LABOR DAY

 

Happy Labor Day! Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

I spent over 45 years in the work force. Some of that time was spent as a union member, working at various movie studios throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am reaping the benefits of full-time employment thanks to the labor movement's accomplishments over the years for equal rights, better working conditions and equal pay, especially for women. Thank you.

One of my favorite Woody Guthrie songs is "Union Maid," written in 1940.  Here's my rendition with some updated lyrics added in 1973 by Nancy Katz.

Labor Day

  

Happy Labor Day! Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

I spent over 45 years in the work force. Some of that time was spent as a union member, working at various movie studios throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am reaping the benefits of full-time employment thanks to the labor movement's accomplishments over the years for equal rights, better working conditions and equal pay, especially for women. Thank you.

One of my favorite Woody Guthrie songs is "Union Maid," written in 1940.  Here's my rendition with some updated lyrics added in 1973 by Nancy Katz.

Happy Labor Day!

Labor Day

 

Happy Labor Day! Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

I spent over 45 years in the work force. Some of that time was spent as a union member, working at various movie studios throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am reaping the benefits of full-time employment thanks to the labor movement's accomplishments over the years for equal rights, better working conditions and equal pay, especially for women. Thank you.

One of my favorite Woody Guthrie songs is "Union Maid," written in 1940.  Here's my rendition with some updated lyrics added in 1973 by Nancy Katz.

Happy Labor Day!

Thanksgiving at the Office

Kevin's Perky Turkey Sugar Cookies

Happy pre-Thanksgiving to all! I hope you have a marvelous, stress-free day. Next Thursday. About 18 of our family will be convening at my cousin Carolyn's home in Valencia. We're all helping with the dinner.
If you want to contribute to your family's Thanksgiving feast, you can bake Kevin's easy Perky Turkey Sugar Cookies, pictured above. We used to have a progressive Thanksgiving lunch at my office. Everyone brought a dish.

Here's my interpretation of Kevin's recipe:
Get some of that Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough in the deli aisle of your supermarket...you know, the kind you slice down. In the cake section, pick up some squeezable cake frosting in white, orange and black. You'll find candy corn in the candy aisle. Bake the cookies according to package directions. Smoosh a bit of white frosting on the top curve of the cookie, smash in the candy corns. Draw in the eyes, beak and turkey gobbler neck with the proper color of frosting! Done! Proudly serve your Perky Turkey Sugar Cookies!

Another marvy recipe gleaned from a co-worker is Jelled Cranberry Mold. Rochelle brought this divine dish. As you can see by the photo below, I liked it alot.

Office Progressive T-Giving Luncheon

Rochelle's Jelled Cranberry Mold
1 large box cherry Jello™
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 can crushed pineapple (blue can with syrup)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Dissolve the Jello™ in 2 cups boiling (or very hot) water. Add all the other ingredients, mix well and chill...that's it!
Rochelle's tip: She usually switches bowls after dissolving the Jello™ since it leaves a grainy coating on the bowl. Next, she adds the cranberry sauce and uses a fork or spoon to really mash it up well (so you don't get chunks of cranberry sauce)...then the crushed pineapple and lastly the nuts.

The only bad thing about eating out for Thanksgiving is that there are no leftovers! I love these recipes so much, that I'll probably whip them up after the big day, along with a turkey breast, some yams, stuffing and creamed spinach for my sweetie pie! Barbie has the right idea.  Serve plastic food. No muss, no fuss!

Labor Day

Female workers in Labor Day Parade, NYC, 1936. NY Daily News, Getty Images  

Happy Labor Day! Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century became a federal holiday in 1894.

I am thankful to all the workers who came before me, standing up for equal rights on the job.

I spent over 45 years in the work force. Some of that time was spent as a union member, working at various movie studios throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am reaping the benefits of full-time, corporate employment thanks to the labor movement's accomplishments over the years for equal rights, better working conditions and equal pay. Thank you.

