A Farewell to the Good Luck Bar, Where It All Began

Maria and I were sad to read about the impending closure of the Good Luck Bar, a Los Feliz institution that has been at the intersection of Hollywood, Sunset, Virgil and Hillhurst, around the corner from the Vista Theatre, for at least 25 years. Apparently the landlord is looking to tear down the building to build either condos or a hotel — and the Good Luck Bar has been given notice.

With just a few weeks (or if we're lucky, another month or two) left before it disappears, we headed there on Saturday — for the first time in years — in order to pay our respects and also reminisce.

The Good Luck Bar is where we met, nearly 20 years ago, and although the world and L.A. have changed a lot since then (not to mention our lives — two kids later!), it was always comforting to drive by the Good Luck Bar sign and know that it was still there.

On Saturday, the bar was packed. Clearly, a lot of people had the same idea. A line snaked down Hillhurst and we had to wait a bit to get in. But I'm glad we did. It's hard to believe that a chance meeting at a bar all those years ago set us on this path.

In 2009, on the 10th anniversary of when we first met, I wrote this:

Ten years ago, on the evening of July 3, 1999, I was lounging in my West Hollywood apartment -- flipping through channels -- when the phone rang.

It was my friend Pang-ni. She and a few friends were heading to the Good Luck Bar on Hillhurst in Los Feliz. They were also hanging out with some off-beat guys, and well, they needed to be rescued. Would I join them?

Hmm. I was already in for the night. And Los Feliz was a hike from West Hollywood. But I had promised myself to make more of an effort to get out and meet new people. Plus, it was the July 4th weekend, I thought to myself, and I oughta be out having a good time.

So I got dressed, hopped on the surface streets and headed to this "Good Luck Bar."

Inside, Pang-ni and Brenda -- two friends from my college dorm -- were there.. and yup, I saw what they meant by these guys. It was a busy holiday weekend night at the Good Luck Bar, but the group had managed to snag one of the last seating areas -- which had just been occupied by two girls. Pang-ni had struck up a conversation with one of them, and I wound up sitting next to Pang-ni.

Before long, I was talking to Pang-ni and the new girl to her left. And later, I wound up talking to that girl a little bit more. She seemed pretty cool, and we talked about all sorts of nonsense. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Where we grew up. And what we did for a living. She told me she designed CD packages at Rhino Records. Oh -- and her name was Maria.

She was there, having a mini "girls night out" with her friend Andrea. (Turns out she was in a similar "what the hell, I'm gonna go out into the world, and if I meet someone, I meet someone" phase as well.) At the end of the night, she wouldn't give me her number. But I gave her my card. I was intrigued.

Later, while leaving the bar, Pang-ni asked me what I had thought about another one of her female friends who had been there that night. But all I could think about was this girl I had just met.

I didn't want to be too eager, and I didn't want to be Creepy McStalker. But I knew her first name, and I knew where she worked. I was going to wait a week, and then call Rhino. (Probably too long in hindsight -- but again, I wanted to play it cool and not scare her off.)

But before I finally got the nerve to call... I was in the office on Thursday night (back at my old gig at the now-late Electronic Media) when the phone rang.

"What were you doing giving your number to a drunk girl?" laughed the voice on the other end.

It was her. I couldn't believe it. Honest, to this day, she teases me that I was never going to call -- but I was. She just beat me to the punch. And thank God she did, because it gave me a bit more confidence to push hard for a first date. Soon.

We arranged to meet the following week at Lola's on Fairfax for drinks. And that led to our first full-fledged date: Drinks at 360 (now long gone) and dinner at the old Luna Park (also long gone), where Pancho Sanchez also performed. That led to another date at Campanile's Grilled Cheese night. And so on.

It all led to now -- marriage, home and Evan -- plus another addition, just a few weeks away.

