Note: I/we are not pretentious people, I feel like we are middle class hard working couple that enjoys life experiences more than materialistic things in life. We have a 1997 Rav4 and 2003 Honda Civic. We are not shoppers but rather buyers when it comes to clothing and such. We both have things in our closet from the second hand store. Everyone has their own indulgences whether is be cars, vacations, clothes, dining, wine etc. I am personally a life experience kind of guy and enjoy living in the moment. I cherish great friends and good times. I don't live to work I work to live. I say all of these things because this past weekend I turned 35 and lived and played like I was 21 again without the immature circumstances. Truth be told I try to live everyday to the fullest but this weekend was epic it's a time that I will never forget. I am not writing this to brag but to give you insight to how everything played out over my birthday weekend.
Background
It all started a couple months ago when Eva and I were in San Francisco visiting Rob and Ron and Eva suggested we come back to SF for my birthday. At the time it sounded like a good idea but after returning home I changed my mind and decided I wanted to go to LA. We have been living in SoCal for 6 years now and have been to LA 7-10 times not including runs to the airport. For the first 5 years or so we were not fans of the city at all. Only recently have we found our niche areas and thanks to a couple recommendations from the Sunset Magazine and the help of friends like Alison...thank you AB.
Birthday evening (Dec 13)
Ryan flew in on Thursday evening and we headed out to one of my favorite places in SD called El Camino. We have lived in SD for 6 years now and after checking in at my new facility I would meet someone that I would grow very close to that shares the exact same birthday and year as myself. Since finding this out Amanda and I have spent the last 6 birthday's together. In the past we have spent them at the Lei Lounge in University Heights but this year due to logistics we decided El Camino would be our spot. Eva made an incredible flour less chocolate cake with homemade nutella and it was amazing! We were greeted by a few friends that were holding a table for us having an ugly sweater party at the same time...thank you Brad, Marion, Javar, Tuesday and Mae! I had to be at work at 6 am on Friday so nothing crazy for me. It was good to see everyone and have a drink and spend my birthday with Amanda...love you! Thanks Eva for the amazing cake.
LA here we come
After a short night sleep and a short morning at work (I took off early so we could hit the road to LA before the traffic started getting bad plus it was raining. People in CA can't drive in the rain...there always a ton of accidents and then you have the idiots that slow down to rubber neck as they drive opposite direction) Ryan and I stopped to have some sushi at my favorite sushi spot in SD, Sabuku website and then hit the road. Both the waitress and the sushi chef warned Ryan that I love to have a good time because they had seen me before. Ryan reminded them that him and I had known each other for 15 years and we had been through a lot together. He drove and I tried to relax and rest for what would be an amazing night...little did I know how great it would be until later. I booked a room at the Loews Hollywood Hotel website on Hollywood and N. Highland in Hollywood Heights. It's kind of touristy in this area because of the walk of stars and what used to be the Kodak Theatre but you can't beat the price. I reserved rooms with a government rate at $125 a night which was $75 less than anything else in the area. Ryan had never been to Hollywood or LA for that matter and I think it's an area that everyone should see or stay in at least once, plus we were close to the Metro stop and Eva would be arriving the next day via the train from SD. We paid an extra $20 bucks for the upgraded room with view of downtown LA and the Hollywood sign. I recommend higher floors to avoid the street noise. You have the option to valet the car for $38 a day or you can self park in the same garage for $10 a day.
Friday Afternoon (14th December)
After checking in we decided to walk out and grab a happy hour drink somewhere close by and it just happens that the Roosevelt Hollywood Hotel website is right around the corner which is a staple when you're in LA. There was a private event in the reception area but there was an awesome Burger Bar and happy hour spot that we headed into just off the lobby called 25 degrees. We each had a couple drinks and then headed back to the hotel to try and get some rest before heading out. We agreed to meet Alison at West Hollywood at 830. Alison and I met through one of my co-workers and she lives in LA now and happens to know some very good spots to check out...again thanks AB after that weekend we like to think AB stands for Always Business! We both laid down for a couple hours and then started getting ready. Ryan reached out to one of his co-workers mothers and who lives in North Hollywood and she agreed to meet us at 8 so we could visit at the same spot we were meeting Alison.
