Rock Climbing

With Pinks Hotdogs and Langers Pastrami settling nicely on out thighs, it was about time we did something a bit more ACTIVE! Bring on a test of agility and endurance, and an all out hysterical situation…….it was time for indoor rock climbing.



We arrived at Hangar 18, a nicely equipped indoor facility in the Southbay, ready to test our skills. The tiny Indie chick behind the counter fitted us with harnesses and climbing shoes, after we signed the all the appropriate releases and agreed to who-knows-what if we were to injure ourselves.



We started the obligatory training session, with a lesson in knot tying – first up, the figure eight knot which we tied a few times into some practice lengths of rope. This can be tricky, as we realized, we learn by doing not by watching, so it took a few attempts to get the hang of - but, we were proud figure-eighters in no time. I felt pretty fancy.



Next, it was time to anchor the rope to our harnesses and have our belay partner hook-up the carabiner, which fastens the rope to their harness allowing for a controlled climb up and steady decent down. Your belay partner’s job is to pull the slack from your rope as you climb so if you fall, you don’t plunge to the ground and so that you don’t get tangled. Your partner also controls the speed in which you descend, this can be a bit nerve racking, as the harder they release the carabiner, the quicker you fall to the floor. I experienced this first hand, which resulted in tremendous amounts of nervous laughter.

Out Indie chick explained the grading system used to rate the degree of difficulty of various rock walls. The ratings take into account multiple factors affecting a route, such as the slope of the ascent, the quantity and quality of available handholds, the distance between holds, and whether advanced technical maneuvers are required.



Now, it was time for some serious climbing; we spent a good 3 – 4 hours taking turns testing ourselves on various walls, some much steeper and challenging than others. The biggest challenge to overcome is the cramping sensation in ones finger tips after hours of gripping the handholds. I’m not particularly use to bearing the entire weight of my body on a few fingers, so plenty of chalk was needed to keep my from slipping right off the top holds due to my trembling sweaty fingers.

We were quite proud of how well we had faired on the walls and decided we would switch to free climbing, which pretty much is what it sounds like. The walls are considerably lower for free climbing, but you aren’t harnessed to anyone, and you have no ropes for support. The relatively minimal height makes falling less of an issue, but we threw down some pads to cushion any falls. We took turns attempting to free climb, which basically came down to us clinging to the wall for photo-ops as after 4 hours of climbing, our upper bodies were shot and we couldn’t even climb let alone just hang from the wall. We left Hanger 18 with achey fingers, covered in chalk dust, and the accomplishment of making it to the top (over and over again)……we were badass, and we paid for it the next day!



The Day’s Damage = Rock Climbing Gear & Day Pass $30 x 2 = $60
Item 4: Check

The Price Is Right & Pinks Hot Dogs

What is the average unit price for a box of detergent? Fabric deodorizer? Epsom salt? These were the questions we started quizzing each other with as we waited in line outside CBS studios, for our passes to... You guessed it... The Price is Right!!

To be in the audience of The Price is Right is free and there are a number of ways that you can request your free tickets—online, phone, old-fashioned snail mail, or at the CBS studios ticket booth.  However, the tickets you request don’t guarantee you admittance into the studio—they just give you the right to stand in line outside the studio to get your “Order of Arrival Pass” (I’ll get into detail about those later).  CBS posts their filming dates online and on each day they film two shows—one at noon and the other at 4pm.  So, being the natural planner that we are, we assumed that we would need to be a few hours early to get admittance into the studio.  Boy were we way off.  After doing some thorough research online, we, amidst shock and hesitation, realized that we would need to arrive around at 4-5am to stand outside the CBS studios.  That’s right, 0500 hours! I can barely get myself out of bed when my alarm goes off at 7:30 and I would need to be IN Hollywood at 5am.  But, my determination to achieve my angeleno rite of passage prevailed and I, with Carla, pressed on. 

Realizing that we most likely wouldn’t be waiting in line at 4am, we decided to find a loophole in the system.  I requested tickets for the noon show, while Carla requested tickets for the 4pm show.  If we didn’t arrive in time to get order of arrival tickets for the first taping, we could still make it to the second.  Sneaky sneaky.