And to think it all started that night, ten years ago. It's crazy to think how so much has resulted from that phone call from Pang-ni -- and that split-second decision to get off my lazy ass and drive all the way to Los Feliz. And ditto Maria's decision to meet up that night with a friend at a bar that, like me, she'd never been to. (And yes, we've felt cheesy for years that we met in such a cliched fashion -- at a bar, and a bar named "Good Luck," no less.)

We're hoping to visit the Good Luck Bar at least one more time before it closes — and buy a T-shirt too! 

Go before it's too late: 1514 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

The Great Los Angeles Walk 2013 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Create Maps or search from 80 million at MapMyWalk

"Why are you doing this?" "Who's coming?" "Can I bring my kids? Will you drive me home?"

Here it is, the unofficial Frequently Asked Questions roundup for the GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2013!

(Pic by theeastsiderla.com)

1. WHEN/WHERE? Saturday, Nov. 23, 2013 -- the Saturday before Thanksgiving, like we do every year. We're meeting at the LADY OF THE LAKE statue (see above) at Echo Park Lake. Get there early to enjoy some breakfast and coffee at Square One at the Boathouse! By 8:45 we'll gather for a pep talk, some info about the day and perhaps a surprise speaker. (Suprise speaker TBD.) Then, we're off, straight at 9 am!

2. WHO? We're expecting 300 or so urban hikers this year. We're taking RSVPs at greatlawalk(at)mail(dot)com (yes, "mail," not "gmail") and on Facebook, but RSVPs are not necessary. We'll take anyone who shows up too!

3. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? C'mon, it's completely free! But you're on your own when it comes to lunch, dinner, water, etc. So don't forget to plan accordingly.

4. WHAT'S THE PATH? From Echo Park Lake, we make our way up to Sunset Boulevard. We take Sunset all the way through Echo Park, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Hollywood, West Hollywood (including the Sunset Strip) and Beverly Hills. At the edge of Beverly Hills we take Whittier Drive down to Wilshire Boulevard -- and then take Wilshire to the end, where we'll see another statue, for Santa Monica herself:

5. WHAT IF I CAN'T GET THERE THAT EARLY, OR DON'T WANT TO START THAT FAR EAST? Just wait for us somewhere on the path and join in once we pass by. Several hikers will be Twittering as well -- including us, at @greatlawalk. Check one of those Twitter accounts to figure out where we are.

6. HOW LONG IS THE HIKE? 17-18 miles. IMPORTANT: This is not a race. Sure, you can sprint all the way to the end, but where's the fun in that? There's no prize for who gets there first. Instead, take a breath, and join the bulk of us as we leisurely stroll toward the ocean and stop frequently to take in the sights.

7. WHEN WILL WE GET TO THE END? With so many hikers, people will eventually start to space out. Impatient, faster walkers might get there soon after lunch. But the bulk of the walkers will get there around 5.

8. CAN WE BIKE IT? BRING KIDS? PETS? Because you're walking on your own accord -- remember, this is an unofficial gathering of passionate Angelenos walking the streets of their favorite city -- you can do whatever you want. Use your best judgement, of course. We're not responsible for you.

9. WHAT ABOUT INJURIES? Again, there is no infrastructure to our Walk, so you need to take care of yourself just like you would whenever you walk anywhere. Be careful, stay safe and stick with a group of walkers!

10. WHAT ABOUT LUNCH? We'll be taking a lunch break -- probably around an hour or so -- around the halfway point, on the Sunset Strip. We're talking to a restaurant about giving us a Walk discount -- stay tuned.

11. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WALK IS DONE? We'll take group photos at the ocean... and then celebrate at a location to be named shortly from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.!

12. HOW DO I GET THERE, OR GET HOME? Either plan with a friend and get to Santa Monica early morning, parking one car, then carpool to Echo Park Lake (where you'll park the other car). OR: Park at Echo Park Lake, walk to Santa Monica, then eventually take Metro back to Echo Park. OR: Park at Santa Monica at 7 a.m., allowing yourself enough time to board a Metro bus to Echo Park Lake. Traffic's light that time of morning, so the bus ride is relatively quick. And that way, when you arrive in Santa Monica, your car is waiting for you.