Friday Night
We head outside to hotel lobby and wait for a bit to catch a cab and who would think that it would take 25 minutes to get to West Hollywood at 745 on a Friday night? Needless to say they had W. Sunset Blvd closed for all traffic for a DUI checkpoint. I agree they are needed but seemed a little stupid to stop a major artery that connects both places.
Anyway, AB made reservations at 830 at Fig and Olive website on Melrose Pl. in West Hollywood. There were a line of cars for valet and thankfully we didn't have to wait. We checked in with the hostess and grabbed a seat in the lounge area just behind the busy bar looking into the restaurant. It took us a while to get our first drink but we made good with the waiter. I always make it a point ot ask their name and try to make it as personal as possible. Needless to say by the end of the night we had the waiter and his helper calling all of us by our names! Ms. Janet met us shortly after we were seated and we chatted while waiting for AB. I could see the door from where I was sitting about 100 feet away and I saw what looked like Halle Berry walk in. I did not say anything because I did not want to seem out of place but as she and her group walked in they took a lounger adjacent to us and ordered wine. I could not believe my eyes...I had to ask both Ms. Janet and Ryan to confirm what I thought I was seeing. They obliged and I was in shock....I mean I had seen famous people before, heck I even tackled Woody Harelson in the snow at the Sundance Film Festival at 3am but this was surreal to me. This was the first stop of the evening and the day after my 35 birthday and I thought I was going to have to pinch myself. I have always had the biggest crush on Halle Berry and I think I even told Eva that I thought she was the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Well she did not disappoint...she was stunning in person. I texted Eva and she wanted me to take a picture...she was sitting to close for me to take a picture without being obvious and there was no chance I was going to go ask. Guys take note...be sure you look at everything she is wearing and write it down. Eva grilled me and wanted to know everything. Needless to say she had to ask AB because all I knew was that I had seen Halle Berry. We decided to eat and drink in the lounge area adjacent to the bar which was much less formal than the table seating in the main room. You could still see inside the restaurant over the dividers but did not have to sit at a table. The food was amazing and the drinks were perfect. Ms. Janet left as we were getting our food and they surprised me with a Mango Sorbet and desert aperitif after the meal. I found out from Ryan later that our bill was NOT cheap but you can't put a price on a memory like that. Wow!!
After dinner AB suggested we head to a place just across the street and a few buildings down called STK website. I had suggested I wanted a lounge feel and I can't tell you how spot on AB was at making this happen! This place was something I had never imagined. It was raining so we rushed over and through the arched vines into the lobby area of a hip and cool lounge that was overlooked by a large white table cloth dining area. It was my turn to order drinks and there were nothing but young hip beautiful people everywhere watching and being watched. Ryan and AB grabbed a high top and I stood so I could watch the hustle and bustle of the people. The music was 90's rock with a mix of alternative and it was loud. The interesting thing is there was music coming from an adjacent room and it was even louder. I did not know what was through the hallway but I had to go check it out for myself. Bagatelle can't find their website sorry was the name of the place and it was connected to STK. I was shocked...imagine the scene out of a Quentin Tarantino film...it blew my mind and only in LA. There was an elevated bar area at the top that held about 10-15 people, next to that they had a DJ table set up spinning some of the latest house music at the same time in the dining area just below there where nice white table clothes with families and others enjoying a nice what seemed to be formal dinner. It was crazy...I could not hear anything. I made small talk at the bar with a girl from Kentucky just to ask if it was always like that and she said she did not know but she thought so. Wild...it was loud I could not even here myself think! I guess if you have a date in LA and don't feel like talking to your date this would be a great place to go because you can't hear yourself anyway. I returned to the high top we had a couple drinks and left on to the next place. I told AB that I had been to The Abbey website before and it was a lot of fun. Eva and I were in LA a few months ago and we met a cool couple in the hotel lobby and they suggested The Abbey. We went with them and had a great time. It's more of a gay bar/club but has some of the most beautiful dancers and people in LA. AB suggested we go to a place close to The Abbey called Sur Lounge website and we could always head over there later to dance. Sur was very hip and we found a nice lounge area and met some cool people from South America. One of the guys had his own custom pet accessory business, you never know who you will meet in LA or how they got there but that's the fun in going out. Meeting new people trying new things and going to new places! We ended up staying and closing The Abbey down Ryan and I took a cab back to the Hotel and AB took Uber website home. Scott told me about Uber in PV last month but I had not seen the App or how it worked before. It's awesome...it's so much better than a cab and if you have the option of using them in your city...DO IT!