Note to those who plan on one day experiencing the taping of The Price is Right: Get a group of 15-25 to go.  If you go in a group, you are guaranteed admittance and you can arrive at a reasonable time—like 10am—you know, the time the rest of the world starts bustling.  Also, the best part about coming in a group is that one person is guaranteed to get called up to be a contestant.

So, the day finally came and with about 4 hours of sleep, 4 of us headed out to CBS studios to stand in line for our chance to hear… “COME ON DOWN!!”  We left the South Bay at 5:15am sharp and arrived outside the studio a few minutes to 6 only to find the line wrapped around the block.  You can imagine the panic we felt thinking our loss of sleep may have been for nothing.  We parked around the corner in The Grove (they tell you not to do that, but if you shop their during the day, they can't stop you) and headed over to the studio.  We staked our place in line and waited for them to start passing out the order of arrival passes.  The numbered order of arrival passes determine whether or not you actually make it into the studio.  Obviously, the higher the number, the less chance you have getting in.  After you receive your order of arrival pass, you can then leave till your call-back time to be back for the show.  The call time for the noon taping was at 8:30am and the call-back time for the 4 was at 12.  They began passing out the arrival passes at 6 and slowly we crept ourselves to the front of the line.  Getting anxious that our chances at the first show were becoming slimmer by the minute, Carla quickly moved to the front to receive a second set of passes for the 4pm show.  We received our passes for the noon show and our numbers started at 213 (We had no chance!), BUT—our 4pm passes started at 33 (BINGO!... or should I say… PLINKO!!  Haha). 



With our 2 sets of passes in hand, we were off to grab some grub before returning to see if we could miraculously make it into the first taping.  Thankfully, The Grove is located right next door to the CBS studios, so we walked to Dupars to fill our stomachs with a hearty breakfast. 

At 8:30, we headed back to the studio to stand in line in the “Audience Holding Area” to wait for our numbers to get called.  We knew there would be no chance, but the people-watching was well worth the trip.  The area was packed with bright-colored shirts, puffy painted with clever sayings and anecdotes.  The larger groups wore uniform shirts with team names and shout-outs to Drew Carey.  One group even made 3D representations of the Price is Right games out of felt that were positioned on their chests.  Everything from glittered headbands to 1970s polyester prom suits were present—it was probably the BEST people-watching experience I’d ever had.  Cameras and cellphones were not allowed, though, so we have no photos of the amazing costumes we saw.

Our numbers weren’t called for the first taping, but we knew that was coming—so we headed back to the Grove to do a little shopping.  It was 8:30; we had HOURS to kill.  I have to admit, having some time to just browse through stores was not so bad.  We shopped for a bit then headed out for some lunch in the farmer’s market.  PS-I highly recommend Loteria’s Mole Poblano con Pollo tacos; they’re cheap and super yummy. A few blouses and a sweater later, we made our way back to the audience holding area to finally get called to start processing for the 4pm taping.  

After filling out some paperwork, taking group photos in front of the Plinko green screen, a short interview with the producer, and a security check, we headed into the studio to our seats.  At this point, we had been awake for almost 12 hours.  We entered the studio and the walls were covered in psychedelic-colored drapes, decorated with large 70s flowers.  The announcer, Rich Fields, came on stage to hype up the audience and then cameras started rolling.  With each name that was called, my heart probably jumped a bit.  I think all of us were both nervous and excited at the same time to get called.  It would be awesome to be a contestant, but I didn’t want to be “that girl” that was always way over on the price and never got called up to play a game.  We had one of those girls in our taping… she was a Hooters girl (not judging, I swear).

Being in the audience is ridiculously fun.  The energy in that room could have lit up a city.  The groups in the audience screamed with excitement and the contestants that were called up were pumped with funny dances as they walked up to the stage.  You couldn’t help but want to root for all of them.  Oh—and when we had to start guessing prices—you couldn’t hear the person next to you.  I probably got a small case of laryngitis with all the estimated costs I was screaming.  The taping lasted exactly an hour and not one of the 4 of us got called, but the experience was well worth the 4 hours of sleep and 13 hours dedicated to get in. 

