September Karaoke

I can't believe September is hours away from being over which means a wrap-up from the past month of Karaoke songs and knowing that 2014 will only last a couple more months!  Where has the time gone?!  I'm hoping this new Karaoke format simplifies my blog and it's certainly much easier for me to just cover everything in one blog versus four or five blogs.  Here are this month's songs!

Week 1:

Cheap Trick "I Want You to Want Me"

Jewel "Foolish Games"

Edwin McCain "I'll Be"

Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow "Picture"

The Little Mermaid "Part of Your World"

Week 2:

Garbage "Special"

Eric Clapton "Layla"

Jewel "Don't"

Madonna "Lucky Star"

Gun's & Roses "November Rain"

Week 3:

Fleetwood Mac "Don't Stop"

The Beatles "Oh Darlin'"

No Doubt "Don't Speak"

Elton John "Your Song"

Les Miserables "I Dreamed a Dream" 

The Toadies "Possum Kingdom"

Week 4:

Selena "Dreaming of You"

Natalie & Nat King Cole "Unforgettable"

Whitney Houston "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"

Oasis "Wonderwall"

Human League "Don't You Want Me Baby"

Comparing this month to last month I only repeated three songs ("Don't," "November Rain," & "Layla") so I'm really proud of that.  My new songs were once again all over the board and I covered three decades.  Next time I do "Your Song" I may try the 'Moulin Rouge' version since it's a little different and more updated than the amazing original.  My two favorite new songs were "I'll Be" which was right in my range and singing "Wonderwall" which is a crowd favorite made that a lot of fun.  I had sang "Lucky Star" when my family was visiting and was my Mom's choice so it was nice to get to do that for her!

Karaoke is always an amazing time when these incredible ladies, Jamie & Carolyn, show up!

I'm looking forward to this month of Karaoke to see if I can continue with more new music, just a few repeats and favorites, and getting more friends to check out Gabe's on a Wednesday night!

'Skipping Ahead' is Now On-Line!

We filmed our Short Film 'Skipping Ahead' at the end of July before McCracken had moved back to North Carolina.  Neil put together an edit within a week (because he's awesome) and after a few tweaks (and moments of my perfectionism, who says you can't look at 20 different fonts and not like any of them...oops, that's me) we got to the final video!

There's even a little out-take at the end of the video!

I love that I got to play so many different characters throughout filming.  I had so many emotions and the script really gave me a chance to play all these levels and show some range.  I really loved the finished product and hopefully you enjoyed the short film that we all worked so hard on :)

To check out the original post for 'Skipping Ahead' head on over here: http://lyndseywegner.blogspot.com/2014/07/skipping-ahead-short-film-shoot.html

Mom & Dad's September Visit to LA! Part 3.

After working while Mom and Dad were in town the first couple of days and then heading on a Road Trip all over the California Coast we finally had a day with nothing to do!  That's a vacation!

I had actually planned on Hiking up in Malibu where we could see the Waterfall near Temescal Canyon but the 90 degree temperature in Culver City deterred any sort of exercise simply because it was way too hot.  Instead, we spent part of the morning by the pool, mostly in the water, just relaxing and enjoying the day!  We had some Lunch and just hung out that day since it was my parent's last day in LA before they left the following morning.  Of course, we would have this week-long heat wave while they were in town and it was in the 60's back home in Wisconsin!

I set-up a Surprise Dinner at Mastro's in Beverly Hills to celebrate my parent's Anniversary just a little early since I wouldn't be able to spend it with them in November.  Kristina had taken me for my Birthday in June and it was one of the best steaks I had ever had so I wanted to be able to share this with my family as well!

Heirloom Tomatoes & Burrata

We were seated upstairs towards the back of the bar but still in ear-shot of the piano player and singer.  When Kristina and I were there it was more mellow music and this was really fun too.  The songs ranged from new and old, sang by the piano player at times, and then a female singer as well.  I really liked it!  Mom and I ended up getting the Blueberry Martini while Dad got his usual Maker's & Coke.  Dad decided on the French Onion Soup while Mom and I split the Heirloom Tomato & Burrata Salad.  I was so impressed with the Soup, it was so yummy and perfectly seasoned.  And for me, you can't got wrong with an Heirloom Salad!  Mom and I were splitting a steak and Dad got his own and we were barely able to finish all of it, with Mom wrapping the rest of hers to go.  Of course, the steak was accompanied by the Snap-peas which Dad even commented, 'Never would I have thought I would be ordering peas at a restaurant' and yet he loved them!  We also got the Garlic Mashed Potatoes that were a little runny but still delicious.  They brought out a Chocolate Cake with 'Happy Anniversary' written on it for dessert.  By the time we were done, we were so full and barely able to make our way back to the car.  Mom said it was the best steak she ever had and Dad said it was one of the best!

