the road to hell

yes, yes. good intentions. i understand it all now. so i had planned on catching up on the days that i missed while in california a little at a time. i didn't even write any new blogs because my little self-imposed rule was that i had to write the old before the new. what-ever. its just not going to happen. here are the highlights of the LA trip.

1. the LA Zoo. it was really great. it was huge and the animals did not appear to be sedated. the most amazing part was that they had loads and loads of snakes that were MOVING. have you ever seen a snake in captivity move? it was crazy. most of them were slithering around. very cool. bridget loved the hippos the most. (see photo)

2. i almost took marissa tomei's head off with the wheel of our stroller as i sidled out of a mexican restaurant. not really a high point just a celebrity citing - cameron diaz would have been a highpoint. (i just don't like her for some reason.) the best part is that i was so focused on NOT hitting this woman in the head, that i failed to notice whose head it was. and the fact that the head was having dinner with dylan mcdermott. or dermot mulroney. or rupert everett.

3. we befriended a parisian art gallery owner at the pool. c'est bon. oui oui. i am a loser and haven't sent out and email to her yet but will. i swear. gabrielle. she was there with a bunch of her artists from around the world. which explained why a really cute normal looking girl down by the pool was wearing a black t-shirt that said "how YOU doin'?" german.

we also met a small children's bookstore owner from nyc. the parents of a literary agent - for my brother. and a slew of freaks.

freak #1 - woman who looked like she was an old hollywood maven in seclusion at the hotel. she would come down to the pool for coffee and walk really slowly. actually she did everything really slowly. she would turn and look at you and then look away. all in slow motion. bridget would STARE at her and i am pretty sure it freaked her out. damn babies! why is good skin wasted on them?

freak #2 - when plastic surgery goes wrong. in the flesh. the collagen lips that you are certain can't really look like that. they do.

freak #3 - michael and my brother had been calling this woman '82 all week because she looked like a throwback to 1982. i actually never laid eyes on her until breakfast on the last day when she came out of her poolside room and informed us - michael was upstairs and i was on the phone giving my sister directions to rockport, ma. so she really informed my brother - that it was too early to bring a baby down by the pool and the noise was just too much. yes, i'm sorry about the laughing and squealing you crazy biotch. it must be hard to hear sounds of happiness at 8 AM. my brother told her she didn't have to worry about it because we were leaving that day. i was a little bummed that i missed it and didn't get the chance to tell her that i thought she might like a room that wasn't poolside since breakfast was served there - and only there - every day starting at 6. i got over it by pinching bridget's leg causing her to howl in pain for the next half hour. kidding of course but i can dream.

4. a very pregnant carrie ann moss - that's trinity to you - gave michael the head tilt, bottom lip out "she's cute" about miss bridget in a kid clothing store. again, i noticed the belly but not the head.

5. mimosa - last night dinner. it was awesome.

6. tia juanna's - best mexican ever! it was so great.

7. dominic's - affogato. who knew it had a name?! vanilla ice cream with espresso just like at noni's growing up. 8 year olds can enjoy espresso too you know. my brother and i decided that this is the root of the reason why caffeine has no effect on us whatsoever. we can drink double espressos and fall asleep an hour later.

8. kate mantilini's - petite filet sandwich. are you kidding me?

that might be it for now. its all i can remember anyway. i think this must be long anyway at this point.