By the time we left the studio it was just before 7 and we were starving.  We drove to Pink’s, pulled into a convenient spot on the street (which, by the way, is free after 7pm) and waited in line.  On any given day, the line for a Pink’s hot dog can be an easy 45 minute wait.  Some people wait for hours on the weekends.  On a Monday at 7pm—you can get in line and be eating your hot dogs after a half hour.  Not too bad.  The menu was a bit overwhelming, but we narrowed down our choices.  We ordered 1 chili dog, 1 turkey dog with sauerkraut and chili, 1 polish dog, and 1 Lord of the “Rings” dog which is a 10” stretch dog topped with bbq sauce and onion rings.  Is your mouth watering yet? 



I took one bite out of my stretch chili dog and I was a believer.  I LOVE hot dogs.  I mean—I really LOVE hot dogs.  I don’t know how I lived this long without a Pink’s Hot dog.  It was tantalizing!  First, there’s the snap of the hot dog casing and the juiciness of the dog itself that hits the spot.  Then, there’s the chili. The combination of flavors is a celebration in your mouth.  Oh and let's not forget about the fries.  They're perfectly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  With over 30 types of hot dogs and combinations, you just can't go wrong at Pink's.  It's an LA institution that just cannot be missed.

What an amazing day!  Not only did we get to be part of a show that we grew up watching, but we threw in some shopping, and topped it off with some of the best hot dogs in Los Angeles.  To make things even better-- the day was relatively inexpensive.  The biggest investment was our lack of sleep, but it was definitely worth it!

The Days Damage: Tickets to the Price is Right $0 + Parking at The Grove $15 + Breakfast at Dupars $68 + Lunch at the Farmers Market $30 + Pink's Hot Dogs, drinks, & fries $31 = $144 total

Items 12 & 14 check

LA Derby Dolls

I think it all started with my obsession with American Gladiators. As a kid, I use to watch syndicated episodes religiously on TNN (remember TNN?), I’ll never quite understand my fixation with ripped guys demonstrating the most ridiculous tasks while wearing patriotic themed spandex (oh, wait I might have figured it out, but I digress.) Following the episodes of American Gladiators was a new show called RollerJam where teams of inline skaters were pitted against each other in a game of roller derby. I loved it!

Fast forward to today, where I am lucky enough to live in a city where the Derby Dolls wreak havoc. The LA Derby Dolls are an all-girl skate league that competes a few times a month at the Doll Factory in Historic Filipino Town. So, we rallied a crew together and booked VIP tix for The Swarm vs. Fight Crew. Upon arrival, we were appropriately frisked and had our purses searched, not very well mind you, as we all managed to sneak our cameras inside. We made our way to the VIP bar where our options were Tecate, Tecate, Tecate or Tecate light. I guess, I’ll have a Tecate, I’d later find out they are the official sponsor of the Derby Gals.

The arena is set up with the track in the center flanked with standing room only areas and bleachers for VIP seating. Happy to have taken the reco. to buy VIP tix from a friend, we arrived about 30 minutes after the doors opened and still had a spot to sit in VIP, money well spent.



Before each game starts, an informative video is played to get newbies up to speed on the rules of the game. Unfortunately, I did not pay very much attention and then needed to have the rules explained to me again at halftime. Here are the basics according to the Dolls site: In each Jam, the two teams square off against one another with 5 skaters per team. The 5 skaters are divided into 4 defensive players known as Blockers and a points-scoring skater, known as a Jammer (identified by a helmet cover with a star).The Blockers skate together in a formation known as a Pack. The Blockers' job is to stop, obstruct or force the opposing Jammer out of play to prevent her from scoring, while at the same time assisting their own Jammer. Once the Jam whistle is blown, the Jammers must fight their way through the Pack and exit it completely to qualify for scoring. The Blockers from the opposing team will try to prevent them from doing so. Once out of the Pack, the Jammers then race to lap the Pack. From this point, each time the Jammer laps a member of the opposing team and passes her in-bounds, she receive one point for her team. – Got it??



The two teams competing were The Swarm, based in San Diego, and the LA Fight Crew. The ladies are outfitted in appropriately themed uniforms, a mix between sultry and badass – fishnets, thigh highs, super snug tanks, booty shorts (impressively, the later did not make for too many wedgie moments during the Jams.) But these girls are tough, they get to dish out some mad hits and get hit hard as a result. The crowd stays on their feet throughout and gets really into it – the bumblebee and lobster mascots’ definitely help raise the energy level – absurd!