BUSES: Visit Metro (http://www.metro.net/around/maps) for details. But here's a thumbnail:

The last Big Blue Rapid 10 bus (http://bigbluebus.com/Routes-And-Schedules/Rapid-10.aspx) leaves Santa Monica for downtown at around 7pm. It's the return from downtown that's at around 8pm; you'll have to then take a local bus back to Echo Park. But if you're going to stick around the Afterparty beyond 7 after the walk, your choices are the 704 (or the local 4, both via Santa Monica/Sunset).

13. WHAT SHOULD I WEAR/BRING? Loose, comfy clothing. I'd wear shorts, a t-shirt (and perhaps a sweatshirt, depending on the temperature) and bring a jacket -- it gets chilly at the beach in the evening. Also, tennis shoes... sunglasses... a hat... sunscreen... extra socks... a blister kit (optional, of course -- I haven't brought one, although Band-Aids  are a good idea)... and most importantly, a camera! We'll all be documenting it and posting pics later.

14. HOW CAN I GET A T-SHIRT? We've just posted a bunch of T-shirts for sale at http://greatlawalk.spreadshirt.com and Zazzle: The Great Los Angeles Walk 2013 T-Shirt. But order fast, it may be too late to get the shirts in time for the Walk.

15. HOW SHOULD I TRAIN FOR THIS? It's not a marathon, so training isn't really necessary. I suppose you should walk around your neighborhood in the days before hand... but I'd avoid any big gym routine the day before, so you're not sore the day you're hiking. But other than that... I didn't train at all for any of the previous seven walks, and have turned out just fine.

16. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Why not? There's no special reason, no charity, no protest, no issue we're promoting -- other than a passion for Los Angeles. In 2006, I organized our walk down Wilshire to mark my 10th anniversary in Los Angeles. But it was so much fun, and it was a chance to meet so many new people, that we did it again in 2007, down Pico; in 2008, via Sunset and Santa Monica Blvd.; and in 2009, we hit West Adams as we walked down Adams and Washington to Venice Beach. In 2010, we returned to Wilshire for the fifth walk; in 2011, we hit Hollywood; and in 2012, it was Melrose's turn. This year, it's all about Sunset Boulevard.

It's the Saturday before Thanksgiving as well, so somehow I don't feel as bad gorging on sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie a few days later. And hey, it'll be a cool conversation piece at your holiday party.
 

17. CAN I SEND IN PHOTOS? READ A RECAP LATER? Of course! We'll have an official GREAT LOS ANGELES WALK 2013 page on Flickr for you to upload your pics. And come back here the Monday after the Walk to read a full recap! Send us links to your own recaps, YouTube videos, etc.

18. IMPORTANT: You are walking on your own volition. The Great Los Angeles Walk is just a casual opportunity to walk with other Angelenos through the city. It's not an official organization of any sort -- and is therefore not responsible for your conduct or anything that may happen during your hike. Be careful, and be respectful of others and of your city.

Santa, Tamales and 'Holiday Road' at This Year's Los Feliz Holiday Festival

When it comes to neighborhood holiday events, the Los Feliz Village Holiday Festival is always one of our favorites. Now in its sixth year, the festival takes place this Saturday, Dec. 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

This year's festival kicks off with a tree lighting ceremony in front of the Los Feliz Library. The other major highlight: A live performance by the cast of "For the Record: John Hughes (Holiday Road)." Just a hunch, but I assume they'll be singing, yes, "Holiday Road."

Other features at Saturday night's event on Hillhurst: Photos with Santa at Coldwell Banker (1917 Hillhurst); Alphabet Soup Puppeteers at Dragonfly DuLou (2066 Hillhurst); Prudential Elves Holiday Workshop featuring bounce house, craft table, hot cider and cookies (1714 Hillhurst); Bring your pet dressed in their holiday best to Keller Williams (1660 Hillhurst).

