exciting (not really a) celebrity sighting

i have lived in la for over 10 years and have had a whole bunch of celebrity sightings in my day. but this morning while leaving crunch gym i was extremely excited to spot AND recognize a personality from one of my current top shows, The Biggest Loser: Couples.

when i saw him i knew immediately who he was, and the neon yellow brita water bottle that all the contestants have on the show reinforced the sighting. but i was sad because if he was at crunch today, that means he got kicked off the show. but then i was happy because he looked like he had lost a lot of weight, and he was at the gym afterall!

so good for you, Mike from the Brown Team! (and good for me because i got my ass to the gym too)



this is mike before - i think he's lost about 100 pounds as of today

one of her experts is coming to my home

i can't WAIT to see her selection of "energy star windows". heh.

Just One Word - thanks to Natalia for this idea

Just one word

USING ONLY ONE WORD! It's not as easy as you might think! Copy and change the answers to suit you and pass it on. It's really hard to only use one word answers. Be sure to tag the person you received it from!


1. Where is your cell phone? purse

2. Your significant other? soccer

3. Your hair? overgrown

4. Your mother? facebooking

5. Your father? dieting

6. Your favorite? quietude

7. Your dream last night? forgotten

8. Your favorite drink? d.coke

9. Your dream/goal? barcelona

10. What room you are in? work

11. Your hobby? eating

12. Your fear? bankrupt

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? nursing

14. Where were you last night? pinches

15. Something that you are not? skinny

16. Muffins? muffintops

17. Wish list item? dough

18. Where you grew up? scottsdale

19. Last thing you did? answered

20. What are you wearing? schlumpys

21. Your TV? home

22. Your pets? greta

23. Friends? missed

24. Your life? meh

25. Your mood? anxious

26. Missing someone? viva

27. Car? mini

28. Something you're not wearing? stylish

29. Your favorite store? Therapy

30. Your favorite color? fuschia

33. When is the last time you laughed? earlier

34. Last time you cried? betty

35. Who will resend this? n/a

36. One place that I go to over and over? work

37. One person who texts me regularly? Kim

38. My favorite place to eat? LGs

39. My favorite food? Steak

Enough with the Tagging (or, how I ripped off Lubes' post idea)

As a frequent user of the Facebook, I keep getting emails saying that I've been 'Tagged' in someone's post - 25 Random Things about Me. This is a lie. I have not been mentioned a single time in any of these posts. However, I have really enjoyed reading these lists - some of the facts about friends I knew, some were total surprises. Jeff hates eggs. Tegs sucked her thumb until she was 15. Shannon's husband is Japanese-Japanese, not Japanese-American. And so much more. So if Lubes does not mind, I'm going to copy her idea to post my list here. Doing my part to stop this infernal game of Tag.

1. My dad owned a deli when I was little and we lived in New York, this explains my love for lox, dill pickles, matzo ball soup, and burnt frankfurters.

2. My dad owns 2 mexican restaurants now, this explains my love for guacamole, mini-chimis, flautas, green corn tamales, and pretty much all other mexican food except for chili relleno.

3. When I was in 4th grade and Kim was in 2nd, Madonna came into my dad's restaurant on her "Like a Virgin" tour. My dad called us and we raced down and sat at the table next to her. When our babysitter asked if she would give 2 of her young fans an autograph, she said to her security person "Let's get the fuck out of here". This was the end of my Madonna-Wannabe phase.

4. I am a huge Pee-Wee Herman fan. Although my talking Pee-Wee does not work, it was autographed by P.W. himself. It reads "Hi Kara! Your Pal, Pee-Wee Herman". This happened when Paul Reubens guest starred on Ally McBeal.

5. I have my motorcycle license and a Vespa scooter.

6. Chalkboards give me the creeps.

7. I am afraid of ghosts and aliens.

8. In college I took a course to become a certified aerobics instructor but never took the state test to become certified.

9. Two of my favorite websites are www.overheardinnewyork.com and www.passiveagressivenotes.com. I thank Jess and Emmy for turning me on to them, respectively.

10. In 8th grade I went to the Milli Vanilli Concert at the Phoenix Coliseum. Young MC opened for them.

11. I spoke with Young MC on the phone this week. He's playing himself in the movie I'm working on. He lives in Scottsdale.

12. My mom just added me as a friend on Facebook. The apocalypse is upon us.

13. I have had a drag queen fetish for as long as I can remember. 'Tootsie' was my favorite movie as a child. My mom saved an essay I wrote in first grade about how my perfect day would be going to see 'Tootsie' again in the movie theater. This fetish may be hereditary. My dad loves drag queens too, but he calls them 'female impersonators'. The Bette and Barbra impersonators in a show called 'La Cage' are his favorites.

