Friday, May 30, 2008

Exhausting

Today was a busy day of meetings, an audition, where, BTW my peeps, there were two other girls and they weren't just different versions of a chinese girl. Mind boggling! So I went through beverly hills and picked up some mind numbingly expensive and senseless cupcakes from CRUMBS. Now do you that though my wallet peeled open to unleash the sad penny storm that is my paycheck to purchase these little dudes, I didn't eat one? Nope. They were a gift...for my agent...who btw I am told, works for me. But like my mom says, never drop by empty handed. Damn my amazing manners. So after spending a day being a dumbass driving around LA to run errands before I leave town for two weeks, I come home and lay down on my couch, only to have my dogs flank me on both sides. I swear my butt looks huge, but it is just juicy. And it turns out I forgot deoderant today. Glad my meetings were in the AM before the waft of CLL got the best of me. Even I can't handle that eau.
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Thursday, May 29, 2008

Odd but true

I think it's weird when a guy walks and you can hear his heels click on the sidewalk. WURD.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

My two hungry dogs

Thisis them waiting, hoping, willing that my hand give them a bit of quiche or angel food cake. Beggars!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

IMG00148.jpg

Now not many of you know this, but I try and volunteer regularly. And my new thing is the Downtown Women's Center. This is a place where woman on the streets, people down and out on their luck can come and sleep, or if they need to live in a group environment, there are permanent rooms available for the women, to help them keep off the streets. It is actually an amazing place that affords many women who would otherwise be out on skid row, a place to sleep, a community, responsibilities, jobs, classes, seminars, and a chance at personal and professional growth. I began by saying, I love cooking, and they make some really delicious lunches for the ladies through a volunteer program called the 'Cooking Club.' Sounds right up my alley.

This is what happens. An email is sent out telling us what the ‘Cooking Club’ is making that week. We get assigned to bring certain groceries and we cook! It’s usually a good 2.5 hours of hard work and sweaty faces in the kitchen. I wear a hairnet. Last week we made Panchetta and Manchego Roulade with salad and dessert. This week we made asparagus and bacon quiche with salad and cookies. when i say ‘cook’, i mean work in a professional kitchen where 8 quiches are made with 42 eggs, 1/2 gallon of half and half, 5 lbs of mashed potatoes, you get the drift. And as i was cooking this crazy rich and absolutely delicious meal, like sticking an entire stick of butter, tub of sour cream and cups of milk and half and half in my mashed potatoes, all i could think of was, ‘man, these ladies are without a lot, but heart disease won’t be one of them once they finish this food!’

Now just having had a manicure the night before I cooked, I was pissed when i was washing those industrial pots and pans, but again, i was in a hairnet, so i gave up the ghost and got sudsy with it! Holler!

Since that evening of quiche making, I have been wanting to try the recipe for myself and my sister. It's perfect brunch food. But if you knew me, you know I'd look for cheating way I could to squeeze some of the salt, fat and badness out of the meal that gets it's pretty face from being so fattening. this is my thinking, if Felicia Rashad's character said to Bill Cosby's character in 'The Cosby Show', you shouldn't be eating that, I think, if it isn't good for Bill Cosby's health in the 90s, it ain't good for Chi-Lan's health in 2008. So at times you'll see me sneaking a huge piece out of a cake, replacing it with paper towels, and put icing over it. Yet, not sure why I do that since no one is really policing me.

Ok so i get it together enough to make 3 trips to the grocery store for all the ingredients needed for my most decadent meal. But something comes over me...Paula Dean whispers in my kitchen and says, just put all the goodness in, and i follow. Sure the picture above isn't super impressive, but lemme just say...wow, my broccoli, manchego and romano cheese quiche was gorgeous and decadent. My roasted garlic caprese salad kicked serious ass, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, complete with about 1/2 cup of half and half and butter was delicious! I truly outdid myself. I am satisfied and desperately need to visit the devil at the gym, but for tonight, i revel in the fat farm that i created for myself. And there is nothing soy or low-fat about it.

My decadent dinner

It is now about 10:50 and after eating the most decadent dinner I have made myself in a long time, i am finally able to get back online and blog about it. Seriously, i really, truly outdid myself this night. Let's talk about it.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

How do I respond?

