Day With Bea

Tue, Bea had to spend the day with Rodika (who is leaving soon to live back in France); Wed, Bea was hungover; finally yesterday we actually got together. After a quick cappucino for her/tea for me, we headed off to Bistro Moderne for lunch. We couldn't find a spot that wasn't valet parking but Bea parked anyway .... then found that there was only valet parking! In we go to the restaurant but it wasn't open yet. We got the car back, headed to Old Navy--shocker, I actually bought a top there!!!--then back to the restaurant, this time valeting.

Love this restaurant. French food with a Texas twist, impeccable service and classy decor. We both agreed we'll definitely be back. Jer would love it too. Lunch was so good that we ran late for Brokeback Mountain. Instead, we went shopping. During our outing I noticed two things about Bea's driving: 1. She drives like Charlie (grandma style); 2. She only likes to make right turns, no matter where she has to go!! We had some good chuckles over that all day.

Found some great prints at Z Gallery for the walls outside the bathroom. Nice sepia photos framed in black with large white mattes. Called Jer about it and got the thumbs up so I bought them. Stopped in at Bea and Michael's place then headed over to Aubrey's shop. He wasn't there so we went to his warehouse and watched as he created a fabulous arrangement of exquisite flowers for Coco. She had her "fixing" surgery so I wanted to bring her flowers.

It was shortly after 5 when we got back to my place so we headed over to Nancy's place. She loved the flowers and Coco loved the paper from the box that the vas was sitting in. You'd never know she'd just had surgery at all. We all sat on the porch having some wine and Michael came by presently, followed by Stephen shortly thereafter. We had a really fun time, as everyone always does at Nancy's. The Goettis left first and somehow Nancy produced another bottle of wine ... which was gone before long. Stephen dropped me off at home when we all decided that things could get crazy if we continued. See you guys on Sunday evening when I get in from Paris!!!

In Paris With Stephen and Nancy

Stephen and Nancy decided to make their annual pilgrimage to Paris with me this past weekend. The flight to and from were open and so they packed their rollerboards and boarded the 777. I was working in coach (ugh!!!) but they were sitting in 8D and 8E in both directions. Marian B was their flight attendant so I knew that they'd have a good flight over.

We all met in the lobby of the Hotel Mercure and headed out to the local shops upon arrival. First stop, Laurent's pharmacie. Stephen was hooked, as everyone is. Next, rue Lourmel with the cheese shop, deli, grocery store, fruit store and wine store. Got rained on heavily upon exiting the grocery store so we stopped in Aux Celtiques for some vin chaud and waited for the sun to come out again. It certainly did and so Stephen and Nancy headed off for St.-Germain des Pres for some quality Parisian shopping and ogling; meantime, I withdrew to my hotel room for a hot bubble bath and a good nap.

The three of us met up in my room for some wine and nibbles in the evening. Called the lovely Bea, who joined us, then headed off out for dinner. Had wanted to go to La Giberne for some traditional French cuisine but they denied us entry--it was, after all, almost 10 pm and we didn't have a reservation (a huge no-no in Paris on a Saturday night). Down to avenue de la Motte Piquet instead to Le Pere Claude where I knew we would be able to get in.

Dinner was superb, as it always is at Le Pere Claude. They are always friendly, cute waiters, consistantly good food and real wine glasses. All too often they use those cheap, chunky, small wine glasses in French restaurants. Hate that. Nancy had the poulet roti and the rest of us had the bouillabaisse. Yummo, as Rachel Ray would say. I forgot my wallet so thankfully Stephen covered for me--I'll get that to you tomorrow, Stephen--many thx!!!

A brisk walk balk to the Mercure and soon we were back in my room. Bea called it a night and opted not to join us at that point (still getting over her bronchitis) but the rest of us cranked the iPod speakers and listened to Snow Patrol, drank wine, made turbans out of our scarves and generally had good fun until about 1.30 am. They left, I showered and then awoke to the predictable "delayed" call. Stephen and Nancy went ahead in a cab and I remet with them at CDG. Got in to IAH at 7 pm .... too bad. Great time had by all though.

