Downtown Shan's 2008 Blog

Today we visited the L.A. State Historic Park which is right here in downtown L.A.!! We had a blast watching Bridget run. She does
great sticking with us and not running off or too far ahead of us. She always looks back to make sure we're right there. If she has
to stop and take a tinkle, she runs super fast to catch up with us. She enjoys the outdoors, it was like another planet to her! Check
out the park's site. A must visit for all downtowners. I hope they add doggie bags soon, but I've never seen any "evidence" left
behind and we always have bags on us. We should of brought our camera because there were so many pretty wild flowers and
the HUGEST sunflowers you've ever seen. They were dying, but I'm sure in the Spring they'll be amazing again.

On Friday we took Bridget down to H.B. with us. Our first trip back since we moved 7 months ago. We helped a friend then hit up
Dog's Beach. We had a very special time watching her run on the beach and chase the birdies and run from the waves like a little
kid. The beach wasn't over crowded but the dogs and people we met were all very friendly and fabulous. Everyone loves Bridget!

And our voting experience was GREAT! We went, as I mentioned to fire station no. 10. Bridget and I walked up to G's office and
met up with him then the 3 of us walked down to the fire house. The Channel 4 news van was there as was a Japanese news
crew. The Japanese were all over Bridget. They filmed her and I and were saying, "Japanese t.v., Japanese t.v.". Of course we
smiled and said "Hi" to all our Japanese friends. The firemen were stoked to see Bridget. One of them used to have a Bully (now
he has Frenchies) and another fireman said how much his wife wanted one. Both took phone pics of her! Now on to the business
of voting! We were both on the list like clockwork. I got my ballot and took Bridget with me on the leash. It was very confusing trying
to figure out how to put the ballot in and line it up just right. I read the instructions and was sure it was all perfect before I voted.
Then I gave my ballot over and he told me to stick it in the slot, but when I did nothing happened! He said wait and the ballot
before me was spit out to the floor. I picked it up and gave it to him. It was a little weird and confusing and I think Gavin ended up
just leaving his with the man because he couldn't get the machine fixed. Anyway, I'm sure it was all worked out. We didn't check
the Japanese t.v. channel to see if they showed Bridget and me, but we sure had a blast voting! Made some great new friends!
See you in November.

monday:             Today I spent time on the phone finding my poll location and determining my voter registration status since I
moved. It was a relatively painless few phone calls and I got all the info I needed. I vote at Fire Station #10, which I'm glad to get to
go and visit the firemen. I think I'll walk over there with Bridget. They are going to love her!

My super bowl menu was cut a little short! I just had too much food for the 2 of us. I ended up making the soup, nachos and
pita/hummus along with the chicken. The popcorn shrimp didn't make it. I'm going to use the shrimp for a BBQ Shrimp Fat
Tuesday menu tomorrow. I'm going to serve it with cornbread, homemade of course.

The game was so good we had a great time watching the Giants win in the final minute! What a throw! What a catch! WOW! I
pigged out on nachos so yesterday I was really good! Back to the gym tomorrow. I'll be posting my exercise on the fitness link
from my home page.

Remember to VOTE tomorrow! My candidate is Hillary. I can't wait to go make my little voice heard. See you soon! Have a great
day and GET OUT and Stretch your legs!

                    Happy Super Bowl Sunday!! It is rainy here, but it should still be a good day.

Super Bowl Weekend Menu (recipes and pictures will be posted!! - I promise!)

Saturday morning I made the broth for my Tomato Hominy Soup. In the afternoon I made the soup so on Sunday it will be perfect!
I took pictures so I’ll load them up tomorrow! We top the soup with chips, yogurt, cilantro, lime and oregano.

I’m also making:

Popcorn Shrimp (baked) with a yogurt dipping suace. I already made the sauce with 1/3 C GREEK style yogurt, which is soooo
thick, it’s like sour cream. 2 t veggie mayo, lemon zest, lemon juice, chili flakes, garlic powder and my chili powder/cumin blend. It’
s getting happy in the fridge right now!

Nachos with my own chips and salsa. Yesterday I roasted my romas, tomatillos, jalepenos and garlic! It is soooo good as is, but
I’m going to add fresh garlic, cilantro and lemon juice. Served with my nachos! MMM.

I baked up some pita bread chips yesterday and will serve them with hummus and my basil pesto.

I also have a whole chicken in the oven with rosemary and lemon… Mostly for Bridget, but Gav usually gets a few bites too!

Yes, just me and Gavin! We’ll start our nibble-bowl around noon. Since it's rainy and cold, I don't feel bad about staying inside,
watching football and munching out together!

We REALLY enjoyed LOST and are all locked up on the spoilers on line. The story is going real deep. It is easy to get obsessed
with where they are going because it is so mysterious.

Last night for dinner, I made Gav a turkey kilbassa sandwich with roasted red peppers and tomatoes. I couldn’t resist, and had a
bite… or 2! It was really good. We got the kilbasa at Trader Joe’s. I’ll buy it again, it was quite lean. For breakfast I made my
famous potato pancakes with egg whites. A true family favorite.
We didn’t make it back to Angilique café yesterday since I wanted to make my soup.
Well, I’d better get back to my “kitchen”! Gotta lot of fixin’ to do! Can’t wait to see how the popcorn shrimp turn out! Check back
soon for my pictures and updates.