Can you guys make out the paint job. On this family vehicle many americans refer to as a minivan? It reads 'Suburban Death Machine.' Wow. Did he/she paint that to symbolize death of the crazy single-life now that tots are in the mix? or are the wee ones the guerilla fighters that will emerge from the blue minivan mist? Or do you think they're just thinking it is so subversive, it is appropriate. Option number 3 winning them the 'Pete Wentz' dumbass award of the year IMHO. Sure I'm judgemental, but I know I am, and I embrace it whole heartedly. :)

Today I shot a rehersal at Reelz Channel. Did I tell you all that the format of THE BIG TEASE was changing? Well it won't just be a trailer show. It will now be two people, myself and Jeremy Parsons, responding to trailers. And by respond, I mean talk about, give opinions, but in Reelz fashion, so never too negative. That means everything is OK or great! Woot. But you all know I will twist the tongue on my blog, so don't sweat me losing any 'tude. I got that in spades. What makes me really excited for the show's debut is my new pooch, Stella, will make her cameo. BOMB! You better strap yourselves in now, cause this 6 lb wonder is gonna blow you away.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Dog tired!

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Santa barbara

We were in Santa Barbara visiting my brother and his girlfriend. The dogs got walked a lot, and for Stella, she walked more today than most of her life. And they are wiped!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Why am I not doing anything?

Because I went out to see a friend's band called 'the knights of monte carlo' at the mint last night. Lemme tell you that six grown men all donning 'yacht' personalities and garb is quite fetching and fun. So to celebrate in yacht style, I had an Oyo Como Va marguerita. It kicked my ass. To finish off the night, what do my incredibly hot friends and I do? We karaoke ao Cafe Rosen in koreatown. That's Kim singing and Marla taking pics. And I would have blogged this last night, but honestly I am surprised I was able to take a pic in my marguerita haze. Much love.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Cute!

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Resting after a hard day

It is a dog eat dog world out there.
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A day in the life....



yeah, this looks absolutely delicious with its artful color composition and two small bites taken out of it. Hell, even the plate was a good choice. But lemme be the angel of truth and say this tastes like baby vomit. Baby because anything that comes out of those little dudes can't be all that bad, but vomit is vomit. WURD.

Now you guys know I was at an audition earlier today for a casino. Great! quick photo and I was off to my second audition. It went swimmingly, plus I got to reconnect with a friend. Then I was off to Irvine, CA for my third audition of the day. Dude, I haven't been this busy since a friend asked me to help them move and there was no way because my day was jammed, i swear. It sounds like such fun too, we could have ordered pizza and beer and made a day of it! shoot!

All right, so how did i get to the point where I, a pretty adequate chef, made a terrible breakfast burrito at 3:30 pm? Well since my day started out earlier than my usual schedule, I was of course, running late out the door, with a change of wardrobe in hand and a bottle of water. No time for food. Next thing you know, I tell myself I'll get food after audition #2, but before I hit Irvine, which btw, is about 1 hour south of LA. Look, when a place is more than 45 minutes away, especially if it is outside of LA county, really, I don't tread. For all i know, irvine is a city full of Ketchup people. And like Heinz, there may be 57 varieties, and that scares me.

Ok, so this last audition, which leads to my odd burrito, but in a round about way. This last audition was for a morning show on KCET. I assume it's on-air, so I usually dress in my style, kinda funky and fun. I walk into the hotel, which is located just off huge farms of dead grass. Crap, either they are tricking me to come out here to kill me, or i have just entered the Twilight Zone and am really overdressed. Anyhoo, I make it to the correct Radisson Inn (clue #1 this is bad). But i get a cup of coffee from the lobby and it is delicious, so my guard goes down. I walk upstairs to the waiting room and all i see is a room about 20x20 full of chairs all facing the door. And everyone is dressed in suits and business attire (clue #2). What is this? A Landmark Forum seminar? Suits and ties and skirts down to the knee and heels, plus everyone looked at least 15 years older than me - but when you look like a nubile 16 year old, I mean, it's easy to do. :) after you guys finish dry heaving, keep reading.