At halftime, the parking lot plays host to a number of food trucks to satisfy your beer induced cravings: Hot Dog on a Stick, Gourmet Tamales, Garage Pizza, The Border Grill Truck and plenty of sweet treats. Of course, the group indulged, what’s better than food on a stick at the derby, - that’s right, nothing.

Back in our seats, the scores were neck and neck with each team pulling some pretty impressive numbers on the track. By the last Jam session, the score was tied 115 -115, only to have The Swarm pull through with the big win on the last round, final score The Swarm (118) vs. Fight Crew (115.) On the way out, we posed for some pics with our favorite doll of the night, Lusty Loveless, and swore to return to the Doll Factory sometime soon.



The Days Damage: 5 ($40) VIP Tickets to the LA Derby Dolls $200 + parking $8 + munchies & beer $40 = $248
Item 28: Check

Hollywood Sign & Langer's Deli

I can’t think of a more prevalent piece of Angeleno iconography than the Hollywood sign. So, five of us set-off to get as close to the Hefner owned signage as possible. The drive up was not without its own set of challenges. As we wound our way along Gower Street onto Beachwood Drive, my brakes began making a chilling metal on metal scraping sound. Not one to be much of a risk taker when it comes to failing brakes on a winding road, we squished into a friend’s Prius, who was close behind, and abandoned my vehicle to deal with later.



Street parking along Beachwood was a breeze, no need to dusty up the Prius squeezing into a tiny spot outside the Sunset Ranch. Which, by the way, is a tremendously amusing experience riding horses while donning bicycle helmets and feeling like a bit of an idiot. But that’s for another day. The hike starts at the Hollyridge Trail sign and would take us about 40 minutes to reach the top. We did our fair share of horse poop dodging, but it quickly diminished as we took a sharp left up the hill towards the sign. The hike was very pleasant, no steep moments, no off-roading through itchy plants; a great hike for any and everyone.



And let’s talk about the views! As you get to the top of the hill, behind the fence mind you, the view is rather epic. Climb up the dirt path, so that your vantage point is above the fence, and what you get is all of Los Angeles proper from behind the huge letters of the Hollywood sign. Pretty spectacular, I can’t image what it must be like at night. Unfortunately the fences, security cameras, threats of trespassing amounting in jail time and the rumor of random helicopter flybys deterred us from getting up close and personal with the sign. So, we posed for the obligatory photo and headed onto our next adventure.



Next up, the best pastrami sandwich in LA, better yet I would say it’s the world’s best. We hopped into the death trap, cranked up the music to drown out the scraping brake noise and headed to Alvarado Street. The neighborhood is a little shady, but bustling and made for quite the visually stimulating walk toward the deli.



Founded in 1947, Langer’s Deli is the definition of what a deli should be. Its patrons are from all walks of life, a true cross-section of Angelenos graced the many brown leather booths. There was no question what to order: Pastrami. The menu is huge, so while deciding what pastrami concoction to get, we put in an order of fries to tide us over. (And then another!)

Decisions were made, #10, #65 and three of the famous #19’s – pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw, Russian dressing on rye. These are not cheap sandwiches, like any deli, the price is a tad steep, but I would gladly slap down 15 bucks time and time again for these sandwiches. We all took our first bites, and a moment of OMG, shut the front door, glossed over us – this was unbelievable. Every pastrami sandwich before this was a joke. The secret to Langer’s beloved rye bread is in double-baking; to give it the crispy crust it’s famous for. The pastrami is smoked, steamed, hand-cut and piled high on the outrageous rye. Slather it with Gulden’s mustard, and no other sandwich comes close.