On Hollywood: Decorate your own holiday stocking at Springer Chiropractic (4645 Hollywood); Holiday Party featuring Guitar Driven Jazz Holiday Music by Jonathan Stout Trio at Sweeney Todd's Barber Shop (4639 Hollywood); Join Father Xmas for refreshments at Ozzie Dots (4637 Hollywood); Astrology readings, Lavender Distillation Demonstration, DJ and for the kids....Candy Cane Reindeers at Primrose Organics Salon (4616 Hollywood); Free tamale samples & champurrado (Mexican specialties) and crafts from local artists at Yuca's on Hollywood (4666 Hollywood); View the newly completed mural at the Barnsdall/Metro Arts Corridor & enjoy hot cider and donuts with the artists.

On Vermont Ave.: Enjoy complimentary Glazed Pumpkin Cake and Hot Spiced Apple Cider at Vermont/Rockwell (1714 Vermont); Half Off Clothing Store will be serving refreshments, cookies and offering discounts throughout store (1748 Vermont); Enjoy your choice of Hot chocolate, Espresso or Cappuccino and cookies at Il Capriccio (1757 Vermont); Strolling carolers up and down Vermont Avenue.


From a few years ago, Yuca's owners party during the Los Feliz Holiday Festival.

Big Los Angeles Holiday: Parades, Festivals and More

There's never a shortage of holiday cheer in Los Angeles -- particularly over the next week. Among the neighborhood festivals, ice skating rinks, special holiday shows this weekend and beyond:

:: The Los Feliz Village Holiday Festival, now in its 5th year, takes place TONIGHT, Saturday, Dec. 4, starting with a 5 p.m. tree lighting ceremony at the Los Feliz library (at Hillhurst and Franklin).

Shops and restaurants up and down Hillhurst, Vermont and Hollywood Blvds. are open late -- including L.A.'s best taco stand, Yuca's (above, Yuca's owners boogie down at a past Los Feliz holiday event). And yes, Yuca's and other joints are offering free samples (enough of a reason right there to check it out).

The event also includes photos with Santa at Coldwell Banker (1917 Hillhurst); Alphabet Soup puppeteers at Dragonfly DuLou (2066 Hillhurst); Antique Car Show at Ise Automotive (1774 Hillhurst); live mariachi music at Yuca’s (2056 Hillhurst); ”Blushing Santa” house rum punch, classic Christmas music and delectable edibles at Sweeney Todd’s Barber Shop. (4639 Hollywood Blvd.); and hot chocolate stations and strolling musicians at various points on Vermont.


:: There's no better way to get in the holiday spirit than taking in Charles Phoenix's annual Retro Holiday Slide Show. (Check out our report on the show from last year here.

This year's show takes place in Los Angeles on Sunday, December 12 at 3 p.m. and Saturday, December 18 at 8 p.m., both shows at the Downtown Independent Theater (251 S. Main Street). Tix are $25; go here for more.

:: The 34th Annual Montrose Christmas Parade takes place Saturday night, Dec. 4, at 6 p.m.

Details:

We invite you to come early …do some shopping, enjoy one of our fine restaurants, and get a good spot on the parade route! The parade staging starts at La Crescenta Ave & Honolulu Ave, the parade itself begins at Honolulu Ave & Rosemont Ave and runs east towards Verdugo Rd. The center of the parade and the entire Montrose area is the intersection of Honolulu Ave & Ocean View Blvd Parking is available in the open city parking lots, on the open side streets and within the surrounding neighborhoods. Please plan to arrive early, set up some chairs and a blanket and get some dinner in one of our great Montrose restaurants.

:: The independent design and gift show Unique L.A. takes place next weekend, Dec. 11 and 12, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the California Market Center’s Penthouse (110 E 9th St.) Cost is $10 at the door.

