THE THIRD ANNIVERSARY BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR ALEXANDRA

Three years ago Alexandra Dwek was given a birthday party by her friend, Danielle Del. It went so well that it has now become a tradition. We all dress up and look (not behave) like lovely ladies. I'll never reveal any of the conversations. Let's just say that if secret cameras were there.......well.......
And, of course, we all fainted over Alexandra's shoes. It happens every year.

Alexandra and Danielle

Bridget Keller, Alexandra, Cara Esposito

Bridget, MOI, Alexandra

Michie, Lauren King, Bridget

I do love my jacket, and Donna Antebi's cashmere was gorgeous

This was not an easy shot to get

Look at Alexandra's goegeous mother, Willow

Linda Thompson and Wendy Burch

THE BEST BATHROOMS IN BEVERLY HILLS

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOURS (!) I'm talking about what to do when you're away from home and you are "in need." Some places are better than others, of course.

Public bathrooms are important, particularly restaurant bathrooms. There are still restaurants that only have one toilet in the bathroom and patrons have to wait forever. Shame on them. Toilets are important. They are becoming like chic cars or special accessories. Our sensitivities have been heightened as the years have gone by.

The TOTO status $5000 home toilet

$5,000,000 gold one

$14,000

$19,000,000 spacecraft toilet

Here are some random thoughts....


Remember La Scala's original bathroom on Canon Dr? It was a disaster. Now they at least have two stalls.

The last time I was at the Ivy they only had one stall. I don't want to eat there because of it.

There are special places like the Beverly Wilshire Hotel that has a handicapped bathroom with its own sink that is worthy for an overnight stay. I like the wood paneling and the marble. I've often wished I could call house-keeping to deliver a cot.

Saks Fifth Avenue has a really cramped bathroom situation on the upper floor near their restaurant. As for the couple of other floors that have bathrooms, they are not clearly marked at all and you have to have grown up there to know where they are.

The old I Magnin on Wilshire had beautiful all white marble bathrooms with a pink chaise in each waiting area. I miss that.

Bad bathroom, but I love it so much I'll never stop eating there

Oh, God. Is that blintz really worth it?

Hmm. Very Nice. This is Mr. C's

I ONCE BROKE MY FINGER WHEN IT CAUGHT ON A STALL HANDLE AT SPAGO. Those handles were way too tiny.

MR. CHOW STILL HAS THE ABSOLUTE WORST HIGH-END RESTAURANT BATHROOM IN THE CITY

NATE 'N' AL'S' BATHROOM STILL HASN'T BEEN CLEANED SINCE THE EARLY 50'S.

The ballroom bathroom at the Beverly Hilton has always been designed beautifully and is extremely spacious. It needs new upholstery now and some "freshening."

Chanel on Rodeo Drive has a beautiful bathroom.

Armani on Rodeo also has a great one.

The Peninsula Hotel's bathroom near Belvedere Restaurant is excellent. The one after the Living Room Lounge probably should be "refreshed."

Four Seasons Hotel is still excellent.

The Montage bathroom near their bar is disappointing. It should have been designed with much more square footage.

The Beverly Hills Hotel lobby bathroom is neck and neck with the Beverly Wilshire for nicest lobby bathroom.

THE BEL AIR HOTEL--WHY ISN'T IT ON THIS LIST? BECAUSE THE NEW OWNERS DESTROYED IT.


-----------To be continued. Let me know your opinions as well as something I have missed as good or bad.

PENIS POWER.....YES, YOU READ IT RIGHT

I KNOW. I KNOW. WHAT ON EARTH AM I TALKING ABOUT?

Well, the other night at a dinner party, I sat across from Dr. Dudley Danoff, a urologic surgeon at Cedars, and he was talking about penises. Right away I thought, "My, what unique dinner party conversation." So.....when there was a second of silence I asked, "Do you find that most men name their penises?" The entire dinner table hushed in one second. "I mean Robin Williams calls his Mr. Happy, which I think is a common penis name."

The entire table then erupted (pardon the pun) with names....."Bob"...."Gigantis"......"Winchester"...."Mellow Yellow"...."Little Elvis" (which really WAS Elvis' name for his)....."Jumbo" (which really WAS Lyndon Johnson's name for his.....

"I had a patients wife name his penis, 'Helmut' because it had a head shaped that way," said Dr. Danoff. "You're right. Penises have nicknames."

LITTLE ELVIS

MR. HAPPY

JUMBO

HERE'S WHAT I LEARNED FROM DR. DANOFF:

Men have penis envy; women have penis curiosity

Penis weakness is almost always caused by stress

If you are ok, you're penis is ok

A penis can never be as good as a vibrator, but a vibrator doesn't hug

Penis size---one size fits all

HOW TO ENLARGE A PENIS--
GO TO A STORE AND BUY A MAGNIFYING GLASS

15-30 million men suffer erectile dysfunction

POSITIVE PENIS PERSONALITIES: Purposeful, Peceptive, Persistent, Principled, Percolating, Prepared, Pensive, Philanthropic, Protective, Passionate, Psychedelic, Peaceful, Pioneer, Playful, Precocious, Poetic, Prodigious Powerful

NEGATIVE PENIS PERSONALITIES: Peewee, Pessimistic, Promiscuous, Procrastinating, Phobic, Picky, Pornographic, Plaintiff, Pompous, PipeDream, Pious, Pedestrian, Political, Pooped, Preoccupied, Paranoid, Pampered, Pissed-off, Profligate, Possessive, Perverted, Professional, Pharmaceutical

Dr. Dudley Danoff

And for all my joking, this book is a must-read from a health and lifestyle standpoint. I learned something new on every page.

