Unique L.A. – May 2 & 3, 2009

Good news, amigos! This weekend, May 2nd and 3rd, 2009, Unique L.A., that super cool “independent design and gift sale” that rocked our world last December is returning to downtown Los Angeles. Yay!

I never got around to blogging about how awesome this rocking two-day event was, but now that it’s coming around again, I gotta tell ya, Unique L.A. rules! Not only do they feature work from over 230 artists, designers and musicians, but they also feature said artistry at a totally reasonable price!

Last time we came home with bags full of cool baby duds from Misha Lulu, some killer prints for Greta’s nursery from Etsy artist Brigette B., incredibly-cool little burp cloths from Baby Eggi and a pair of free frilly panties from our friend Nic’s kick ass line of fancy panties, Knickerocker. Thanks, Nic!

Actually, Nic and her equally-talented husband, Dan, are the ones who turned us onto Unique L.A. in the first place. When we heard Nic was displaying her wares there last December, we were there in a heartbeat. And while we knew Nic’s stuff was gonna rock, we had no idea how groovy the rest of the show was gonna be.

I mean, seriously, there was some really hip, one-of-a-kind shit on display, and almost all of it was totally affordable. Even cooler was the fact that you got to actually meet the artists who made the stuff since most of them were manning their own booths. Way cool!

So, if you’re in the market for some truly unique art, jewelry, clothing or even music from some swinging local hipsters, check out Unique L.A. this weekend at the California Market Center Penthouse.

For information on tickets (which are a total steal at only $5 per person!) and parking, click here. We’ll be hitting the showroom on Sunday afternoon with the stroller in tow, so, hope to see you there!

Daily Texan review of “Not Forgotten”

With “Not Forgotten” set to open in Austin, Texas on Friday, we were all very excited to see the first local review of the movie appear the other day in The University of Texas’ Daily Texan. We were even more excited to see that they loved the movie…so, yay!

I won’t reprint the entire review here, but the highlights are pretty cool:

“NOT FORGOTTEN is not a typical crime thriller. Plunging into the mysteries of the occult on the Texas-Mexico border, it pulls the audience into a world of seedy streets, whorehouses and death-worshipping rituals. [Simon] Baker carries the film with his portrayal of a man leading a troubled double life. With the kind of story that keeps you constantly guessing, NOT FORGOTTEN is a truly unconventional revenge tale and the movie is worth watching for the ending and lead-up alone.”

Awesome! To read Priscilla Totiyapungprasert’s review in its entirety, click here. And in the meantime, enjoy some of my favorite behind-the-scenes pics of the “seedy streets and whorehouses” of “Not Forgotten”.

UPDATE: 31-Cent Scoop Night @ Baskin Robbins (2009)

OK, I don’t know if it was the cold weather or this crazy Swine Flu mania, but for some reason, there was virtually no line to speak of at this year’s 31-Cent Scoop Night at our local Baskin Robbins. And we went to the “good” Baskin Robbins on Victory this time too. Crazy, huh?

All I know is that the smaller crowds made it that much easier for myself and our friend Mike to sneak back inside for round two while his wife Patty and our other friend Elyse waited outside with Christine and Greta. Yee-haw!

Oh yeah, and this year, the scoops were way bigger than last time too…so, thank you, Baskin Robbins for another awesome adventure in cheap ice cream. You guys seriously rock!

31-Cent Scoop Night @ Baskin Robbins (2009)

Believe it or not, it has been a whole year since Christine and I celebrated 31-Cent Scoop Night at the Baskin Robbins in Glendale with my brother and sister-in-law, which means…ta da…the second best deal in the ice cream biz is happening again tonight between 5-10PM. Yay!

I know we’ve enjoyed many discounted and free meals and such during the past year, but honestly, nothing in God’s green Earth beats paying 31-cents for a scoop of freaking primo ice cream. So, check out all the pertinent details here and see ya in line, amigos!

The Chenbot is pregnant!

OK, I know this is kind of day old news, but Christine and I were thrilled to learn that our favorite reality show host of all time (sorry, Heidi) is pregnant. That’s right, amigos, Julie “Chenbot” Chen is with child! Yay!

Her amazingly-lifelike eyes aglow, the Chenbot announced the big news last week during her regular gig on The Early Show and said that even though she is due on October 4th, she will not miss a single episode of the upcoming season of “Big Brother”. Hooray! I mean, hello, “Big Brother” without the Chenbot is kinda like cake without frosting…it’s just not the same.

So, congrats to Chen and her husband, CBS cheiftan Les Moonves, on their pregnancy. And when can we pencil little Chenbot Jr. in for a play date with Greta and Petal Blossom Oliver? Those three would have a blast together. Um, provided little Chenbot has baby-safe wiring of course…

“Not Forgotten” TV spot

The official “Not Forgotten” trailer has been around for a couple of weeks now, but here, at long last is the 30-second TV commercial that is currently running in Austin, TX and will start airing in Los Angeles any minute. So, if you live in either of these areas, keep your eyes peeled, amigos.