So I sit there and all I can see is this one guy, kinda a sales dude, totally chatting up these two females. two of the three in the room besides me and he is telling them all this crap, and all i can hear is his voice. they never say a word. and i am sitting there through 2 magazine articles. And i ain't reading US weekly, there are sentences involved here. I am trying for the life of me to remember a line this guy said.....anyhow, there was one particular line he said where he drew a parallel to himself and a famous person, and all i thought was, what a douche bag. In my mind, I was gagging at his stupidity. and his fucking red button down shirt in his suit. Who the f*(k wears a red shirt under their suit? who is he, santa claus or the devil? either way, he's a douche. which btw, clue #3.

Anyhoo, I get to the meeting with this woman and did i mention about a year ago in this post that it is for a morning show on KCET? Well morning shows I can do, very lifestyle oriented and sounded fun. Plus in the audition they said, knowledge of Orange County happenings is helpful, but not necessary. Ok so I roll up and this lady introduces herself. let's call her Nathalie, also wearing a knee length black skirt. Me in a pink frilly wifebeater with chunky punk pearls might not have been the right choice. So she talks to me and this is how it goes:

N: how much do you know about Orange County politics?
C (jaw on floor at this point): I'm sorry?
N: repeats herself
C: well the audition posting said this is more lifestyle oriented, not politically. And knowledge of lots of OC happenings wasn't necessary. I know OC a bit, I know it's a great place to hang out and play. I am more of a lifestyle performer. Plus, I've been following the Democratic nomination process and haven't been able to get into who's running for Mayor of Tustin right now.
N: yeah, this show's been changing a lot, it's now weekly instead of daily.
C: and political instead of lifestyle, like 'Life and Times', right?
N: yes, so tell me about your background.

At this point I go on about my resume and the shows I've done, and as i finish, she says well thanks so much. As i mentioned earlier, we can't really chat that long cause i don't want to keep the others waiting, and i shake her hand and say good bye. But actually I think, bye and thanks for nothing and by 'nothing' i mean making me drive 130 miles RT to talk about OC politics.

orange County, the last Republican bastion in California. need I say more?

So i finish up in a record breaking 45 seconds, this audition, and i race out to my car to discover, it's only 2:30. So at this point, if i start heading home, I won't hit too much rush hour, which is great. So instead of stopping for food, my main goal since I haven't eaten since yesterday, I get into the car and on the freeway.

I get home and race into the kitchen, with a caffeine headache like no other. I need food. What do i decide to make? Well since i have eggs, delicious tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, spinach, basil and garlic, I think, I will make myself a nice scramble, and put it in a tortilla for some oommph. So as I am cooking it smells delicious. And right before i throw my eggs in, i think, i really like milk in scrambles. But it's been about 2 months since milk has crossed my thresh hold, so i see the Vanilla soy milk and grab it! I pour it in, and think, wait vanilla soy. soy does a weird chalky thing in coffee, but whatever, this is cooked. and will vanilla flavoring do crazy things to my eggs? too late now. toss and scramble.

I put the food on a plate, get utensils and sit down to enjoy. I take my first bite and all i can say is, why does this taste so funny and chalky. well played vanilla soy. i see you have not failed your mission of crapping in my eggs. and that, my friends, is how my burrito turned into crap. but i still ate it all. i am disgusted with myself and with the aftertaste.

Auditions

I'm at an audition for Pechango resort and Casino today! And may I just say, it is really weird to be sitting around so many asian girls. And when you think about it in this business, it is really just different versions of the same person, so I am sitting with 14 different mes. Kinda spooky. Obviously I don't audition often! :)
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Let sleeping dogs lie

Here are my two incredibly rambuncious dogs. Wow. Look at them go. The energy is unmeasurable, they're just bouncing off the walls. Craziness.

Seriously, the only reason Moose and Stella are within two inches of one another is because I put Stella close to him, otherwise, they would separate themselves with me in between. And honestly, that is not a good position because these dogs have been gassing me all night long. I mean, come on! The fumes were so strong, they burned my throat. Can a brother and sister light a candle or leave the room? Jesus!

Adjustments

You'd think Stella would need adjustment time, but nope. She's looking pretty content using my leg as her pillow. Yes, those are my skeleton pajama pants. How dare you?! They're oldies. And I think I smell skunk! Crap...

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Bed time!

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Stella moves in...

Today is the day Ms. Stella moves home and Moose is soooo depressed! I think he's jealous that someone has rolled into HIS territory! Sad little dog. He's so sad, he only came out for the sweet sweet call of human food. Other than that, he hunkered down in his kennel and looked soooo sad. Oh my little boo.
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Friday, May 09, 2008

Stella isn't an invalid!!!

