Celebrating my Mom's Birthday

It would have been my Mom's 57th Birthday (sorry Mom, should I say 29th) on February 9th.  Every day has been a struggle and that day could have been completely miserable, but it wasn't, and although I cried and missed her throughout the day, I tried to make the most of it and do things that she would enjoy doing.  What better way to celebrate than by eating, which she and I definitely had in common :)

My day started with a morning work-out and then I had set up an appointment at the Aveda Salon to get my hair-cut and also get a facial.  It was one of the best hair-cuts I've gotten there and I always make a stop at Diddy Riese for an Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich when I'm in Westwood.  Mom loved stopping there too when she was visiting.  I picked out a dress that Mom really liked and was ready when Jamie picked me up for our incredible Food Adventure!

Cheers Mom...Happy Birthday!

Jamie and I started off at Pearl's on Sunset in West Hollywood.  Carolyn (who was also very close with my Mom) manages the Bar/Restaurant and it was also Happy Hour, so we were excited for the $1 Oysters and $3 Champagne, and other yummy bites.  The Oysters were fabulous and the Champagne was sweet; I had my first ever Grilled Oyster and Fried Oyster, which I loved.  We also had the Lollipop Lamb Chops and Grilled & Chilled Shrimp.  Everything was delicious including our cocktails!  And there was even a place setting for my Mom...thanks Carol <3

Pearl's on Sunset with Jamie & Carolyn

Next up was EPLP on La Cienega.  Initially, I was a little nervous.  I checked out the menu during the day and was a little leery about it but after getting a glass of wine I was ready to be adventurous.  I was with Jamie afterall, and she always makes me try new and strange things and I usually end up loving them.  Like the Abalone which is similar to a snail (I made sure Jamie didn't tell me what it was or I would have shied away from it) that was absolutely delicious!  We also did the Kakoda, which was raw shrimp ceviche with coconut milk, lime and chili.  In all honesty, I had so many favorites throughout this meal, I can't pick just one or two.  Although I would go back and order that ceviche again and again!  We also got the Wood Grilled Octopus; I am not an Octopus fan but I did try it, and it was alright (better than ok but probably not something I would order again, although the salad it came with was really yummy).  We did the Heirloom Tomato and I felt like I was missing out on the cheese in it, but of course there wouldn't be cheese in Asian Cuisine.  It was light and fresh.  For our entree, we ordered the Massaman Curry which was Venison Shank (another surprise, I thought it was short rib, but it was tender and flavorful but not too gamey) served with a pickled green relish and brown rice.  At this point, we were really full from our Happy Hour but everything was too good not to eat.  Thankfully, the Curry would be great later on, and I also took the leftover Octopus Salad and brown rice.  Special thanks to Jamie's friend who took such great care and made us feel so special on a beautiful day.

No meal is complete without dessert and Jamie knows me too well as to not stop somewhere for the finishing touch to our Food Adventure.  Our final stop was Terrine on Beverly for Beignets and an after-dinner drink.  The Beignets were light and airy, and my Gin Cocktail was fresh and just enough to close out the evening still feeling good.

I'm so glad we were able to check out a couple new places and get to Pearl's for the Tuesday Oyster & Champagne night, I'll definitely be back for that, and EPLP has a beautiful rooftop that we didn't get to see, so I'm sure the next time we have Dinner, we'll visit that as well!

I wish I could share more Birthday's with my Mom but I will continue to celebrate for and with her, no matter what, and I'm so glad I had such a great friend to share that special day with!

Broadway LA Style

CAC Studios put on a Broadway Cabaret LA Style show at the beginning of February to celebrate Valentine's Day with songs of Love.  I was singing in the show which was at Three Clubs in Hollywood and it was so great to be a part of this fun Cabaret with some beautiful music and even more fabulous performers!