:: The Casa Adobe De San Rafael holds its annual Fiesta de las Luminarias (Festival of Lights) this weekend. (1330 Dorothy Drive, Glendale)

Rate-A-Restaurant #228: Ricky's Fish Tacos

Restaurant: Ricky's Fish Tacos

Location: 1400 N. Virgil (Los Feliz)

Type of restaurant: Taco stand

We stipulated: For a lunch over the holiday weekend, I wanted something that would provide a brief vacation in my mouth. Sites like Pat Saperstein's Eating L.A. had raved about Ricky's... and I had to try the "Authentic Ensenada Style Fish Tacos" myself.

They stipulated: Ricky's isn't a restaurant, but rather a mobile taco stand. Embrace the simplicity. The menu has two items: fresh fish or shrimp tacos. Drinks include aqua frescas such as a watermelon juice.



What we ordered: Fish tacos ($2.50 each); watermelon juice ($1)



High point: Wow. The batter on the fish, fried in front of your eyes. The fresh salsas. The crema. The huge portions. The whole package is incredible.

Low point: Seating is limited, and Ricky's can be hard to find. Just look for the crowd.



Overall impression: I've never been to Ensenada, or Baja, period. But after biting into a Ricky's fish taco, I felt like I had. Sitting there, next to busy Virgil and across the street from Albertson's, I was nonetheless transported to a secluded beach. Now, if they would only be able to serve cerveza...



Chance we'll go back: Without a doubt. I would hit Ricky's once a week if I could... and maybe I will.



(For our full list of nearly 230 restaurant reviews, check out Rate-A-Restaurant here.)

Christmas at the Cathedral, and Denied at the Dorothy Chandler

After the church we usually attend -- Los Feliz's St. Casimir -- decided to move its Christmas Eve mass to 10 p.m. (waaay too late for us, as we had a family gathering that evening), we discovered that downtown's Cathedral had scheduled its family-targeted Christmas Eve mass at much more workable 4 p.m.



The $189 million Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, designed by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, opened up in 2002. Erected to replace downtown's old St. Vibiana cathedral -- damaged in the 1994 Northridge quake, and now remade by Tom Gilmore into a special events venue -- came with plenty of controversy.

The high cost of some of the Cathedral's features led to the nickname the "Taj Mahony" -- a dig at Cardinal Roger Mahony, who heads up the Los Angeles archdiocese.



We briefly investigated getting married at the Cathedral back in 2002, but the timing didn't work (plus, we ultimately decided to go with the Plaza Church -- La Placita -- in El Pueblo de Los Angeles). As a result, we had never actually attended Mass at the Cathedral until Wednesday night. (Above, tapestries of saints by painter John Nava hang on the walls.)



I'm glad we did. Surprisingly, it was crowded, but not packed; there was plenty of room for attendees at the Cathedral (which holds 3,000). And because it was geared toward families with small kids, it wasn't an overly long service. Most interestingly, Cardinal Mahony was there (above, he greets folks after Mass) -- and while he didn't preside over the Mass, he did remain on the altar and give a blessing at the end.



The timing of the Mass was also perfect for several local TV news teams -- KCBS/KCAL, KABC and (I believe) KTTV were all there. (Above, a KCBS/KCAL cameraman does double duty.)



Meanwhile, the 4 p.m. time meant that we had time to stroll over across the street to the Music Center, with the hopes of checking out the Los Angeles County Holiday Celebration.

Something else we've been meaning to do for years, the annual event -- which takes place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion -- features countless performers, and is free to attendees, who come and go throughout the show.



We naively thought we could stroll in and check it out. Uh, not quite. The line from the door snaked down the entire length of the Music Center.

We didn't have time to spend 45 minutes in line, and instead walked around the Music Center, where others who opted not to join the queue were milling about. A big screen erected in the Music Center plaza featured what was going on inside (via the live simulcast on KCET).