Look! She's eating...on her own!
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Old Chola...

As my friend Paul said, I'm Old Chola.'Givin' it to Old Chola. Chinatown.'

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

stella eats!

no, that is not my hand. it is my friend's and yes, this dog is already spoiled.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

One more LA moment

And the funniest thing thing to happen after duran duran? Our cab driver from the concert to our cars (I said this was an LA moment!) was none other than Elliot Yamin's (of Americal Idol fame) dad.
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Duran Duran

Ok not sure if you can tell, but that's Simon LeBon of Duran Duran fame! And how did I get this photo? Amid all of the Stella hullabaloo my sister and I were able to take a friend to the concert for her birthday. Now being a kid in the 80s and 90s and female, you know I'm a fan of DD! Of course they did all of their classics with a few new songs sprinkled in there, and the set was amazing! Since they've been together for ages, you expect them to be together, but kind of bored. Not so! Their sound was pretty perfect, the members had great chemistry, and the hi-def cameras and screens broadcasting the performance inside the Nokia theater showed me Simon is a fan of botox, nick loves well blended eye make-up, and john taylor is just the epitome of perfection! :)
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Monday, May 05, 2008

What little dogs do to adults...baffling.

this was stella at the vet. at this point she was PISSED after getting her nails clipped and putting on her new 'hat'. Let's just say, there were whimpers of bloody murder while her nails were being worked on. It's pretty funny to hear a vet hold hold her hand over a dog's eyes, saying, 'don't watch. it won't be so bad if you don't see it.' As for her hat, it's necessary to keep her from licking her spay wound, which is still healing, hence her prolonged stay at our friend's home. She is adorable though!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Stella's the best one!

Like in the movie, RAISING ARIZONA, I know we got the best one! She's sooo adorable, sweet, cuddly, and she's old, like 5 or 6! Yeah!
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Saturday, May 03, 2008

My new dog

Ok so I had a free saturday so my sister and I were off to rescue a small dog that we heard was in a bad way, in a kennel with 4 other big dogs, not eating. So we come down to find her and bring her homen only to discover she was adopted...yeah!!! So we just continue to walk around and see the dogs. I find this little girl that's been at the shelter for almost 2 months and there you have it! We now have Stella in our household. World, meet Stella.
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Thursday, May 01, 2008

Bathroom signage

I know I should really post a pic of this sign, but I didn't have my phone with me...

So you all know I am a pescaterian (or however that fake word is spelled), meaning i eat fish occasionally. So whenever possible, my mom and i hit up the Vegetarian Wok Restaurant by her house. And it is my ABSOLUTE favorite place to nosh!!! But I don't really eat in as much as I should, but today, since my mom and I were hanging like Lieu Ladies of Leisure, she and I decided to take some time out and eat in at the veggie house. Before getting there, I drop Moose off at the groomers, so I go wash my hands in the restaurant. And you know what I see? I see a wonderful sign for all the Vegetarian Wok patrons. One that was so delicious, I could not believe my eyes. Now although this is a place many nuns and monks frequent because of its all veggie cuisine, the sign in the bathroom does not bless a customer nor have an enlightening proverb. Instead it reads: 'For the safety of the customers of Vegetarian Wok, please to not stand on the toilet seat.' STAND. ON. In the women's restroom.

Now I thought I saw a pretty good bathroom sign while at the Sony studios during my Deal Or No Deal set visit, but my favorite eating establishment hanging a sign of such great power. A sign that not only causes me to stop, read and reread to make sure I got that right, then laugh, look down at the seat and wonder, how would a female stand on the toilet seat to urinate? That, sir, is power greater than all the mafia families in New York.

Seriously, squat, yes, stand? I remain completely baffled.

Just another day...

So nothing eventful really happened today except I took my dog, Moose, to get bathed. Let's face it, he stank! I don't even know how a dog his size, please note his head size to mine, can produce that many little swirly wafts of stench. I mean, this is like alien dog smell from the deepest, darkest reaches of a moldy universe! And it is flea season.

Now why the hell am I taking a pic of my gorgeous dude and myself in my car? I've been hanging with mom all day and now we are waiting for her as she picks up an order of sesame balls. Hello snack time! I love living in suburban chinatown.
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