Before Showtime...Kerstin, Kenni, Cassandra, Max, Giana, Elizabeth, Hadiyyah, myself, and Dani :)

 The show opened with 'Elephant Love Medley' from "Moulin Rouge" and we all had some solo's throughout the song and were spread apart in Three Clubs so our voices were coming from any open space we could find.  I love that movie and I love that song so I was really excited to be a part of it.  Adam also sang from "Moulin Rouge" doing 'Your Song,' which he just kills every time he does it!  Elizabeth played Patsy Cline, while Cassandra did 'Let it Go' from "Frozen."  Milton did one of my all-time favorite songs, 'Lady' by Kenny Rogers, and Hadiyyah sang 'One and Only' one of my favorite Adele songs.  Kenni showed us a different side to Peggy Lee's "Fever" by doing it as Anna from "Frozen."  I did 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper (had a little costume change from our opening number) and changed into my New Year's Eve dress, and Julia complimented it by turning on the disco ball during the song!  We closed out the Cabaret with 'Seasons of Love' from "Rent."

Thanks to Adam for jumping in and singing back-up for me during 'Time After Time!'

Songs of love, happiness, tears of joy, and more were shared by the audience and all of the performers.  Thanks to Neil for coming and taking pictures!  We had a packed house and I was so glad to be a part of such a great show and sing in honor of my Mom!

Kathryn Newton & Kim Rhodes at Afterbuzz TV

I got very lucky a couple of weeks ago to not only have Alaina Huffman & Lisa Berry come to Afterbuzz TV but the following week I had Kathryn Newton & Kim Rhodes join me in the studio!  Special thanks again to Ruth Connell for introducing me to these two fabulous women!

Kim Rhodes has been on the show throughout the last seven seasons as Sheriff Jody Mills.  She is definitely a fan favorite and someone my co-hosts and I throughout our years Hosting our 'Supernatural' Aftershow have always looked forward to seeing in an episode.  Kathryn Newton joined the 'Supernatural' cast three seasons ago and plays Claire Novak (daughter of Jimmy Novak, whose vessel was taken over by Castiel).  She has a huge following and we got a ton of positive feedback and shares because of her and Kim!

So happy to have Kathryn & Kim join me at Afterbuzz to talk about 'Supernatural'

The fans were so excited to join us in the live chat and hear all about 'Supernatural.'  There's even talk of a spin-off called 'Wayward Daughters' that would include Jody, Claire, and Alex (who Dean & Sam rescued a couple seasons ago from her Vampire family).  It was great to hear that all the women get together to watch the show and talk about it.  Most of them live tweet as well (Jensen & Jared do that too from time to time) and that gives the viewers a chance to get insider on what was going on in the scene, hear funny stories, and relate to the show.  Check out the episode below!

It was another awesome Aftershow with Kim & Kathryn joining me in the studio and getting to hear about their upcoming projects and shows; once again Kim is going to be playing a badass on 'Colony' and Kathryn has a new secret project she couldn't talk about but it's something she's currently filming.  Special thanks to these two rockstars who laughed, told great stories, and really love being a part of the 'Supernatural' family!  They also said they'd love to come back into the studio so hopefully we'll get them in before Season 11 finishes up in May!

Aces of Improv (Diamond Edition)

At the end of January the Aces of Improv put on a show at Three Clubs in Hollywood!  I've been a part of most of our CAC Studios Improv Shows and was really excited about this one because I was also The Ace of Diamonds!

We always have so much fun doing these shows.  We had a full house and lucky for me, I had a bunch of friends in the audience!  Thank you to Jamie & Alan, Ashley, Raph & Carlos, and Brian for coming to the show and supporting me as well as my fellow Improvisers.  I loved looking into the audience and seeing everyone having a great time and enjoying the show :)  When we're performing, I think we all wish we could do an even longer show!

FriYAY's Improv Cast! (Zach, Jason, Adam, Hadiyyah, Dan, Kenni, Giana, and myself - minus Nathan)

At the show we debuted a new game we called 'Cards Against Improv' basically using the cards from Cards Against Humanity and having to justify what the cards say.  It certainly brought a lot of laughter from the audience and hilarity ensued.  Playing 'A Day in the Life' was a blast as well, I discovered a new character for myself, and got to play a bunch of different characters throughout the game.