Grammy Night

The 48th annual Grammy Awards were held in LA on Wednesday evening and since the Grammies are my favorite of all the award shows, I decided to have a little party. This was a special year for me as Chris Botti was up for 2 awards, Billy Childs for 4 awards and Billy Kilson for 1 award. I sent out evites to 12 people, all of whom I knew would enjoy watching the awards. My goal was to gather a group of about than 8 people to come over and have fun with whilst eating, drinking and enjoying the show on our plasma tv. In all, we had 13 people throughout the evening.

I absolutely love cooking and all the planning and prep that goes along with it so this was so much fun for me. I made several appetizers, dinner, a cheese board and then chocolates for dessert. While Jer and I were putting the final touches together for the party Chris phoned to give us the great news that he had won a Grammy in the pre-show for What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life. This was fantastic news!! He was totally surprised and I was bummed that he wasn't there to receive it in person. Had he been, then Jer would have been too ... and thus so would I. Oh well, such is life! Shortly Jer heard from Billy Childs who was at the show--he won 2 Grammies and Billy K won 1 too. Amazing night for the Botti band! YEAH!!!!!!! All of them were in the early pre-show awards so we wouldn't be seeing them during the telecast.

Served Pomosas (Champagne with pomegranate juice) as everyone arrived and picked a nice Barbera for the rest of the evening--also a South African Chardonnay for those who wanted it and St. Arnold's Amber ale for Michael. The first to arrive was Paul Dunham who brought a fabulous bottle of Absinthe. I'm talking the real stuff--made with wormwood. I had only read about it to this point and have always wanted to taste it, but not quite yet .... wanted to hold back on the drinking until later. Paul also brought Kristin along, whom I hadn't seen in ages. She always looks so good and is such fun yet we never seem to hang out together. We made a point of agreeing to get together at the end of thevening.

Next to get here were Stephen, Nancy and Dale in Stephen's Jeep. The Pomosas were flowing as we all started to watch the green carpet arrivals. Some way cool looks on the green carpet, highlights for me being Teri Hatcher's dress, Ludacris' suit and Matt Dillon. It doesn't matter what Matt's wearing--to me he always looks hot. He may become my new Ashton Kutcher, whom I think is the hottest (or most blah!) man on the planet. About half an hour before the ceremony started Bea and Michael arrived so all 9 of were here.

We all started out laughing and chatting, generally catching up. The appetizers: mini bagels with cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato and dill; crab dip; artichoke pesto; caviar devilled eggs; shrimp with cocktail sauce; coconut chicken and pineapple skewers; crudites; smoked salmon puffs. The show got under way with a phenomenal performance of Hung Up with Madonna and Gorillaz. She looked so good and her moves were spectacular. The gay guys really enjoyed that one!! Great start to the show. The first award given was for female pop vocalist, which Mariah Carey was the hands down predicted winner .... but not to be as the award went to Kelly Clarkson. Everyone was surprised, especially her. She was so cute, crying out of happiness and excitement as she accepted the award. Next up, the performance that I had been looking forward to: Coldplay. They rocked out on Talk, Chris Martin dashing through the entire lower level of the stadium, much to the amusement of the audience.

The mood was definitely up at our house as the show continued. After a while Michael decided that it was time to crack open the Absinthe. He knew exactly how it should be served and proceeded to pour it through a strainer with a sugar cube, add a little water then sip. It is the most beautiful blue color and turns slightly milky when you add the water. We all watched and waited after he and Paul sampled it. Supposedly it makes you hallucinate ... but they didn't. Eventually I tried some ..... delicious. Felt nice and warm as it went down, with a distinct anise flavor. Nothing wierd though, nor for anyone else--and some of them had several.