Happy Labor Day

 

Happy Labor Day! Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is traditionally observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century became a federal holiday in 1894.

I am thankful to all the workers who came before me, standing up for equal rights on the job.

I spent 47 years in the work force. Some of that time was spent as a union member, working at various movie studios throughout Los Angeles. Today, I am reaping the benefits of full-time, corporate employment thanks to the labor movement's accomplishments over the years for equal rights, better working conditions and equal pay. Thank you.

Thanksgiving Prep

November 21, 1956, Los Angeles Herald Examiner. From the L.A. Public Library Photo Archives

Time to think about Thanksgiving! This year my family is gathering at my cousin's home in Valencia. We all help in preparing the meal. If you are planning on attending a Thanksgiving feast at a friend's home this year, here are some great side dishes to contribute.
For many years, I participated in my office's Thanksgiving pot-luck. I gathered some great recipes from co-workers.

Kevin's Perky Turkey Sugar Cookies

Kevin's easy Perky Turkey Sugar Cookies, pictured above, is a sure-fire favorite!
Here's my interpretation of Kevin's recipe:
Get some of that Pillsbury Sugar Cookie dough in the deli aisle of your supermarket...you know, the kind you slice down. In the cake section, pick up some squeezable cake frosting in white, orange and black. You'll find candy corn in the candy aisle. Bake the cookies according to package directions. Smoosh a bit of white frosting on the top curve of the cookie, smash in the candy corns. Draw in the eyes, beak and turkey gobbler neck with the proper color of frosting! Done! Proudly serve your Perky Turkey Sugar Cookies!

Another marvy recipe gleaned from a co-worker is Jelled Cranberry Mold. Rochelle brought this divine dish. As you can see by the photo below, I liked it alot.

Ellen and Cranberry Jello Mold, 2008 @HBO

Rochelle's Jelled Cranberry Mold
1 large box cherry Jello™
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 can crushed pineapple (blue can with syrup)
1 cup chopped walnuts
Dissolve the Jello™ in 2 cups boiling (or very hot) water. Add all the other ingredients, mix well and chill...that's it!
Rochelle's tip: She usually switches bowls after dissolving the Jello™ since it leaves a grainy coating on the bowl. Next, she adds the cranberry sauce and uses a fork or spoon to really mash it up well (so you don't get chunks of cranberry sauce)...then the crushed pineapple and lastly the nuts.

What are you preparing for Thanksgiving this year? What are your family's traditions?

My Freeway aka The 10

1964. Santa Monica Freeway under construction at La Cienega and Venice Boulevards. Courtesy of the L.A. Times Photo Archive, UCLA Library.

I used to travel the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10) from Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles to Cloverfield Boulevard in Santa Monica daily when I worked at HBO. HBO moved from Century City (7 minutes from my house) to Santa Monica 15 years ago.  This is an eight mile trip.  On light traffic days it took me 15 minutes.  On heavy traffic days my drive could last more than one hour each way.  Needless to say, I am delighted to be retired and not making that daily drive. 

I vaguely remember when the Santa Monica Freeway was built, at least the portion that ran south of our neighborhood between Overland Avenue and La Cienega Boulevard.  Most east-west drives during my childhood usually took place on one of the major thoroughfares, Pico, Olympic, Wilshire, Santa Monica Boulevard or Sunset.  We usually took Pico to the Beach by car; Wilshire by bus when I was a pre-teen.  Sunset Boulevard was reserved for our trip to my Grandparents' home in Hollywood.  I even remember going to Palm Springs in the late 1950's primarily on City streets (La Brea Avenue became Hawthorne Boulevard....etc.).

It was a BIG deal when the Santa Monica Freeway could take us all the way to Pacific Coast Highway.  It was like flying to the beach.   I also remember my Dad talking about how so many houses were being torn down along the route of the I-10, mostly in neighborhoods east of us (West Adams to University Park).  Neighborhoods were divided and changed when the freeway was built.  This was definitely progress for our City.  In hindsight, the L.A. Metro system should have been coordinated at the same time!