14. In sixth grade I stepped on my math teacher's foot (Mrs. Kules) at a pep rally. Instead of saying sorry I said "Wrap a Mobius Strip around it". I wasn't trying to be a smart-ass or mean, I thought it was a good joke and that she'd laugh. She did not.

15. This past April I was Juror #4 in a 4 week long civil case. It involved a chain of stores called Brighton. I lost the election for Jury Foreman.

16. I have never been to Canada, Chicago or New Orleans.

17. Ben and I met 10 years ago in June.

18. Lately I go to the gym on Tuesday nights to watch The Biggest Loser while on the treadmill. I find it extremely inspirational.

19. Diet Coke and Gummy Bears (Haribo only) are two of my favorite poisons.

20. I went to see the Dave Matthews Band in 1994 in a tiny club in Boston. They sold their albums themselves on casette tapes at the time. For some reason I think this makes me 'cool'.

21. There are a lot of videos on Youtube about blackheads and ingrown hairs. I've heard.

22. There are a lot of videos on Youtube about Boston Terrier and French Bulldog puppies. I've been told.

23. Barcelona is my #1 place I'd like to visit, maybe this will be the year.

24. If I had not gone to Wellesley I would not be the person I am today. I have Wellesley dreams at least once a week - either I'm back in school or visiting campus. They are my favorite dreams.

25. to be continued.

i'll make this stop any day

for the past year and a half or so, a storefront on santa monica blvd in west hollywood has had a 'coming soon' poster for the Yogurt Stop - touted to be a self-serve yogurt shop.

well today ben and i beheld the miracle that is the yogurt stop. not only was the place teeming with hot gay weho dudes and the dogs that love them, but inside there was a toddler's birthday party in progress with some of the most beautiful and hippest babies ever strapped into a bjorn.

the nice owner-lady and her girlfriend (the other nice owner-lady) invited ben and me to sample all seven available flavors (the eighth flavor was already sold out). there are tons of those little tiny paper sample cups that you can just grab! then you walk up to the machine and pull the lever to dispense the yogurt!

after a healthy taste of each, i settled on a weho tart (aka pinkberry flava), tart strawberry, fierce french vanilla, peanut butter combo. THEN you proceed to the toppings bar where there are about 20 items, probably more, to choose from. and since you are charged by the ounce (39 cents an ounce), you can have as many toppings in whatever proportion that you fancy.

i helped myself to golden grahams (on the peanut butter), oreo (on the weho tart), dirt mix (which is some kind of chocolate powder), and dinosaur sprinkles (kids love 'em!). ben got pinkberry staples mochi balls and fresh fruit and then added some mini gummi bears for good measure. this place was abuzz with excitement and joy.

perhaps the best part of the Yogurt Stop is their logo. as the owner put it "she's either a super-model or a tranny - we leave it up to you to decide."

no matter what she is, she'll keep me coming back for more. lots more.

a sad goodbye to an old and faithful friend

after over eight years, i am about to say goodbye to a friend who has served me well as long as we've lived together. when we met, he was a marvel. together we were pioneers. people were amazed by what he could do. and although i bought him from my former boss, ken miller, i knew that in his heart he did not begin his life until he came home with me. we saw each other through three jobs, three homes, a wedding, a national tragedy, the triumph of obama's win, countless ups and downs, ins and outs. but on monday we will say goodbye.

my first generation TiVo has croaked. after Big Love affairs with Mad Men, watching while Ugly Betty Scrubs The Office, and 30 Rock of Love (now on a Bus!) he is now in a state of Arrested Development. he gave out the other night while playing me to sleep with an episode of Seinfeld.

i will miss his loopy bloops, his jaunty dance, his funny antennae. the Moxi that's coming might be half his size, and able to record two shows at once and have quadruple the storage capacity - but it will never take TiVo's place in my heart.

other people's babies montage

this week i have had the pleasure of meeting these three new babies for the first time.


this is alexander harris guttell - son of one of my oldest friends, adam, and his wonderful wife, amy. alexander will turn one on january 8, 2009. he enjoys being read to, shaking maracas, and banging cymbals. we got to hang around together at adam's parents' house here in scottsdale.


this is ruby o'brien - she is the newest addition to my cousins corey and rebecca's family - she came home to arizona from ethiopia in september. we shared a delicious meal at carlos o'brien's. ruby's interests include picking up cheerios, splashing in the bath with her older sisters, and eating refried beans with sour cream. she will be one on february 2, 2009.


this is skylar rose mack - she is the daughter of my cousin nicole. skylar and her mom were passing through town on their way back home to new york and sat down for tea with me today. her hobbies include smiling, laughing, trying out her 2 new teeth, and traveling. she is seven months old.



this is my sister kim's cat, prince. i call him "prince charming" but ben calls him "ron". he is a real mischief maker - he enjoys biting, scratching, chasing his laser pointer, watching mtv and waiting for his mom to come home from work. for special occasions he will wear his bejeweled collar but he won't like it. he is about five months old.