Hollywood and Pine

It's great to be home but I have to tell you that Michael and I had an absolutely terrific time last week in Los Angeles. (I admit it: I wish I were bi-coastal.) (For those who come here for photos of hot men and general interest stuff, please scroll down: vacation details ahead!)

Moments after the plane landed at LAX, I had a fun little get-together with friends at the Abbey in West Hollywood. Special guests included my pals Mark and Jeff, Greg Hernandez of Out in Hollywood fame, hilarious performer (and all-around sweetheart) Micah McCain of Shut Up! I Know! fame, and the lovely writer/producer/director/activist Andrea James. (We also came this close to getting a photo of "CSI: Miami" hunk Adam Rodriguez, who was sitting at a nearby table!)
Later at Here we ran into Philipp Karner, a bartender at the Abbey who stars in the new film "Kiss the Bride" opposite James O'Shea and Tori Spelling. (How adorable is he?)On Monday Michael surprised me with dinner at the Ivy. (See separate entry here.)

On Tuesday Michael fulfilled a longtime dream of going to Dodger Stadium. (Look how great our seats were!) Although I'm not a huge Dodgers fan (maybe if Mike Piazza were still with 'em), the place is really something and it was Jackie Robinson Night, which made the otherwise routine routing of the Pittsburgh Pirates something special. (All the players wore Number 42 in his honor.) Chaka Khan added the necessary gay touch by performing the National Anthem, and I found a future Morning Wood candidate in third baseman Blake DeWitt. (I never stop working for you people, even on vacation!)
On Wednesday we attended a taping of "Chelsea Lately," my fave talk show. We lucked out that Tina Yothers (Jennifer Keaton!!!) was the guest (she was hilarious), but were rudely reminded how annoying security guards can be with their never-ending power-hungry attempts to control your every move ("stand there," "line up there," "move more over there"; "line up again but over here"). Enough, already! These people think they're in show business and need to be stopped!
Once we FINALLY got seated Chelsea came out and said hi and the show itself was a riot. "Chelsea Lately" is taped all the way on the West Side (just down the street from my old apartment on South Bundy Drive), so afterward we heading over to Santa Monica (no trip to L.A. would be complete without a visit to the beach) and did some shopping on the Third Street Promenade with visions of Jack Tripper falling off his bicycle in my head ...

For those who don't know, I used to live in L.A. in my early 20s and have always had a huge place in my heart for the city that houses so many broken dreams. I first experienced Melrose Avenue et al. way back in the mid-'80s when my best pal, Mark, and I were out in the Southland to attend his older brother's wedding. We stopped by the Go-Go's management company (you never know, Jane might be stopping by to pick up a royalty check) and then strolled up and down the streets past all the funky shops. (I was hooked.) While I understand why so many people dislike this city of (fallen) angels, it's all of that and more that makes me love it so. Everything about it is ridiculous and fake -- from the hooker/actress/waitress serving you at the restaurant to the "leading" man parking your car. It's like movies are a metaphor for the city in which they're made (or is it the other way around?). Whatever the case, I try to visit at least once a year and the Standard Hotel on Sunset (a stone's throw from the famed and too-rich-for-my-blood Chateau Marmount) is my lodging of choice. The 24-hour restaurant is delish (although I could kill them for scrapping the Eggsadilla!); the rooms are big, fun and have great views of the city; and the pool is frequented by a bevy of hipsters, hotties and poseurs, which makes the people-watching second to none. It's walking distance to the Crunch on Sunset and Crescent Heights, where every has-been celeb and hot wannabe actor in town works out (this time we saw Jennifer Capriati -- might the Florida gal be toning up for a turn on "Dancing With the Stars"?) If you're thinking of checking out the Hollywood scene, I highly recommend ...

Coming up: Part Two of the trip in Arizona with the whole fam damily ...