In which all I talk about is food

Oooh, cool, Los Angeles was named the nation's smog capital! But didn't we know that already? I hate when there are "studies" on such obvious and stupid things. Like the other day, I read a headline on Yahoo News to the effect of "Study: Sleepy Students Aren't Good Learners." Did we need to pay someone to research that??

Anyway, that's not why I called you here today. I guess I can start (and probably finish) with the weekend. Actually, it was a big weekend in the TV-N household. We did something we've never done together, and something N's never done before at all. Something he was a little scared of, but I was able to gently talk him into it and allay his fears. We went to Sizzler! That's right, Sizzler. We happen to live directly behind one, but, like I said, N's never been, and had some preconceived notions about the place (for some reason, he said he pictured it like an adult Chuck E. Cheese's, which I can't for the life of me imagine why or even understand, for that matter). I told him it was more like a notch and a half above a Denny's, and almost on par with Red Lobster, except for the ordering-before-you-sit-down part. Anyway, it was a decent meal. We both got steak and shrimp, mine grilled, his fried and all-you-can-eat. We even got cocky and ordered a rib sampler add-on (don't do that, by the way).

What was even more remarkable was that we did this on a Sunday night, which if you know us, is a HIGHLY unusual venture from the settle-in-for-night-to-prepare-for-the-work-week Sundays we usually have. PLUS, it was one night after another out-to-eat night (that time at RJ’'s in Beverly Hills, which used to be really good but is now kinda crappy at best, unfortunately, because I'd been talking it up to N for a few weeks now) AND it marked the first weekend in I don't know how long during our entire 4 years together that we did NOT order any food IN. Phew, that was a lot of emphasizing caps!

Around all the food adventures, we also managed to get out to a friend's baby's first birthday party, rearranged some furniture, finally unpacked the box marked "Simpsons Stuff" (I know, exciting, isn't it??), and hung a tiny bit more on the walls. The place is actually starting to look like a normal home, rather than a box depository.

My friends L and A also came over to check out the place and go for lunch. We went to Mani's Bakery on Fairfax, which had very good food but an inexcusably long wait-time between ordering and getting the food delivered to our table. Seriously, it took a full hour! I may go back for take out, but wouldn't sit down there again (that's an FYI for anyone googling Mani's for reviews. Hey, I like to perform a service once in a while.).

So, in conclusion, Sizzler, not as bad as you think; RJ's, worse than you think; Mani's, longer wait-time than you'd think.