The Days Damage: 5 Pastrami Sandwiches $75 + 2 fries $7 + drinks + tax & tip = $109
Item 6 & 19: Check

Walt Disney Concert Hall

I like to think of myself as a pretty cultured person.  I love all the arts, but symphony orchestra is an area that I don't know much about.  Having grown up playing the piano, and a brief stint of the clarinet, I have an appreciation for classical music, but it's not what I jam to in my car, if you know what I mean.  Plus, tickets to see the LA Philharmonic aren't the cheapest and being the huge sports fan that I am, I'd rather be spending my money watching one of my beloved LA teams duke it out with a rival than go outside of my bubble and listen to Mozart.  Regardless, you can imagine my excitement when I was able to snag $20 tickets for a symphony concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall.  Our $20 tix got us balcony seats to see the St. Louis Symphony at a mid-week evening performance. 

Since the concert was mid-week, we had to arrange our schedule so we could have enough time after work to grab a quick bite to eat prior to the performance.  In an effort to not get stuck on the parking lots that are LA freeways at rush hour, we headed up to downtown and stopped at La Taquiza for Mulitas to tide us over till we could eat a real meal after the 8pm concert. 

The concert hall, located in the northern part of downtown, is just a block away from the Taper and Ahmanson Theaters.  It was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and boasts a 3.6 acre complex with a stainless-steel exterior and state of the art acoustics in the hardwood-paneled main auditorium.

This evening, the St. Louis Orchestra featured pieces from Igor Stravinsky and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  They alternated concertos between the two composers and internationally acclaimed violinist Gil Shaham graced us with a number of impressive solos.  I am no classical music virtuoso, but I can definitely tell you that after sitting in that concert hall and absorbing the notes that, at times, seemed as if they were literally dancing amongst the beams of the ceiling, a profound appreciation for the mastery of a symphony orchestra began to grow in my heart.  I found myself mesmerized by the movements of the musicians and the direction of the conductor.  It was like a choreographed dance, without the use of their legs.  After an hour and a half or so, with a brief intermission, they ended closed the evening with Mozart's Symphony No. 36 in C major, K. 245 ("Linz") which in turn received rounds of applause and a standing ovation.

Even if you may have no interest in classical music, the architecture of the Walt Disney Concert Hall alone is reason to visit.  I guarantee you will be in awe of its beauty-- and maybe the music as well. 

At this point, with only one mulita in our stomachs, we were famished.  A late dinner was definitely in need, so we headed to Wurstkuche ("The Purveyor of Exotic Grilled Sausages") off of 3rd street for some late night sausages.  At first glance, Wurstkuche looks like an ordinary order-at-the-counter style hole-in-the-wall.  Totally unassuming from the outside, all you see is a counter and I immediately assumed that we would order and eat in the car.  To my surprise, you order your food and then follow the wall around the corner that opens into a large room with ambient lighting, a large bar, and a number of bench tables for dining.  Techno/trance music played loudly as late-night diners huddled in booths and mingled at bench tables with their beers and fries. 

At, Wusrtkuche there are over 20 sausages to choose from.  From the menu you choose two toppings, pick a sausage, and if you order fries, a dipping sauce.  I ordered the Kielbasa with caramelized onions and sauerkraut, Carla ordered the Buffalo Chipotle with spicy peppers and sauerkraut, and Kelly ordered the Hot Italian with caramelized onions and sweet peppers.  We had two orders of their double-dipped belgian fries with the chipotle ketchup, chipotle aioli, and the curry ketchup; all were delicious!  It may not have been the typical way to cap off an evening at the symphony, but I left quite happy and full.

The Day's Damage: $9 chicken mulitas + $83.90 (3) symphony tickets + $35.12 sausages & fries = $128.02 total.
Item 27 check

Downtown Artwalk & Coles French Dip

Every second Thursday of the month, art galleries and studios stay open late for the Downtown Artwalk. So five of us headed downtown, for a little culture and a little history. First up, CULTURE. The artwalk takes place over a number of blocks along Spring & Main. We ducked into a number of galleries featuring crazy photography, massive graffiti pieces, panoramic cityscapes and kitschy collectables.





The streets were buzzing with a truly dynamic bunch of Angelenos. It’s great to see downtown feel so bustling – I can remember just a few years ago, when nobody dared walk around downtown. But now, patrons hop from gallery to gallery, stopping at one of many foodtrucks parked along the streets, and taking a moment to listen to a reggae band on the corner.