Cards Against Improv, A Day in the Life, and Three Wives Improv Games

Our next show will be in March and I'll keep everyone posted as to when I'll be performing!  You can always find info about our shows at CAC Studios on our website at: www.cacstudios.com Keep laughing!

Thoughts of Mom

I read an article today on what region of the brain is the starting point for Alzheimer's and it excited me to find this information and know something that could potentially cause it could be stopped by just getting a good night's rest.  This is obviously not the case for everyone but if it could help, I'm willing to learn and read more on it!  As I read the article it made me think about my Mom and Grandma and I wanted to share my thoughts here :)

My Grandmother died 10 years ago after battling Alzheimer's and when that happened, I knew a little part of my Mom had died because she was so close with her Mom (my Grandma). It changed her, therefore changed me, and this disease is such a sad one to watch a family member go through. To watch my Grandma forget who we were, her ability to know how to eat, and even show emotion was devastating and the toll it took on my Mom, her sisters, brother, my Grandpa before he passed, and all of us who loved my Grandma so dearly was so difficult. Finding a way to slow the on-set of it, and a cure for the disease would be great but reading this article means it starts with a good night's sleep. A thing I have been far too aware of for the past couple months...if getting a good night's sleep means that I can keep my family and future from going through this, it is all the more reason to keep stress at bay, and take some time for myself. Before I came back to LA, I had spent a lot of time at home cleaning and organizing things so that it would be easier for my Dad to keep the house tidy without my Mom. I found a Thanksgiving card my Mom had written a couple years after my Grandma had passed, in it she said when she visited my Grandma that she would just constantly talk to her while my Grandma would just watch her. Then she'd lay her head on my Grandma's shoulder and cry, and Grandma would start crying too. She could no longer speak, she had lost the sparkle in her eye, and had even forgotten how to smile, but my Mom knew this was my Grandma trying to comfort her the only way she knew how. I cried as I read the beautiful note my Mom had written and I knew how much she loved her and missed her every day. Before my Grandma could no longer speak, she still called me her 'Tiny One.' I know my Mom got to reunite with her parents in Heaven just two short months ago and is able to have the conversations she'd been waiting to have for over 10 years. I can't wait to have a conversation with you again, Mom, I miss you every day.

Grandma & Grandpa Jacoby with my Mom over 30 years ago!

If you'd like to check out the article: http://www.medicaldaily.com/alzheimers-ground-zero-locus-coeruleus-373619

Losing my Mom is by far the hardest thing I've ever had to go through.  The reason I'm posting these stories and sharing memories is because I want people to feel comfortable with their feelings (I cry in public on a regular basis at this point) and know it's ok to hurt and grieve.  I think it's also important to keep someone's spirit alive and remember all the wonderful memories that were created.  I appreciate all the support my family, friends, and even just the passerby have been giving me and will continue to show me as I learn to live without the person who meant more to me than anyone else.  One day at a time <3 

Alaina Huffman & Lisa Berry at Afterbuzz TV

I was so excited to be back and Hosting at Afterbuzz TV after the 'Supernatural' Winter Break and even more so when Ruth Connell had introduced me to some of her friends from the show that were able to take some time and chat with me at the studio!  

In late January I had the pleasure of Hosting my 'Supernatural' Aftershow with guests Alaina Huffman (Abbadon) and Lisa Berry (Billie The Reaper)!  Abbadon has been one of my favorite villains in the show; a strong, fiery red-head that's been killed more times than she can count, but was loved by all the fans.  Billie is new to this season and the fans as well as myself are excited to learn more about her character as this season continues.  Reapers always have interesting story-lines and Tessa's was around for a few seasons, hopefully the same will be true for Billie.