Before Dinner at Mastro's in Beverly Hills!

That night we opened one of our Dessert Wines from Daniel Gehr's and also had some of the Port Wine too to cap off a great Dining experience.  We played Spades before heading to bed and then I took Mom and Dad to the airport the following morning to head back to Wisconsin.

I can't believe how quickly the time flies when they're out here visiting, and even though they were here for a week, it felt like just a couple of days!  I'd definitely like to try to make it to Wisconsin this Fall before all the snow comes :)  Thanks for coming to visit Mom and Dad, I love and miss you guys <3

Mom & Dad's September Visit to LA! Part 2.

After spending a wonderful couple of days in Carmel with family, Mom, Dad and I headed to Solvang to spend a couple days there!  It was just a couple hours from Carmel to Solvang but I was really bummed there were no Football games being broadcasted on AM radio in California!  How was I supposed to get my Sunday Football fix?!

Thankfully, after we arrived in Solvang and checked into The Hadsten House (where Mom and I had stayed this past May) we made our way to Los Olivos to check out a couple wineries before the day was over.  We were able to catch the tail end of the Packer Game, and lucky for us, they pulled off a win, after a huge deficit!  We really liked the wine at Arthur Earl & Alexander Wayne.  They had lots of options to choose from and we were able to tailor it to our taste.  We even bought some dips and hot sauce at these tasting rooms!  

First Wine Tasting in Solvang at Daniel Gehr's!

We did start our day at Daniel Gehr's since it was where my incredible Port came from!  I picked up a bottle of Pinot Gris from there while Mom and Dad decided on a Late-Harvest Sauvignon Blanc from Alexander & Wayne.  Thankfully we were sharing tastes at these rooms and that gave us all a chance to taste different wines.  As we walked back to the car we saw the Carhartt Winery.  What?  Could it be a Winery that Dad would actually like and be excited about?  The Tasting Room was small with just a couple stools and there was Led Zepplin on the radio...I loved it!  Unfortunately, there wasn't enough room for us in there so we went to the back patio where there was plenty of room and beautiful furniture.  We ended up moving back into the Tasting Room after some people left because the owner was there and just more friendly than our server was.  I ended up getting a Syrah from there and we found out throughout the day Mom actually liked Syrah's & Malbec's.  It just had to have certain components that appealed to her taste buds.  She likes more earthy reds that have a quick finish while I prefer the more fruity reds and full-bodied whites.

Banana's Foster.  Amazing.

That night we went to Dinner at Checco, and the only positive thing I can say about the restaurant was that the Caprese Salad was good.  It was really disappointing and the service was some of the worst we'd ever had.  Not to dwell on that Mom and I went to grab dessert at Hadsten House and had the best Banana's Foster I've ever had.  It's not something I would typically order but the way the Bartender described it, sold us, since we wanted something that would fill us up.  This dessert was so perfectly sweet and prepared I can't say enough amazing things about it!  Even if you're not a banana person, this dessert was incredible!  You just have to try it to see.

The next morning after a nice breakfast at the Hotel we went to Lucas & Lewellen where they have some sweeter white wines and then we checked out Tocatta, their sister Tasting Room.  I really liked the wines at Tocatta, and they had a Sweet Red Wine, that we ended up getting two bottles of.  One for me and one for Mom & Dad!  We walked around Solvang and checked out some of the shops and then went to the Chumash Casino so Mom could gamble for a little bit.  I came out $25 ahead so that was good enough for me and Dad and I enjoyed some refreshing cocktails at the bar until Mom was left penniless ;)

Dad & I hanging out at the Casino Bar...just waiting for Mom ;)

We did stop in Santa Barbara to check out a couple of the Tasting Rooms there.  We shared these as well, and couldn't even finish them because they were very red-heavy and I think at that point, we were all wined out!  We got to LA in the early evening and all ended up crashing early after such a long weekend!  More about the last part of our trip in Part 3!