Since our stomachs were growling as soon as we got downtown, we stopped at the Nickel Diner to sample the much blogged about Maple Bacon Donuts. Because of the artwalk, the ladies of the diner were selling their baked goods right on the street, which made for a very easy transaction. After tearing the donuts apart, we determined they would have been better if we had sampled a fresh batch, and we were far too hungry to be that critical. However, there was something about them that left us a bit unsatisfied, perhaps if there had been bacon mixed into the donut batter not just sprinkled on top, felt a bit like an after thought to me. But kudos to the Nickel Diner for a novel concept.



Next, we made our way down a fairly shady alley, which led to an arts and crafts fair. Leather jewelry, nauseating incense, Mexican handicrafts, psychedelic mushroom paintings, crazy neon light performers and churros….it was sensory overload, but fantastic!



After some items were purchased, it was time to make our way to part II of the evening, HISTORY.

Founded in 1908, Coles Original French is said to be the home of the French Dip sandwich. Phillipes a few blocks north, also claims to be the originator, but we’ll leave that argument up to them. We snagged a table outside, where we could still keep our eyes on the artsy characters that strolled by. They are a colorful bunch!

Coles menu is simple, French Dips with a choice of meat (beef, lamb, turkey or pastrami) and cheese (cheddar, swiss, goat or bleu), sides include fries, mac & cheese and potatoe salad. Since there were five of us, we ordered beef and pastrami dips, and one of each of the sides.



The dips arrived with a side of au jus & atomic pickles. Personally, I like the jus on the side as I can control the degree of sogginess. Phillipe’s dips the sandwich for you, so by the time you get midway through, the sandwich its pretty much moosh. the atomic pickles, on the other hand, are an acquired taste. Out of all of us dining, I don’t think anyone was really sold on ‘em. The horseradish mustard, however, was deliciously sinus clearing, and we proceeded to douse it on everything. After experiencing our CULTURE for the evening, we hovered down our share of HISTORY and vowed to return soon.



The Days Damage: 2 Maple Bacon Donuts $5.50 + 5 Dips, 3 fries, mac & cheese, and potatoe salad $50 = $55.50

Item 21 & 25: Check

Beverly Hills: Barney Greengrass & Rodeo Drive

Up until this past weekend, my only knowledge of Beverly Hills was based on the episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 that I had to sneak to watch as a child (my parents tried their best to keep me from learning about the promiscuity of teenagers- another story for another day.)

My mental image of BH really consisted of the following things:
- Lots of palm trees
- Snooty, pretentious people
- Pompous shop owners that don't let us commoners peruse the merchandise
- Expensive restaurants & hotels
- Celebrities shopping & dining everywhere
...and you have to have lots and lots of $$$$ to be there

Although, we didn't have any run-ins with some A-list celebrities, a good portion of my basic, television-based Beverly Hills knowledge was pretty spot on, but it all made for a quite pleasant day in Beverly Hills.

Barney Greengrass

We started off the day at Barney Greengrass, a supposed "New York food institution" known for their cured meats and New York deli-style bagels and breakfast.  It's located at the top of the Barney's Beverly Hills building, so Carla had called a couple days before to make a reservation for the patio.  We got there early and took advantage of Barney's 2-hour free parking with validation and headed up to the 5th floor for brunch.

The patio was fairly open so we choose a quaint little table for 2 under the sun.  The view was pretty amazing. You can't see it in this photo, but we could see all the way to the Hollywood sign from our table. Our waiter took our drink orders and promptly returned with our drinks and a quaint little basket of bread items and cream cheese to nibble on.

Then came the menu.  It was a little overwhelming at first, considering it had every breakfast item you could imagine, but we were at the home of "The Sturgeon King".  We were not about to let this experience pass without ordering some fish.   We shared the Sturgeon & Nova Scotia Salmon platter accompanied with an onion bagel for me and pumpernickel toast for Carla.  Centered on the platter, was an array of tomatoes, red onion, pickles, olives, cream cheese, cole slaw, and capers.  Now put a smorgasbord of those items on top of the fish on your choice of bread and you have an explosion of flavor. It was the perfect, not-too-heavy meal to have before our afternoon strolls up and down Rodeo.


Although, it wasn't the cheapest brunch, take Barney's fresh smoked fish (flown in from New York, I might add) with the gorgeous view of  Los Angeles, and the experience is well worth the splurge. 