Alaina, Lisa, and I at Afterbuzz

We had a really great show, talking about the current week's episode, along with some fun facts about what it's like on-set, how they deal with love scenes, Jensen & Jared, picking out your children's names, what both of them are working on (Lisa is the voice of a new comic for Wonder Woman) and more.  You can see our entire episode right here!

I really look forward to having the ladies back in the studio with me...it's so great to hear their thoughts on the series, stories about their characters, as well as their predictions.  Plus, the fans always enjoy the insider perspective as do I!  Stay tuned!

December & January Karaoke

Since I was home for most of December I only had one week of Karaoke at Gabe's that month and I figured I'd do a quick post and catch up with last month's Karaoke as well!

Pat Benatar "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

The Fugee's "Killing Me Softly"
Tom Petty "American Girl"

Edwin McCain "I'll Be"

Fuel "Falls On Me"

Colbie Callait & Jason Mraz "Lucky"

The Eurythmics "Here Comes The Rain"

Wilson Phillips "Hold On"

Natalie Merchant "Wonder"

Lionel Richie "Penny Lover"

Pat Benatar "Treat Me Right"

Tracy Chapman "Give Me One Reason"

David Bowie "Rebel Rebel"

Pat Benatar "Love is a Battlefield"

Gretchen Wilson "Redneck Woman"

Journey "Faithfully"

Nickelback "How You Remind Me"

Fleetwood Mac "Gold Dust Woman"

Pat Benatar "Hit Me With Your Best Shot"

Shania Twain "That Don't Impress Me Much"

Counting Crows "Mr. Jones"

Taylor Swift "Blank Space"

Jewel "Don't"

Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta "You're The One That I Want"

As a big fan of Tom Petty, I thought I'd try "American Girl" as my new song that week.  "You Got Lucky" is my personal favorite but "American Girl" is much more upbeat and fun!  When I came back from my time in Wisconsin, it was back to work at Gabe's that next day in January.  In honor of my Mom I closed out the night with my new song, "Penny Lover," which we used to dance to when I was a little girl.  It's one of the first memories I have of her and I together.  Since David Bowie passed on that following week I decided I had to pay homage to him with at least one song so I did "Rebel Rebel" since we didn't have any songs from 'Labyrinth.'  The next week I sang Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" which was actually fun to sing and everyone sang along with it!  I closed out the month with "Blank Space" by Taylor Swift and it was another sing-a-long!  I loved all of my new songs for those weeks but would practice the Taylor Swift song just a little more to be prepped for it!

January was a pretty busy month overall, with lots of people coming in and visiting.  It was nice to be back to work after a long break.  And I'm super thankful for Jamie, since she covered my shifts while I was gone and I heard only great things about her Hosting!  Thanks Seester :)

Dine LA Week

I love checking out new restaurants during Dine LA!  I was able to hit up a few different places at the end of January and look forward to going back to them in the future!

The Roof on Wilshire was my first Dine LA experience this last month and Aimee & Andy came with me.  It was a little bit rainy but the roof had covered tables and heat lamps so it ended up being perfectly fine.  The view was beautiful and we were all excited for Dinner.  I started with the Shells & Cheese while Aimee & Andy got the Brussels Sprouts.  Both appetizers were really big and enough for all three of us to share but I was hungry so I didn't mind.  I ordered the Bowl of Goodness with Shrimp that had Avocado, Quinoa, Siracha, Beans, and more.  It was so much food that I took over half of it home with me.  It was definitely spicy but everything worked really well together!  I finished off the meal with the S'mores Cheesecake which was really yummy and had a marshmallow melted on top.  On top of the three courses for $29 they also offered a cocktail of your choice so I decided on the Vodka Martini with Cucumber & Mint and it was delicious and refreshing!  I had enough leftover food for Dinner the next day!

