Westward Ho!

Will be heading out to The City of Angels next Sat for so much needed fun in the sun.
Now what should I pack for 5 days in the West... bikinis, boob tubes, short shorts, sunblock and shades? Where on earth can I get one of those foldable, roll-upable seagrass / straw beach mats on the Western hemisphere?

In other news, I got through the first round of auditions for Hell's Kitchen (see last entry). May the reality TV gods be on my side for the following rounds... Heck, if I fail to be a successful (aka employed) MIT grad, at least let me do silly things on telly! I can make an alien-looking, surface-of-the-moon-like green tea and red bean cheesecake - as I did for my bro's b'day. (Picture an olive green cake with neon red words written in icing)