Weekend at Chi Chi's

Well, The Mans is still under MAJOR construction and this past weekend the hardwood floors were being stripped, sanded and stained so everyone vamoosed for a few days to let the workers do their thing!

I crashed at Chi Chi LaRue's which reminded me at times of being a kid and spending the weekend at my grandmother's! I get to ignore work, go to the mall, go grocery shopping, watch lots of TV and movies in bed, have late night chats and get absolutely spoiled rotten!

It's... exactly what a weekend at my grandmother's was come to think of it. Wow. I forgot how much I had missed that over the past decade.

On Saturday night, we went to Here Lounge where Chi Chi was DJ'ing. I had originally thought I might break on my 30 Day Sober Challenge that evening, but after hitting the gym mid-afternoon I was pretty sure I wouldn't. I realized on the treadmill as the blood flow began to increase my brain function that it was just a matter of having either one really fun evening or an entire week of feeling incredibly empowered for not giving in.

The self-discipline of not giving into every little whim and desire I may have, that's really what is so empowering. Not the sobriety. Madonna once said, "Fun can be really overrated." And I agree with that sentiment. Sometimes making it through difficulties, overcoming obstacles and stepping out of our comfort zone can bring more strength and long lasting joy into our lives than mere "fun" or instant gratification ever could.

But there is a time and a place for everything. Another "muse" of mine, Jane Fonda, talks in her biography about "the art of living intentionally." As opposed to being a leaf floating down a stream letting the current take you (because sometimes it can take you under), to live intentionally is to have a plan. Some nights call for a couple drinks, some call for none and some are just perfect for getting completely shit faced. But the idea is to know what kind of a night it is going to be before going into it! Because if you're not careful, if you don't live intentionally, if you let yourself be the leaf in the stream, I know for me at least, too many nights can just naturally lead to too much.

After Here Lounge, we went to Numbers for the manager Judy's last hoorah after party. The venue has unfortunately shut its doors and is now up for sale so this was our proper "goodbye" to the place. I loved hosting my event there (more than any other I've ever done) and I hate to see it go. I stayed amongst the wildly trashed until 4:00 am ...remaining stable as a table.

I have to say, I had a LOT of fun Saturday night! More fun at Here Lounge than I think I've ever had on a Saturday, in fact. I enjoyed watching everyone get wasted and I really danced A LOT in the DJ booth with Cheech because her music was particularly off the hook! Got felt up by a lot of hot guys too, oddly! I dunno, it was just nice to be so incredibly "present" for all of the fun. More than I thought it would be. Once I was in the club, I had no desire to drink at all.

On Sunday, after a brief brunch with Andy Kirra, I went back to Chi Chi's and we watched movies. I saw "Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion" and "9 to 5" for the first time if you can believe it. "Romy & Michelle" was brill. So many great lines, I laughed out loud a lot! I expected "9 to 5" to be a lot more like "Working Girl" but it was still a great movie. I'm a huge Jane Fonda fan but Dolly Parton was actually my favorite of the three actresses.

We watched the "True Blood" season finale (disappointed... anti-climactic! this season every episode was brilliant but the finale was the weakest link) and then The MTV Music Video Awards where I was completely blown away by the brilliance that is Lady Gaga. Her entire "act" and theme for this album has been the subject of fame, much of which has been inspired by Andy Warhol, and this performance seemed the zenith of it all. In a show that was dedicated to the memory of Michael Jackson, for Gaga to do a performance of "Paparazzi" where fame becomes the death of her was just gold for me. (Did you notice the chandellier that crashed on her in the beginning of the act? What is a chandellier? A bunch of bulbs. Just like the paprazzi. Brill!) She is every artist I've ever loved all rolled up into one: Tori Amos's musical genius, Liza Minnelli's acting out her songs, Madonna's performance art and Eminem's raw honesty and darkness. And that voice! How can someone be that talented?! I fall more in love with her every time I see her perform.

Chi Chi and I will return to Here Lounge on Wednesday night for our once a month gig taking over the Paul Nicholls and Woody Woodbeck Wedndesday night spectacle that is "GARAGE." She spins, I host and we've got porn star go-go boys Cameron Marshall, Justin Chambers, Nash Lawler, Lucky Daniels, Spencer Whitman, Jason King and Lucas Knowles in the house from 10:00 pm - 2:00 am. If you're in West Hollywood, you better join me for a Shirley Temple! Or if you'd rather, there's a $5 open bar until Midnight! Woo hoo! ;-)