The Youmans brothers locked down the left side of the infield and Devin was a thief in the outfield as the Wilshire Bombers took control of first place with just one game to go.

Tickets have been bought.  We’re NYC bound July 9th thru the 12th.  Numbers 9, 35, 46, 78, 92 and 93 will fall. I can already taste that New Yawk Dawg.

#24 in progress.  Anyone who knows us knows our obsession with Katsu-ya sushi.  Well tonight that obsession grew with the discovery of Chef Katsu-ya’s new restaurant Kiwami (Japanese for The Ultimate). Kimawi is the seventh restaurant under the Katsu-ya umbrella, but unique in that Katsu-ya himself is actually behind the counter.  Sonia called tonight’s meal her best ever.  High praise.

#83 Done. Brittany completed the first step in what will ultimately “perfect” her smile and facial features.  I remember from the time I was about ten years old being told by every dentist I saw that braces were necessary.  My parents always seemed to disagree.  After being presented with Brittany’s bill I guess I understand why.

#44 in progress.  The next item to discuss in my bequeathment series is this framed Avalanche Super Bar photograph. Not only is this masterpiece the centerpiece of our home, it is also a daily reminder of some of my fondest memories at Marquette.  I may have spent more time in the Lanche than the classroom, but the friendships and alcohol tolerance gained made the loss of brain cells well worth it.  And I couldn’t have lost half of those brain cells if it weren’t for my buddy Matt who often paid the five quarters it took to buy a can of Pabst Red, White & Blue when I couldn’t afford it.  With that said, I bequeath my Lanche’ masterpiece to Matt Lucey and his new daughter Addie.

#24 in progress.  Tried 8oz burger bar on Melrose in West Hollywood.  Love my burger and this place had a good one.  Laurel Tavern is still in first place.

#22 Done. While I’ll probably see at least a dozen more, Earth was the tenth and final movie I needed to see in a theatre to complete this goal.   Like the Discovery Channel series, Earth is a fantastic documentary.

Movies seen at the theatre in 2009 are:

1. Gran Torino
2. Revolutionary Road
3. The Wrestler
4. Taken
5. Confessions of a Shopaholic
6. The International
7. I Love You, Man
8. Sunshine Cleaning
9. Observe and Report
10. Earth
11. Star Trek
12. The Brothers Bloom
13. Angels and Demons
14. The Hangover
15. Bruno
16. The Hurt Locker
17. 500 Days of Summer
18. District 9
19. Inglorious Basterds
20. Paranormal Activity
21. This Is It

Netflixed Body of Lies.  A good modern day spy flick.

LAFashionInsider is officially an employer.  Good-bye frequent Katsuya dinners, hello operating costs.

#13 Done.  While we’re not in the position to be sponsoring others, our list has pushed us both to do so.  Two players on Brit’s team are unable to come up with their dues, so Sonia and I have pledged a couple of bar nights a week to the cause.

90+ degrees today.  This is why we live here.

That’s more like it.

#18 Finito.  Finally have a passport.  Now I just need somewhere to go.

#24 in progress.  Enjoyed lunch at the Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel.  Sat in the courtyard with Victoria Beckham, Rob Reiner and a ton of big shots.  But I was the one eating lunch with the prettiest girl.

It’s April in L.A. for Godsakes. I wish global warming meant it was warm.

Netflixed this one.  Our friend had a small part in it, but overall this one was blah.  Looking forward to a comedy that makes me laugh out loud.  Perhaps “Bruno” this summer.

#23 in Progress.  Saw Observe and Report today. 90% crappy, 10% funny – 100% wait for cable.  Nine down, one to go.

#24 in progress.  Sonia took me to XIV by Michael Mina for my birthday dinner.  It’s high end Hollywood hip American tapas.  Basically you order eleven tastes off of the menu. We ordered tastes of six appetizers and five entrees. We were full after nine and gave the last two plates to the Columbian tourists next to us.  Feeling a little bloated, but good stuff.

#60 Done. Sonia’s Birthday present to me was this awesome Burberry watch.  She also surprised me with a trip to #50.  Yes, there may be something a bit ironic about buying a watch and visiting a buddhist temple on the same day, but balance is actually an important buddhist teaching.  Anyway, I’ll tell you more about the temple tomorrow as I am off to appease my gluttonous desires.

I haven’t been sick for years.  A week into getting health insurance and bam, just in time for the birthday.

Opening Day = Happiness

We’re back home after a windy weekend in Bakersfield and good food is on my mind.  As my body continues its attempt to process the McDonald’s we picked up for the drive home, I thought about my all time favorite meals.  Here is my updated food Hall of Fame in no particular order.

