Slow food BBQ 2012...

I had heard about this last year. My friend Wayan is on this committee and puts this thing together. I had heard about it last year and thought "Oh that might be fun and something different to do!" and I'm all about healthy eating and healthy what not. Well I didnt go. A bit pricy. Well - as you all know - I now am trying just to shut up and do stuff. So I did. And one of my best friends joined me. I have been excited for weeks! The food sounded amazing, the ticket price included unlimited alcohol, there was raffles and in order to make it a zero waste event you brought your own place setting and there was a prize for the best. Well, of course the competitive side of me comes out and I want to win the best place setting. Of course my mom had alot of what we could use and what we needed, Susan and I went shopping last weekend and got a few things, then Susan took it upon herself to make these fabulous wine glasses. Our place setting was the fucking bomb. I mean look at it:

We rule. So we had read there was a "hike" "walk" whatever at 3pm and the event started at 4pm. My friend had informed me the walk was not strenous and the event had a very casual rustic feel to it so I bought a fabulous little aztec print sundress and chocolate Toms for the event. I figured I could look cute in case there were boys and be smart with good shoes. So, Susan convinced me to throw a pair a flip flops (so thankful for them later) in the car, I threw on some sunblock and we packed up our place settings and off we went. The gates opened at 2:30 and we were there not a minute after. We wandered in and they were still setting up. Wayan told us to grab a spot so we immediatly snatched an end seat and set up our arrangement. Proud and pleased with ourselves Susan grabbed us a couple of the free cocktails which she finished (wasnt my thing) and the walk was taking off. We darted over and joined the little group. It was mostly older folk and everyone was given little cards to read when we came across those certain plants or animals to read about. Very cute. Here's our group:

About 5 minutes into the walk we were over it. It was a million degrees outside, it was dry and the sweat was pouring down me already. I was cursing myself for not bringing a hat as my hair was blowing in around angrily. Thank you Susan for letting me borrow yours later. It was very cute and informative but I felt like I was in Outdoor Ed and it was just too damn hot to give a shit. Another co-worker of mine - Rachel - and her hubs joined the walk a bit late so we all had a nice time chatting and joking. When the docent said we could turn around and head back, Susan and I promptly took the lead and ended up about 100 feet in front of the group, the thought of food and wine waiting for our return keeping our pace quite brisk. I did snap some fun shots:

When we arrived back we darted to the car where Susan changed and I spritzed some body spray hoping to cover up the now sweaty smell I was producing and back to the BBQ we went. We got some wine that was from Organic Cellars. We chose the red which was a fantastic Pinot Nero and back to our table we went. This was waiting for us:

We mowed through that pretty quickly - seriously some of the most amazing fruit I have EVER tasted. Soooooooooooooooooooooo yummy! The oyster appetizers were being served at a table near the bar and we grabbed a few. OMG. Seriously. Amazing. Sadly they went very quickly and everytime they brought back more it was somewhat of a battle to grab another one. But Susan is a tough broad, especially when it comes to damn good food so she snagged us a few more. We made trips back to the wine fellows many times throughout the evening and became known as the flower girls due to our fabulous wine glasses. Susan and I both ended up purchasing a couple of bottles from these fellows since it was so good. All throughout the evening we were complimented on our place setting and wine glasses. I mean seriously:

We bought some raffle tickets and placed our tickets into the chosen bowls of prizes we hoped (but didnt) win and anxiously awaited more food. I was a little disappointed in the possible date selection. Most of the crowd was older couples and older people but alot of them were very cool. Rachel and her man squeezed in next to us, and the couple next to them were very sweet and engaging. We had a really great little six-some for the evening and I was more than pleased meeeting some fabulous new folks. Then Susan gave me the look and jerked her head....there was a cute boy. He looked a little older than I and had leg muslces that wouldnt quit. He joined the group right behind Susan. She overheard him saying he rode his bike there. *Swoon* The 1st dish was served, watermelon, cucumber, onions and feta salad. An interesting mixture but quite good! Then came the chicken and potatoes and corn. I dont know what seasoning they had on that corn but Yummmmmmy! We ate and drank and chatted. They had a country band of a bunch of old guys that played a nice variety (Thank GAWD...you know how I feel about country) and the Slow Food man gave his speech (about 15 minutes too long) but was intersting to hear and dessert was brought. Some sort of upside down cake with fruit and honey. It was just ok. Not my favorite. The raffle was called and the place setting prize announced (Some jackass with a giant wooden chicken. Really!!!?????) and the event started wrapping up. We cleaned up our areas and got ready to head out. I thanked Wayan who was ever so grateful we came and I was ever so thrilled we did. She gave us fabulous basil plants in canvas to take home as a consolation prize and off we went. Susan was teasing me about not flirting more with the cute bike rider fellow and half way out of the park we turned around and drove back. Yup - we turned 15 years old. Susan ran back in while I sat moritified in my car and she told the guy I thought he was cute and gave him my phone number. He did know who I was apparently and off we went giggling and laughing at the fact that we just pulled a very junior high move. I seriously doubt this guy will call but the fact that she actually did that topped off my night perfectly. That is a damn good friend right there :) All in all we had a really fun time, tried some interesting new foods, learned a bit about the slow food movement and most importantly spent some great quality time with one of my best friends. Below is a few more pictures. I do believe we will attend again next year! Thier centerpieces

We claimed our spot

Love this girl!

The band!

The gal in charge of Slow Food OC

The man who spoke about Slow Food

My beautiful friend who put it together!

Some ups, some downs, a shuttle and a comedian...

So I've had some interesting couple of days this week. I've had some tests. Some challenges. Some moments where I have been able to attempt some breathing and mindfulness to calm the F down. And I have to say...I did pretty well. Let's put aside the breaking down into tears because I couldn’t find a parking place in the Orange Circle to pick up my grandparents lunch on my lunch break. Then breaking into tears again when I left their house because my Papa is getting so much worse. Breathe. I tried my best to hold it together this morning when I attended one of my best friends mothers funeral. I wanted to be the strong stalwart friend and not cry. Impossible. I accepted it. I let them flow. As she was walking out she caught my red tear streaked face and welled up. Real good Jami. I arrived early running around this giant church/school place with melting cake pops and sweat dripping into my eyes trying to find the kitchen. My friend did find this visual hilarious this evening when we chatted. I wanted to attend the graveside service and could have before I had to go to work but I couldn’t bring myself to. I'm still so over emotional and sensitive and yes watching my friend hurt kills me and yes I kept thinking of my own mom and how I can’t imagine my life without her and yes of course this is a time for tears, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep it together. She was overwhelmed with family and friends so I knew it was ok. So I headed to work. I've been working through these emotions lately and I think I'm doing alright. I have moments of weakness, but it's ok. It's natural. So, onto the ups: Last Thursday I went for a walk with a good friend of mine and met her new little addition. She wants to start taking walks now that she's feeling better so off we went. She started telling me how excited she was to go to Disneyland tomorrow to watch The Endeavor fly over. "Ok, what is this Endeavor business? I have seen other posts on Facebook about it." She tells me it's the space shuttle and it's going to be attached to the top of a plane and it's doing its "Last Mission" on a tour of California. It was going to drop lower in the sky around Disneyland before it loops back around and parks it permantley somewhere in LA. Ok. Whatever. The next day a lovely gal I work with whom I'm becoming friends with wanders into my office hemming and hawing about should we go watch the shuttle. I laugh at her because Riley is the girl who does not like or agree with space travel. She (as well as my father) believes monies should be spent on more important matters rather than space travel. I honestly don’t have an opinion one way or another. It seems to me our money should be helping the starving children and abused pets and such but I don’t necessarily hate space travel, just really don’t care. So she mentions this will be a piece of history and maybe we should witness it. She wants to go to the top of the Law School parking structure. Personally I've never been up there and was planning on taking lunch and wandering over to see if they needed help at the Big Orange Book Festival on campus anyway so why not? More hemming and hawing. Finally we decide to go for it. We trek up to the top of the structure and mind you it's about 1000 degrees outside. And the top of a parking structure is anything but cool. There's a growing group of folks gathered around and I'm taken aback by the view. It's gorgeous! And you can see the top of the Matterhorn and the Angel Stadium. I'm making mental notes to come back here if cool fireworks or something happens in these areas. And so we wait. And we wait. And we fucking wait. Mind you it's getting hotter. Riley and I are bitching to each other about how hot we are, I'm worried a puddle is growing beneath me from the sweat dripping down my legs and I'm cursing myself for not grabbing my parasol from my truck. Duh. Or sunblock. Ugh. Riley is much younger than me but we have very similar personalities. We get along great and we are laughing through our bitching but getting to the point of saying screw it. Riley starts following it on Twitter and it the damn thing should be coming around any second now! Waiting. Waiting. Riley says let's forget it and go. But now I'm determined. We've been up here half an hour, we can’t go now. We wait. We complain. We are MELTING. All of sudden the group gets excited. "There it is!" I can’t see that far of course. But I hear it. Then I do see a little spec. Everyone starts to cheer. Riley and I can’t help but get caught up in the excitement. It comes closer, and closer and closer! We thought it was just going to fly over Disneyland but it actually did its U-Turn RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!!! I was thrilled to see this giant plane carrying a shuttle with little military jets accompany it fly right in front of us. It was so fucking cool!!!!! Riley and I were shrieking and taking pictures with our phones and cheering along with everyone. It turned around and headed out towards the ocean and back towards LA. My heart was pounding and Riley turned to me with a huge grin and said "Totally worth it!" "Totally!" Again, I'm not a huge space program person but we shared something special with a bunch of strangers. Riley and I discussed later on how truly awesome the human spirit really is when everyone can come together in tragedy or celebration. We were on the top of a parking structure with about 50 or so other people sharing something really cool that made everyone excited and happy and thrilled. Later on I saw some people posting on FB about how annoyed they were and how stupid the shuttle sightings were. This made me want to repost saying "Oh just shut the hell up for one damn second and relish in the fact that something really neat just happened and it made a lot of people happy." I didn’t of course, because it's just not worth it. It was really special for a lot of people and for me it was just really awesome to witness something happy. Something special. And damn was that thing huge!!!!! Something not political or angry or negative for a few minutes and share that experience with so many others. I've posted the photos in order of my excited lameass jumping up and down and snapping away with my iPhone. I actually got some nice shots! Is that it?