Saturday
Ryan and I slept and headed over to Mel's Diner website for brunch. We thought it would be a tourist trap but there were many locals and the food was not bad. We hopped the subway down to Union Station and met her train coming in from San Diego at 1:45 p.m. The subway was clean and they had attendants to help us purchase our metro cards and get us on the way. We headed straight from Union Station back to 25 Degrees for an afternoon snack and a happy hour drink! Eva had always heard of the Roosevelt and wanted to check it out. The bartender I called him Dallas because he was from TX remembered us from the day before and said hey it's your birthday. Little did he know it was 2 days after my birthday but we were hard to forget. We had thoughts to go and check out the bar downstairs that is supposed to be hip and has a burlesque show as well as some sort of midget show?? After burgers and a couple happy hour drinks we headed back to the hotel and Ryan picked up his room key and we took a power nap before Round 2.
Ryan wanted to grab a drink and a bite at Katsuya website in Hollywood to compare it to the one in Houston prior to meeting up with AB. We had plans to meet AB back in West Hollywood at Red O website for some awesome mexican food. The place was hip and super busy....there was no way to get on the reservation list so we headed to the bar area to grab a drink. Luck was on our side and we found an open high top and decided to eat and drink there instead of waiting for a table. The food was amazing...we all ordered appetizers and ate tapas style sharing over great conversation. AB said this place was great and I had no reason to doubt her, after all the night before was better than expected.
After dinner I wanted to head back to STK and AB took the reigns and said she has something else in store for us. We headed out to another spot that was busy and full of people living it up...we had a few drinks then to finish off the evening AB suggested we head to the Chateau Marmont website for a nightcap to finish off a great weekend. Little did I know there were to separate areas at this place. One was located in the restaurant and the other was secluded enclave hidden behind the wall of valet drivers and through the arch way leading into the castle. AB said she had never been inside the Bar Marmont and suggested we give it a try. Needless we started to make our way in and one of the valet's stopped and asked if we had reservations. It was almost one in the morning and I am thinking who makes reservations after midnight? Anyway, I told him we did not and asked if we could go in, he hesitated and I asked if $50 would suffice and he would give us a pass. He had us wait for a moment and then went and talked with his group and agreed. We were all dressed nice and both Eva and AB were stunning, why not give 4 beautiful people a pass when they offer $50. We were left at the door to find our way inside and make our way up the steps to the hostess stand. We chose to sit outside under a clear plastic tent with views of the hotel and ordered a round a of cocktails. The place had the feeling of the exclusive but was not over the top. We bought a couple rounds and I offered to buy the waiter a drink as well. I am convinced the reason we were able to stay long after last call was because we were taking care of the guy that was taking care of us. We were only asked to leave at around 3 which just so happens to be after Ryan opened up the piano and played a little song for the rest of us to enjoy. Regardless it was time to go and the perfect ending to a good weekend...
Epic
This was indeed one of the most memorable birthdays I have ever had and I am convinced other than my 21st when I hit the casino in Biloxi MS with Jeff and Nick would be one of the best. I felt as though we were in a zone all weekend. Even though it was my birthday I was sharing it with people and living life all throughout the weekend. As I have mentioned before I think life is all about the experience and living it for what it brings. We can't take the materialistic things with us and the memories that are made with truly great people are what I cherish. A very big thanks to Eva, Ryan for flying out on a whim from Houston and AB for showing how to roll LA style! I love you guys and I am so happy to have you in my life...
