Socal Mom by Donna Schwartz Mills

Old Dogs, New Tricks and My First Celebrity Encounter

There's one thing I've observed from watching my parents and their contemporaries as they've aged: The ones who have fared the best have remained active and engaged, and have not been afraid to adapt to changing technologies.

I hope that is something that factors into my outlook on life as I get older. And it's one of the justifications I'm using for time I've spent this week that on the surface, doesn't appear to be productive.

I've shot a lot of video lately, but have little to show for it. I like working with video, but I'm not good at it. I think I get better with each project I attempt -- but it's a slow process, and I'm hampered by the fact that I'm not a Mac user and am relying on whatever Windows editing program I can get for free.

My husband recently digitized all of our old camcorder videos. He also discovered a videocassette my father made from old home movies, and digitized that, too. I've been trying to winnow out a short clip from that file, but have been flummoxed by the limitations of my software.

The .avi file crashes every time I try to open it in MediaImpression, so I switched to Adobe Premiere Elements and managed to put together a workable edit (although I couldn't figure out how to control the precise length of time that titles appear on the screen, nor could I find a way to fade in or out -- even though there are about two dozen other transition effects available in the program).

But the most frustrating part of the Premiere Elements package my husband has installed on this computer is that once the project was finished, I was unable to export it into a file that could be uploaded to YouTube. So while it was nice to get a feel for how Elements works, I had to start all over again in some other package.

I finally got it all to work in the latest version of Windows MovieMaker (which is free -- you just need to have a Windows Live account).  Yes, there was a learning curve -- and the final version of the clip is actually the second one I made, because the program crashed on me right after the first one. (One of these days I will learn to ALWAYS save these kind of projects after completing each step).

I even added a silly autotuned music track from GarageBand on my iPad and a pre-fab title theme.

This footage was shot by my dad, who may have tried harder if he'd known that some 50 years later, I'd be putting it up on the Internet (but how could he?)  And aside from the cool, retro look of Disneyland in 1962, this clip is notable because it documents my first encounter with a celebrity:

Sophisticated Seattle: Funk Meets Elegance in a Modern City

It's triple digits today in the San Fernando Valley, which is making me long for Seattle, where I spent Friday and Saturday -- thanks to the thoughtful folks at Nissan, who sponsored my visit for the purpose of reviewing the latest iteration of the Versa sub-compact. My review of the car will appear soon on the blog at AskPatty.com. Below is my account of all things I encountered on the trip that was NOT automotive.

"You're in a great location," the driver said as he pulled up to Seattle's Hotel 1000. "There's a lot to do here and it's all in walking distance." I was checking in a full four hours before the Nissan folks asked us to meet for dinner -- so I decided to take a little walk. 

The last time I was in Seattle was on the drive home from our Alaska cruise, back in 2005.  The city is just as charming as I remembered, but what struck me this time was how wonderful everything smelled.

"I may not be able to stick with the vegan diet," I told my husband. Seattle, it turns out, is a foodie paradise -- very much like San Francisco. And it probably didn't help that the first thing I did was find my way back to the Pike Place Market. 

I wanted to pick up a latte at the original Starbucks -- but there were so many other tourists crowding the place that I ended up passing it by. Fortunately, there are hundreds of other Starbucks' locations in Seattle, and I was able to get my caffeine fix at a beautiful store on Pike and 1st before heading back to the hotel.

On my walk, I not only passed the Seattle Aquarium, but the Seattle Art Museum (where I snapped this commanding piece of animated sculpture). I love all the public art I saw throughout the city; this museum is on my list to explore the next time I visit.

The Hotel 1000

"It doesn't look like much from the outside," the driver told us, "but it's one of the best hotels in the city."

And I could see what he meant, from the moment I stepped into the minimalist lobby. The Hotel 1000 is fabulous in a W kind of way.

Nissan had booked me into a double Queen room that was incredibly spacious. The decor was sleek, modern and luxurious (high threadcount bedding, plush microfibre robes, Egyptian cotton towels), and the kind of electronics you would expect in one of the tech centers of the country: including a 40" LCD flatscreen TV and a hub that allowed you to easily connect your portable devices (iPod, laptop, etc) to play things on it.

This is not the kind of space that allows an old-fashioned "do not disturb" sign for the doorknob.

And in a nod to the tech-savvy business traveler, the wi-fi was free. One of my pet peeves is that free wi-fi is standard at economy lodges, but always comes at a premium at four-star properties. Hotel 1000 is one of the few luxury hotels that gets it right.