Even though we didn't get in, there was a jubilant mood there in the plaza, as we walked around with a few hundred other Angelenos on Christmas Eve -- the crisp air, the tall, sparking Christmas tree lights, the downtown skyline, the music piped outdoors from the stage. A pretty cool Los Angeles experience.

Weekend in Los Angeles: Preschool Holidays and Unique L.A.

Anyone complains that L.A. doesn't put them in the holiday mood isn't trying hard enough. This past weekend alone locals could celebrate with the Atwater Village Christmas Tree lighting and festival, the Eagle Rock tree lighting, the Los Feliz Holiday Festival, the Montrose Christmas Parade and the Casa Adobe de San Rafael Open House and Fiesta De las Luminarias in Glendale, among other events. Then there's the ever-growing number of outdoor skating rinks in the area (including, of course, our favorite -- the Pershing Square rink).

We didn't get a chance to do half the amount of L.A. events we had hoped to hit this weekend. Part of the time we spent decorating our own tree. We also celebrated the Winter Solstice at Blogger Boy's annual preschool holiday festival:





Evan's preschool event included fake snow to sled on; train rides; Santa; plenty of food and games.

Later, it was off to the Unique L.A. craft show downtown (where we saw Friends of Franklin Avenue JustJenn and Emmie.)

A few pics:

'Tis The Season in Los Feliz; Less So In Atwater Village

The Eastsider LA writes that the Atwater Village Christmas Tree -- an actual live, 50-foot redwood found in the Glendale Blvd. median, and decorated/lit up throughout the month of December -- isn't happening this year. UPDATE: The Christmas tree will be back after all! The Eastsider LA confirms that the city's Bureau of Street Services has agreed to lower the price to $6,000 to light the tree -- so it's happening. Whew!

The Eastsider notes that it all began when the city's Bureau of Street Services estimated it would cost about $11,000 to light the tree -- a big jump from last year. Atwater Village found a vendor that would do it for $5,000 -- but there wasn't enough time to pull the necessary permits. As a result, no tree this year:

Next Friday night will still find Atwater Village holding a Winter Wonderland celebration, compete with snow bubble making machines, carolers, live music, dancers and, of course, Santa. But, come around 6 pm, there will be no ceremonial flicking of the switch to turn on the Atwater tree.

In happier holiday news, Los Feliz's annual holiday festival -- which had been one of our favorites -- is back on this year, after taking a break in 2008.

The event's Hillhurst businesses in particular get into the festival in a big way -- some serve wine and cheese, others feature games for the kids and even Yuca's passes out free goodies. Free pics with Santa too. Event begins on Saturday at 6 p.m. with the tree lighting outside the Los Feliz Library, at Franklin and Hillhurst.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like the Holidays

Get ready to freak out: The holidays are hurtling right toward us, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Halloween? THIS WEEK. Thanksgiving? ONE MONTH FROM NOW. Christmas? LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY.

You may now hyperventilate.

The realization smacked us on Saturday, as we drove from the Los Angeles Zoo (where we had a nice afternoon, watching the animals and taking in the Halloween-themed displays) back to Los Feliz Blvd. As we drove down the road past the golf course, we noticed that displays for the Department of Water and Power's Holiday Light Festival were already going up in Griffith Park.

That's right -- Halloween isn't until Friday, but the DWP and Griffith Park are already prepping for Christmas.

Even earlier than that, the coffee chains began rolling out their annual Pumpkin flavors; I also picked up my first holiday-themed CoffeeMate flavor (Gingerbread, for the record) this weekend.

Mike and Maria: The First Decade

Mike and Maria in the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel lobby, 2003

Ten years ago, on the evening of July 3, 1999, I was lounging in my West Hollywood apartment -- flipping through channels -- when the phone rang.