Eva wrote two quotes in my birthday card this year that sum it up best:
"How old would you be, if you didn't know how old you were?"
"Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter."
Background
It all started a couple months ago when Eva and I were in San Francisco visiting Rob and Ron and Eva suggested we come back to SF for my birthday. At the time it sounded like a good idea but after returning home I changed my mind and decided I wanted to go to LA. We have been living in SoCal for 6 years now and have been to LA 7-10 times not including runs to the airport. For the first 5 years or so we were not fans of the city at all. Only recently have we found our niche areas and thanks to a couple recommendations from the Sunset Magazine and the help of friends like Alison...thank you AB.
Birthday evening (Dec 13)
Ryan flew in on Thursday evening and we headed out to one of my favorite places in SD called El Camino. We have lived in SD for 6 years now and after checking in at my new facility I would meet someone that I would grow very close to that shares the exact same birthday and year as myself. Since finding this out Amanda and I have spent the last 6 birthday's together. In the past we have spent them at the Lei Lounge in University Heights but this year due to logistics we decided El Camino would be our spot. Eva made an incredible flour less chocolate cake with homemade nutella and it was amazing! We were greeted by a few friends that were holding a table for us having an ugly sweater party at the same time...thank you Brad, Marion, Javar, Tuesday and Mae! I had to be at work at 6 am on Friday so nothing crazy for me. It was good to see everyone and have a drink and spend my birthday with Amanda...love you! Thanks Eva for the amazing cake.
LA here we come
After a short night sleep and a short morning at work (I took off early so we could hit the road to LA before the traffic started getting bad plus it was raining. People in CA can't drive in the rain...there always a ton of accidents and then you have the idiots that slow down to rubber neck as they drive opposite direction) Ryan and I stopped to have some sushi at my favorite sushi spot in SD, Sabuku website and then hit the road. Both the waitress and the sushi chef warned Ryan that I love to have a good time because they had seen me before. Ryan reminded them that him and I had known each other for 15 years and we had been through a lot together. He drove and I tried to relax and rest for what would be an amazing night...little did I know how great it would be until later. I booked a room at the Loews Hollywood Hotel website on Hollywood and N. Highland in Hollywood Heights. It's kind of touristy in this area because of the walk of stars and what used to be the Kodak Theatre but you can't beat the price. I reserved rooms with a government rate at $125 a night which was $75 less than anything else in the area. Ryan had never been to Hollywood or LA for that matter and I think it's an area that everyone should see or stay in at least once, plus we were close to the Metro stop and Eva would be arriving the next day via the train from SD. We paid an extra $20 bucks for the upgraded room with view of downtown LA and the Hollywood sign. I recommend higher floors to avoid the street noise. You have the option to valet the car for $38 a day or you can self park in the same garage for $10 a day.
Friday Afternoon (14th December)
After checking in we decided to walk out and grab a happy hour drink somewhere close by and it just happens that the Roosevelt Hollywood Hotel website is right around the corner which is a staple when you're in LA. There was a private event in the reception area but there was an awesome Burger Bar and happy hour spot that we headed into just off the lobby called 25 degrees. We each had a couple drinks and then headed back to the hotel to try and get some rest before heading out. We agreed to meet Alison at West Hollywood at 830. Alison and I met through one of my co-workers and she lives in LA now and happens to know some very good spots to check out...again thanks AB after that weekend we like to think AB stands for Always Business! We both laid down for a couple hours and then started getting ready. Ryan reached out to one of his co-workers mothers and who lives in North Hollywood and she agreed to meet us at 8 so we could visit at the same spot we were meeting Alison.