...even the expected coffeemaker was a little bit unexpected: it was a sleek French press pot, in tandem with a fast-heating electric kettle (much nicer, especially if you prefer tea to coffee). The coffee on hand was Starbucks' premium Fair Trade variety, Cafe Estima, which is a lot smoother than the usual house blend. Very nice.

The hotel also thoughtfully included instructions on how to brew the coffee with the presspot. I only wish they had also included a diagram that indicated where to find the switches for the electronics. It took me several minutes every time I wanted to turn the lights on or off (and because the room was amply sized, there were several different zones to choose from).

Hotel designers strive to give their guests an experience that us at least as nice as what they have at home, and the easiest place to do that is in the bathroom. The nicer the hotel, the better the bathroom setup .

The Hotel 1000 does not disappoint, with a modern soaking tub visible in the middle of the room (separated from the bedroom by a glass panel and a push button privacy screen).

When I see a bathtub like that, and I have the time, I just have to use it. I'm glad I did, because  filling the tub was an experience in itself: The tub doesn't have a faucet. At least, not a traditional one. When you turn on the water, it comes down in a steady stream from the CEILING.

The effect is quite dramatic, but not super practical. I'm the type of person who doesn't arrive at a proper water temperature easily, so I tend to stick my hand in the stream until I get it right. And sometimes, that can take me a while. With the water coming down from the ceiling into a tub in the middle of the room unattached to any walls, the result was a lot of water splattered everywhere. 

I did my best to soak up the puddles... and left the maid a somewhat larger tip than usual for a one-night stay.

Catalina Island - Fun Facts

Having never been to Catalina, I wasn't sure what to expect. The facts I had at the top of my head were:

The island once belonged to chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, who also owned the Chicago Cubs - and for many years, was the site for their spring training. 

Avalon may still be a mecca for Cubs fans, as evidenced by some of the baseball memorabilia in the souvenir shops. Plus, the Avalon Museum is currently running an exhibit recounting the history of the Cubs on the island, and has some really nice tchotchkes for sale in their gift shop.

Catalina Island is the only spot on the West Coast where bison roam freely.

 

 
The animals were  imported to the island back in the 1920's for a film shoot and then left behind. In the decades that followed, the herd grew to about 600 head - which was an unhealthy number for both the animals and the humans who shared the island. Currently, Catalina Island is home to about 150 descendants of that original herd, and they often pop up in unexpected places - like the children's play area above.

Automobiles are outlawed on Catalina Island; everyone gets around on golf carts.

This one isn't completely true - but Avalon is the only California city where automobile ownership is restricted. Residents who wish to import an automobile may have to wait as long as 10 years... and can't even think about bringing one vehicle to the island until two current ones have been taken out of service. So the main mode of motorized trasnportation is by cart - which works well in the tiny town:

It was startling to see this in action. We shared the boat with what appeared to be the high school basketball team, riding back home after an away game (Avalon's K-12 school is part of the Long Beach Unified School District). I watched in amazement as each of these kids was picked up by waiting parents, all zipping around in little carts. 

In practice, the carts make the town seem somewhat friendlier, as you can easily see and wave to the drivers -- none of whom are likely to run you down when crossing the street. There is cab service from the ferry landing to the hotels (which wasn't entirely necessary to the waterfront one we were staying at, but might be useful for one of the ones that were located up the town's steep hillsides). And if you want to explore the rest of the island, you can go on a bus or Jeep tour... possibilities I'll highlight in tomorrow's post.

TOMORROW: NEXT WEEK: EcoTouring with the Catalina Conservancy

Disclosure: My husband and I visited Santa Catalina Island as guests of the Hotel Villa Portofino, the Catalina Express and the Catalina Island Conservancy. I received no compensation for this post. Opinions expressed on my blog are my own.

 

Catalina Island Getaway: Luxury On a Budget

I am ashamed to admit that there are quite a few iconic California destinations that I've never visited (i.e., Yosemite, Death Valley and Big Sur).

There are reasons for this, which usually boil down to a lack of some combination of time and money.

Last week, I was able to cross one such site off my bucket list: Catalina Island, and the picturesque town of Avalon.

 
I may never have made the trip if I had not been invited to participate on a sponsored fam tour (details in the disclosure at the bottom of this post). I mean, have you ever priced the cost of the 26-mile boat ride to the Island? The round trip fare on the Catalina Express is $66.50 (kids 11 and under ride for $51.00) - so we'd be shelling out $200 just to get there; never mind the cost of an actual hotel room.

So imagine my surprise when I learned that many of Avalon's waterfront hotels include the price of your boat fare in their package rates, which makes a Catalina visit a lot more affordable than I imagined...