Mom & Dad's September Visit to LA! Part 1.

My parent's came to visit me in Los Angeles for a week and just left last week Wednesday.  We're always kept so busy when they're hanging out with me here in LA, and this week was no different!

We made it to Carmel!

They flew in on Wednesday and came to Karaoke with me that night, so it was nice to have them there and see me doing my thing while Hosting Karaoke.  Then on Thursday they were able to head down to Long Beach/San Pedro to check out the USS Iowa Battleship and take a tour before I had to work at Irish Times that afternoon.  My Mom always loves to help me set the bar up so we got the bar ready for business and they relaxed while tasting some of our new beers.  No Irish Times visit would be complete without some traditional Irish fare, plus it was Thursday night Football!  That night we grabbed some Yogurtland on the way home and then had a little Game Night before getting to bed since we had an early morning that next day.

We drove to Carmel on Friday to spend the next two days with my cousin Sean, who is currently living there with his wife, Amanda and two children while he and Amanda learn Japanese since they'll be stationed in Japan come next year.  Little Olivia who is six is also taking Japanese classes, is one of the smartest little girls I've ever met, and her younger sister, Dru is four, and so adorable!  I could not get enough of them all weekend!

On Saturday Mom, Dad, Sean, Dru, and I went for a hike at Point Lobos.  It was so beautiful and scenic.  Once you hiked through the woods you got to the waterline and cliffs and it was just such an insane view.  The weather was perfect and we even got to see seals!  The hike was fun and after grabbing Lunch we went to this huge park where we played with the girls, once Olivia joined us, and spent the afternoon on the swing sets, slides and monkey bars.  If the hike hadn't tired us out, this certainly did ;)

Hiking at Point Lobos with Dru :)

That night we went to Dinner at Mission Ranch, which is where my Mom, Dad, and I went to about a year and a half ago when they were visiting.  There was no Clint Eastwood sighting that night, because it was a weekend night, pretty busy, and there was also a Wedding going on.  The girls loved the sheep out in the field and were so patient during Dinner.  The food was awesome and I got the Shrimp Fettucine since I knew once Mom and Dad headed back to LA with me, I was surprising them on Tuesday with a nice Dinner so I was saving the steak for that night!  It was a really good meal and awesome to get to spend some time with Sean and Amanda as well as see a little more of Carmel and Monterey. 

Dinner & Drinks at Mission Ranch in Carmel with Mom & Dad!

We all went to Church together on Sunday morning and after all the hugs goodbye, Mom, Dad, and I were on our way to Solvang to do some Wine Tasting!  More on Mom & Dad's visit in Part 2!

Dolphin Tale 2 Premiere :)

This past weekend I worked the 'Dolphin Tale 2' movie premiere in Westwood.  Courtney has worked events with this company who hires people to help get the premiere and after-party set-up, take care of guests, serve food, etc.  I was looking forward to doing something different on a Sunday afternoon and as much as I hated missing the first weekend of Football, I kept my phone handy to check on my Fantasy Football team ;)

Dippin' Dots!!!!!!

It was really hot in LA this past weekend, with temperatures in the 90's.  It was not only hot on Sunday, but humid for LA, and we were getting the refreshment areas set up.  Needless to say, we were getting in a work-out!  I loved the look of the event; there was a blue carpet, and then tons of pop-up restaurants involved, serving some of their well-known dishes, as well as games, photo booths, and even a huge slide!  Our group was specifically hired to take care of the VIP's, which I love, since it's customer service, and I've been in the Service Industry for 17 years.

The thing I loved most about working this premiere was how friendly and polite everyone was, guests and people working the event.  There were no ego's and even in the heat, the actors, executives, and families were all having a blast and enjoying themselves.  On top of that, the food was just amazing!  After we got done serving everyone and things were winding down we got to get our own Lunch.  I had a Truffle Burger from Umami, tacos and salad from Border Grill, pizza from Dang Bros, pressed-juice from Clover, cookies from Diddy Reise, ice cream from Dippin' Dots, and cupcakes from Sprinkles!  There was even more food but after all that, I was pretty full.  There were so many options and a specific dessert area where there was also cookie-decorating, air-brushed tattoos, and more.  It was definitely a kid's dream!

