And downtown loft-living. And downtown rats that look like cats. And downtown helping a friend move unexpectedly “because that’s just the kind of person I am” :0) ) Right where this picture was supposedly taken, even though it looks nothing like Downtown LA’s Fremont Street to me. But hey. I’ve been known to be wrong before.

Anyway, that’s what happened this weekend. There I was, innocently shopping away, and a good friend called and needed a little help in the moving area. One of the worst “areas” if you ask me. I cut my day short in the “Fashion District”, even though it’s not really that “fashionable” if we want to get technical about it. It’s the place you go to get your Ralph Lauren sleepwear and your Calvin Klein sleepwear at crazy half-off prices. It’s not where you go when you want high fashion. It’s where you go when you want deals.

Kind of like the Republic on La Cienega. It’s where you go when you want a club “deal”, but if you want the quality stuff you’ll be elsewhere. You go to the Edison, a great new bar in downtown LA. So it goes, right? Sometimes you have to pay for quality. Then again, the best things in life are free. It’s paradoxical, our little world. It sure is. Of course I’m only sixteen, so what do I know? I hear all this through the grapevine.

Food can be so so good. Or so so bad. There’s the yin to every yang, am I wrong? For example, this weekend I just went on a crazy eating spree. I had a total of 5 meals at various restaurants across LA in one weekend. And that’s not even counting Jamba Juice, which I don’t consider to be a meal even though they do. “One Jamba Juice provides all the essential vitamins of a complete meal, blah blah blah.” (Sorry, I’m a little anti-Jamba these days now that I make a shake every morning for breakfast and see how easy and cheap it is.) My shakes come organic too, something that Jamba Juicers can only dream of.

All the restaurants were good too. There was no Blythe Danner like last time at Urth Cafe, but I’m not complaining. There was high-end Mexican food at Cuidad, over-priced breakfast at the Firehouse, and first-time Pho at Royal Clayton’s. The Pho was Phantastic too.

I was downtown shopping for discount sleepwear, when all of a sudden I had a craving fo’ Pho. I didn’t know that I had a craving you see, since I’ve never had Pho before, but I wanted a light soup, and sure enough, there it appeared when we went out to eat. Just because you can’t put words to how you’re feeling doesn’t mean your feelings don’t exist or are any less valid, am I right? Sho’ you right Sarah, sho’ you right.

Wow, can you believe April is almost over ALREADY? This is the fastest year EVER. I’ve been busy writing reviews on digital camcorders and Sony camcorder reviews , meanwhile the year is just flying by.

I need to remember to have fun too. All work and no play makes Sarah a dull, dull girl. And we can’t have that, now can we? Where would you get all of your knowledge and information from? I would NEVER leave you in the lurch like that. Don’t you worry.

Here are your suggestions for this weekend. There’s Farmer’s Markets to get out to, there’s Malibu Hikes to go on, and (saving the best for last), there’s the Sopranos to watch on Sunday night. Don’t cheapen it by watching Entourage afterward either. Sopranos deserves a night all its own. When you split the watching as I’ve done the last couple of weeks, it allows for a full night of Sopranos pondering without being sidetracked by immature Hollywood guys who act like their rich actor friend is their Daddy. Sunday night Sopranos ONLY is definitely the preferable route to take.

It really is a different world we live in if you think about it. And a lot of that has to do with the Internet. Today we have Google, Wikipedia, My Space (I just threw that one in there for the young 16 years olds like myself), and online shopping engines like Bizrate to “handle our bi’ness” on. It’s a brave new world.

They asked this guy who had been in prison for the last 20 years what the most amazing thing he saw now that he couldn’t have even imagined would exist before he was incarcerated, and he said “The Internet” without hesitation. Not Mini Dv Cameras. Not Me (something pretty amazing that didn’t exist 20 years ago). No, he casually disregarded all of the latest world developments in favor of the Internet. I’m not sure he was mistaken either.

Where do you go when you want ANY type of information? Movie Times? News? Weather? Traffic? All to el Interneto. El Interneto punto com.

I want a puppy! Of course I need a house and a yard and all of that before I start doing anything crazy, but I’m just talking hypothetically. How cute are little baby dogs. Dogs are cute enough as it is, but baby dogs? Fuggettaboutit. My neighbor just got a little miniature schnauzer who’s name is Zoe. Look at her. My neighbors act like proud parents and bust out their sony hd camcorder every time Zoe does something new.

Which is quite often. Zoe’s first walk! Zoe’s first night sleeping with the fam. Zoe’s first time going the bathroom outside! (I’m not sure that one was really necessary, but I couldn’t say anything.) I had to bite my tongue. After all, some things are better left unsaid. They’re just my neighbors. Had they been family, it would have been a different story. It all comes out with family. Whether I like it or not. And “or not” is usually how I feel about the whole situation.

But I think I might just have to get a puppy one of these days. I saw Boris Kodjoe in a movie where they had the cutest little thing, a terrier of some sort. Ever since then, my obsession has been on. One of these days Sarah, one of these days. Patience is a virtue.