Squeee! It is!

It's coming right at us!!

It's coming so close!!!

HOLY HELL!!!!!!

And there it goes...

Bye bye shuttle!

Back to LA it goes.

Someday I get to say "I watched a little piece of history today!"

My shuttle watching buddy

So my other fun tidbit is I got to meet Lizz Winstead today. Lizz Winstead is the co-creater of The Daily Show. She's a comedian a liberal and an advocate for Planned Parenthood. Chapman hosted the Big Orange Book Festival Friday and today. I'm trying to get more involved so I had volunteered awhile back to help out today. They were going to have such keynote speakers as Lizz, Alice Seybold (author of The Lovely Bones), Mary Bedlam (The actress who played Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird) and Sapphire (The gal who wrote Push which was later made into Precious) as well as many others. There were exhibitors, a kid’s area and forums to allow whomever to read a piece of their very own. It was a festival I thought was a very cool idea and was happy to help out. I was assigned to Lizz. I was told I was going to introduce her and help with her book signing. This made me quite nervous. So many people think "You’re an actor! This should be easy!" Well we actors don’t actually like to be ourselves up in front of people!!! This woman is smart, funny and pretty freaking awesome and I didn’t want to look like an ass in front of her. So I arrived early and was hanging in the green room with fellow volunteers waiting for Lizz to show up. My friend Amber volunteered for the morning shift and I was thrilled to hear she listened to Leslie Klinger (one of the world’s most foremost authorities on Sherlock Holmes and Dracula) and got her book signed. When Lizz showed up my stomach flip flopped. I played it as cool as I possibly could trying not to act like a nerd in front of her. I was thrilled when Amber stayed with us and the three of us chatted and got along very well. Lizz already had Amber and me falling for her as we walked her over to where she was going to be speaking. As we approached the George Bush Conference Center I about fell out realizing that is where they scheduled her! Hello irony. She laughed and took a picture of herself in front of the sign and promptly tweeted it. My hands shaking and palms sweating I read and re-read my intro for her. After about 15 agonizing minutes she said we could get started and I approached the podium and blurted out who knows what. I was told I did fine. (Thank GAWD) and my shaking self-plopped down next to Amber. Lizz was HILARIOUS! She spoke then read from her book (Lizz Free or Die) for about half an hour then took questions which went over her time but I don’t think anyone noticed. Everyone was having such a great time. I teared up a bit when she spoke of her father and it made me think of my dad. He and I are luckily pretty much on the same page politically but what she spoke of some memories they touched me. The audience had some good questions and there were even a good amount of blue hairs that are fellow lefties. The book signing went very smoothly. Since Lizz had accidently parked way off campus I had told her I would drive her in my air conditioned truck back to her car. So I hung back until all the books were signed and the last person headed out. She was so sweet and chatted with everyone and happily signed their books. When she signed mine she wrote "You make a great bodyguard” She’s someone I can look up to being a woman, a comedian, a liberal and have the mouth of a sailor. We joked and talked about Orange when I drove her to her car. As she left she gave me a hug and thanked me. It was pretty awesome! I can’t wait to read her book! The hilarious Lizz Winstead