And if you don’t live in either of those areas, here is the latest juicy, R-rated clip from “Not Forgotten”. Enjoy!

Cherry Dr. Pepper rocks!

As huge fans of all things new in the world of junk food, Christine and I were thrilled to learn that Dr. Pepper — always the classiest of the soft drinks in my book, I mean, hello, the dude’s a doctor! — was improving on a classic with the introduction of Cherry Dr. Pepper.

And yes, it’s as freaking awesome as it sounds. No, I take that back, this drink is ten billion times better than it sounds. Really, truly, this is the flavored soda pop we’ve all been waiting for. Well, at least at our house.

Christine has been a “pepper” since she was a kid and you know I loves me some cherry-flavored shit, so buying a twelve pack of Cherry Dr. Pepper the moment it was released was kind of a no-brainer. And though it tastes amazing on its own, this beauty of a soft drink also makes spectacular ice cream floats.

Even Ryan and Laura (who are no fans of soda to begin with) were left breathless in the wake of this gorgeous, surprisingly subtle concoction. We had a little tasting party at their house the other night and they asked us to leave the unopened cans with them when we went home. Yep, it’s that good!

So, if you’re in the market for a tasty-ass caffeinated beverage this summer, skip the sickly-sweet Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee + Energy and pick yourself up some of this nectar of the gods. Seriously, all punning aside, it’s just what the doctor ordered…delicious!

Greta’s first Earth Day

Although we didn’t do anything nearly as “green” as we did last year on Earth Day, Christine and I did make sure Greta looked the part yesterday in her rocking green onesie from Old Navy. Yep, earthy brown pants too…if we could keep anything on her feet for more than a few minutes I woulda hooked her up with some crunchy baby Birkenstocks to complete the lil’ hippie ensemble!

Anyway, hope you all had an awesome Earth Day 2009 and have lots of other eco-friendly good deeds planned for the rest of Earth Week. We’re not planting any trees or anything, but we hardly used our new air conditioner at all today, so I say that totally counts!

Enjoy the pics…and, once again, happy Earth Day, amigos!

“Not Forgotten” to open at Chinese Theatre in Hollywood!

Just found out that my movie, “Not Forgotten”, will be opening theatrically in Los Angeles on May 15th at the Mann’s Chinese in Hollywood. Wow, from Slamdance to the Chinese…who knew?

No word yet on when the premiere will be, but I do know that the movie will open next week (May 1st) in Austin, Texas at Landmark’s legendary Dobie Theatre near the University of Texas. This is the same theatre were a young Richard Linklater launched his career with the indie sensation “Slacker”, so, I’m hoping some of the good vibes in the joint rub off on our movie too.

After opening in Austin, “Not Forgotten” will slowly roll out in a number of cities across the Southwest before landing in Los Angeles on the 15th. Aside from screening at the Chinese, the movie will also be playing in the Valley at the Mann’s Plant 16 in Van Nuys.

For updated information on screenings near you or to read our rocking-good reviews from the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, check out our homepage at: NotForgottenmovie.com. And in the meantime, pictured below, is the final theatrical poster for “Not Forgotten”. Enjoy!

Mt. Shasta Brewing Company’s signature brew: Weed Pale Ale!

As you may have read in my previous post, last summer, Christine and I finally got off the freeway in the mythical town of Weed. But we weren’t looking for gas, or, well, you know…weed. Nope, what we were looking for was some of the legendary Weed beer brewed locally by the Mt. Shasta Brewing Company.

And though Christine only gave me one shot at finding it — we were trying to make Oregon by nightfall, yo — I happened to find plenty of Weed beer at the first and only gas station we stopped at. Yay!

Why all this trouble for a microbrew you ask? Well, first off, I loves me some beer, the smaller the batches, the better, and secondly, I wanted to support the brewery in their epic struggle with the U.S. Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) over the pithy slogan on their bottle cap.

See, until spring of 2008, the bottlecaps on all the MSBC’s beers read: “Try Legal Weed”. Hilarious, right? Well, apparently, the suits in Washington did not agree and even though the trinkets at the gas station were loaded with pot humor and Weed references, the bottle caps had to be recalled. As the local headlines jokingly proclaimed: “Government is keeping us safe from bottle caps”. Insane!

Of course, that only made me wanna try the beer even more. Not just as a beer lover, but to help support the kick ass dudes who brewed it. I mean, hell, microbreweries are having a hard enough time making ends meet these days, last thing they need is to be replacing hundreds of so-called “inappropriate” bottle caps. The way I saw it, if my lowly purchase could in any way help their bottom line…sign me up!