"Monday Night Salad", since it actually was Monday night! The salad was killer! A chop salad with anchovies and radishes! Super
as, linguine and clams were also ordered at the table. We shared the asparagus and 2 potato sides. Everything was good. We
tasty. The raw tuna was also amazing. Gav got the scampi and it was great! Full of hug shrimp. The filet and another fish, as well
as, linguine and clams were also ordered at the table. We shared the asparagus and 2 potato sides. Everything was good. We
didn't have time for dessert! But popped the Dom after the show back at the loft! Another amazing treat! I still have the bottle!   L.A.
LOVES LOPEZ FAVORITE SON IS SELLING OUT NOKIA AND REALLY WANTS A GRAMMY.
Besides my own, this isthe best review of the show I could find online.NOKIA AND REALLY WANTS A GRAMMY.
L.A. LOVES LOPEZ FAVORITE SON IS SELLING OUT GRAMMY.
NOKIA AND REALLY WANTS A
GRAMMY.

It was so cool that the management here at the Packard Lofts had a nice Christmas party for us on Dec. 21. They had a nice
selection of veggie hors d'œuvr sandwiches, hot stuff, and WINE!! I didn't take any pictures, but it was fun to mingle and meet our
nightbors and get dressed up. Best of all.... no driving! Just take the elevator home! Can't beat that! Thanks Team Packard!

Check out the other 2 holiday parties that I did get pictures of.

1-23-08:   Welcome to my 2008 blog and thanks for checking out my site and my pages. I am excited about redesigning my site
and will work on all the pages so please keep checking back for updates. Downtown is again a HUGE part of my life so please
check out the DOWNTOWN PAGE for the whole story! Food continues to be a BIG part of my life and will be for as long as I am
able to shop and cook. I am also still preparing Bridget's meals all from fresh mostly organic chicken and vegetables mixed with
organic quinoa. Her page has all the details and I will post "recipes" too! She eats better than us lately! Speaking of which, don't
forget to check out my new fitness page for downtown living. I'll be going to yoga, riding my bike and using the gym in our building.
The building is still fabulous, we absolutely love living in South Park, the "Beverly Hills of downtown". When we walk around, I am
always proud of where I live, it is a lot more "open" than most of the buildings that are more in "the heart of downtown". There are
a TON of dogs, all kinds, even huge dogs! Bridget is loving downtown! Everyone loves her as well, yesterday we even met another
bully, Mr. Mugsy! He was adora-bull too! They made quick friends and we hope to see him around downtown soon. The
community feeling here is much stronger than anything I ever felt in HB. We love walking everywhere and some weeks just have
to go start the cars to make sure they still start up! Blue Moon is perfect for cruising around on the weekends. We had a ton of rain
last night and all last week.

My links page will also be updated to include more downtown related links. In the meantime, check the "quick links" to the left. The
transition from beachtown to downtown has been quite fun and rather inspiring.

If you want to read my blog from 2007 click here. Be sure to send me feedback, I'd like my site to be user friendly, useful and easy
to navigate. How am I doing? Happy New Year and I look forward to keeping up with you in '08! all pictures copyright 2008
shannonvasquez.com shannon vasquez. please respect my property. I don't have much. Thank you.

Happy Valentines Day - Love Love Love is in the air. Feel it and Embrace it, No matter who or where you are.

Although this is our 20th Valentines Day together, I still get flowers. Hey, they can't hurt and they are lovely! The only problem was I
didn't have a big enough vase! So I used a one gallon jug that I covered with fabric! I was in the middle of bathing Bridget when he
came in around 11, “Happy Valentines Day”! Then he headed back to work. If we were in HB, I’d have to wait all day until he came
home to get them! Roses cannot hurt!
Even if you’re not a “flower person”, go for it! I’ve been enjoying my roses all day. I haven’t really left the loft!

I did go downstairs to get the mail and thank the manager for the very thoughtful Valentine. They left all the residents a
personalized Valentine on our doors, very nice. In the mail I received my mommy’s Valentine! Thank you! Thank you! And I also
received my traditional chocolates (along with a special book!) from my friend in America’s Heartland. Thank YOU! I love
surprises! I love chocolate! And I LOVE gifts! I also enjoy giving gifts, mostly of the “foodie” variety. Tonight will be simple, since we
bbq’d a bunch of chicken upstairs last night. I really love being in the kitchen, I may not be the best cook, but I enjoy it! I’m thinking
of making Spanish rice and having a fiesta! Here is the final product. I made my rendition of the Monday Night Salad I had at The
Palm, check it out.

It’s Survivor and Lost night so we’ll have fun watching our shows together. The day is already great! Tomorrow Bridgey and I are
heading to a new park on Venice, new to us. I’ll let you know how it goes.

I’m making a Valentines Blackberry Champagne cocktail. I “macerated” a basket of blackberries with 3 T super fine sugar and 4 T
balsamic vinegar. Let that set for an hour or so then strain. Put a little bit on the bottom of your champagne glass and pour the
champagne over… Perfectly Purple and Super Scrumptious! I’m sure! Look at the funniest Valentine of all!