A bit star struck

Easing back in...

Well ladies and gentleman - it's official. I have slowed down. I got the green light from the neurologist. I'm still dealing with some health stuff, but I'm pretty much back to normal. So I think - I'm going to ease back in. Yes ease. Yes I promised my father I wouldn’t push it. Yes I laughed when an email was sent around at my work advertising free kickboxing classes and my co-worker emailed back JUST SAY NO TO KICKBOXING with a smiley face. Yes the second I say I plan on (insert activity here) I get an eyebrow raise. But trust me folks - my body will not let me push too hard. I'm not going to lie, I get frustrated at how hard things are right now. But I am aware I'm not just dealing with being a few months out of shape, I'm dealing with one hell of a hit to my body. When someone says to me "Jami, it was only 3 months ago you almost fucking died!". Well when you put it that way.... So no - I'm not leaping back into my old workout routine I'm easing back in. It's harder but you know what - It still feels GREAT! I love how I feel when I'm active again. I've noticed I've been tired and out of sorts and I know this is because I'm not in a regular active routine, but I'll get there again. I'm really enjoying what I'm doing right now though! I signed up for a two week yoga trial, and once I get an answer/direction on this motion intolerance/vertigo situation I plan on signing up and attending regularly. It's called Sunspark yoga and they just opened up in the Orange Circle. It's perfect. It's close. The teachers are lovely. I've been taking walks on the weekends with my friend down at Crystal Cove. It's a brisk walk and we walk about 3 miles. It's of course gorgeous down there and I don’t mind driving down there at all. I still ride my bikes. It's a little harder, but I know this will take some time. I rode my beach cruiser to the Circle last weekend and on my way back I had to stop halfway up the freeway hill because my heart was racing faster than I've felt it in a long time. I calmly stopped, drank some water and reminded myself it was a million degrees outside as well. As I felt the blood rushing through my veins I couldn’t help but have a slight pause and think "Well, if my brain was going to pop again this would be the moment" All was well of course so I figure I'm for sure ok now! (Yes, I know a little dark humor). I also took a nice ride with another friend of mine on the Santa Ana River Trail with my other bike and it felt great. Was tough but felt amazing. I also just took my first hike in a long time. A friend of mine mentioned Peter's Canyon and I realized this is one of those places I always say I'll go to and just never have. With this new found "Just do it" attitude I nailed her for an afterwork hike. It was absolutely beautiful! She is quite active and I had to work hard to keep up with her. We were chatting the whole time but I found myself heaving between words when we were huffing up a hill. Sweat was literally pouring down my face and body and I was worried it was going to damage my nice camera. I laughed as I kept wiping myself down with my tank top. When we finally peaked I felt amazing. It was hotter than Hades and I was struggling to catch my breath but it felt so good to really get in a good workout. We took the flatter path on the way back to be careful with my just getting back into it, but I'm confident we can push a bit more the next time. I wasn’t that sore the next day at all. It just felt so good to be really physical again without pushing too hard. We plan on doing this every Wednesday after work until the time changes and my only regret is I never did this sooner. I mean here is this gorgeous piece of land not too far from my place and I've just never gotten around to getting over here. Crystal Cove is a just a freeway hop away and I never got down there much either. This is changing. I plan on getting out and getting more workouts in nature. I've always loved it, just been too lazy to find it. When my Crystal Cove walking buddy has her baby and is ready to get back into exercise again we'll be pushing ourselves even more as well. I'm thrilled and it feels great. I really do love to sweat! :) Nice view on our Crystal Cove walk:

Sometimes we walk along the beach:

Some shots of Peter's Canyon. The start of our hike:

A halfway point. Gorgeous view:

Our peak!

A little friend joined us:

Yup - we walked that!

A little jazz...

The 2nd Monday of every month at Steamers in downtown Fullerton a group of guys and my friend Shan perform. They call themselves Big Band 2000. Calling ahead of time for reservations is encouraged as they do pack you in like sardines. You may find yourself sharing a table with strangers. I love music. Most music. I especially love live music. Awhile back my friend told me she was singing with this group and invited me to come check it out. I did and loved it. I brought my dad with me the next time knowing he would love it which he did. It's a group of mostly old guys, there are a few younger ones but I don’t think anyone is under 35/40. The main guy chats in between songs and tells you stories. He also does a "Blast from the Past" portion where he gives you hints on what the song is and then they play it wanting you to guess. Last night was a version of "Something" by the Beatles. This is a group of guys who love to play. You can tell. They joke with each other, they know what they are doing and they are an extremely talented bunch of guys. Shan usually is called to sing a couple of times, usually 2 songs than 2 again later. They play two sets each night, the first one starting at 8pm. I usually only stay for the 1st set since it is a Monday night but for those night owls there is another one after that. They play jazz, big band and once in a while some oldies. My faves of Shan is when she sings Fever and All of Me. She's wonderful and charismatic and meant to be doing this. The crowd is all ages but a good amount are older folk. There are also the regulars that I see every time I go. They are adorable and remind me of my Papa. I wish I could bring my Papa to this actually because I know he would just love it. There is a regret. Why did I not know about this when my Papa was able to come out and enjoy it. These, among many others, are the reasons I don’t want to let life just pass me by. Last night was great night. I got there early, ordered my dinner and a glass of wine and waited for my dad and his wife to show. My friend T joined us after that. More food and booze were ordered and we settled in to watch the show. The bar filled instantly with the sound of brass drowning out anything else. People started bobbing their heads and tapping their feet. They always feature solos during the songs and as per usual the guys tear it up. I love watching the trombone, the sax players are so damn expression able, the drummer is perfectly on key, there is a fantastic pianist and of course Shan captivates the audience when she joins in. I adore this band. They are fun, talented and just makes you feel like you are back in the goldie oldie days listening to some jazz. I closed my eyes a few times and pictured myself in 1950 or something, in an old dark bar when life was slower and simpler. I wonder what it would have been like. Shan gets up for her 2nd set and pays a lovely tribute to me. I had requested she sing Fever a few days ago, but didn’t expect what she did. She pointed me out and told the crowd about my hemorrhage and that my body went to sleep for a while when I was bed ridden and how I came back and survived. She mentioned they almost lost me and she is so glad I was there and that Fever was for me. Everyone turned and looked to see who I was, my dad pointed me out and threw is arm around me in a tight hug. Tears welled up in my eyes. I smiled and blushed and gave a goofy wave. I'm constantly reminded how grateful I am to be here and I cherish each moment. I brought along camera as I'm trying to do much more now and tried to take low lighting shots. They aren’t the best, but I'm experimenting! If you find yourself looking for some great music in a great atmosphere then get yourself down to Steamers and check out Big Band 2000. They are a hoot and a talented one at that!