So, we bought a six pack of their signature brew, the Weed Pale Ale, picked up some Weed-centric shot glasses and refrigerator magnets at the gas station and drove the rest of the way to Grants Pass. Only then, when safely ensconced in the bosom of Christine’s family farmhouse did I get to taste this magical beer for the first time…and let me tell ya, it rocked!

Crisp and malty with a vaguely sweet aftertaste, this was a pale ale for the ages, and after a long, sweaty trek up the interstate from Burbank, it was just what the doctor ordered. Amazing!

Sadly, the bottle caps I was searching for had already been replaced with a generic gold cap with no writing on it at all. LAME! But a few months later, the case was overturned and the Mt. Shasta Brewing Company was allowed to resume bottling all of their beers with their now-legendary bottle caps. So, yay!

To read more about the Mt. Shasta Brewing Company and the many fine beers they produce — I wanna try the space-alien-themed Lemurian Lager next! — click here. And, once again, happy 420, amigos!

A town called Weed…

Last summer, while driving north to visit Christine’s family in Grants Pass, we had the rare pleasure of actually getting off the freeway in the town of Weed, California. Yes, amigos, there is actually a town called Weed and yes, we always laugh and make stupid pot jokes as we pass through.

I know…we’re lame, but as you can see, some of the signage is pretty freaking hilarious. So, in honor of today being April 20th, here are some of our favorite inadvertently-funny highway signs from scenic Weed, California. Enjoy, and, as always, happy 420!

Oh yeah, and in case you were wondering, the town of Weed is named after its founder, pioneer Abner Weed and not the leafy green herb. Sorry to disappoint…

“Harper’s Island”

Sure the writing is kinda obvious and the only real “name” in the cast — wait, is Harry Hamlin still considered a “name”? —  was literally sliced in half on the pilot, but for some reason, Christine and I are already seriously hooked on the new TV show “Harper’s Island”.

If you’ve somehow managed to escape the ubiquitous commercials and billboards, “Harper’s Island” is a limited-run murder mystery series (meaning it will resolve itself completely, telenovela-style after 13 episodes) airing Thursdays at 10PM on CBS. Yes, that CBS…

Set on a spooky, fog-shrouded island just north of Seattle, “Harper’s” isn’t exactly award-worthy fare, but, so far there has been plenty of gratuitous sex and some shockingly-gory murders — one dude was beheaded by the engine blades on a boat! Awesome! — so, like I said above, we’re kinda hooked.

The other big selling point for us is that the show will end in 13 weeks. I mean, hell, we’ve watched way lesser shows for a lot longer — yeah, you heard me final two seasons of “Angel” — so, 13 weeks of Lifetime TV-movie actors getting the axe (literally!) sounds cool to us.

So far, the premise is pretty much a “Scream” rehash with the troubled daughter of a murdered mother returning home to the Island for a friend’s wedding. Haunted by her mother’s death, the girl is kind of a cutesy basket case and the fact that every other character acts all “murderous” all the time doesn’t help put her frail mind to ease.

So far, people have violently chopped the heads off fishes, burned snails with a magnifying glass and revealed Satanic-looking tattoos just before getting in a crazy bar fight. Can you say, suspects? Wow!

Seriously, this show is like a crash course in cheesy soap opera acting: say or do something creepy, smile darkly to yourself…and hold that pose while the music builds. It’s kind of hilarious. And with almost every character already having had one of those moments, guessing who the killer is, and why they are killing everyone could be kinda fun.

Or not…but hey, it’s only for 13 episodes, right? So, if you’re looking for some cheesy so-bad-it’s-good fun, check out “Harper’s Island”. And, seriously, take a drink every time someone does something creepy and, trust me, you’ll be wasted by the fifteen minute mark. A-W-E-S-O-M-E!

Quentin Tarantino on “Idol”

The cheesy, Brian-Adams-heavy song selections aside, this week’s “American Idol” kinda rocked…and with the exception of Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Lil Rounds, it had nothing to do with the show, and everything to do with our favorite guest judge in recent memory…Quentin Tarantino!

Yep, the badass filmmaker was back for another visit to “Idol”, and even though he didn’t get much screen time — neither did the judges in that horribly misguided effort to streamline the show, yikes! — QT did seem to have a blast “tutoring” the contestants. So, yay for that.

And though the show was just as gloriously over-the-top as any true Tarantino fan could have hoped for, our biggest gripe with this week’s “Idol” is that they didn’t show a trailer for QT’s upcoming flick, “Inglorious Basterds”. Huh?

I mean, hello, why else was he there if not to promote his new movie? I don’t know if it’s because the movie is rated R and might offend the delicate sensibilities of the “Idol” audience or whatever, but I know we wanted to see a new frigging trailer! Man alive, you missed the boat again FOX…

So, until a longer trailer pops up online, you can check out the rocking teaser spot for “Basterds” here. Enjoy!