March 4:Today I was the Investagatory Assistant once again. We took a nice jaunt down to Laguna to try and serve some papers.
Bridget got to come and we found a great park for her. La Plata Park she had a blast. They even provided doggie bags! And we
both got a little workout in! There is a pretty fierce hill that we climbed 2 times! After our work was done, we found a cute Mexican
place for lunch, El Cortez and I got a fish taco.... mmm mmm it was just perfect! Check out these pictures we got of Bridget and
Bandit. We got a pillow at Pet Smart for Bridget on the couch and Bandit seems to think it's his. Bridget doesn't mind sharing.

Sunday March 2:         After checking out a little bit of the L.A. Marathon, we were able to escape (so many roads were closed, it
was a good thing the Explorer was at the lot) to Dog's Beach! Bridget was so good and just adora-bull chasing and running from
the waves. There were a ton of huge dogs today, great danes, big wolf dogs and big white fluffy dogs, she does great with the big
dogs. Everyone got along just fabulously and she followed us like a champ! There was a big riptide and we saw a couple of
golden retrievers having fun out there. The mountains were not as clear as last weekend, you could barely even see them. I wish I
would have taken some pictures last Saturday, it was just amazing. We had a few friends running in the marathon and everyone
beat their goals! Congratulations - what an accomplishment. Next year I want to do the bike tour! On my cruiser!

March 1 SATURDAY!!         Yeah! Our buddy Lee came down today and treated me to an hour long massage session. He had his
work cut out for him. It was much needed. He hung out with us, I fixed chicken tacos and lots of snacks. Our first overnight guest!
Such as it was! Thanks Lee! See you soon! If anyone needs a massage, in home, give me a buzz and I'll hook you up with the
master healer Lee. It was a gloriously sunny and productive week. The tax season and my good deeds are slowing down and my
stress level is finally lower!

Feb 25.         Happy 6th Birthday to my niece Marley! You are growing up so fast and smart! You Glow Girl!

Feb 24 Sunday! Speaking of rain, it rained today. we were so stoked we got Bridget out to the beach yesterday since we hung low
today. I'm doing some eBay research on a new product. Reminder, I will sell your stuff 4U on eBay! Contact me now. We can do all
the dealings though email if you have a camera and are willing to ship the product. If not, I can pick up and deliver in style!

My Hueveos Rancheros I made my own simple and quick "Ranchero Sauce". It was a great start to a rainy Sunday! Of course G
just had egg whites, but he did try my sauce and beans which he loved! Instead of rice I made regualr hash browns.

Feb 23 SATURDAY! We got to get out of the city this morning and go down to Huntington to help a friend. We took Bridget to Dog's
Beach for about an hour and she had a blast! We parked up on the mesa and walked down to the beach. The view of the
mountains was so clear. There was soooo much snow! I've never seen it like that. A ton of snow and so clear! I wish I had my
camera on me. The field by the mesa was so full of wild flowers it was really cool to look out over the wild flowers and up to the
snow covered mountains. There were yellow and purple flowers and the greenery was really lush. You can tell we've had a lot of
rain.

I got a picture from our deck of the Eclipse on Wednesday. It's no fancy lens or anything, just our regular camera. It was a full
moon, but it was shadowed by the earth so you could only see this much of the moon. I think I took this about 6:38 pm.



Feb 19: Tonight we grilled after G got home from work. He
met me at the grill, it was a fun "date". We grilled veggies
and chicken breasts and skewers. I did eggplant, tomatoes,
brocoli, asparagus,mushroom, onions and peppers.

March 17 HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!! YEAH! What a great day!!   Don't miss my St. Patrick's Day page with lots of photos of
me and Bridgey (by GV) at the Pershing Square event! It was so fun and Bridget made so many friends. She is sooo pooped
out right now!   Totally exhausted!   We walked up all 3 of us and enjoyed the festivities.   We met Erik Estrada, actually we
met 2!   Hal Bastian and some other special people. We didn't try any of the food since I'm all over it right now, but we did
have an O'douls for a buck and met some nice girls at that booth.

My corned beef is in the oven right now. This is the first time I've made this! The first time I had it was fixed by Tommy! That's
probably the only time I've ever had it come to think of it! It looks very interesting in the oven. I read several recipes and some
said to cook it on the stove and some said oven, so I started out on the stove and cook in the oven. I'm following this recipe.
On the way back from the parade we stopped at Ralphs and Bridget and GV waited for me while I picked up the corned beef
($3.00 for 3.71 lbs), cabbage (.41). I also got free colgate toothpaste with my Q, paid .89 for a 4 pk of yoplait yo yogurt, paid
.59 for Frigo Parmesan cheese wedge and paid $1 for Scott extra soft t.p. 4 double rolls pack. Stay tuned for my grocery
shopping tips. I'll be adding a marketing strategy section to my FOOD page asap!

I'll post pictures and the recipe for the corned beef! I'm going to make corned beef hash and eggs for dinner tomorrow! mmm
hopefully it's good... we'll see!

Saturday March 15
Today I got to go see my mom who was down in Newport Beach. I picked her up at her hotel and we went to the Yard House for
lunch! so fun to sit and have lunch with mommy! I miss her! I had the tuna steak sammy which was really good, I only ate half. It
was on rye bread which was nice and came with grilled onions! And a huge plate of french fries that I really did not touch! woo hoo
for me! Mommy had the shrimp lettuce wraps and I had one, they were really good! They came with 3 different "Dipping" sauces
and were fun to eat. Kind of like pf chang's but the lettuce was butter lettuce which I like much better than iceberg. I think she was
going to go back for dinner!