Half way through the show I put the main course out. I made slow roasted pork loin with basil, my spinach bake, sauteed garlic mushrooms with red wine and roasted fingerling potatoes with rosemary. We had made it through several bottles of Barbera by this point and it was hard to watch the show with all the different conversations and laughter. Everyone was having a blast. Managed to catch the awesome performance of One by U2 and Mary J. Blige. Was so happy because U2 were sweeping the awards. They won 5 Grammies altogether. Outstanding!

None of us made it to dessert, but we all enjoyed the cheese board and several more glasses of wine. Nancy had to hide the Absinthe as some people were starting to get a little too happy from it (thanks Nancy)! Didn't want things to get scary. Jay and his new (?) friend Forest made a surprise appearance towards the end of the evening. He had to work that evening and so had sent regrets so it was good to see him briefly. They left after a Crown Royal then Kate called Bea to see if she could come over.

Everyone except Bea and Michael left soon after the awards ended, it was a week night after all. Kate showed up looking great, as always. Michael had an interview the next day so Bea took him home and came back. Jer was a great sport and endured the continued chatting and laughter (and drinking) of the three of us girls. We solved the world's problems, rewrote the Kama Sutra and generally giggled into the wee hours. I finally had to call it a night.

My Next Car

This November my lease for Daisy will end and I'll have to decide on a new car. Daisy is lovely--a cyber green New Beetle turbo with all the upgrades. I got her whith a mere 3 miles on the clock and have really enjoyed driving her. She's the kind of car that amkes people smile. She fits in all parking spaces, has great pick-up and looks cool, all the way down to her grren/black leather interior.

However, I really miss my last car, Tipsi, a small 3-series BMW, also with all the extras. Tipsi drove like a dream and also fit in all the small parking spaces. She was white with a grey interior and I kept her immaculate at all times. The problem was that some lowlife decided that they were insanely jealous of her and brutally vandalized her with a big old rock right outside my house. That ticked me off no end and I decided that it was time for a change of automobile.

Since I've had Daisy, I really miss the suspension of Tipsi. It's so hard to enjoy my mint tea or cup of coffee whilst driving in Daisy because the ride is not very smooth. Simple things made Tipsi a better-designed car such as the glove compartment opener being closer to the driver's side rather than in the center. She had a manual transmission and so she had a little more oomph to the drive. Her stereo was really good and her handling was always reliable. But Daisy has those fabulous heated seats that make you just want to stay in the car on a cold wintry day.

Last week the big auto shows were all held and the new line of BMWs was revealed at the LA Auto Show: the 6-series is now available for order. I've always love M5s and so when I read about the M6 I had to check it out. Sweet. Check it out at the BMW M6 site. I'm thinking of the white one ... but am open to suggestions.

Of course, this car is WAY more expensive than any I've owned before so I doubt it'll happen at all. I like to dream about things though. In truth I'll probably end up getting a much less powerful car, probably another BMW as I love those cars and I love the service that comes with them.

The Joys of flying Paris

Paris holds a certain magic for me, even after flying there week in and week out for the past 12 1/2 years. I am not fond of the layover hotel, can't stand the frigid winter weather or the discomfort of the un-airconditioned restaurants in summer, yet somehow there's nowhere else I'd rather fly to. The flights are eternally late and usually full to boot but I always enjoy the Paris trips.

For some unknown reason, my flights to and from CDG always involve some adventure. There may be a medical emergency, an unforeseen delay or even a bizzarre event in the city, such as a death of a tourist at the hotel, but two things are assured--no two trips are ever the same and no trip is without incident. Those of us that fly only Paris have grown to acdcept the abnormalities as a matter of course and so we have learned to take it all in stride and not flip out; others become disheartened and frustrated, swearing that they'll "never bid Paris again."