My own little personal Food Heaven :)

I'd definitely work an event like this again.  Hopefully, next time it'll be a little cooler or perhaps indoors, but they can always win me over with food ;)

New Outs in LA

In between work last week I was able to check out a couple new places in LA.  Jamie and I had gone to The Backhouse one night for Late Night Happy Hour after rehearsal for our Princess Show that weekend.  We feasted on all sorts of sushi and after we were done and walking to our car passed by The Wellsbourne and said we'd have to check it out a different night.  And for years I've been hearing about the Turtle Races at Brennan's in Venice but had never gone, and looked forward to it soon since some of my friends had their weekly trip to Brennan's on Thursdays.

After I worked the first Thursday Night Fooball game at Irish Times I got ready for the Turtle Races at Brennan's.  There was a solid crowd of people there but not too busy which was nice.  Apparently, Mark and his friends are regulars so getting a turtle wasn't difficult.  I knew the premise of the races from years prior but when it came to my turn I got a little nervous.  I didn't want to drop my turtle before I even set him in the inner circle but lucky for me my little guy was hiding in his shell.  I still handled him gently and set him down slowly only to lose when the race started because he was so content in his shell.  On my second go-around this next turtle was feisty as his arms and legs were going crazy and when it came time to race he was a runner.  Unfortunately, a fault was called so they had to re-start the race and he came in second that time.  After the races a cover band started inside the bar and Courtney arrived so we all played darts for the rest of the night!  I was horrible in the first game but came back in the second and we had a lot of fun :)

Darts with Mark & Courtney at Brennan's!

On Friday night Jamie and I headed out to The Wellsbourne to see if it would be a cool new bar in the neighborhood.  Upon arrival, a bartender saw us looking for a seat so he motioned us to come to the end of the bar where there were two open stools.  Awesome!  After perusing the menu I noticed a couple different drinks I would have liked to try, so I decided on a Vodka Gimlet.  It was delicious, perfectly sweet with plenty of citrus to cover the alcohol taste but still a nice strong martini.  Jamie was drinking Whiskey so she had given him a recipe for the first one and he made something specific for her second.  He said he wanted to make me a drink that woud have Barrel-Aged Gin in it, and it was way too strong on the first go around but after adding some honey, ginger, and other mixers, it had a nice kick to it, and was something I could sip on.  The drinks were reasonably priced for the quality so that was great!  I loved the set-up of the bar, there were booths when you first walk in, and then on one side there's a game room with Foosball and Shuffleboard, and on the other side, it looks more like a Library perfect for lounging with big sofas and chairs.  After finishing our second drink I knew I was sold on it; the bartenders were super attentive, I loved the atmosphere, and everyone was really friendly.  Jamie and I hit up The Backhouse again for some late night sushi before heading home and it was certainly a successful Ladies Night!  

The Wellsbourne with Jamie :)

I'm really looking forward to going back to both bars, Brennan's and The Wellsbourne.  I loved the chill but fun vibe during Turtle Races and really enjoyed the cocktails and great people at The Wellsbourne.  That's two new places for me in September and I've got a whole lot more of this month left to find even more new spots to check out!  Exploring is fun and getting to do that with friends is even better!

Princesses in 4D!

Last weekend I was in Creating Art's 'Princess, Prince, & Pirate's in 4D' show.  Our director, Shannon, had written it to be a Choose Your Own Adventure show so the kids would actually decide what was happening throughout the show.  It was based strongly on improv and allowing the children to get involved and no show was going to be exactly the same.

Flynn & Rapunzel

To make the show 4D there were scents that were sprayed throughout the theater depending on where we were; there was a beach/sea scent, a clean scent for the library, and woodsy/musk scent for the forest.  We also had snow during our scenes with Anna and Elsa, and other little touches to create all the senses.  The kids really loved deciding how we would react or what we would do and were very vocal about it.  What Princess did they want to see first?  Did we want to find Elsa or build a snowman?  They were creating magic!  Of course, there were songs involved in every step of the way!