After lunch we went to Bloomies and had makeovers at the Laura Mercier counter. She had it all scoped out from the day before!
The girls were sooo nice! Raquel did me and then Paul the "regional artist" came in to offer his expertise. It was a fun experience
and mommy treated me to a "Renewal Serum" which I love! Then we went to her room and chilled out before I came home to a
very anxiously awaiting household! Strange for us to be apart on a Saturday but since G has Mon off we thought it was a good
idea! and it WAS!! My mom and I had a great time catching up and she looks great. It is always inspiring to see her. If it had been
nicer we would have laid out by the pool, shopping was better!! Thank you mommy! love you!

March 23 HAPPY EASTER!         Can't wait for a great & inspiring meal.      I Made my own Omelet Provence yesterday
morning, one egg and one white, garlic, spinach, fresh rosemary, pear tomatoes and a tiny bit of Havarti on top. I'm going to
try and get a picture of the moon again tonight!

I sampled these frozen veggies tonight. I don't usually eat frozen veggies but they were on sale for 10/$10 and I had a .50 off
coupon which when doubled made them free. The veggies were ok, the best was the broccoli, the peppers and carrots were
a little "rubbery", but the flavor was good. It was broccoli, carrots, red & yellow sweet peppers in a "garlic herb infused extra
virgin olive oil seasoning". The sauce was really nice, light & not too much of it. I was pleasantly surprised, but wouldn't really
pay money for it.

HAPPY SPRING!   We are hearing little birdies in the trees downtown, it's a nice sound in the mornings! I missed the birdies! I
swear I took a picture of the full moon Friday night, but I can't find it!! ahh!! I took it with my new cam, see below, and it came out
really neat! I tried again last night and it didn't come out as good, but this is it.
The one on Friday night lit up the whole bottom part with a bright red glow. I couldn't
figure out what I did..... more practice!

March 22 - I posted my St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe and pictures! It was fun to make & came out great!

Yesterday we headed up to Culver City Best Buy and I GOT A NEW CAMERA!! Woo Hoo - All mine! It's even Pink!! It's a cyber shot
which is perfect for cyber Shan and works great with my computer. I'll be able to post pictures, list a lot easier on eBay now and get
even more great shots of Bridgey!! It even can take a 25 minute quality movie! And an hour and a half movie in lower quality. All on
a tiny little 2G card! I'm stoked! We had a late lunch at Papa Cristo's which is an old favorite. These were some of my first shots
with my new camera. I didn't even get it home and I was able to use it right from the box! Stoke! This was my first time sitting
outside with the birdies, next time we'll have to bring Bridget! I got the falafel plate & G got the chicken pita. I have a bunch of
reviews up on yelp, it's on the left under quick links, reviews. Check out Shan's Yelps!

It was such a nice day and we had the patio to ourselves, well mostly (see birdies!)! As you can see! Since it was Good Friday &
there is a big church across the street we had a great people watching spot! The patio is like a "secret garden" complete with a
little white iron door.   There are gorgeous grape vines growing up and a lot of potted flowers & plants. I even got a cool picture of
the store room full of huge tubs of olives and olive oil. Today it is another HOT one! Hard to believe tomorrow is Easter and it's
going to be even hotter. Can't wait to have some good family time & food! Should be good. I'm not making anything, but I'll
hopefully be assisting in the kitchen! I'll bring my new camera!

I found this great site which lists street closures for downtown which is something I've been looking for. Check it out! There are a
lot of cool downtown blogs that we've stumbled upon. I even got an email from a girl thinking about going to FIDM and looking for
some advice!

I'm loving Top Chef Chicago! They made pizza and went to the zoo so far! It's pretty creative and the contestants are pretty crazy. It's
on Bravo, I have a link on my T.V. Picks page.

Bridgey had the 'funnest' play date with Oscar the French Bull dog on Thursday! They became BFF's! What a little cutie pie! So
lovable. Just 3 or 4 It months old. Click the picture for a page of more! These aren't with my new camera. Bandit didn't know WHAT
was going on!

These 2 were so cute, non stop play until they collapsed! They each slept very good and even the next day were mellow!
Check out downtowns latest patrols! I saw them across the street the other night cruising along the sidewalk! Go Go Go! yeah!

My EASTER Shots are up! Thanks mom for the extra shots! We had a great day! It was so sunny and warm we got to spend
some time out doors.

I got lucky and caught the Good Year blimp from our deck over G's building! It was about 6:50pm. They are turning the top of the
AT&T Building into offices. The best view!! Anyone need an office manager?!? I'd love to check out that view everyday! We used to
love going to the Tower.

I took the Dasher up to Dr. Don last week and walked
home via the Grand Central Market. This time I was smart
and walked down the Angel's Flight steps instead of
going all the way around! That sure was a workout! This
was a lot quicker trip and much more scenic. I've never
taken those steps before! Glad I had my new cyber shot on
me! Here are my 2 shots.

At the market I found Dr. Bronner's Soap!! I was stoked! It
wasn't the best "deal", but I'm so glad I got it, I had been
missing it! If you haven't tried it, give it a shot, I was totally
impressed the first time I tried it and even bathed Bridget in it
on Wed! She smells good & almond-y!

