Back to the Grind, Il Sole, and Nemo.

But before I get into any of that. I just saw the funniest thing... On every tour I've been on, one department is always under the microscope at some point during the tour. This week, I think it's going to be the video department. Why? Because I just watched the video guys push a 20 foot piece of truss (the metal stuff that we rig lights to and they rig video projectors and screens to) about 45 feet across the floor... upside down. The truss has wheels but they were pointing at the sky. We say, "Work smarter, not harder", video's mantra this week, "Work harder."

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So I'm back to the grind. Flew the red eye last night from LAX to Houston. Another few days with the Blue Men here in the great state of Texas, and then back to L.A. for a Blue Man song Tuesday on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. So, all you night owls, check out the painted boys on Tuesday night.

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While I was home in Altadena, Nicole and I went out to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. Can you believe that? She stuck around for a year! Well, I guess that deserves a nice dinner...

So we chose Il Sole (pronounced Ill So-lay) on sunset. I went looking online for a picture of the front of the restaurant, lots of people with cameras standing out on Sunset Blvd.. But the only pictures I could find, people were in the way. If I was a photographer trying to take a picture of the front of a restaurant, I'd be mad at these people for standing and posing. Get out of the way!!!

Nicole had eaten there on a few occasions and thought it would be perfect for a romantic evening. We had reservations for 7PM and made the trek across L.A.. They seated us in the main part of the restaurant, Nicole sat with her back to the wall and eyes to the door, in case...

Being it was Italian food, I had my mind set on a nice pasta dish with a good starter salad. I was going to pick a medium bodied red wine so as not to kill the palette (ooooh, don't I sound so fancy pantsy!), But when I got the the section of "Californian Cabernet Blends", I had to choose the wine at the top of the list:BOLAND FIVE OAKS? With a name like Boland, it's gotta be good.

It wasn't.

Well, that's a harsh criticism. It was a young wine. Good, but not knock your socks off.

It did how ever end up fitting quite well with my dinner. My brain, set on salad and pasta, was immediately changed to salad and steak.

"Tonight for our specials," started the waiter, "We have a tomato salad with fancy soft cheese and not enough basil. Something made with fish, another dish with fish, lobster cut in half and then mixed with risotto, a pasta, or something else. We've also got a New York strip of Kobe beef..."

"Stop right there my good man, I will have the Kobe.""And my wife will have the lobster with risotto. The 'something else' doesn't sound good. I will start with the arugula salad and my wife will have the tomato salad with fancy soft cheese and not enough basil."

I think they wanted us to leave because no sooner did we order did the salads show up, and soon after, the main courses. Normally in these fancy joints the service is slow. Il Sole must have a high turn around or something. That, or they figured out I bought my button shirt at WalMart.

The steak was really good. I said "medium", but it was closer to "medium rare". Nicole couldn't stop eating the lobster risotto. The only thing that stopped her was the desert menu.

But I was a bit disappointed, because they didn't have lemoncello. How can a fancy Italian restaurant NOT have lemoncello?! Easy, they only have a liquor license for beer and wine.

All in all it was a good meal, and nice atmosphere. Very low lighting, comfortable chair. Great place to say "I love you," one year and one day on.

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And for Jade... a review of the newly opened Finding Nemo ride at Disneyland theme park in Anaheim. Okay, not really a review, I don't want to spoil her enjoyment of the ride by listening to me. Instead, here's a preview shot of the ride I took from my porthole. HOT.

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