It was my friend Pang-ni. She and a few friends were heading to the Good Luck Bar on Hillhurst in Los Feliz. They were also hanging out with some off-beat guys, and well, they needed to be rescued. Would I join them?

Hmm. I was already in for the night. And Los Feliz was a hike from West Hollywood. But I had promised myself to make more of an effort to get out and meet new people. Plus, it was the July 4th weekend, I thought to myself, and I oughta be out having a good time.

So I got dressed, hopped on the surface streets and headed to this "Good Luck Bar."

Inside, Pang-ni and Brenda -- two friends from my college dorm -- were there.. and yup, I saw what they meant by these guys. It was a busy holiday weekend night at the Good Luck Bar, but the group had managed to snag one of the last seating areas -- which had just been occupied by two girls. Pang-ni had struck up a conversation with one of them, and I wound up sitting next to Pang-ni.

Before long, I was talking to Pang-ni and the new girl to her left. And later, I wound up talking to that girl a little bit more. She seemed pretty cool, and we talked about all sorts of nonsense. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Where we grew up. And what we did for a living. She told me she designed CD packages at Rhino Records. Oh -- and her name was Maria.

She was there, having a mini "girls night out" with her friend Andrea. (Turns out she was in a similar "what the hell, I'm gonna go out into the world, and if I meet someone, I meet someone" phase as well.) At the end of the night, she wouldn't give me her number. But I gave her my card. I was intrigued.

Later, while leaving the bar, Pang-ni asked me what I had thought about another one of her female friends who had been there that night. But all I could think about was this girl I had just met.

I didn't want to be too eager, and I didn't want to be Creepy McStalker. But I knew her first name, and I knew where she worked. I was going to wait a week, and then call Rhino. (Probably too long in hindsight -- but again, I wanted to play it cool and not scare her off.)

But before I finally got the nerve to call... I was in the office on Thursday night (back at my old gig at the now-late Electronic Media) when the phone rang.

"What were you doing giving your number to a drunk girl?" laughed the voice on the other end.

It was her. I couldn't believe it. Honest, to this day, she teases me that I was never going to call -- but I was. She just beat me to the punch. And thank God she did, because it gave me a bit more confidence to push hard for a first date. Soon.

We arranged to meet the following week at Lola's on Fairfax for drinks. And that led to our first full-fledged date: Drinks at 360 (now long gone) and dinner at the old Luna Park (also long gone), where Pancho Sanchez also performed. That led to another date at Campanile's Grilled Cheese night. And so on.

It all led to now -- marriage, home and Evan -- plus another addition, just a few weeks away.

And to think it all started that night, ten years ago. It's crazy to think how so much has resulted from that phone call from Pang-ni -- and that split-second decision to get off my lazy ass and drive all the way to Los Feliz. And ditto Maria's decision to meet up that night with a friend at a bar that, like me, she'd never been to. (And yes, we've felt cheesy for years that we met in such a cliched fashion -- at a bar, and a bar named "Good Luck," no less.)

Here's to decade number one -- and the awesome fact that there are still several more to go.

Anyone Else Having A Hard Time Getting Into the Holiday Spirit?

Maybe it's the down economy. Perhaps I've been preoccupied with my office's recent move, and other things. Our Christmas tree's not up yet, so maybe that's it. Could it be the stress of the holidays -- get a tree, mail out cards, shop for gifts, attend a myriad of events -- that's turning me off? Then there's the fact that some of the annual holiday events we attend, like the Los Feliz Holiday Festival, have been canceled.

Whatever it is, I'm just not feelin' it. The holidays, that is. I haven't caught the bug, and Christmas is just 17 days away. Every year, I feel less prepared for the season... and every year, it feels like it creeps up faster on us.

Perhaps I'm not the only one. From Wall Street Journal:

y early this year, as the housing downturn accelerated and gas prices rose, the Cleveland-based company's research showed that consumers, spending more time at home, were focusing on personal relationships and reminiscing about happier times together.