WHAT A PAIR BREAST CANCER CONCERT

Dr. Barry Pressman and Sandy Pressman

Joely Fisher

Wink and Sandy Martindale

Mary Ann Mobley

WHAT A PAIR WAS FOUNDED IN 2001 by Jo Levi DiSante because she lost her mother to breast cancer. She called her friends Jody Price and Ruth Stalford, and they started an organization. Nine years ago they did their first concert based on duets between women---pairs--get it? Of course there are other pairs, too.........

This year they joined with Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Cancer Institute to raise money for them. These concerts have all been very moving and fun, and I have been to many of them. For some reason, this year's show was the best they've ever done. Every single one of the duet numbers was sensational--it would not be fair to name one the best--the show was THAT good.

Some of the participants were Loretta Devine, Lea Thompson and her daughter Maddie Deutsch, Julia Fordham and Judith Owen, "General Hospital's" Kelly Sullivan and Jennifer Leigh Warren, Maggie Wheeler and Kathleen Wilhoite, Jamie Lynn Siglar from the "Sopranos, jazz great Tierney Sutton, Mary Ann Mobley and Karen Morrow, Broadway's Kate Flannery, Laura Bell Bundy, the lead in "Legally Blonde," and Taylor Dayne and Joely Fisher.

The event was held at the architecturally brilliant Broad Theatre in Santa Monica, where an outdoor reception was held before and after the show.

MARLO THOMAS USC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

MARLO THOMAS WENT TO USC. She has the same feelings I do about it. We loved it and they are some of the happiest memories we have. Town and Gown, founded in 1908, was USC's first service organization. It flourishes today, and it honored Marlo at a lucnehon at the Bevery Hilton. Who could resist an opening act like the Trojan Marching Band??? They charged through the ballroom and we were on our feet doing the USC Victory sign.

Town and Gown arranged as a surprise for Marlo, 200 Theta sorority sisters singing the Theta songs as she walked into the press room. She was thrilled.

Marlo had two tables--one for her close girlfriends and one for the men in her life. "I wanted this to be a day about my women friends. We've been together for over 40 years," said Marlo at the table. Camille Byrne, who Marlo has known since Marymount was there, along with her sister Terre, also a USC Theta, plus her acting coach Sandra Seacat (who has coached Jessica Lange thorughout her entire career, as well as many Oscar winners.) The men's table had her husband, Phil Donahue, her broher, Tony, Terre's other half, Gary, her nephew, Jason, Sandra's husband, Thurm,

Camille and Joe

Thurm and Sandra

Gary and Terre

Phil and Marlo

Theta sisters Camille, Marlo and Colleen

Sisters Terre and Marlo, and Terre's son Jason Gordon

and Camille's husband, Joe.

"When I first walked on to the USC campus I was so excited," said Marlo. I looked around and I realized that every opportunity in life was before my eyes. Standing here today, looking back at my life, I realize this room IS my life. I can't believe what has happened since I left." At that point the whole room teared up with her.

After we recovered from the tears, we went to her suite and drank champagne. That was only right.

THE COLLEAGUES LUNCHEON SPARKLES AND SHINES

Colleagues President Alexandra Dwek hosted this spring's luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel honoring Wallis Annenberg, featuring fashions by Oscar de la Renta. The Colleagues are those wonderful women who give endlessly to Children's Institute Inc.. For more than 100 years, CII has worked to help Los Angeles children who have been exposed to abuse, violence and other trama. CII serves more than 17,000 children and their families in our city's most challenged neighboorhoods: trains more than 9,000 professionals in the areas of child development, mental health and welfare; works to shape the field of children 's services through innovative research and model programs at can be replicated nationwide.

President Alexandra Dwek

The biggest happening of the day was the surprise announcement by Wallis Annenberg that she was giving a $500, 000 check to their Institute.

Wallis Annenberg--Thank you, kind person

The VIP Room upstairs was lined with Oscar de la Renta models on a runway showing off fashions. Downstairs the room looked like an elegant spring fairyland. Bravo to these lovely ladies who try to make the world a better place.

Mary Martin and Ames Cushing

MC Wendy Burch holds and uses her bull horn to be heard at these luncheons!!!!

Marcia Hobbs

Carol Biondi

Bridget Keller and Nevada Cook

Beverly Wilshire banquet room

Alyce Williamson and Anne Johnson

Joni Smith

Thank you, Irena !!!!!

Yes, Cairo Dwek wants to become a model. Good idea!

Danielle Del, her daughter, Charlotte, Cairo Dwek and mom Alexandra

Alexandra, Wendy and Cairo Dwek

Linda Thompson, Wendy Burch, Vanessa Sandin

Cynthia Yorkin and Wendy Stark

Larissa Sabadash