• Mom’s Yorkshire Pudding, Swedish Pancakes & Klatskies
• Sonia’s Tacos (pictured)
• Georgeanne’s Xmas Eve Dinner
• Katsuya’s Baked Crab Hand Roll
• Laurel Tavern Hickory Burger
• Pita Kitchen Shwarma
• Hot Dog from NYC Street Vendor
• Grimaldi’s Pizza in Brooklyn
• Burrito from Taco Burrito Palace in Chicago
• Farmer’s Market Breakfast Burrito

#28 in Progress. Marital bliss. Not.

#15 Finally.  We are officially insured.  Hopefully we won’t need it.

If only I were a musician…

Due in large part to Sonia’s efforts, March picked up where February left off.  Compared to March of ‘08 (our worst month, so grain of salt), LA Fashion Insider grew approximately 557%.  Better yet, we are up 18% from last month.  In exciting and scary news, we have also begun discussions to expand and hire our first employee within a month or two and hopefully a second buying agent within six months. We’ll see if we can actually pull the trigger.

#44. The first piece in my sentimental bequeathment series is this framed Wrigley Field novelty photograph that claims I have signed with the Cubs.  It was a high school graduation gift from my sister and has been hung prominently in every dorm room and apartment since.  I think I may have even told a few girls back in the day that I had indeed signed with the Cubs out of high school but opted for college instead.  Today it hangs to the right of my computer screen in my office and remains a treasured piece.  I will leave this one to my nephew, Dylan.

#51 Wish list.  The Canon rebel T1i should be available sometime this summer.  It’s the DLSR camera I hope to learn photography with.  Then there’s the point and shoot Casio Exilim EX-FC100.  With these tools I should be able to really irritate Sonia and document every moment of our life.

#18 in progress.  With passport regulations scheduled to change in June, we took the first step to completing the process before then.

#23 in progress.  Saw Sunshine Clearing.  A small, but good movie.  Eight down, two to go.

#44 in progress.  I, Kenwood Youmans, of sound and occasionally productive mind, do hereby declare this instrument to be my last will and testament. That’s how it begins anyway.  The rest is pretty boring.  Nevertheless, I would like to share a couple of the main ideas in case the writing of my Will suffers the same fate as so many of my scripts – Unfinished.   Here’s the deal…

• I’m nothing without my thoughts.  If the ol’ cabeza isn’t working, pull the plug.  If there’s no plug, use a pillow.
• Perhaps it’s the ego, but I’m not so concerned about death as I am about being eternally forgotten.  I don’t want to live forever, but I want to create something that does.  If I, like so many self described hacks before me, die without realizing this goal, give my scripts to a pompous Hollywood agent who can exploit a dead man’s work.
• For the longest time I wanted my body to be barbecued and tossed into the wind.  But after burying my grandfather in the Alaskan soil, I’ve changed my mind.  I like the idea of a final resting place.  Not only that, I want a tombstone to mark the spot.  Maybe add the quote, “I told you so.”  And as for that resting place, I want to be buried in Gustavus.  One, it is the only place I have ever been that I feel in my bones.  It’s home in so many ways.  Two, if my grave can persuade any family member, alive or not yet born, to visit this place I will be happy. We should never let the Gustavus ties be broken.
• No funeral.  A memorial service similar to my Uncle Michael’s would be more appropriate. Lots of food and drink.  Laugh and be loud.  Wake the dead, I dare you.
• If I die before I can drink my 100 point wine, laugh.
• Devin and Brittany are my children.  Please treat them as such.
• After some careful accounting, you will all be happy to know that everything I leave behind will be tax free.  It turns out that the only value my property holds is of the sentimental kind.  In the coming weeks I will post some of these items and explain why they are so important to me, but for starters I leave my Steve Novak bobblehead to my cat, Finnegan.

Death makes life worth living.  Life remains my focus.  When it one day flashes before my eyes, I hope it’s worth watching.

#12 in progress. We are happy to report that Brittany was accepted into Montclair Prep.  Now if we can figure out how to pay for two tuitions all will be good in the world.

#2 Done.  Sort of anyway.  Vinny from The Wine Bank in San Diego helped me find this can’t miss hundred pointer from the Quilceda Creek winery in the Columbia Valley.  The 2006 Cab promises to be the fourth one hundred point cabernet from Quilceda since 2002.  But, here’s the rub…  I was told I can’t drink it for at least five years as it needs to age in the bottle.  Five years or not, Sonia and I have decided to pull the cork when we buy our first house.  Hopefully it’s a premature pull.

And that’s where Marquette’s season ends.