For this show most of us had to play two different Princesses, and the guys had to play multiple roles as well from Princes throughout history.  I started off the show as Rapunzel and the kids were so excited to see me.  During both shows I had little girls run up and hug me or tell me they just watched my movie.  They don't care that there's a show that's going on, they just want to talk to you because it means so much to them.  It was so adorable!  I also got to sing 'I See The Light' with Flynn during our opening scenes.  I had a quick change to Pocahontas, whom I played for the rest of the show.  Lucky for me, I had two extremely long wigs and got to play the best of both worlds, a blond and a brunette.  The story-line led us to find our Fairy Godmother's magic wand that was found by Robin Hood, stolen by Blackbeard, and with the help of Capt. Jack Sparrow, Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Prince Charmping, Aladdin, Jasmine, and more we were able to get the magic wand back to it's rightful home safe and sound, making it an adventure.  Along the way, I lead everyone 'Just Around The Riverbend' as we later on had to 'Build A Snowman' with the help of Christophe, Anna & Elsa, and more.

Just some of our Princesses before the show...Belle, Rapunzel, Tinkerbell, Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White!

It was crazy how excited all the kids were to tell us what was happening or what we missed while we were off-stage.  Our first show went almost 90 minutes because the kids were so talkative with us.  Luckily, we planned for that during our second show and were able to keep things moving more quickly for our Sunday show.  Either way, the children loved it, and the parents did too!  We always get the kids up and dancing with us and there's plenty of time after the show for pictures as we get mobbed on the Promenade after our final bows.  

It's not always kids wanting to take pictures with Snow White & Pocahontas ;)

This was definitely my favorite Princess Show because of all the characters involved and also having the Prince's and Pirate's join us too.  It made it exciting for the little boys as well to have someone to look up to.  For putting the show together in just a week I'm so proud of all of our new members as well as our veterans.  I only wish that the show would have run for another week or two!

*Thanks to Kristina, Alex, & Finley, Neil and Spark, and others who came to see our Princess Show!*

How do you give back?

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has clearly gone viral and beyond.  It's brought awareness to this disease as well as donations from all over the world.  Although there's questions of whether all the donations will go towards finding a cure, you can't deny that it's raised millions of dollars and brought attention to the disease.  Whether you're donating for a cause like ALS, the Alzheimer's Association, or St. Jude's Hospital, or you volunteer at a Homeless Shelter, Children's Hospital, or your local Church, it definitely makes you feel like you're doing something for someone else in a selfless way.  So are all these videos out there to bring attention to the disease or for someone's personal promotion?  

I actually didn't watch the first and second round of Ice Bucket Challenge videos that were making their way onto the news, Facebook, and other media outlets.  I guess I was trying to avoid having to do the actual Challenge and if I wasn't watching, then I wouldn't be called out.  I certainly didn't mind donating, as I've done the Walk for Alzheimer's, I enjoy going through my closet and getting rid of things to take to a discount clothing store, or donating magazines to a women's shelter.  Then as this whole Challenge was getting bigger I did start watching some of the videos from celebrities and such, and sure enough, one of my best friend's from college challenged me to take the plunge.

You're supposed to complete this Challenge in 24 hours so the following afternoon when I got back from my four mile run and stair work-out, I figured that would be a good time to do it.  I grabbed a tray of ice cubes and a bucket and made my way down to the pool.  Los Angeles is in a drought so I didn't want to waste fresh water, so I filled the bucket up (making note that it had been played and splashed around in all weekend long, enjoyed by many), stood by the edge of the pool, and flipped that bucket over my head.  Yes, it was cold but the moment of chills is nothing compared to the suffering that takes place all over the world.  So if this could bring awareness or have someone donate to a charity of their choice or volunteer their time, then it's totally worth it!

We can all find meaning or moments that touch us, so find your truth and give towards that!

So you don't have the money to donate, then what about your time?  There are websites dedicated towards finding volunteers for tons of different activities based on the city you live in.  You don't have the time?  Then how about the next time you go through your kitchen and find that extra set of silverware, or are getting rid of a few pairs of shoes your children have out-grown, or are changing up your living room so those chairs won't match anymore, donate them to a shelter, or find a place that will find good use for them!  And if you don't have time or the money, share your smile as you walk down the street; it could brighten someone's day and spark something inside of them that they want to share their happiness and time with others.  There's a million ways to give back, and I can promise the feeling you have after doing so, can almost make you feel a little selfish because it feels so darn good :)