I've had a few questions about Bridget's diet... Yes, it does take time. Yes, it is probably a bit more $$ than "kibble". Yes, she eats
less treats & snacks. Yes, she gets a vitamin packed meal every time. Yes, she gobbles it down. Yes, it is easy to prepare once
you get a system down. Yes, you need a few supplies, nothing fancy, nothing you probably don't have. Below is a quick shot of a
sample of Bridget's veggies. An assortment of veggies ground up in the food processor. Mix 2 parts veggies, 1 part brown rice or
quinoa with 1 part cooked, chopped chicken. Simple as that! I add in some flax oil about every 2 meals or so. And supplement with
scrambled eggs if I have extra or if she needs more foodies.

Stay tuned for more details on feeding doggy "real food".
This is a batch of thighs with skin & bones and boneless skinless breasts.
Grind it all up and mmmmmm (no BONES!!).

Got our new bed delivered from Macy's yesterday! YEAH!! Thank you!! Couldn't be happier! Had a gorgeous nights sleep & woke up
rejuvenated! We got a Sealy Posturpedic Celestial Sun Firm! The guys were great & set us up royally! Bridget was all into it, while
Bandit hung out in the closet! That is until I made it up..... I guess he approves!

Here comes the new one!                                                           Out with the old!

So much excitement for one morning, Bridget was ready to hit the park and unwind! Off to the Cornfield Park . I am so impressed
with the way they keep it up. The groundsmen are always around and we're sure to thank them and tell them how good the place
looks. It looks like they are doing something with the back end. Looked like crop circles!

I think she knows where she is going!                        Such a Bull!                                                                  4 OFF the floor! Go Bridgey Girl!

                                             The "Path"

                                           Wild Flowers
                                             Galore! There were
                                             a ton of poppys too, but I
                                             ran out of battery!

Bridgey waited for us while we had a quick lunch at Regent China Inn. We got a parking spot ON THE SIDEWALK! The valet took to
us! Haven't Been to Regent China Inn? You should go! Don't let the outside fool you, it's nicer inside & the lunch specials can't be
beat. This was such a better experience than lunch yesterday! Like a total 360! I was so stoked at Regent & we only spent $20
with beer! I like that the lunch "specials" are carried over into Saturday, most Chinese places are just M-F. Anyway, from all my
pictures of the new bed & the park my battery ran out.   I was glad I had my phone, even though the pictures aren't that good. If you
are in the area give them a try. It's not much $ and I think you'll be surprised. I'm sure there was MSG though... for me that is a big
no no, but it was soooo good!! It didn't say no msg, and it was super good, so....We'll see if I have a headache in the morning. MSG
usually gives me a headache.   Check out my yelp.   What a great downtown Satur-Day!

Talipa out of the tank!   Yummy Creamy Corn Soup         Cod w/ Veggies                Kung Pao Chicken-sorry fuzzy Phone Pictures!

Saturday April 12:
I wanted to go to the Health & Fitness Expo this weekend, but in light of recent event, nothing seems really that important anymore.
We’ve had 2 people very close to our hearts pass away tragically since Easter. We received the latest bad news yesterday, so we
are grieving all over again.   Two huge bright lights have left us. Such a strange feeling…. Such a huge emptiness. I feel slightly
more responsible now. I don’t want to say too much in order to respect myself and my friends.   I am trying my best to stay on track
and schedule for my family. I have cried so many tears. I have screamed so loud. I have drempt, seen visions and heard voices. I
am feeling this down to my core. I have a new found deeper respect for life.

Yesterday afternoon Gav got me out of the loft. It was very therapeutic. I had a “job”! It helped take my mind off of things. We went to
Macy’s so I could consult on a friend’s gift purchase.   I even snapped a few shots in the shoe department (can’t ever go wrong with
shoes guys!), because I was shocked at all the women shopping at lunch time for SHOES! Very strange! We had a good time and I’
m glad I was there to also remind him that he “needed to get it wrapped”! too funny! We had a good time and had a fun casual
lunch at CJ’s with a toast to our girl. Check out me and G, it looks like we could be on the streets of Paris or something!   See, I’m
smiling! The first shot on my new camera NOT taken by me! Thank you!

April 9, Wed.
We grilled again tonight. Talk about a meal fit for a KING! My king! He was stoked! I let him know I was gonna make stuffed baked
potatoes with the steak and serve steamed broccoli on the side when he suggested “why don’t you put the broccoli in with the
potatoes?” I was like, “that is brilliant”!! So a new creation is born! Check out my food section for the “recipe”! We took Bridget up
with us for the first time, of course she thought it was all for her! A-dor-a-BULL!!!

The decks at the Packard are the Best!! We are so stoked on our decision and our location! I love watching G skate away in the
mornings and I look forward at lunch and in the evening to seeing him skate up.   Such a gorgeous, smile generating scene for me!

April 8:         Check out my new invention! I’m sure it’s been done, but we made Roasted Potatoes and G wanted gravy, so I
whipped up a little gravy and we served the gravy with the roasted potatoes!!! SOOO good! Really nice crunch to the outsideof the
potato and then a nice warm soft center with the hot flavorful gravy, give it a try with your favorite gravy, it’s a nice change from
mashed potatoes and gravy. I set it up all nice for the picture, then I dug in, like potato and gravy soup!!

April 7:         My Pita Pizza! Mmmm mmmm satisfied a pizza craving for sure. I had some leftover “spaghetti sauce” I had made last
week, so I smeared it on the toasted pita, topped with shredded mozzarella and a little parmesan and baked. Simple, quick, and
delicious! Not a bad snack.

