Working for the Weekend

Well, it took all of Monday to do, but I finally came back down to earth after the realization that - while work eventually gets rewarded by hella playing - playing needs to be balanced by some (okay, a lot) of work.

But sometimes I wonder how a lot of people here make their money. Really! There are a lot of hard-working individuals here, average Joes and Janes, nine-to-fivers, working actors/actresses, freelancers, etc., which makes playing hard soooo fun. But at the same time there are some people where I honestly and truthfully don't know how they keep afloat. Really, how do they do it?

Here are my top 5 wildly fabricated assumptions semi-based on truth:

1. Married well/sugar baby. General description: Drives a new luxury vehicle, usually a coupe, sometimes a mid-size SUV. Wears giant designer sunglasses, cashmere tracksuits, and has a fresh manicure similar to Kim Kardashian's (which, as of Paris Fashion week, was long and nude). Rarely is seen below 3rd Street or east of La Cienega. Bonus: carries a giant Saks Fifth Avenue or Bloomingdale's shopping bag, has a tight and toned Pure Barre body, and one to two young children (if a sugar baby, ix-nay this detail). (Represents about 35-40% of the population.)

2. Lawsuit/settlement. General description: Drives a convertible or white mid-size SUV (think  Mercedes or Porsche, maybe Land or Range Rover), has a business venture in the works and two in the bag. Friends with the ambitious-rich-type more than the ambitious-working-class-type. 7 out of 10 times "just bought something new" and out of most anyone's price range.Usually flirts around those that frequent the entertainment stalls, talks about "having" to be up at 9am on a Thursday for "work", but has time to make both a hot yoga class and microdermabrasion facial that same afternoon at 1 and 3pm, respectfully. (Represents about 25-30% of the population.)

3. Trust fund. General description: Brunches every other day (if not every day), and is out at the club or bar every night, if not every night (think Drai's instead of Micky's Weho). Fashion/design student. May have a part-time job for experience, at the request of the executor of the estate. May drive a Mazda or Hyundai, but most likely a three-year-old BMW or Mercedes. Owns a lot of sunglasses. (Represents about 10-15% of the population.)

Poolside at Sixty, Beverly Hills.

4. Working that promo/"I was someone in a past life" realness. General description: This is someone who was a somebody back in the day and will continue to ride that fame horse until its legs give out. This helps with a lot of freebies that can either be sold or worn in a photo shoot down the line. The "Search & Explore" section of Instagram will likely feature a flyer to a discount/freebie champagne brunch in their name, gifted by an establishment. Drives either a Toyota or bums a ride. Pouts a lot. (Represents about 5% of the population.)

5. People who actually work (and probably go to school), no matter their income tax bracket. General description: The yoga instructor I take weekend classes from. The server who refills my bottomless mimosa. The front desk receptionist at the spa. The personal trainer at the gym who also runs the supplement store-front. The casting director, the grassroots entrepreneur, the CEO of any firm, the admin/Uber driver/script writer, and so on.

These are the Joes and Janes working for or towards something, with as much or little ambition as the next person. (Represents about 20% of the population, and are clearly the reason for the all the traffic on the way to and from the Westside.)

There is gold in these hills, but that doesn't mean that people don't work for it. The schedules and the payout may be different, but there are a decent amount of people who work hard for their money. Putting it very kindly, it may not be conventional, but it doesn't mean it's not work. Someone's got to do it. Where there's a need, there's a way. In part, that is what makes living, working, and playing here so damned entertaining.

What's your dream job? Do you think some people have it easier than others? Do you like your job?

Thing I've Learned Thursdays: Cartier Champagne

Welcome to Things I've Learned Thursday! A to-be weekly feature highlighting anything and everything, from silly to practical, to commonplace and extraneous, but always, always fabulous.

Last night, in conversation, I learned about Cartier champagne. I didn't even know that Cartier made champagne, but having recently found out that Fendi made furniture, it doesn't seem outside of the realm of possibility. 

What I enjoyed about it is the glass it comes in -- it actually resembles generations-old crystal. My friend (who was gifted this experience by his writing partner of inherited wealth and prestige) said it made him more tipsy than most other champagne from the actual district of Champagne, France. I wonder if there are ground diamonds in it?

I did some digging and it appears that this cuvee champagne brut is not available to the general public, so there is no dollar amount to pin on this baby. It is usually gifted or available at Cartier events, this one in particular appearing to be a promotional anniversary libation. Some sellers, however, are taking bids for this on eBay, but it seems a little underhanded on account of it being a relative freebie, but if someone will buy it, I guess they can't be blamed for trying.

I'll bet it tastes like .... well, like everything Tiffany & Co. doesn't taste like. Whatever that amounts to.