"We could tell the mood was changing fast," says MJ Smith, American Greetings' director of consumer and cultural trends. "In the last few years, we've had cards with lots of glitter, but that's just not the mindset anymore -- people are more traditional now."

So American Greetings, which produced some 3,000 holiday-card designs this year, started to recalibrate. One of the first changes: deeper reds and greens.

"Santa is a true, traditional red, instead of the cherry red we've used in the past," says Susan Sliede, director of seasonal planning. "And instead of a shiny pattern on his coat, we're using flocking," she said, as she touched the velvet-coated paper.

Any of you having a hard time getting into the spirit this year?

Los Feliz Cancels Its Holiday Festival, But Atwater Village Carries On

One of our favorite neighborhood holiday events, the annual Los Feliz holiday festival, has been canceled this year.

According to the Los Feliz Business Improvement District, the festival was scrapped because the group is "re-evaluating our festivals and fairs." But it also came down to money: The city's no longer waiving its fees, and "street closures are expensive."


(Flickr pic by Jory.)

Good news now: The 17th annual Atwater Village Tree Lighting Ceremony is still on.

Event takes place this Thursday, December 4, 2008 starting at 6:30 p.m. Details:

The tree lighting ceremony will be accompanied by a Holiday Festival in the Wells Fargo parking lot at 3250 Glendale Blvd. The evening’s program will include children’s choirs from local schools, the world premiere of a new locally produced song, a fashion show featuring local merchants and citizens, a short film about the Atwater neighborhood, and traditional Christmas harmonies by the Tam O’Shanter Singers. Santa Claus is scheduled to arrive on a Los Angeles Fire Department fire truck, heralding the lighting of the tree at approximately 7:30 p.m.

Also this year: The Old Bank District Holiday party takes place 6 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 6. It's free. Details:

- Main Stage presented by Little Radio with live performances from The Like, Whispertown 2000, The Afternoons, Restaurant, and special guest headliner performing from 6 pm - 12 am.

- An outdoor Beer and Wine Garden on 4th St., with seating for partygoers to enjoy the lights and entertainment.

- Harlem Place Alley will be transformed into an intimate Jazz Bar with performances by Pablo Calogero and band, hosted by Pete’s Café & Bar.

- Comme des Garçons, Blends, Orange 22, and Fremont Apparel, as well as other neighborhood retailers including those on Main St. like Banquette, Blossom, Raw Materials and others, will be offering specials and discounts for holiday shoppers.

- An Art Bazaar will be hosted in the historic Farmers and Merchants Bank, featuring the work of over 30 local artists. The Bazaar will be cash only and all work will be $200 and under.

Another Holiday In Los Feliz

Santa Claus kicked off the 3rd Annual Los Feliz Village Holiday Festival on Saturday night -- and Franklin Avenue was there (both us, and literally, the street as well) to take in the festivities and the free-ness.

Free Santa pics (Blogger Toddler's finally a fan of the big guy in the red suit); free snacks up and down Hillhurst; free puppet show at Dragonfly DuLou. Yuca's new Hollywood location was passing out tamales. Even Starbucks got into the act, passing out coffee and scones.

This year's event was the biggest one yet, stretching up and down Hillhurst and Vermont, and Hollywood in between. Double Decker buses and motorized trolleys shuttled attendees around. Even the weather strangely cooperated: Yes, it was chilly -- but aren't holiday festivals supposed to be?

Some shots:


Mariachis perform at the new Yuca's on Hollywood location


Puppet show at Dragonfly DuLou (not to mention free popcorn and pepperminty hot chocolate!)


Santa Claus, with strings attached


No lie, shortly after this pic was taken, City Councilman Tom LaBonge (with scarf) hopped a ride in the carriage up the street with Santa.


Choir from nearby Lycee International school (singing "California Dreamin'," strangely enough), moments before the tree in front of the Leo DiCaprio library is lit.