We grilled chicken breasts tonight with tomatoes & some eggplant, peppers & mushrooms. I even made us a little snack to nosh
on while we grilled. My eggplant ended up being really bad! It was super bitter, I think it wasn’t ripe enough, so I had to toss it.   I felt
pretty bad about that. I wanted to make like a mixed veggie mix to go with the rice… oh well. Everything else turned out really good.
My new little camera is a champ!! I love it!! highly reccommended! So portable & pink!

April 6:          We caught this “parade” going by this afternoon. It was so colorful, full of women in gorgeous outfits, children chanting,
music…. Very interesting. It was small and passed by in about 10 minutes. These pictures are from our balcony!   There will be no
other pictures from this vantage point! My exclusive view of Grand Av! Gotta love it! And I’ve seen some crazzzyyyyyyy things man!

Check out my gorgeous man’s gorgeous meal! He’s been doing brown rice,but I had a nice fluffy fresh batch of white rice made up
so he was in heaven. A little roasted tomato, pita and my now famous and requested Red Sauce!! Another happy ending to a
gorgeous weekend together. Thanks babe.

May 4th.....   I'm back!!!   And, I'm ready to get caught up.   It's been a long few weeks. Attending the ceremony helped bring
"closure" to some of my sadness. What a beautiful day! This was my first visit to a Buddhist Church or a Buddhist service. It was
quite inspiring. I've written about my observations if you want to read about the ceremony here.   I did some research for my own self
and so I would have an idea of what to expect. What I read was pretty accurate, so I thought I'd share my thoughts too in hopes of
helping someone else. (It's not ready yet 5/9/08 check back please.)

On much brighter notes please read below to get the full scoop on my last few weeks. I have had a lot of support and love. Today
we took the Metro Red Line to the Hollywood Farmer's Market! Such a fun day!   Tasted a few yummy samples, made a few friends
& heard some nice live music. I got so into it, that I didn't take pictures at the market, but check out my bounty! I spent $19.50 and
got: garlic (fresh on the rope, see it hanging!), baby carrots with tops, orange beets (huge!) with tops, persian lemons (7), baby
artichoke, heirloom tomatoes (3), thai basil bunch, Chinese brocoli, Chinese greens, tri color radish bunch & basket of
strawberries! Some was organic, but not everything. I gave them all a proper bath (Bandit couldn't help himself!).   I can't wait to fix
up some treats. I'm steaming the artichoke & roasting a beet now.

Sat. May 3:
Yesterday we walked the alley, didn't buy anything but it was fun to trip on all the people and STUFF! Dang! too much stuff
everywhere!   We got to finish up our walk with an awesome trip to the brand new California Kitchen Kabob which I was stoked to be
the first to yelp!! It was really good! I had the Greek salad & G had the boneless chicken kabob plate with basmati, grilled whole
tomato & serano chili. So fresh & clean, super friendly place.   Owner of the old Golden Olive. Same great taste! Brand new!

Friday we tried OTHAI in Echo Park. We checked in on Ginger at K9Loft, what a gorgeous
place! I'd like to hang out there all day! We've got to take Bridget!   The food at OTHAI was
interesting & delicious. Friendly & attentive hosts. Thank you! This is the Teriyaki Chicken
& the Catfish, which was in an amazing lemongrass, pepper, cilantro super sauce! OMG!!!
The fish was interesting & like deconstructed.... I had to eat it with my fingers pretty much, but
it was super flavorful.

April 19

Since we had a visitor it was a good excuse to have lunch AND dinner out today! woo hoo!   We got to enjoy some gorgeous
authentic japanese at SUEHIRO in Little Tokyo. Super good, but I liked my soup I got last time better. I'll get that again next time.
This place is really affordable, quick, clean and friendly! yummmm We love walking around that area & checking out the "hardware"
store & the anime store, so cool.

For dinner we went to Costa Alegre, chili releno, chicken fajitas & our friend got..... hmmmm oh! The catfish! one of my favorites
there! I should have gotten that! It is good therapy to go out & enjoy life & places with close friends. Thank you!

Like I said, we were "entertaining" and I was down & out so.... pizza seemed the obvious choice!   We got pasta roma delivered for
the first time. They came right up to the door, pretty fast, totally accurate & HOT! We all enjoyed even for b-fast the next morning. It
was really good cold!   I like their crust.   Veggie includes eggplant & zuchini! wow! Sausage & olive. House salad.

April 17
Tonight I made a Pork Loin for the first time ever. It was really lean & came out super tasty.   I made G a few sammies to take to the
office since it was so much!   We had company the first night so it went a long way. I made a pineapple fried rice to go with it.   It
came out really good with high praise from all.   I had a few slices too! So different from what I'm used to eating, but really flavorful &
I'm trying to be more open to different kinds of meats. This is my fried rice components, the rice & the completed dish.

I know I need to update my food page, so that will be a goal, asap! My food page is the top visited page in my site, so I should be
updating it most frequently.   This is a lot of work! I enjoy it & don't want it to feel like a "job" , so I do it normal Shannon Fashion, "my
way"!