1962.  Dignitaries and spectators at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Santa Monica Freeway. Herald Examiner Collection, L.A. Public Library

1965.  California Governor, Pat Brown along with other dignitaries (I spot Tom Bradley and Kenny Hahn) and Beauty Queens at Ribbon-cutting ceremony, Santa Monica Freeway. Herald Examiner Collection, L.A. Public Library

Another momentous time in the history of MY Santa Monica Freeway was in 1994 when the portion of the I-10 near La Cienega Boulevard collapsed during the Northridge earthquake.  This collapse forced people back onto our City streets to traverse town just like the old days!  Thankfully, the I-10 was repaired quickly and back to traffic as usual.

1994.  Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, UCLA

1994.  AP Photo/Eric Draper

Have fun, cruising the freeways!

Cooking Again

During work days, I would usually just steam some fish and veggies, nuke a bag of frozen rice. Larry often makes a green salad. Dinner is ready in 20 minutes!  Other nights, we might grill something or just eat some take-out food. Eating like this does get boring and really isn't that healthy.

I like to cook when I have sufficient time. With my upcoming retirement, I will have more time to really plan meals. My last day of work is this coming Friday, March 29th, but I anticipated my freedom with a nicer meal for Sunday night dinner.

This Chicken Parmesan recipe is supposed to look like THIS!

I recently saw this easy recipe online. Basically, it's just breaded and fried chicken filets, topped with spaghetti sauce and mozarella cheese, baked in the oven to brown. I used to make this dish all the time. I had almost everything on-hand, so this is what we had last night for dinner. We have leftovers for tonight! My version didn't look quite as camera-ready as the photo above, but it tasted great!

Sunday Night Dinner

Time to get out all of my old recipe books and start planning! We might have to do some kitchen re-modeling soon!

Mardi Gras 2019

Mardi Gras at the Farmers Market, 3rd and Fairfax

There have been Mardi Gras celebrations all over the City this past weekend. Tonight, Fat Tuesday, there is one last party at the Original Farmers Market. Eddie Baytos and the Nervis Bros. are performing right near the Gumbo Pot Restaurant. If it doesn't rain, it should be a fun event!

Mr. Gumbo Ya Ya, Chuck T.

Here at the office, we're more low-key. I'd heard that Whole Foods carried King Cakes, so Larry stopped by there yesterday to see what was available. They had lots of them, 4 different kinds. He picked out a cinnamon King Cake and brought it home. I like to bring some Mardi Gras color to our drab office on Fat Tuesday!

Whole Foods King Cake. Bleah!

This morning, I opened up the King Cake to give Larry a slice. It was SO DRY and STALE! It was like plaster dust! Oh well. I brought it to the office for show, but I stopped by Fred's Bakery on Robertson Boulevard in Beverlywood on my way to work and picked up an Alligator Coffee Cake for the office. I thought the 'gator was appropriate to celebrate Louisiana Mardi Gras in Los Angeles. 

Kevin "Lent is Almost Here" G.

My Jewish King Cake was far superior to the Whole Foods one!

Delicious Alligator Coffee Cake from Fred's Bakery

Bon Ton Roulet, y'all!

Valentine's Day 2019

Sharing the Love @ HBO

Valentine's Day fell on a Thursday this year. I went to work in the pouring ran, not exactly a fun way to start off the day. We received Candy Grams at work. There were sweets all over the office. In spite of the rain, everyone was in a good mood.

Larry and I usually go out to dinner, but to a neighborhood place, nothing fancy. We do create Valentine cards for each other.

I continued with my recent fried-egg scrubbie theme and performed some rudimentary PhotoShop for my Valentine to Larry:

Corny, but cute. Click on image to view larger

Larry's Valentine to me was in a more personal vein.  I've been after him to get a haircut for a month. He can get fairly shaggy looking. So, in essence, my Valentine's gift was Larry getting a haircut. SO ROMANTIC!