...and it's an absolute bargain if you visit midweek during the off-season (roughly from October through May).

We were hosted last week by the Hotel Villa Portofino, described on its own website as "European Elegance on the Oceanfront." Truth in advertising does exist:

According to TripAdvisor, the Villa Portofino is one of 19 hotels in Avalon, a town of just one square mile, with a permanent population of about 4500  (which increases by about 50% in the summer, when seasonal workers take up residence). It's in a prime location on the waterfront - which means that many of the guest rooms have fabulous views.

But that was tough to discern when we checked in Wednesday evening. We were surprised to be handed an old-fashioned key and told that they refer to the rooms by name and not numbers. Ours was the Bella Vista, and we had to walk outside the tiny reception area, and up a flight of stairs.

At that point, we didn't expect much, so we were absolutely knocked out by our room. The bedroom wasn't huge, but the Spanish marble bathroom was. And the room's furnishings made great use of the space:  the couch in the small seating area pulls out to a twin bed (perfect for our family of three) --  plus, it had a fireplace (a feature I always appreciate on a cool evening).

The capper was a wrap-around balcony, which we didn't truly appreciate until the following morning, when we were greeted by this view of the bay:

Hotel guests may enjoy a light continental breakfast served in the reception area where we checked in. There are tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk for al fresco dining, but as we had that lovely ocean view from our room, we brought ours back up to take it in from our balcony. 

It was nearly 8:00 by the time we arrived on the island, and we were hungry. The Hotel Villa Portofino is attached to an Italian restaurant - but it was not open during our visit (many of the fine dining spots in town close during the off season; hotel manager Candice Middleton told me that the restaurant would be re-opening on the weekend). 

Fortunately, there were plenty of choices within walking distance of the hotel. We ended up at te Avalon Grille, one of the town's newer dining establishments. Its casual bistro menu and nice selection of wines and microbrews was exactly what we needed. I was still under the impression that I would be sticking more or less to my Lindora diet and ordered the Cobb salad. My husband sampled the fish and chips, followed by a lovely lemon cheesecake. We both walked away happy.

The following night, we were hosted to a farewell dinner at Steve's Steakhouse, which is the only Zagat-rated restaurant on the island. By that time, I had abandoned all thought of dieting, and thoroughly enjoyed my New York steak (not to mention the wine and crusty sourdough bread that was served before the meal). 

We boarded the boat back to the mainland feeling full and happy.

The Hotel Villa Portofino, which hosted our visit last week, is currently offering a tremendous value package: $92 per person (double occupancy) - boat fare included. This package is available Sunday through Thursday until April 14, and while mid-week visits may not be ideal, there's a lot to be said for hitting a tourist spot when there's less likelihood of dealing with a whole mess of tourists. 

TOMORROW: Our day with the Catalina Island Conservancy.

Disclosure: My husband and I visited Santa Catalina Island as guests of the Hotel Villa Portofino, the Catalina Express and the Catalina Island Conservancy. I received no compensation for this post. Opinions expressed on my blog are my own.

Promotional Considerations for January

Some end-of-the-month housekeeping: A roundup of some of the significant products, services and events I've enjoyed this month, plus a giveaway for SoCal readers (comment on this post to enter!):

Where to Stay in Detroit: Motor City Casino Hotel

Once I got over my New Year hangover, I had to hit the ground running, thanks to an invitation from Clever Girls Collective to be one of 100 bloggers attending the Ford Green Technology event at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. 

Ford put us up at this hotel, which turned out to be a lot more luxurious than its name implies. It's a 4-star property with spacious guest rooms, luxurious bathrooms and terrific service. And don't get me started on the food served in the hotel's five-star Iridescence restaurant (the site of the dinner Ford hosted for all the bloggers following our day at the Auto Show). So glad I decided to wait until my return before starting my diet back up!

Ford paid for my travel and accommodations at the two-day Driving Green Technology event. I was not compensated by them in any other manner for my time. 

Wi-Fi Freedom with ClearWire 4G

Thanks to a massive snowstorm that hit the East Coast the week I visited Detroit, I had to deal with long delays at the airport (SEVEN HOURS on the LAX end!)

I don't know how I would have killed all that time if I wasn't carrying this nifty little USB modem, which allowed me to connect to ClearWire's 4G broadband network. I had multiple deadlines to meet and was able to put all that waiting around time at LAX to good use.

ClearWire's 4G/3G network is available nationwide, so when the wi-fi went out in the Ford booth at NAIAS the following day, I was still able to get online.