April 13, 2008 - Today is Bridget's 2nd Birthday!!! Woo Hoo!! I'm so proud of all of us!! We had to celebrate, I just wish I "felt" better.
We went to Lanza for our sandwiches & took them to the cloverfield park it was a really hot day, so we tried to keep it mellow for
Bridgey.   We had a great picnic and she even met a little Bully pal!!   She was just 4 mos old, they had so much fun playing together!
Her name was Jen, so cute! She had a great b-day! This is a L.A. State Park.

May 9 T.G.I.F.!       I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all the mamas, new mamas & mamas-to-be out there a very Happy Mother's
Day! Sunday is YOUR day…. Take time to relax & enjoy your kids, take some pictures,
make a movie, try something new, call your mom, listen to some music,
go dancing, be yourself. We’ll be spending the day in Ventura with our hot
mama for a traditional outdoor bbq.   It looks like it will be a nice weekend.
I sent my hot mama a “spa kit” with a super soft short robe, lotion, candles,
bath mitts, face stuff….. I hope she likes it. I don't think she'll read this before Sunday, too
much studying to do!

The last of my gorgeous heirloom tomatoes from our Hollywood Farmer's
Market trip on Sunday. My little sammie, so yummy! I couldn't believe these 2 women were
standing over the tomatoes actually debating about weather or not to buy them! I heard,
"you have a lot of waste since you have to cut this rough part out."   I couldn't help
myself, "you don't actually have to cut that out, it's not tough & doesn't go all the way
through"...... "I've heard these are the best tasting tomatoes?" I assured her they were and let her know that if I ever have a choice, I'll
always go for the heirloom.   Even if I can only afford 1!   I don't know if they bought one or not, but you'd think for under a buck they
would have.   I now wish I would have given her one of my 3.   All they need is a little sprinkle of some good salt.

Check out my Strawberry Basil Lemonade from my farmer’s market buys (blogged below). Those Persian lemons were SO sweet,
that I didn’t need to add any honey.   I added a few limes even to make it a little tart, it was so sweet. Super strawberry-yummy! My
artichoke, I think the first one I've ever made myself, a little over cooked but so good! And my roasted orange beet. All my veggies
from the market were GREAT! And served us well all week. Bridget got the carrot tops, a beet & a radish! Funny how she likes
radish! They were tasty! Not really spicy.

I also made this gorgeous and super tasty stir fry which almost came out like a chop suey… Super! I’ll have to write that recipe
down!! A keeper! Yes, I’m still working on updating my food page….. I’ll let you know when it’s updated. Meanwhile I’ll be noting all
my cooking escapades here. Is my life all about food?!? Who’s isn’t!?

Chinese Brocoli
Chinese greens
Onion
Celery
Chinese eggplant
Beansprouts
Thai basil
EVOO stir fry up a little
Toss with some soy sauce, add a little h2o cover to steam for under 5 min.
Add bean sprouts at the last min.
I served with some sauted tofu.
Top with the basil

On a quick non-food note; I’m going to try and drive up next Friday for my mom's GRADUATION!! Yes, it’s finally happening! I’m so
proud of her… she has more education than me! Go mama! Now we just need to get her out of FresNO! Seriously, she is very
determined!   My mom will be getting her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts and Single Subject Waver English Credential from Cal
State University Fresno. what?!? wow!   It has been a really great experience for her. Some of the projects & costumes she’s done
are truly out of this world.   It is so neat to see her name on a graduation announcement! It’s really gorgeous… I should take a
picture of it! (good idea!)

Vons has crab legs on sale for $9.99/lb, so that's what we had for dinner. sooooo good! I steamed them & we indulged! I can't
believe I didn't take a picture. I spent $5.50 for a lot of crab legs, filled us up! You have to work for it, but it's sooo good.

Don’t forget to HELP S TAMP OUT HUNGER tomorrow. I’ve done this for the last 4 years or so. It’s a good way to clean out your
pantry if nothing else. With all the good shopping I’ve been doing, I have a nice bag of 16 different items (cans & boxed rice) that
probably cost me less than $5. I went ahead and put them in the Ralphs re-usable shopping bag so it would be easy for our mail
lady to take away. You can also drop off at the post office too.   I went to the “Edendale” station yesterday and they had a bin for the
program.   It was funny to notice the name of the post office considering we moved from the Warner-dale! I guess it’s Bridget of the
Edendale now!

Today G treated me to Senor Fish! And I treated him right back! Dang that place is good! We haven’t been to that spot in years, we
were at the one in Echo Park last and it was really good too. I shall yelp them both! I got the super yummy & clean fish taco
sampler. I didn’t realize when I ordered it, but each of the 3 tacos was a different grilled fish, duh! Thus the "sampler!"   One salmon,
mahi & trout!    I ate it like a big salad, forgoing the tortillas. I drenched it in all the gorgeous salsas & lemon & mixed it up with the
salad it came with. It also came with a little cup of ceviche! Super good! I love ceviche. I ate about half of the beans & rice. The
beans aren’t refried, they’re like boiled…. Super tasty & low fat.   It’s a big meal, but I had a small & early breakfast!   I’m really
getting back into my routine and trying to eat lighter. Non of my jeans fit! Ahhhh! Again, I didn't have my camera on me, and the
phone pic just wouldn't have done it justice. G got....you guessed it Chicken Tacos! no beans/rice, just chicken and tortillas with all
these gorgeous salsas. They also have radishes at the salsa bar.

