The Laid-Off Peripatetic (LOP)

Our Thanksgiving began on Wednesday with the 1st Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Walkabout. It was a vampire/werewolf theme for no other reason than because we had purchased movie tickets to see New Moon. Wow it was bad. But the shirtless wolf-boys made it most bearable; which initiated a moment of self-discovery—I think I’m a cougar. Most of those young bucks were half my age, but that didn’t stop me from salivating. I should have brought a drop cloth and a mop.

Anyway, the bar/restaurant portion of our walkabout included visits to the following:

Dillon’s, a new Irish pub in Hollywood that charges a mere $3 for a beer—and that’s every kind of beer, not just the canned water that Budweiser and Coors attempt to pass off as beer.

Hungry Cat’s happy hour—$6 specialty drinks created from fresh fruit and the like. They are of a slightly less caliber than those at the Roosevelt Hotel, but they’ll certainly do in a pinch. Our bartender, Jake, was wonderfully sarcastic and even played in our reindeer games when we asked him to describe the milk base of each cheese selection with animal noises. The best was a cow, sheep combo: MoooooBaaaaaaaa

The Well, which is owned by the same people who own The Woods. I realize this means nothing to those who don’t live in Hollywood, but both bars are great. The Well even made the cut for the World’s Best Bars.

Oh, and speaking of cocktails (even though I wasn’t really, but I needed a segue), The Burgundy Room on Cahuenga has become one of my new favorite hangouts. It is dark, dank and has the oddest mercurial glow behind the bar…it’s kind of like drinking in a spaceship.

Essex was our last stop and rightfully so, it was about 11 p.m. and there was absolutely no need to imbibe any further. Even though it doesn’t appear as such, I actually do have an OFF switch.

Thanksgiving Day was dedicated to eating our bevy of appetizers to which we all contributed (though I forgot how sadly lacking in cooking skills I am) and toasting family and friends. And even though it’s post gluttony, I am still thankful that:

• I never again have to endure another inarticulate speech from G.W.
• I am in possession of real, live ninja attire
• Britney Spears has stopped procreating (this is wishful thinking more than anything
• I’m not lactose intolerant
• Webster’s Dictionary has never acknowledged y’all and fixin’ as words because they aren’t
• I no longer work for an epic prick
• There is a street named Lunt in Chicago (hee, it never gets old)
• I have the best friends ever
• My family is still alive, kicking and crazy as ever, which only makes Christmas that much more interesting

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I’m still feeling the effects of sugar, fat and carbohydrate induced food coma, but that’s what being an American is all about. Gobble Gobble.