Sweet Teeth

I’ve been having tooth problems lately. Each day I wake up with a new set of issues and a deeper fear of my dentist.

As a weird result, I want sweets again, for the first time in like two years! I thought I’d lost my craving during the pandemic, when I switched over to savory oatmeal as my breakfast. But here I am, catching up with all the baked goods the gluten-free market has to offer. This probably has to do with my new-found coffee habit, as the two pair together delightfully.

The above are “Veggies Made Great” muffins (I think these are blueberry?) which I found at Target, and below are Otto’s Grain-Free brownies which are a pre-measured mix from Thrive Market (referral link).

I never know what to expect when it comes to my relationship with my body or my diet. You can hear me talk more about it (and also my thoughts on rejection) on my friend Katie Dalebout’s Let It Out podcast.

Doing that episode made me miss talking regularly about food. As a result, I’m planning on reviving The Actor’s Diet podcast! Still not sure when this will happen, but in the meantime, you can subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and catch up for when I do.

Things I Can't Shut Up About

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  1. Petit pays by Cesario Evora

I used to love this song when I was in college. I had forgotten about it until recently.

2. The perfect pair of black sweatpants

This is the first (and probably only) thing I’ve ever bought off of a reality show. When I saw Rafael Chaouiche design these sweatpants for a Champion challenge on Making the Cut, I knew I had to have them. They’re so funky and fun.

3. “Anaïs in Love”

I’ve been thinking a lot about this French movie since I finished it on Hulu. It explores my favorite themes - aging, women, and love - and the clothes are cute too.

4. LONDONTOWN Illuminating Nail Concealer

Shit, this stuff is so good! It dries quickly, is free of all the stuff that sounds scary, and makes my nails look better than a manicure I spent $25 on. I have it on in white.

5. Built Bars

I have a bit of an obsession with energy bars that are marketed towards people who like to work out and are concerned with their protein intake, neither of which I am. I have been eating Quest for years, but in the last few months have switched over to Built Bars, which are mostly gluten-free (make sure to check the label). To me, the regular ones taste like fudge-y candy bars and the puff versions are like marshmallow clouds. I eat them in lieu of dessert sometimes, or at the movies with my popcorn.

I am such a sucker for a seasonal Pumpkin Pie flavor.

6. TÁR

Another film with a strong female lead that has been on my mind since I saw it. I don’t know if I can actually sit in the theater for another 2+ hours to rewatch it, but I kinda want to.

7. My Government Means to Kill Me by Rasheed Newson

Full disclosure: I know Rasheed personally, which is why I read his book right away. But I really did not expect to tear through it so quickly! I was completely immersed in the world of a gay Black man in 80’s NYC, bringing me back to when I used to teach sex education right after college in Morningside Heights.

8. Midnights - Taylor Swift

Edited a day later to add - I have listened to the whole album since writing this and well, duh. It’s amazing. I’m late to the party but I am ready to dive right into becoming a late bloomer Swiftie.

How I Make Iced Coffee

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I’ve only recently begun drinking coffee again, after what must have been a 17 year hiatus. I stopped drinking it around the time my eating disorder was its worst, because it was difficult for me to have it without a ton of milk and sugar. Cutting out my daily latte was the easiest way for me to start losing weight. I replaced it with Diet Coke, which I am still guilty of drinking way too much of, despite my best efforts over the years.

In an effort to reduce my soda habit, especially before noon, I decided I was going to give coffee another shot. And you know what? I get it!

I posted this photo on social media the other day and a bunch of people made fun of my giant mason jar full of what looks like Ovaltine. But it’s actually just a small amount of non-dairy milk, unsweetened. Here’s how I do it:

  1. Brew some coffee (I use a pour-over method, using Go Get Em Tiger’s beans). Set in the fridge for an hour to cool.

  2. Pour 1-2 ounces of cold, unsweetened almond or oat milk (I use the barista style) into a mason jar. I use the really large glass because it gives me enough room for the next step without making a mess.

  3. Using a handheld electric frother, I whip the milk on its own.

  4. Then, I add the cold coffee and whip it all together.

  5. Finally, I add some large ice cubes (I bought these trays for cocktails but they never get used for that) and a stainless steel straw.

The result is a really creamy and satisfying jolt that keeps me going through my morning routine until it’s time to eat breakfast. I don’t know what my actual hot coffee routine will be, but I’ll cross that bridge when the weather actually gets cold in Los Angeles….

Artist Date: LACMA

Scandinavian Design and the United States, 1890–1980

I’m really not somebody who goes to museums and studies furniture.

But I guess now maybe I am?

All I Want is Soup and Ice Cream

As the seasons change, I find myself not craving the usual fresh fruit and salads I’ve been eating the last few months.

"Soup,” I think. “I want soup.”

But even though it’s October, the weather in Los Angeles is not yet soup weather. And we’re supposed to be having another heat wave this weekend.

And so, I go for the next thing on the list.

Am I the only one still eating Halo Top? A few years ago, I saw the stuff everywhere. Knock offs, generic versions, and even a scoop shop. But it seems like the trend of “diet ice cream” is not very popular anymore.

It’s not very often I find myself craving ice cream, which used to be my dessert of choice. Since the pandemic, I stopped eating desserts and thus, stopped craving them. Now, in my desire to get back to the land of the living, I’m beginning to be curious about what re-introducing sugar and fat into my life will be like. Do I really need to? Why do I feel like this is more for appearances to “eat normal” than for myself?