Friday Night
We head outside to hotel lobby and wait for a bit to catch a cab and who would think that it would take 25 minutes to get to West Hollywood at 745 on a Friday night? Needless to say they had W. Sunset Blvd closed for all traffic for a DUI checkpoint. I agree they are needed but seemed a little stupid to stop a major artery that connects both places.
Anyway, AB made reservations at 830 at Fig and Olive website on Melrose Pl. in West Hollywood. There were a line of cars for valet and thankfully we didn't have to wait. We checked in with the hostess and grabbed a seat in the lounge area just behind the busy bar looking into the restaurant. It took us a while to get our first drink but we made good with the waiter. I always make it a point ot ask their name and try to make it as personal as possible. Needless to say by the end of the night we had the waiter and his helper calling all of us by our names! Ms. Janet met us shortly after we were seated and we chatted while waiting for AB. I could see the door from where I was sitting about 100 feet away and I saw what looked like Halle Berry walk in. I did not say anything because I did not want to seem out of place but as she and her group walked in they took a lounger adjacent to us and ordered wine. I could not believe my eyes...I had to ask both Ms. Janet and Ryan to confirm what I thought I was seeing. They obliged and I was in shock....I mean I had seen famous people before, heck I even tackled Woody Harelson in the snow at the Sundance Film Festival at 3am but this was surreal to me. This was the first stop of the evening and the day after my 35 birthday and I thought I was going to have to pinch myself. I have always had the biggest crush on Halle Berry and I think I even told Eva that I thought she was the most beautiful women in Hollywood. Well she did not disappoint...she was stunning in person. I texted Eva and she wanted me to take a picture...she was sitting to close for me to take a picture without being obvious and there was no chance I was going to go ask. Guys take note...be sure you look at everything she is wearing and write it down. Eva grilled me and wanted to know everything. Needless to say she had to ask AB because all I knew was that I had seen Halle Berry. We decided to eat and drink in the lounge area adjacent to the bar which was much less formal than the table seating in the main room. You could still see inside the restaurant over the dividers but did not have to sit at a table. The food was amazing and the drinks were perfect. Ms. Janet left as we were getting our food and they surprised me with a Mango Sorbet and desert aperitif after the meal. I found out from Ryan later that our bill was NOT cheap but you can't put a price on a memory like that. Wow!!
After dinner AB suggested we head to a place just across the street and a few buildings down called STK website. I had suggested I wanted a lounge feel and I can't tell you how spot on AB was at making this happen! This place was something I had never imagined. It was raining so we rushed over and through the arched vines into the lobby area of a hip and cool lounge that was overlooked by a large white table cloth dining area. It was my turn to order drinks and there were nothing but young hip beautiful people everywhere watching and being watched. Ryan and AB grabbed a high top and I stood so I could watch the hustle and bustle of the people. The music was 90's rock with a mix of alternative and it was loud. The interesting thing is there was music coming from an adjacent room and it was even louder. I did not know what was through the hallway but I had to go check it out for myself. Bagatelle can't find their website sorry was the name of the place and it was connected to STK. I was shocked...imagine the scene out of a Quentin Tarantino film...it blew my mind and only in LA. There was an elevated bar area at the top that held about 10-15 people, next to that they had a DJ table set up spinning some of the latest house music at the same time in the dining area just below there where nice white table clothes with families and others enjoying a nice what seemed to be formal dinner. It was crazy...I could not hear anything. I made small talk at the bar with a girl from Kentucky just to ask if it was always like that and she said she did not know but she thought so. Wild...it was loud I could not even here myself think! I guess if you have a date in LA and don't feel like talking to your date this would be a great place to go because you can't hear yourself anyway. I returned to the high top we had a couple drinks and left on to the next place. I told AB that I had been to The Abbey website before and it was a lot of fun. Eva and I were in LA a few months ago and we met a cool couple in the hotel lobby and they suggested The Abbey. We went with them and had a great time. It's more of a gay bar/club but has some of the most beautiful dancers and people in LA. AB suggested we go to a place close to The Abbey called Sur Lounge website and we could always head over there later to dance. Sur was very hip and we found a nice lounge area and met some cool people from South America. One of the guys had his own custom pet accessory business, you never know who you will meet in LA or how they got there but that's the fun in going out. Meeting new people trying new things and going to new places! We ended up staying and closing The Abbey down Ryan and I took a cab back to the Hotel and AB took Uber website home. Scott told me about Uber in PV last month but I had not seen the App or how it worked before. It's awesome...it's so much better than a cab and if you have the option of using them in your city...DO IT!
