If you want the ultimate, you’ve got to be willing to pay the ultimate price.

 

No this is not where I was surfing

Yeah, I know lame Point Break reference but in this case it’s significant.  As a testament to my trying to do new things on my “staycation”  I decided that I would do something that I would normally only do if I was a minimum 1000 miles away from home, where no one could see, or make fun of me.  But (I know you should never start a sentence with but)… But since I’m stuck at home this summer I decided that surfing lessons were de riguer.  Luckily, as  California resident I have a plethora of friends who surf and live near the beach, and most were willing to help me humilitate myself.  So, I loaded up the car and I went to Redondo… Beach that is, surfing studs, no movie stars.  

My biggest worry about the surfing lessons wasn’t falling off, or not being able to stand up, or even looking like an ass (which I totally did) it was the beginners suck attitude.  Something I really didn’t have to worry about.  The coolest thing about being a girl and learning to surf is that boys are very willing to help you, so are other girls by the way.  Especially, if you say sorry a lot.  

My friends decided that due to my bum knee, they were going to start me in the water.  Caught a break there as I’m a pretty good swimmer and have strong arms (the boys were amazed how fast I picked up paddling), lost the break the first time I tried to duck dive with a long board (not possible on first day).  I paddled, they pushed, and I caught a few waves (never managed to stand up).  On wave number three I cut off another surfer and after a few apologies, and the standard “it’s my first day” (to which he replied, “I can tell”), he even got into the action of trying to help out.  My friends spent the next couple of hours taking turns surfing and teaching and the whole day was amazing.  

Even though I ate it a bunch of times, ended up with an unreal amount of sand in my bathing suit, and had the shark scare (it was seaweed), I was really disappointed when it was time to go back in.  The boys, and Nancy have agreed to let me take more of their time this coming weekend so I’m off to the beach again on Sat.  This time Laureli, is going to take a stab at it, which will be good since watching her float nearby laughing at me didn’t help at all.  I’m looking forward to doing it to her.

Note: If you ever wonder why surfers have such amazing bodies, it ’s because it’s nowhere near as easy as it looks.  I am hurting in muscles that I didn’t know could hurt, and the next day I could barely move my arms and stomach.  Can’t wait to get back out there.  Talk about an all over body work out.

Big thanks to Howard and Nancy, and that hottie that gave me some pointers and disappeared into the waves.

If you don’t have the luck of having willing friends like I do don’t fret, as with all things in LA you can pay someone to do it.  Here are a list of surfing schools  that were recommended to me:

Islands Surf Camp – Santa Monica, CA

Aqua Surf School – Santa Monica, CA (but it looks like they teach at other beaches)

Malibu Surf Lessons – Malibu, CA

Watching Movies with the Stars… Dead Ones

Arthur Brisbane once said, “The fence around a cemetery is foolish, for those inside can’t get out and those outside don’t want to get in.”

Well if Mr. Brisbane was alive today he might have to take that back, for Saturday and Sunday nights at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery people are dying (excuse the pun) to get in.  

For several years now Cinespia has turned Hollywood Forever Cemetery into a spooky film lovers paradise by screening classic films and cult favorites under and over the stars. 

The Cemetery resting place of classic films stars the like of Jayne Mansfield and Rudolf Valentino starts the party off at 7:30 pm when the gates to the cemetery open, people start pouring in, and the DJ’s start spinning.  The film doesn’t begin till 9:00 pm so come prepared.  

Cemetery Survival Guide:

1. On a Saturday night people begin lining up to get in at around 5:00/5:30pm.  To avoid the line you have two options a) Show up 10 mins before the movie starts and slide right in, the bad part of this is you can’t really find a great spot to perch, you might not get in, and you will have a devil of a time finding parking, b) the great folks at Cinespia have come up with one of the best ways to avoid the Saturday night crush… Sunday nights.  This year Cinespia is also screening on Sundays.

2. Take a cab.  Parking is near impossible to find, (except on Sundays the auto repair shop next door was wide open, but parking was $10).  If you plan on parking in  the cemetery be prepared to wait in a long line of car getting in and even worse you have to wait till everyone is cleared out to leave.  There is a $5 parking charge.

3. Bring a picnic.  Alcohol is permitted, so go ahead grab three of your closest friends and 10 bottles of wine, after all you’re not driving.  Gelsons, Whole Food, Bristol Farms, and Trader Joe’s are the places to go prior to arrival.  Don’t forget the bottle opener!  Do everyone a favor and pick up you trash on the way out. No BBQing. 

4. LOW chairs, blankets, bean bags.  All are acceptable, but unless you plan on using your boyfriend/girlfriend as a back rest do yourself a favor and get the chair.  While I was happy as a clam eating dinner on the picnic blanket around hour 3 of sitting on it I was wondering if I could book an appointment with my chiropractor by text message.  Also, it gets chilly even on the hottest days once the sun goes down bring a second blanket for snuggling under. No TALL chairs.

5. No dogs.  Boo, but okay, it does get really crowded and adding 500 dogs to a crowd of a thousand people is never a good idea. 

6.  Don’t text during the movie.

7.  If you are a non-smoker, sit on the edges, if it’s not the cloud of pot that smokes you out the cigs will.

8.  Do not walk on or even too close to the graves.  The Zombie police will bark at you.  I stopped to check out and interesting gravestone and one of the more aggressive Zombies almost chewed out my eyes.  

9.  There is a $10 “donation” that is not optional.  I really have to look up the word donation again as I thought it meant something entirely different than “cover charge”.  

10.  Be ready to have fun.

In New York they have Shakespeare in the Park, in LA it’s Capra in the Cemetery.

Going Somewhere, Going Nowhere

Embracing the Staycation

Whether it’s the  $4.00 plus per gallon at the pump, the rising airline fares, or the current exchange rates, people are staying closer to home this summer.  The “staycation” has become the new alternative to pricey and sometimes stressful travel. If  you decide to embrace the staycation, as with all things there are rules one must follow to make the staycation a truly relaxing time.

 

It is essential that when taking a staycation that it be treated as you would a vacation.  Let your clients, employer and/or employees know that you will not be available.  Forward your emails, if necessary, to others in your office, and change the message on your voice mail letting people know that you won’t be available for the dates you are gone.  Curb the impulse to check your email, or answer your voice mails, unless this is something you would do while backpacking through Europe or South America don’t do it while staycationing.

 

Stay in a nearby hotel.  Let them know you are a local and they may offer a discounted rate or an upgrade. If leaving your house doesn’t sound all that great to you, hire a maid for the staycation period. Let them know that you are staycationing and would like them to come in once a day make the bed, empty the garbage, and generally treat it as if your home were a hotel.  A number of house cleaning services would be glad to offer you a slightly discounted rate for daily service in hopes that after your vacation you will retain their services.

 

Do not become a sloth.  You wouldn’t sit in your hotel and watch television if you were in France, don’t do it at home.  Set the DVR to record and go out.  Plan each day to take the most advantage of the time you have off.  Make it crazy, make it lazy, just don’t sit in the house.

 

Become a tourist in your town.  Consult guidebooks and travel websites.  Check into museums, street fairs and festivals, concerts, outdoor movies, and nearby hotspots.  Or get really creative and plan to participate in activities that would mirror the vacation you would have taken.  Were you planning to go to Italy?  Look into anything Italian that your area may have to offer i.e., restaurants, films, museums, or plan a La Dolce Vita evening at home.  Order in from the best Italian restaurant in the area or hire a chef to come over and cook it for you, splurge on a great bottle of Chianti, and throw some Italian music or a film on and enjoy.