood. Girl-Next-Door Jane decides to postpone college and instead takes a job working for renowned, but difficult event planner Fiona Chen. Beautiful-But-Doesn’t-Care Scarlett begins her freshman year at USC and starts sleeping her way through the city. They live in a rundown apartment and have very little money to spare but are thrilled with the adventure they are about to embark on.
One day Jane and Scarlett run into producer Trevor Lord from PopTV who chooses them to star in his new reality show L.A. Candy. Every girl’s dream right? But as soon as the cameras start to roll Jane and Scarlett learn more about the reality of reality television. Their days revolve around filming schedules, hidden microphones, staged dates, and fake relationships and Jane and Scarlett find themselves questioning their newly scripted lives. Jealousy flares as Jane’s rise as television’s newest star leaves her co-stars Gaby and Madison green with envy and leading to a scandal changes Jane’s life forever. The book ends abruptly, forcing anyone interested in the adventures of Jane and Scarlett to go out and purchase book number two of Lauren’s three book deal.
Lauren is a very talented girl, but she is not a writer. I believe this book is being marketed for the Young Adult crowd but honestly, even my 15-year-old cousin could have done a better job developing the characters and putting together real world dialogue. The writing is very elementary…i.e. “That would be super-fun!” Or the ubiquitous, “Gag!” and “‘Kay!”
There was one positive in a sea of negatives though – the book gave some interesting insight into the filming of a reality TV show. Who knew that producers often order several takes when the cast leaves a restaurant because of camera locations? I also had no idea that “being miked” is such a huge undertaking. Are these tiny tidbits worth buying this book? Not a chance. But, if you are still interested in reading L.A. Candy I am giving my copy away. It is too late for me but if you live in the U.S. or Canada and are interested in saving your $9.99 please enter to win as follows:
1. Leave a comment below telling me what book you’d like me to review next.
2. For a second chance to enter follow me on twitter @ameenadin and tweet the following: “I want to win L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad from The Hills.”
Check back on Sunday, January 24 to see if you’ve won!
While I'm not going to win Mother/Wife of the Year Award anytime soon, I haven't killed anyone yet or shot myself in the head. And that, my friends, is how I calculate success these days. 
FANCY THAT FANCY THIS 