Would you try designer champagne? What's the neatest thing you've gotten for free lately?

Fat Tuesday in Weho... Reporting Live From My Bed

I love West Hollywood. I love the holidays. I love how into everything this city gets, because this is the city to have a good time. To me, West Hollywood is more than Vegas, more than Times Square on New Years Eve. It is your neighborhood bar and restaurant and park and community with a ton of glitter and sunshine, even at 11pm. This city is just aglow, day or night, with everyone's welcome, and no one's permission.

That's why I am spending Mardi Gras in bed. 

Specifically, this evening I made a gumbo-inspired salad for dinner, watched BravoTV for all of five minutes, then took a nap before taking my dog for a walk before my real bedtime, which will be in about ten minutes. Laissez les bon temps rouler, indeed.

This past holiday weekend, I went out to drink a few times (something that I plan on scaling back on in the next month or so, but I digress) -- to two familiar but innovative mixology bars and one good old neighborhood bar. I also went out for noms a couple of times. I went out and watched people dance, couldn't hear my friends talk, then did it all over again. Did se shopping, did some gawking. Point being that, although I have yet to go out for Mardi Gras in this city -- this city that I love almost too much -- there is rarely sn excuse not to go out any other night at the drop of a hat. The welcoming vibe that comes with the party aspect of this city has yet to go anywhere.

Which is why making friendly with yoga pants and a sweatshirt, welcome silence and my pillow, was preferred. Thankfully, the awesomeness that so thoroughly embodies this town will stay put for a long, long time, highly independent of the here and now.

What did you do for Mardi Gras? How many strands of beads did you earn?  Please share any favorite traditions in the comments!

Black History Month: On the Note of Mainstream and Being Different

It is already February, more than a week in and in a few days, Black History Month will almost be  halfway through.

I have always loved Black History Month, especially when I was in school - it was a time for history and reflection about important people who paved the way for black people at a time where being black was a public problem, a public issue, and in a lot of cases, a death sentence. With each year seems to come some new bit of history that shined further light, punctuating even more as to what it means to be human.

What I have come to appreciate is that the struggle fought has grown to affect everyone, not just black people. The human struggle is a very real one, on account of differences that, for some reason, some people can't comprehend or tolerate. I am so grateful to live during a time where diversity seems to have become more accepted, a time that my parents have hoped for me and my siblings. At the same time, it bothers me (plenty) that there remains an upheld societal ideal, a preferred aesthetic and background, that a lot of people will never seem to fit. It just seems to be the polite thing to not talk about it.

In the last few weeks, entertainment personalities have referred to non-white people as "ethnics" (Naya Riviera and Rashida Jones being examples). At the Grammys most recently, Kanye West rushed the stage during Beck's win for Album of the year, and although he attempted to retract the unwelcome gesture, his rant about "respect" towards "artists" was a bit attention-seeking.

Really, 'Ye?

I suppose my point is that the divide is still alive and well, but how much are "the opposed" contributing to it? There is a preference of how to be, but how much are . There is definitely a point to address one's beauty and uniqueness as well as their being deserving of recognition and praise. But the energy seems to be placed in the wrong direction.

Be you. Make music. Write. Speak. Wear your hair and clothes and facial expression the way you want without question. It just seems that the conversation focuses on the mouthpiece and ends there, at the mainstream. Mainstream is a great avenue to focus on hometown issues, but mainstream shouldn't all what it's about.

Watch "Selma", read about Douglass' Army; try to imagine how Rosa Parks felt making the news when she really just was just tired and refused to get out of her seat on the bus. Make a difference because you are you, not to make news.

The thing is, everyone wants to be different these days. A lot of people want to be stars; some, like the aforementioned, are "stars" if only by accident. Some people just want to be cute and get attention; fair enough. But what about people like Harry T. Sampson and Robert F. Flemming, Jr., Sarah Boone and Lydia O. Newman who were who they were and changed the world on significant, albeit seemingly minute, levels?

It's not a sin to be ordinary. Ordinary people make things happen. Ordinary is extraordinary, something that mainstream isn't.

Hopefully the future generation really won't see color as a inhibitor to ability or success. And maybe they will secure a level playing field so that all families, all individuals, in all pay brackets can enjoy a wonderful life.

Weekend Weho Roundup: Super Bowl XLIX Edition

Short story: there was no brunch and I didn't get anything done, quite honestly. Laundry has piled up, papers have piled up, and the only trip to the grocery store was to buy beer for the game.

And what a game it was! Am I the only one who thought the last play re: the Seahawks was a complete botched up job? (No, not at all. Come on, Darrell; what were you thinking?) No matter what team you support, you gotta know that was a bad call, bad coaching. Doesn't matter who it is, and that's the truth. And geez, the fight that followed, et cetera et cetera? It almost felt like a dream, and not of the good variety. I would be interested to see some slow-mo video as to who actually started the fight, bum feelings or no.