Today's flight home was no exception, albeit a rather tame adventure. It began with a phone call at the Hotel Mercure informing us of a 30-minute delay in the departure of our crew bus. We arrive at CDG to find that our aircraft is at a "hard stand" (airline lingo for a remote parking area). This is somewhat of a pain for crewmwmbers who have shopped (e.g. for wine) as we have to clear security then carry our bags down to the connections area, reboard the crew bus then carry our bags up the airstairs to the aircraft. Unfortunately it's not unusual to have a hard stand, so that part we are used to. Few of the non-regulars know the routine and no matter how long you wait for them, they still manage to become separated from the group and get lost. Half the crew aboard the crew bus and 10 minutes later, there was no sign of the others. One of the crewmembers went back in to try to find the others, only to learn that our aircraft was to move to an actual gate--hence the reason the others were told not to reboard the bus.

We manage to round them up anyway and determine that since the plane isn't yet at the gate we should take the bus to it. We get to the plane to find that it is not fully cleaned or catered yet. We pile on up and huddle in the A-zone area waiting for permission to stow our bags, do security checks and set up for boarding. Finally the aircraft taxis in to the gate and after several minutes of inaction the concierge comes onboard to see if we're ready for boarding. We are. So the passengers start sifting on slowly for the next 45 minutes. Boarding seems to take an eternity in Paris. They have been told that the flight is delayed due to the crew bringing the aircraft in to the gate late!!!

We left the gate about an hour and a half late. Short flight plan so only about 45 mins late arriving back in IAH, but still--there was no need for us to have been late at all. Consequence: everyone is beat tired and most passengers with connections missed their flights out of Houston and had to be rebooked on later departures. Another atypical day on the Paris flight.

My Favorites of 2005

Since it's a new year, I decided to make some lists of some of my faves of the year 2005. A good way to remember the events of the year, no? For some reason I love lists--To Do lists, shopping lists, wish lists, even bill-paying lists. I guess it's the orderliness of lists that is the appeal for me. Anyway, here goes with a few lists for last year......

Songs of the Year
Hung Up - Madonna
Don't Cha - The Pussycat Dolls
Better Days - Goo Goo Dolls
You're Beautiful - James Blunt
Wake Me Up When September Comes - Green Day
Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers
The Speed of Sound - Coldplay
Original of the Species - U2
Chocolate - Snow Patrol
You and Me - Lifehouse

Albums of the Year
Something To Be - Rob Thomas
To Love Again - Chris Botti
Hotel - Moby
X & Y - Coldplay
Hot Fuss - The Killers
It's Time - Michael Buble

Films of the Year
March of the Penguins
The Constant Gardener
Sideways
Saw
Crash

TV Shows of the Year
Project Runway
The Apprentice
Iron Chef America
30-Minute Meals
reDesign
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The Academy Awards
The Grammy's
Power, Privelege and Justice
Anderson Cooper 360

Restaurants of the Year
Georges (Paris)
Shade (Houston)
Mesa (New York)
Sushi Koh (Honolulu)
Orchids (Honolulu)
Farrago (Houston)
The Fish (Houston)
Il Sorrentino (Paris)
Early's (Willis)
Joe Allen's (New York)
Spanish Flowers (Houston)
Fogo de Chao (Houston)
Smith & Wollensky (Houston)
Le Comptoir du 7ieme (Paris)
Cafe Gandolfi (Glasgow)

Bars/Clubs of the Year
Le Bar @ Georges V (Paris)
The Blue Note (New York)
Forty Deuce (Los Angeles)
Bhudda Bar (Paris)
Chez Ribe (Paris)
Lewers Lounge (Honolulu)
Bar Atome (Paris)

Hotels of the Year
Sunset Marquis (Los Angeles)
Halekulani (Honolulu)
W (New York)
Trump International (New York)
Georges V (Paris)
Four Seasons (Beverly Hills)

Shops of the Year
Prada (New York)
Prada (both Paris shops)
Nordstrom (Houston Galleria)
Kitson (Beverly Hills)
Saks (Houston Galleria)
Victoria's Secret (Houston Galleria)
Dean & Deluca (New York)
Williams Sonoma (Houston)
Galeries Lafayette (Paris)
Rue de Passy (Paris)
Eclectic Home (Houston)
L'Occitane (Paris)
Apple Store (Houston Galleria)

Shows of the Year
Sting @ The Roxy, Los Angeles (Pre-tour private show)
Chris Botti & Friends @ The Wilshire Theatre, Los Angeles (DVD recording)
Chris Botti with the Honolulu Symphony, Honolulu
Sweeney Todd @ Eugene O'Neill Theatre, Broadway

All of these lists reflect some of the places I went to and events I attended during the year. I'm sure I'll think of loads more later!! (BTW, they're not in any specific order).