And so, until I figure this out, I’ve been eating soup. And if I want ice cream enough, I’ll go out for it. But so far, that hasn’t really happened.

My Ex-Foodie Diary

I never liked the term “foodie” and I certainly never called myself one when I was fully immersed in the food world. But now, looking back, I think that’s probably what I was.

It’s very rare that I go out to eat anymore. This is partially because I got used to staying home during the pandemic, and also because there aren’t that many places I want to risk potentially getting sick at from cross-contamination (I have celiac). But we recently ventured out with friends to try Olivia Restaurant, an unexpectedly charming vegetarian spot in a Koreatown strip mall. Here’s an example of what everyone else ate…

… and here’s what I ordered. I’m so boring. All I want is a plain salad. Not even for nutritional purposes, just because they’re what I prefer. It’s only when I think about who I used to be that it’s a little weird. How different things are today. How much my tastes and priorities have changed.

Instead of being food-obsessed, I’ve become a bit of a skincare fanatic. I should probably do an entire dedicated post to my skincare regime because I’m quite proud of it, but for now, I’ll just share my Amazon storefront (affiliate) that lists all the products I use.

I’m also very much into non-food-centered activities, like museums (the current Modern Korean Art exhibition at LACMA is great), movies, and concerts.

We went to see Bonnie Raitt at The Greek Theatre this weekend. No cell phones allowed in the venue, but I did snap one as we were leaving.

Father of the Bride Marathon

In the past few weeks, I have watched (most of) every single “Father of the Bride” movie that exists. From the original 1950 version and its sequel…

…the Steve Martin remakes…

… and the most recent HBOMax film with Andy Garcia.

I loved being able to experience them all one after the other. Just seeing how drastically things change through each time period was a fun cinematic experiment. I really enjoyed them all, but I was surprised how much the 2022 version stayed with me. Probably because I related the most to that bride.

It also made me miss my father a lot, even though he was nothing like any of these dads. And my wedding was truly the best combination of chill but special. It was so low-key, in fact that we didn’t even hire a professional photographer. I don’t think we have one picture at our wedding with our fathers!

I think I’m going to be watching all the different “A Star is Born” films next. You can follow along on my film watching diary here.

Highlights from Highland Park

This past weekend we celebrated my goddaughter’s 3rd birthday at one of my favorite places, The Bob Baker Marionette Theater.

I haven’t been back there since they moved to this new Highland Park location. It’s still got the same vibes as the old one, but a lot newer and cleaner. I already told Abe I want to celebrate my 46th birthday here; maybe a video of that experience in December?

Afterwards, we had to stop another Highland Park favorite… Galco’s Soda Shop!

Abe stocked up on beer, I stocked up on THREE different types of Diet Black Cherry Soda: Cheerwine, Dr. Brown’s and Boylan’s. One must be very careful with cherry soda — it can come off tasting like cough syrup — but these three brands I really enjoy.

(Outside the shop I spotted this white VW Cabrio Convertible, which has been my dream car since I was a kid and wanted to be Cindy Mancini in Can’t Buy Me Love.)

I got my second COVID booster last night - so far am feeling just a little sore in the arm and tired (but that’s from waking up at 4:30am most likely).

I Got an iPad

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Everyone I know has an iPad, even my mom. But I never really saw the point in one. That is, until I bought one for myself.

There was a sale on the 2021 9th Generation version. I decided to go for it!

(I am obsessed with Aesthetic Asian YouTubers like pachico)

I wanted an iPad for three main reasons:

  1. To journal (I have gone through so many notebooks and pens; it feels wasteful).

  2. To read scripts and books (yes, it’s a screen but it’s so much less annoying than my phone or computer).

  3. To learn to draw. *GULP* In the past, I have bought markers and paints, and I just don’t use them because I am truly too lazy to clean up after myself.

The Apps I downloaded specifically for the iPad:

READING: Feedly (for blogs), Instapaper (for longer articles), Substack (for newsletters I subscribe to)

DRAWING/WRITING: Procreate (for art), Goodnotes (for journaling)

ORGANIZATION: Milanote (mood/inspo boards), Notion (list making and goal setting)

(I have a lot to learn on Procreate)

iPad Accesories I bought:

I bought were this leather-esque cover, a Paperlike screen cover, and a 1st Generation Apple Pencil.

So far, I’m really loving it. Even though I’m still spending a lot of time on a screen, I feel like it’s significantly less time scrolling on social media. Which honestly, was the whole point.

How to Make a Sports Bra (from Men's Underwear)

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I was in college when I first learned this was possible. My friend Abbie, truly the first goddess I ever met, showed me how she turned a pair of tighty whities into a sports bra, merely by cutting out the crotch and sticking your head through the newly-formed neck hole. That summer this became my bathing suit - mens boxer briefs on the bottom, mens underwear-turned-bra top.

I think I have evidence of this, but we keep our non-digital photographs on a postcard rack — piles of pictures shoved together — my history and Abe’s meshed. This is an organizing task that will be completed someday. Hopefully before we die.

(It’s somewhere in there.)

I was reminded of all of this when I was watching “Making the Cut” the other night. They mentioned how the first sports bra was invented by sewing two jock straps together. I did not bother getting out any needle/thread, I just took out a pair of pinking shears and cut, the scalloped edges adding a little flirty flair to these Calvin Klein Pride boxer briefs. (BTW I did link them for reference but don’t recommend actual buying them - they’re not very comfortable, hence why I felt okay pinking shearing them.)

We’re having a heat wave in Los Angeles right now, and once again, this will be my summer uniform until it’s over.