Greta’s first free food @ Denny’s…

Technically, this momentous “first” took place the week before Easter, but seeing as we’ve had more than a few sleepless nights recently, I’m only just now getting around to blogging about it…sorry! In any case, Greta’s first free food at Denny’s was pretty amazing.

Of course, she didn’t actually eat anything on the menu. But Christine, myself and our friends Mike and Patty sure did and it was great. And better yet, we practically had the whole place to ourselves!

I don’t know if it was the fact that the last ad was hyped so heavily during the Super Bowl or what, but the lines weren’t nearly as long as the last time we schlepped to Denny’s for free grub. Which was fine by us, since this time we came with a stroller!

And though I’m still partial to the Lumberjack Slam or those totally badass Nachos with the fake cheese sauce, I gotta tell you the free Grand Slamwich Christine ordered — I ordered the traditional Grand Slam, which you had to purchase to get the sandwich free — was pretty tasty.

Basically a sandwich version of the Grand Slam, the Grand Slamwich consists of two scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, shaved ham, mayo and American cheese grilled on potato bread with a maple spice spread. I know, sounds like I’m describing heaven, right? Well, it was pretty close, amigos.

Christine found the flavor combo a bit overwhelming, but the couple of bites I had of that larger-than-life concoction were pretty incredible. It’s no Southern Style Chicken Breakfast Bisquit, but it was definitely worth trying at least once.

And though she didn’t eat there, Greta actually woke up and demanded to be taken out of her carseat/stroller for the first time in her short life. Seriously, she has slept soundly at every restaurant we have taken to her so far, but for some reason, she woke up at Denny’s!

I don’t know it’s coded in her DNA or what, but I like to think my girl just knew somehow that this magical place with the red and yellow decor and 24-hour service with a smile was truly something worth waking up for.

Yep, guess that apple didn’t fall very far at all…welcome to the great, wide-world of Denny’s, baby!

Greta’s first Easter…

Christine and I spent Greta’s first Easter with Grandma Linda and Aunt Courtney at my brother Ryan and sister-in-law Laura’s house on Sunday, and though the wee one stuck to breast milk, the rest of us feasted like kings. Seriously, it was a pretty amazing spread…

Spiral-cut ham with an amazing Ryan-Romero-original glaze, Christine’s world-famous, cheeseless Potatoes Au Gratin — which are actually Nigella Lawson’s world-famous, cheeseless Potatoes Au Gratin, but are crazy-good either way — and my Mom’s homemade Key Lime Pie for desert. Yum!

After mostly eating out for four-plus weeks, a home-cooked feast like that was, well…kinda drool-worthy. And the ham sandwiches on white bread with a cold beer a few hours later was even better!

Oh yeah, and best of all, we got to pick at the goodies in Greta’s first Easter basket, because, well, newborns can’t eat Peeps (yet!) so, that was fun too!

And though I think one sickyly-sweet Cadbury Creme Egg is enough for a year or so, I gotta tell ya, those little Lindt carrot-shaped chocolates were incredible! Wow…so glad Christine spotted them at Target last week!

If you’d like to see more of the many pics we took yesterday, click here. And, in the meantime, Happy Easter everyone!

It’s another Oliver girl!

Just a couple of days after cooking for the G20 big wigs, chef Jamie Oliver and his wife Jools welcomed their third baby, Petal Blossom Rainbow, into the world last week. Yep, another little girl with a crazy-cute name — Jamie’s other girls are named Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo — joins the Oliver brood. Hooray!

According to People.com, Petal was born on April 3rd at 2:46AM and weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces. Ha! That’s nothing, Greta beat that weight by almost a whole pound! Seriously though, Christine and I were thrilled to hear the good news and wish nothing but the best for Jamie and his family.

As you can see from the pic above, Greta was pretty stoked too, so, I’m guessing we’re gonna have to arrange a Greta-Petal play date sometime real soon…

“Project Runway” to air on Lifetime

You’ve probably already heard the news by now, but it sounds like crazy old Harvey Weinstein has finally worked out a deal with greedy old NBC Universal that will allow the long-delayed sixth season of “Project Runway” to finally see the light of day on Lifetime. Yay!

Terms of the deal were not disclosed and both sides are trying to play it all cool, but you just know it killed NBC Universal to lose another landmark series right now. I mean, with “ER” signing off last night, “Kings” boring audiences to tears and nothing remotely new and exciting on the horizon — except for maybe five nights a week of prime time Jay Leno (yawn) — NBC is, as Heidi Klum would say, definitely “out”.

But Lifetime, on the other hand is so “in” it hurts! “Rita Rocks”, “The 2009 Nora Roberts Collection” and now “Project Runway”? Man, “television for women” never sounded so good!