The LA Shows (Recap)

Fresh off the Honolulu trip, I headed out for my routine work trip for Paris then flew into LAX the following day to rehook-up with Jer. I arrived at the Wilshire Theatre before he did so I settled in to the dressing room while the tech staff were setting up stage. This was to be the biggest event yet in Chris Botti's career, filming a live DVD with most of the guests from his latest album, To Love Again. Chris had been building up to this for several weeks, eating healthily, practicing yoga daily, abstaining form drinking/late nights of any kind and culminating in performing with his pal Sting to honor Trudie Styler at the Unicef Snowflake Ball the night prior to the first show at the Wilshire.

Jer soon arrived at the theatre with the guys and the excitement throughout the venue could be felt as the rehearsals began. About 50 or so people were present for the rehearsals, all impressed by the performances of each of the guests one after the other. Mark Silag was in the front of the venue, frantically attending to ticket allocations and Jer was all over the place doing his thing and making sure that all the details were being seen to.

The make-up guys were set up in the dressing room next to Chris' and were in limbo until the celebs were ready to be made up. Kevin offered to do my hair and make up while he waited to get to work so I was treated to a professional makeover. Gabe was looking so swanky in his newly acquired black suit as the showtime approached. Backstage started to heat up with loads of celebs, PBS crew and Sony execs milling all over the place. Even Tom Cruise and pregnant Katie Holmes dropped in to surprise Chris. Jeanne didn't get there until close to showtime as she had to work until 5.30 pm. She and I were seated together in the front row which was truly a treat. Cara ended up a few rows back and seemed a bit miffed about it, but she ended up being next to TomKat and actually said that she was happier there than in the front when all was said and done.

The show didn't go so well though. Between technical problems and musicians' errors, it was basically a disaster in Chris' eyes. I could tell he wasn't happy, but the audience absolutely loved the entire show, most of them unaware of any slips. Turns out that some of the footage may end up being used but basically the whole project was now hinging on the second and final night.

What a night that was!!! After an extremely focused and serious rehearsal, with no audience members, on the second afternoon, every single person nailed it. The guests included Renee Olstead, Jill Scott, Paul Buchanan, Burt Bacharach, Paula Cole, Gladys Knight and of course Sting. Everything seemed perfect and Chris was beaming as he took his final bow with everyone. Maggie had come in for that show so she and I hung out for a while after the show. I really wanted her to be able to come out with us for the after party but I knew that that simply couldn't happen. I waited until some of the hubbub had died down and took her backstage for a while. She at least got to see the mammouth vase of flowers that Tom and Katie sent to Chris and she got an idea of the goings on behind the scenes!

Everyone eventually headed to the pub next door for a "private" Sony party. Seems as though a lot of random fans managed to sneak in and the place was essentially mobbed. Gil Goldstein and I stayed on the edge of it all with our drinks, until Jer phoned me and beckoned me out to meet him at the car. He, Chris and I headed in Chris' car to a club across town where Sting and Trudy had reserved a table. They had gone there ahead of us and so were well-relaxed by the time we got there. I had such a fun time there. The mood was energetic and hot. Chris was in his element and finally Jer and I got to relax/dance/drink/smile together. I really enjoyed that night.

We headed back to the Sunset Marquis with only 3 hours 'til we had to be at LAX. Needless to say we didn't sleep at all. Just on the flight back home ... in first class (thanks Jer).