Saturday
Ryan and I slept and headed over to Mel's Diner website for brunch. We thought it would be a tourist trap but there were many locals and the food was not bad. We hopped the subway down to Union Station and met her train coming in from San Diego at 1:45 p.m. The subway was clean and they had attendants to help us purchase our metro cards and get us on the way. We headed straight from Union Station back to 25 Degrees for an afternoon snack and a happy hour drink! Eva had always heard of the Roosevelt and wanted to check it out. The bartender I called him Dallas because he was from TX remembered us from the day before and said hey it's your birthday. Little did he know it was 2 days after my birthday but we were hard to forget. We had thoughts to go and check out the bar downstairs that is supposed to be hip and has a burlesque show as well as some sort of midget show?? After burgers and a couple happy hour drinks we headed back to the hotel and Ryan picked up his room key and we took a power nap before Round 2.
Ryan wanted to grab a drink and a bite at Katsuya website in Hollywood to compare it to the one in Houston prior to meeting up with AB. We had plans to meet AB back in West Hollywood at Red O website for some awesome mexican food. The place was hip and super busy....there was no way to get on the reservation list so we headed to the bar area to grab a drink. Luck was on our side and we found an open high top and decided to eat and drink there instead of waiting for a table. The food was amazing...we all ordered appetizers and ate tapas style sharing over great conversation. AB said this place was great and I had no reason to doubt her, after all the night before was better than expected.
After dinner I wanted to head back to STK and AB took the reigns and said she has something else in store for us. We headed out to another spot that was busy and full of people living it up...we had a few drinks then to finish off the evening AB suggested we head to the Chateau Marmont website for a nightcap to finish off a great weekend. Little did I know there were to separate areas at this place. One was located in the restaurant and the other was secluded enclave hidden behind the wall of valet drivers and through the arch way leading into the castle. AB said she had never been inside the Bar Marmont and suggested we give it a try. Needless we started to make our way in and one of the valet's stopped and asked if we had reservations. It was almost one in the morning and I am thinking who makes reservations after midnight? Anyway, I told him we did not and asked if we could go in, he hesitated and I asked if $50 would suffice and he would give us a pass. He had us wait for a moment and then went and talked with his group and agreed. We were all dressed nice and both Eva and AB were stunning, why not give 4 beautiful people a pass when they offer $50. We were left at the door to find our way inside and make our way up the steps to the hostess stand. We chose to sit outside under a clear plastic tent with views of the hotel and ordered a round a of cocktails. The place had the feeling of the exclusive but was not over the top. We bought a couple rounds and I offered to buy the waiter a drink as well. I am convinced the reason we were able to stay long after last call was because we were taking care of the guy that was taking care of us. We were only asked to leave at around 3 which just so happens to be after Ryan opened up the piano and played a little song for the rest of us to enjoy. Regardless it was time to go and the perfect ending to a good weekend...
Epic
This was indeed one of the most memorable birthdays I have ever had and I am convinced other than my 21st when I hit the casino in Biloxi MS with Jeff and Nick would be one of the best. I felt as though we were in a zone all weekend. Even though it was my birthday I was sharing it with people and living life all throughout the weekend. As I have mentioned before I think life is all about the experience and living it for what it brings. We can't take the materialistic things with us and the memories that are made with truly great people are what I cherish. A very big thanks to Eva, Ryan for flying out on a whim from Houston and AB for showing how to roll LA style! I love you guys and I am so happy to have you in my life...
Comments