Cirque du Soleil

It's been an exceptionally busy week. Raul returned last Sunday with a group of Italians (several of whom have become friends over the years. Oh, and one of whom had a blind date once with Gayle King, Oprah's BFF) to do sales calls in LA. Every night we have been out and about entertaining them.

Sunday: Morels restaurant at the Grove for a late dinner.

Monday: Raul and I celebrated my BDay at the Palm. Seen: character actor, Tom Poston ("Newhart"). Later, we met up with the Italians at Asia de Cuba at the Mondrian Hotel on the Sunset Strip. Then, a few of us went to a post-fashion show party somewhere in Hollywood.

Tuesday: Drinks at an Italian-American's mansion on Los Feliz Blvd., then dinner at a great restaurant down the street from her home. However, I forgot the name. Seen: Leonard Maltin ("Entertainment Tonight") and his wife, Alice, whom I knew from my previous job and we, also, have a mutual friend. She stopped by our table to say hello as she, Leonard and their group left the restaurant. Later, a few of us went to Beige at the Falcon for drinks and dancing.

Wednesday: we saw Cirque du Soleil's new show Quidam in Long Beach. As always, it was fabulous! At one point, several acrobatics were hanging from the ceiling wrapped in ropes, one of which was hanging right over my head. When they uncoiled and came spinning down toward us, I just about jumped out of my seat. I actually ducked because I thought she was going to fall into me.

Thursday: dinner in Brentwood at another great restaurant I, again, forgot the name of. San Vicente Blvd. and 26th Street. The other San Vicente, as we found out. The Italians were almost an hour late because they went to the San Vicente in West Hollywood, when the San Vicente they needed, was right near their hotel. Oh well.

Friday: my friend got us into Ashton Kutcher's Geisha House in Hollywood. Fabulous food and a fabulous time was had by all. They even have real live geisha girls walking the premises.

Saturday: dinner at my favorite inexpensive restaurant, Dough Boy's. Then sightseeing on Hollywood Blvd. (seen: Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and Spiderman), before enjoying the most enormous margarita I've ever consumed (think milk bottle size) at Saddle Ranch on the Strip. We laughed our asses off at the brave who rode the bull in the middle of the restaurant/bar area, one of whom was an enormous woman who needed three men to help her on the damn thing. And when she finally straddled it, her watermelon-size tits popped out of her skimpy top! It was one of the funniest moments. Ever. The entire place went nuts. I gotta give the gal chops, though, she would not give up until she got on that thing. Good for her!

Raul and the Italians departed today for Texas, before they return to NY. Meanwhile, I've also been busy writing this week. Oh, and waiting for a pending interview with an actor/producer for a job. Not to mention, that damn job with the dermatologist keeps coming back to me. The person they went with after I declined the position did not work out. Raul thinks I should take it for a year, but I'm not so sure. Besides, we're trying to plan a trip abroad next month and taking a job now would certainly complicate things.

On a side note, I am finally going to get back the coverage New Line did on one of my scripts. A writer I recently met is good friends with Zak Penn's wife, who is a development exec at New Line. Can't wait to see it, though I know it's not going to be pretty. I've already been pre-warned ....