Somebody had some fun with Seahawks OC Darrell Bevell's Wiki page pic.twitter.com/vqh4qLSOtr
— Gregg Doyel (@GreggDoyelStar) February 2, 2015

Anyway, that game was pretty amazing. Many congratulations to the Patriots for the win. Now that I think about it, obviously sports are entertainment, and there are their politics involved and so on, but I have not been entertained quite like that in a long time, and I certainly haven't had that much fun watching football before. That is why NFL teams are paid the big bucks. Get it.

As mentioned in the outset, this weekend was one of those where I did nothing on the home front. Have you ever taken the day off to do laundry before? Yeah, me too; no shame. As much of a relief as that would be, though, it's not going to happen.

That's why you implement a hustle n' roll plan when you do have free time, and make it like a race against the clock. I don't know why, but there is an oddly satisfying feeling to whisk through like a cartoon tornado and leave everything spotless in your path. Like a reverse Tazmanian Devil.

Here's to a good week and minimum dissection and commentary regarding the known-to-be-mediocre but well-put-together production that was Katy Perry's Halftime Extravaganza. I love to dissect issues, too, but in some cases, breaking things down does not create or build up (especially when it's been done a million times and none of us [besides the subject] are any richer for it).

Although: many props where due, Lenny and Missy. Many Props Where Due.

Until next time!

Weekend Weho Roundup... On a Tuesday

Island time (and a wicked hangover) got the better of me ... so sorry. But I'm here now so let's get this going!

This weekend I spent only a little time in Weho, surprisingly. It's not that I went far, just enough out of the way to have felt like I wasn't "in town" that much.

Vroom, vroom.

A couple of weekends ago, my boyfriend got a gorgeous new toy - a convertible BMW 335is. It's seriously a sweet little beauty. Only time will tell whether or not we'll be living out of it in a few months; holla! Anyway, on Saturday we took it up the coast to take in some views of the surf on account of the high wind advisory.

We headed back to Weho on the 101 through the Valley and stopped at Yamato, the whole  chef a la Benihana shebang routine. Maybe I was having way too much fun, but to the left of us, there was this grandmother and granddaughter were out to lunch together. Both were on their smartphones the entire time, didn't say one word to each other (okay, maybe no more than twenty). Personally, I was surprised at the grandmother being so engrossed in her screen, but on the outside looking in, it was disconcerting to feel that, to some, that is what quality time has become. 

Am I wrong? Presumptuous? You can tell me. I am aware that the smartphone has changed the way people communicate but this was a bit too much to take in, in my opinion, knowing that not everyone is that bad of an offender.

Sunday, I met with friends for lunch at Magnolia in Hollywood, as part of the presently ongoing dineLA experience. The food was great, but service... horrendous doesn't even begin scratch the surface. Long story short: after waiting 20 minutes for drinks, and another 30 minutes for food (after making both orders at the same time and the restaurant being far from packed), I felt strongly compelled to write a Yelp review. Although they were very gracious to comp two bottles of champagne (a truthfully good move), I'd've almost paid full price to have had the satisfaction of expressing zero desire to return. Zero. You know that stuff wouldn't fly at Cafe D'Etoile.

Then, I decided last minute to extend last weekend's birthday weekend, and got pretty hammered at Micky's, dun dun dun. And behold, the unintended seven-hour brunch.

Weho is getting ready for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday - which means having gotten charged up about the Tom Brady DeflateGate scandal and this awesomely hilarious cut video re: [foot]balls, which totally made my life. But that's about it.

Thanks for hanging out; I'll see you tomorrow.

Mini-Update: On Benedict Cumberbatch's Use of the Word "Colored"

In lieu of a long overdue weekend roundup post, please check out this post on my Facebook page and discuss ---

Many groups have "that word" that they find offense with. But sometimes "that word" becomes acceptable or something to shrug off by that community at large. For the black community, that seems to be the N-word, or even "boy" or "son".

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch recently used the word "coloured"/"colored" to describe non-white actors, actors who, in comparison, are starkly denied the same creative opportunities as white actors. I personally think his heart was in the right place and this was an extremely unfortunate choice of words on a huge issue based on racial politics.

His apology seems sincere enough and although I don't know the man, his prior intentions in haven't signaled anything other than being open and honest as you can be while in the public eye. Maybe that's what makes him a great actor; who knows?

What do you think? What words do you tolerate in private but not in public? Do you feel that society or your community has possibly imposed words or classifications upon you that you wouldn't have accepted otherwise?

Please feel free to sound off at my Facebook page, A Black Girl in West Hollywood.