Larry did treat me to dinner at one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants, Taqueria Los Anaya. We had a yummy dinner of Mango chicken and Tequila Pasta! Gracias, mi amor!

Mango Chicken, Cactus Salad

Fettucini w/Tequila Sauce and Chicken

I hope everyone had a delightful Valentine's Day celebration!

Cantaloupe Juice

Pre-Valentine's Day at HBO

Cakes, cupcakes, cookies and more crafted by HBO Employees

Oh the love! Yes, it's a sweet love-fest at HBO today. We always have a bake auction to benefit charity just before Valentine's Day. It's rather a nice way to pick up a fancy treat for your honey and donate to a good cause at the same time!

Bob Einstein recently passed away. He was a cast member on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

I was very impressed by all of the professional looking baked goods!

I bid on a few items, but was out-bid.  To my surprise, my boss, David bid on my Spiced Coconut Pecan Bundt Cake and won it, among other sweets!  Thank you, David! 

David's Haul

David G. 

It's also Girl Scout Cookie Day here at HBO. The sugar rush is killin' me! Happy Valentine's Day!

Labor Day

I'm thankful to all the workers who came before me, standing up for equal rights on the job.  Happy Labor Day!

Mel's Penguin

The New Mel's Diner, Santa Monica

Today was the grand opening of Mel's Diner in the former Penguin Coffee Shop in Santa Monica. Since I work in SM, I decided to bop over for lunch. I knew it would be busy on opening day, but I wanted to re-live my Santa Monica College days when we used to go to The Penguin for burgers after class.

1959. Photo by Jack Laxer, courtesy of original architects, Armet, Davis and Newlove archives

The owners have done a great job of re-imagining the space, keeping that mid-century vibe. Some of their design choices are a bit kitschy, but overall, the restaurant is spacious and welcoming, just like the old days. 

It was busy on this first day and all of the booths were filled. Since I was alone, I found a space quickly at the counter. Mel's has added beer and wine to the casual menu. I sat right in front of the beer taps. The staff was friendly even though they were looking around frantically to make sure that everyone was served. I know it will take the staff awhile before they're comfortable. 

1959 Interior of The Penguin. Photo by Jack Laxer, archives, Armet, Davis & Newlove

My viewpoint from the counter looked right into the kitchen. The cooks were jamming. My patty melt and fries did take a bit longer than expected, but it was delicious, just like the food at all of the Mel's Diners around town (if you like $14 burgers). Really, I didn't expect perfect service on this first day. I did not complain.  After eating, the waitress took back the first bill I received. I was puzzled. Then, she handed me a new bill with only my drink ordered listed. What? She explained that she was sorry my burger took such a long time to be served and that they were only charging me for my beverage. Whoa! Excellent customer service!

The counter is spacious with those 80's juke boxes. Purse hangers under the counter would be a nice addition!

The parking lot is big, but it is valet only. For now, the valet is complimentary. You can enter from Lincoln Blvd., traveling south or from Olympic Blvd., west of Lincoln, traveling west.  After The Penguin closed in 1988, Western Dental took over the building. Luckily, they didn't change the exterior of the building at all. The big penguin sign was saved too. The rock walls inside were dry-walled and therefore preserved. The owners at Mel's really did an excavation job on the place to bring it back the best they could to it's "Googie-ness."

Western Dental, 2009

I must say, I do miss the penguin chef illustrations over the counter area. Also, the marching penguins on the lucite booth dividers. Come on! The name of the place is THE PENGUIN. There should be some penguin references INSIDE the restaurant too. Sigh.

The Penguin Interior, 1959. Penguin Chefs over the counter! Photo by Jack Laxer, from the Armet, Davis, Newlove Archives

Marching Penguins on Lucite Panel. Photo by John Eng, 1988

I will give the new Mel's a month or two to settle in before I go back. I will return. We need more coffee shops in this town!

Terrazzo walkway in front of Mel's