And since my return, I've enjoyed the freedom I craved when I switched to a laptop in the first place (some 20 years ago!). The combination of my new mini-netbook and the Clear modem allow me to work wherever I may be: the mall, the orthodontist's waiting room, my car parked in front of my daughter's school... No need to hunt down a Starbucks or Panera for a wi-fi network.

And when last week's MOMocrats BlogTalkRadio guest Gloria Feldt could only be available at 2:00 PM (which conflicted with school pickup time), I didn't skip a beat. I drove to my daughter's school and ran the switchboard from my parked car!

Too bad the modem is a loaner with temporary service for this review; I am going to have a tough time giving it up. Fortunately, Clear costs a lot less than similar wireless broadband services I've priced: unlimited data plans start at $45 per month. This is something I am going to have to look into!

Clearwire lent me one of their 4G laptop modems and prepaid service for 45 days. Upon return of the modem, it will be donated to a local Los Angeles area school for student use. I am seriously considering buying one of my own.

Face2Face LA - Therapon Skin Party

Romy Schorr is an LA Mom Blogger who specializes in beauty and lifestyle topics. I've known her for about a year, but only virtually - via Twitter and blog comments. And during that time, she's invited me to a number of events that I wasn't able to make.

That changed last week, when she co-hosted a spa party for Therapon Skin Renewal systems... and the venue was in nearby Studio City: ROB|B Concept Salon. 

I stopped worrying a lot about my appearance when I hit 40 and decided that no matter what I did, I was never going to look 30 again. It was liberating. But that doesn't mean I don't still enjoy playing with makeup - and I do like facials and manicures, which were being given out at the event. So attending was kind of a no-brainer.

I did not expect that I would have as much FUN. Aside from finally getting to meet lovely Romy in person: I got to hang out with some of my favorite LA Mom Bloggers, I enjoyed a cool coconut water cocktail from O.N.E. Natural Experiences and really terrific food catered by Heirloom LA. I'm so glad the party occurred BEFORE I went back on Lindora - it would have been really difficult to stick to the diet while faced with butternut squash agnolotti, polenta topped with wild mushroom ragout, chicken and waffles, etc. 

I was most impressed with the ROB|B salon. I have passed it many times on my way to other destinations along Ventura Boulevard but had paid it little attention. I presumed it would be as modern and tasteful on the inside as it looks from the street. But I had no idea that the place had a well-appointed second-story patio... or that the building is LEED certified (the manager told me they are the only gold LEED salon in Los Angeles, and one of just four in the country)...

...or that owner Robbie Schaefer is the son of the CEO of OPI (which even I know is the best nail polish on the market). 

I had a lot of fun, and walked away with one of the most bountiful goodie bags I've ever seen, which I divvied up with my delighted teenage daughter. I kept the full-size box of Therapon products that ROB|B's estheticians used for my facial.

I am really bad about using skincare products. A lot of people are really kind and tell me I look younger than my 54 years, and if that's true, it has nothing to do with good habits and everything to do with heredity. But in the last decade or so, I've been bothered by how dry my skin has become, and so from time to time I have tried out different products -- for a while. My skin usually responds to skincare products by breaking out, and that's when I quit.

I liked the way my face felt after my facial, so I've been pretty good this week about actually using the products from Therapon.

Do I think that using these products will slow down my aging process or make me look 10 years younger (oh, to be 45 again, LOL). No, I don't think anything will do that, nor do I think it's a good thing to fight aging - but that's fodder for another post. But I am very happy with the immediate results from the skincare line, and especially that I have not had any breakouts or blemishes since using it.  And that's a good start.

I received no compensation for attending the Face2Face Therapon Party, and I made no promise that I would write about it. Opinions and observations are my own.

SoCal Mom Giveaway:  Mom's Day Out at the Geffen Playhouse

From the press release I received:

"In Mother Words," written by some of contemporary theater’s most talented voices, tackles the subject of motherhood in an eye-opening, hilarious and irresistible night of theater andmakes its West Coast debut with award-winning actors Jane Kaczmarek, Saidah Arrika Ekulona and James Lecesne. As theprogram states, “Whether you are a parent, have a parent or ever want to become a parent, this play will elate andterrify equally – much like motherhood itself.”

The Geffen is holding a special Moms Day Out event on Saturday, February 19. I will be attending the 3:00 PM show, followed by a reception - and they have graciously given me two tickets to give away for the same event. Want to meet me there? Leave a comment on this post; a week from today (February 7) I will pick one winner at random. 

I received no compensation for promoting the Mother's Day Out event at the Geffen, other than a pair of comped tickets for myself.