G brought me a yummy tomato basil soup from Trimana on Monday - soooo good! And the soup wasn’t bad either!   Silly me didn’t
take a picture. I don’t think I’ve yelped them yet…. Gotta check for sure. When we were up in VTA last week dropping of f my Cadillac
(dad’s getting me new brakes!), we stopped by our old favorite Corales.   The fish tacos were cold, but otherwise they were like I
remembered. The avo, bean & rice burrito was grand! We shared!   It was nice to be in the old hometown on a weekday afternoon.
Not exactly how we were planning to spend the day, but hey, it’s all good. The cady will be ready for me to pick up on Sunday so we’ll
all be cruising back in style.   Wanna ride? Any ideas on if /how I could make this car work for me would be welcomed! She is so
gorgeous sometimes I feel selfish having her all to myself, I’d love to share.

I also tried my hand at a little tempura since the produce man planted the idea in my head! I used my farmers market veggies &
added an onion (OMG! Like onion rings!). It was really light and I didn’t end up eating it all, just wanted the experience of making it
(super greasy stovetop!! And smelly loft!!). It was really easy,my batter was flour and club soda about equal parts, I think I added
more soda & a dash of salt. Make sure your veggies are dry & your oil is hot (this will keep them from getting greasy). Drop them in,
but don’t crowd the pan, turn with chop sticks, drain/blot on paper towels. Serve with diluted soy sauce with a squeeze of lemon
juice….mmmm. If you have “tempura dipping sauce” that would be better.

We finally had a good reason to visit Tiara Cafe and for dinner no less! Check out my page on Tiara So Super! A real fun place, we
all loved it.   A nice change from mexican.

JUNE 5 -         We always hear sirens downtown, but this morning they were in FULL FORCE. I had my eye shades on and was very
tired, so although I heard the brigade, I didn't open my eyes and look.   G did, "so you slept right through the fire?" I was like,
"What?!?" He saw a HUGE plume of smoke off in the not so far distance.   I wish I would have looked now!   It started about 5am. I
can still see smoke, and it's 8:00. The fire is between 11th & Olympic at Los Angeles Street, about 8-10 BIG city blocks from us in the
Fashion District.   It's all over the local news shows. The fireman's talents are amazing. Imagine if they were as tired as I was at
5am, and had to get up and go fight a fire! I saw the guys from #10 which is the station closest to us where we vote. The fire takes
up a big city block in a 2 story building that houses about 10 small retail/wholesale shops which are owned by immigrant families.
The second story is used for storage/wharehousing. This will have a huge domino effect. It's Fashion Week too! The building is
"Pre 33", which means it was built BEFORE 1933! It is not required to have a sprinkler system. I drive by this spot all the time and we
even walk this street. It's close to the "Alley".   The sky is getting more hazy and channel 5 & 11 helicopters are still hovering. The
whole roof of the building has pretty much caved in. Never a dull moment in downtown L.A.!

                                                                                                                         I got this picture from; here.

on happier notes.... I had a great drive up to Cal State University Fresno to see my moms
graduation ceremony. What a day! Thanks to my G-ma who let me borrow her car! Couldn't have done it otherwise! My mom was so
glad to see me. We went for Sushi with the girls and the man afterward, it was YUMMY! So cute how little 3 year old loves her
California Rolls & Miso Soup!

MOTHER'S DAY IN VTA - Such a gorgeous day for a gorgeous woman.

JUNE 11 - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY GIRL! Yesterday was the big day. So good to catch up & feel connected even though so far apart
these days. We toasted you last night - And bbq'qd some gorgeous veggies tonight.   Check out my pictures below.

  I cruised downtown on foot today.... I took the DASH up to CVS & walked all the way home from 1st & Main!! My legs are soooo
feeling it right now! I had some heavy bags too, but I DID NOT DRIVE & only spent $11 for $112 worth of stuff! Ask me how! The
scene at the Shell station downstairs was crazy tonight - picture far right. Good gas (which is all I put in my car) was $5.07!   Glad I
can walk around!!





   We're looking forward to Father's Day. June has been so warm & gorgeous so far - what June Gloom?!   We spent an early
Father's Day with my dad last Saturday since we'll be celebrating in L.A. at MALO on Sunday. The drive up was cool, (not counting the
$60 in gas - in our old Beefy Girl - for the 120 miles! Crazy!!) we took Bridget & had a great afternoon. We said our last good byes to
Tasha Girl. Her grave site & marker were gorgeous. We toasted her at lunch, Margaritaville in the harbor.   I miss that view! Another
Beautiful Day in Ventura.   I'll miss my sister's visit to VTA for Father's Day with the girls but I'm so glad my dad gets to see them &
spend some time together. We've NEVER all been together, me & my sister with our dad & her 2 girls since they've been born....
crazy?!!!!??! PARENTS - DON'T GET DIVORCED!

  JUNE 7th   An Early Father's Day - What's better than the Farmer's Market? Your own market!! I loved picking veggies with my
dad and L, G & Bridget too! It was such a great feeling knowing they had planted these gorgeous veggies from seed, no chemicals
were used in growing them and they will feed & nourish us throughout the week. What a treat! Thank you so much! We had a great
time catching up on travels, plantings & plans. Can't wait to do it again. We checked out Margarita Ville in the Harbor which wasn't
around when we were, but they've come to like it & know the people there. We had a great lunch with a one-of-a-kind view!