Stevie’s name should be officially changed to that too. Mr. Stevie Wonderful.

How great is Stevie Wonder? I heard him on the radio this morning (KJLH), singing an a cappella version of “You Send Me” with some-other-guy. The other guy, whoever he is, really is irrelevant. Stevie commands the limelight every time. It was SO good. I was at school, missing my first period class, but I couldn’t get out of the car until the song was over. It gave me the chills. Literally. I’m not just saying that for emphasis. I had CHILLS. That voice.

It kind of makes me wonder if I should start focusing my energy elsewhere. Instead of touting the benefits of the latest Panasonic Pv Gs300 or the Canon XL2, (which is suwheet by the way; old habits die hard), maybe I should be focusing on sound. Things of the musical nature. Because I love love love music. Maybe that’s the path I should follow.

Oh well. I have my whole life ahead of me to figure it out, no? At least that’s what they always say. Although I think they might be wrong. Things you do in your 20’s DO have an effect on your 30’s and on the rest of your life. Just ask my cousin Cherie. She’s living proof.

Apparently nowadays there’s a new thing called On Demand, and it’s changing the face of TV watching as we know it forever. It’s TiVo esque, but without actually buying the box. It’s for cheapies like my family, who we get hooked up via the illegal cable guy who caters to all the Persian families round here. He’s pretty much famous. A known celebrite among the Persian communite.

So I got to watch the Sopranos for the Numbah Two time last night, thanks to On Demand. Because with the Sopranos, you really can’t watch it just once. You’ll always pick up more stuff the second time around. Even if you’re watching with an eagle eye the first time. There’s just too much going on. It’s a playground for your mind. It’s the Gs300 of camcorders.
Top-notch.

Kind of like how HBO is the best channel ever. There’s just no comparison. Six Feet Under, Sex and The City, the Sopranos, Taxicab Confessions, my guilty pleasure Entourage, the list goes on & on. What other channel can boast such winners? I dare you to come up one.

It’s a bee-you-tee-full day in LA today. Wow, I’m a poet and I don’t even know et. ;0) Anyway, it’s definitely something to record on my Gs300, (provided I actually had one), and put it up on You Tube for my cousins on the East Coast to see. Provided I actually had cousins on the East Coast too. You see,us Persians, we’re pretty much all concentrated within a 15-block radius. The ‘enclave’ starts in Brentwood and ends in Westwood. The “woods”, always up to no gooooood. We don’t really branch out.

Seriously though. It’s a day to take a nice long drive up the coast, not a day to be cooped up inside in front of a computer or in class or wherever your daily activities may take you. It’s THAT nice.

They’re everywhere. The new “in” thing. Fresh off the runway. A new one sprouts up every day it seems. Yes, I’m talking about cafes & tea houses in Los Angeles. Apparently we ain’t got nuthin better to do than sit around drinking espresso’s all day long and shooting the sh*t. I’m including myself in the blame, since this has also become my new favorite pastime.

Had I been on the Real World Beverly Hills edition and had a camera following me around all day, (a panasonic gs200 digital camcorder perhaps?), there would be many a shot taken at Urth Care. Or Literati Cafe. Or Elixir (which I’ve never actually been but has been on The List for quite some time). I’m definitely a digital camcorder panasonic fan when it comes to having a preference over those “memory takers”.

A camcorder would have definitely come in handy last week at the Urth Cafe. While I was there, I saw Blythe Danner, also known as Gwenyth Paltrow’s mommy. A pretty good star sighting if I do say so myself. Nothing really can ever beat Michael Varton at Taste, but this one was high up on the chain. Although my roommate has surpassed me by seeing Leonardo Di Caprio at the Century City mall. Now, whenever I go there, I expect to see him on the going up elevator. As I’m “going down”. Thanks roomie.

Okay, so I have to admit this. Let’s not broadcast this everywhere though, agreed? I like Entourage. A lot. HBO has officially done it once again. I was over at my friend Oscar’s house borrowing his sony camcorder battery charger and he was watching it. I didn’t want to be a rude houseguest, so I agreed to watch it with him. And it’s pretty funny. Ari, the typical ash-hole manager, is what makes the show in my opinion. I want to hate the show, trust me I’ve really tried.

Why, you ask? Well maybe because it shows Hollywood in a realistic light that I don’t particularly care to see. It’s like I know that horrible things exist all throughout the world, but I don’t need to be exposed to my LA through television on a weekly basis.

The show, in case you don’t know, is about a fictional successful movie star and his “friends”, aka his “entourage”, aka “some whiny little spoiled brats who treat him like Mommy and run to him for money every time they want the latest Jvc Everio.” Bill Cosby once wrote that all his kids think his name is “Dad Can I”. “Dad Can I have that car?” “Dad Can I Go To That Concert?”