With a little time left before we broke our 2-hour free parking limit, we had a little time to peruse the accessories & jewelry floor of Barneys.  Peruse, is the optimal word here because we weren't about to walk out with a $3,000 jade necklace purchase, although the idea of doing that was very intriguing.

Rodeo Drive

Post-brunch, we made our way to Rodeo for our afternoon adventure.   What many people may not know is that the Two Rodeo center provides 2 hours of free valet parking in its underground parking garage.  We gladly took advantage of this, then made our way up the elevator that spit us right onto Via Rodeo.  The shops and cobblestone streets of Via Rodeo resemble the streets of Europe and New Orleans square at Disneyland. On both sides of the street are upscale designer brands with their glass cases displaying pristinely decorated products. Names such as Prada, Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel, Gucci, and Valentino all have botiques on Rodeo.

One of the most eye-catching stores was Prada's art installation featuring sparkling-lucite skinned mannequins posed on luggage cases and next to handbags that made their way up the Prada store staircase.  Mannequins were even positioned in underground, glass-covered oval cases.

We made our way up Rodeo stopping to gawk and gaze at various store windows such as Juicy Couture, Harry Winston, Roberto Cavalli, and Yves St. Laurent.  We took a right on Santa Monica Blvd and made a quick stop at Crumbs bakery to drool over the delicious goodies, but kept going to head back down Beverly.  Two days later, Carla and I realized that we should have snagged one or two of those cupcakes for the road.  What were we thinking?  Next time we're buying up the joint.

Down Beverly were some "purchase-attainable" stores and restaurants such as Gap, VictoriasSecret, The Farm, and L'Occitanne.  We stopped in a couple shops and tried on shoes at Nine West where Carla bought a cute pair of black sandals. 

Carla and I are amateurs des fromages, or "lovers of cheese," so we couldn't pass up a drop by The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills to take a gander at all the cheeses and preserves on display.  Stacks of cheese wheels and even an enormous chunk of brie almost dripping over the side of a wooden board were prominently displayed across the cheese counter.  The tall shelves housed everything from speciality wines to jarred honeycomb.  As much as we considered ourselves to be cheese connoisseurs, we lasted about 5 minutes (enough time to sneak a photo) till the pungent aged cheese smell started making our sinuses hurt and we left and moved on.

Alas, a true Beverly Hills experience would not be complete without a pretentious store encounter.  As we made our way back to Via Rodeo we decided to pop-in at Jimmy Choo.  I've heard all the talk about Jimmy Choo heels and I wanted to see what all the hype was about.  It didn't serve us well that Carla was walking in with her Nine West bag, but we were quickly given the once-over by the five store attendants, who immediately stopped conversing upon our entrance.  Dressed in her combat boots and me in my white flats and jeans, Carla and I turned a blind eye and began browsing.  The only female store attendant rolled her eyes at us and gave us the "as if you can afford this" look.  Pshh.... we paid no attention to her and continued on perusing the shelves.  One of the store attendants even followed us from section to section as if we were going to steal something.  Please. Not like we could've run out with just a left shoe-- although that would've been a fun souvenir. We probably spent a good 10 minutes in the store and I made sure to touch as many items as possible (just to get under their skin) till we stepped out and bid Jimmy Choo a "good-riddance" goodbye. 

By this time we were ready for an afternoon snack so we waved to Rodeo and headed down Robertson for some gelato at Al Gelato.  Carla ordered the pear sorbet and I had the creme brule gelato (both highly recommended for a nice summery day like this).  As Carla was paying, we turned to have our one and only celebrity sighting of the day.  In the corner of the small shop, sitting at a tiny table for one was Dennis Farina having lunch.  Now, being the film stud that I am, obviously only referred to him as the "Snatch guy" until I was able to IMDB him for his real name.  We smiled at him and ended our day in Beverly Hills while snacking on our cold desserts.

Overall, not an overly expensive outing, but with the California sunshine and a nice stroll up and down Rodeo and beverly, it made for a great day to do brunch and window shopping in Beverly Hills.

The Day's Damage: $7.50 coffee/tea + $41 sturgeon/lox combo platter + $8 gelato = $56.50 Total
Item 1 & 2: check