The following week Jamie and I checked out Terrine which was just outside of West Hollywood and their outdoor patio where we sat was beautiful.  We stuck with the Dine LA menu but also added The Beef Tartare which was my first raw beef adventure and that was good.  I started with the Lobster Bisque which was nice but I loved the Truffle Agnolotti that Jamie ordered, perfect pillows, in a beautiful sauce that I wanted seconds and thirds!  We both decided on the Wagyu Beef Short Rib and that was incredible and tender; it was served with a Brown Butter Pomme Puree that was one of my favorite parts of the meal!  You can't go wrong with Brown Butter!  I decided on the Sticky Toffee Pudding for Dessert and it was a perfect end to the meal.  Their three courses were $39 and well worth it!

The Dine LA Menu at Terrine...Beef Tartare & Sticky Toffee Pudding

Jamie and I also had plans to check out one more place but decided to do some Happy Hour hopping around Beverly Hills instead and ended up spending $30 on a three-course meal with tax and tip!  We did good.  We started off at Crustacean and had to order the Garlic Noodles as these are noodles that dreams are made of!  I also got a no-carb burger which was served with cut green beans.  That was ok but the noodles always raise the bar!  We then walked over to Wolfgang Steakhouse and while Jamie got the Ribs I got the Steak Sliders which came with French Fries.  The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with a horseradish sauce that was awesome.  I was really proud of our Beverly Hills Happy Hour dinner on a budget :)

I can't wait to go back to The Roof on Wilshire, especially when the sun is setting; it'll have a stunning view.  I'd like to go back to Terrine as well and try some other things off the menu.  Jamie really encourages me to try things that scare me, so she's the perfect date in situations like that!  I've already been back to Wolfgang since going with Jamie and had more delicious food there so that was fantastic!  Three new places for the win! 

To see more photos from Dine LA or if you want to check out my Food Adventures follow me on Instagram: Lyndsey Wegner on IG 

Resolutions and Goals for 2016

This year has already been life-changing, difficult, and positive, all wrapped into one.  I'm hoping the drive that I started 2016 with to make progressions in my career continues, that my new philosophy on life takes exciting direction, that my family and I continue to grow closer together as we've already built stronger bonds of love, that I experiment in the Kitchen and make at least one new dish a month, and that I make my Mom proud in my decisions and choices.

Last year I wanted to do something every day that scared me; I like to think that I did that but I'm sure there were days that I felt fearful about something and let that fear take over.  It's natural and as long as I know that from fear comes growth, I just have to challenge myself and be daring.

'You had the power all along, my Dear.' ~ Glinda

I also wanted to be more patient and polite with Customer Service Representatives and Bar Patrons.  I definitely feel like I kept true to that and I will certainly continue to maintain a positive outlook and try to be patient in moments of frustration.  In November I actually started a 'No Complaints' Challenge that was supposed to be seven days...it went on much longer and I was able to keep up with it.  I plan on starting that again since I was really happy doing it and it seemed to positively affect the people around me and inspire them to get involved :)  In addition to that, I also spent some time Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and would like to find some opportunities to volunteer throughout LA!

For the past few years I've made sure to try new restaurants and Happy Hours all over at least once a month.  Dine LA makes that easy since there's so many restaurants throughout Los Angeles and many of them offer a three-course menu for a discounted price.  Plus, there's always a new Happy Hour spot popping up somewhere!  I also wanted to get out of town more often and was able to get back to Wisconsin in September, Palm Springs in July, Arizona in April, and Solvang a couple times as well.

I advanced my career at Afterbuzz TV now taking on Segment Producer for our 'Supernatural' Aftershow.  I took over the role of Madame Thenardier in August for the rest of the run of 'Thenardier's Inn - A Les Miserables Cabaret,' where I'd been playing a Lovely Lady since November of 2014, started doing Improv again with our Theater Company, CAC, and also did a few other projects throughout the year.  When you look back on the past year, it's interesting to see all the strides you've made in the right direction and know they are milestones now.

Cheers to another exciting year of adventure, career challenges, love and fun surrounded by positive influences!