In Entourage’s case it’s “Vince Can I”. And it gets old watching grown men ask “Vince Can I” for motorcycles and hookers and stuff like that.

But I still like it. It’s kind of like pepperoni. Even though you know how bad it is for you and even though you want to dislike it because it’s against your religion, you just can’t. Pepperoni is delicious. And that’s all there is to say.

That’s right. Unfortunately we’re only gonna get about 6 episodes more of the best show ever. We’ll have to “take it to the streets” and start making our own mafia movies from our personal Gs500 bad boys. Even then, they probably won’t be as realistic as this show.

My favorite part on last week’s episode was when Uncle Jun wrote a letter to Dick Cheney asking for his support since they’ve both been involved in “accidental shootings in which they were falsely accused.” Good, good stuff.

I had to tear myself away from a Canon SD600 review that I was intently reading in time for the Sopranos. It was worth it though. We have a strict rule in our house. Absolutely no talking during the Sopranos. No doing other activities either. It’s our omerta. For the family.

Okay, so this post is REALLY going to be about its title, unlike the previous one. I just get carried away with talking about graduations and Professional Video Camera Sessions and what not, and next thing you know, the post is done and I haven’t even started talking about the proposed topic. Kind of like how one day you wake up and you’re 33 and you’re living a life you didn’t anticipate living.

I shouldn’t worry about that now though, I’m only 16! Sweet Sixteen. I should be milking these years for all their worth rather than hypothetically speaking about situations that may or may not occur. That doesn’t make any sense.

And today’s topic is…. SLEEP. How wonderful is sleep? It really makes or breaks my day. If I’ve had a good night’s sleep, everything seems to be all right with the world the next day. But if I’ve been tossing and turning all night, it’s a different story altogether. Although I must say that sleepless nights do provide one benefit for me. I’m much much funnier with less sleep. It could be that I’m borderline delirious. Who knows? I’m not willing to deprive myself of sleep just for your laughing pleasure though, sorry to say. You’ll just have to take what you can get.

Here it is, Monday morning again. A “long school week” ahead of me, only when I graduate from high school & college to have “long work weeks” ahead of me. It’s a vicious cycle, and I for one, am trying to find a way out.

That’s not to say this weekend wasn’t fun though. My cousin, (of which I have 700; I’m Persian, remember?), just graduated from USC Law School, so we all had to go to the graduation. I think my cousin’s name is Dina, but don’t quote me. I’ve never been very good with names.

Anyway, it was hilarious because my Uncle David was sound asleep. SOUND. Snoring and everything. The works. I got it all on my panasonic digital video camcorder that I had so clairvoyantly brought in case there were any moments like that that I just could NOT miss. What a Handycam it was too. I really don’t know what we did before these things. It was a different world, that’s for sure.

I need to send out a press release to Literati II and let them know that high school students can’t afford $36 rib-eyes for lunch, even if they do go to Beverly Hills High. They slid it in there on me too. I really needed some meat for lunch, and they had cheeseburgers but said that “maybe they could ask the kitchen if they could do a rib-eye”. Which I agreed to, being the gullible 16 year old that I am. 35 minutes later, I’m out 50 big ones. I haven’t gotten rich working at Best Buy, despite what they must think. They see Persian and think Daddy’s Credit Card. They don’t even see the Home Audio side of me. They’re oblivious to the fact that I could tell them a thing or two about that new panasonic dvd home theater system they’re contemplating buying.

I’ll still go to Literati Cafe though. It’s a cheaper, less Hollywood version of Urth cafe. Although really, how ‘Hollywood’ can a cafe be anyway. But they try. Oh, they try. And Urth’s doing a pretty good job of succeeding. It’s definitely a scene, at least the one on Beverly Drive. I always see at least someone I know whenever I go there. But Literati Dos? It’s on the list of places that “Oh I’ll never go there again”. JP’s on that list too.

How fun does that look? Hanging upside down on some monkey bars, all the while maintaining a plastic bag full of Goldfish, Cheezits or Golden Grahams. Although I would fill my bag with some healthy version of the aforementioned snacks. Trader Joes makes snacks without trans-fats and you’ll never know the difference. Your body and arteries will though, trust me. If you start em young, by the time they’re grown it’ll be old hat.

Yeah, I need a recess. To sit and think about life. How come we stop going to school once we get older? Isn’t that when we really need it most? I mean, I will undoubtedly be doing something Home Theatre related once I’m a ‘big person’, (it’s my destiny due to my name, HTS Sarah). And you can run from destiny, but you can never hide. Why should I have to choose a profession though? There are so many things that interest me in this world. Why can’t I just be a student of the world forever? Who said we have to all of a sudden go from ‘having our whole lives ahead of us’ to ‘ having to settle down and get serious’?

People always have ‘their whole life ahead of them’. The rest of our life always awaits us. We shouldn’t let our jobs and traffic and the daily boring grind get in the way of taking recess, that’s all I’m saying. Build it into your daily routine if it’s not already there. You’re the captain. Love and live THIS life.