BGG Weekender

Four-day work weeks are like puppies and babies and kittens and cocktails all rolled into one marvelous, truncated little thing, aren’t they? The fact that we have almost arrived at our next reprieve from conference rooms and cubicles makes us want to wear red, white and blue all over again...or not. What it does make us want to do, however, is start planning how we’re going to spend this next small bit of freedom...here are a few ideas:

FRIDAY

Fridays always make for good movie nights, particularly when they’re on the tail end of a week that started with fireworks on a school night. Here are two options, in case you’re somehow not so interested in seeing Larry Crowne...

5-7 p.m. - Take advantage of $6 wine and $5 truffled mac & cheese at Vertical Wine Bistro’s happy hour in Pasadena. 

8 p.m. - Grab a seat at the free Cat on a Hot Tin Roof screening as part of the Old Pasadena Film Festival. 

10 p.m. - Gyu-Kaku has some insane late-night happy hour food specials, gobble 'em up. 

Or, if you’re not willing to venture out to the 626:

6 p.m. - Grab some mac & cheese pancakes (are you seeing a pattern here?), yuca fries, and/or Cookie Good cookies at Blue Plate. 

7:30 p.m. - Amy Heckerling appears at The Aero for a discussion with screenings of Clueless and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

SATURDAY

If you haven’t had enough of the whole movie thing yet and/or are still nursing last weekend’s sunburn, head downtown.

1 p.m. - Villains Tavern does a whole day-drinking/BBQ thing, which we think, for obvious reasons, sounds awesome. 

3 p.m. - 9 p.m. - The Downtown Independent Theatre hosts Weekend at Bernie’s: Summer Drink-a-long and Beer Pong.  Again - for lack of a better adjective - awesome. 

9 p.m. - Anchorman plays at The Devil’s Drive-In, tickets are $12 at the gate, $10 pre-sale.  

10:30 p.m. - Stop by TwentyWonder, hosted by the Derby Dolls and benefitting Down’s Syndrome Association of LA. All-star match, performance by the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, & more.  Tix are $40. 

Finish out the night in the vodka box at the new Silo Vodka Bar. 

Or, for a less boozy day out, go west.

9 a.m. - Grab a yoga mat and head to the W Westwood for a free yoga/Pilates hybrid class by the pool. 

Afterward, head to the Getty for some art, relaxation and, potentially, reflection. Stay for Saturdays Off The 405, featuring a performance by Best Coast from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

SUNDAY 

With the 405 Carmageddon looming next weekend, we suggest you make the best of your last chance to get to the beach this "lazy" Sunday (well, lazy aside from Will + Kate pandemonium!) by grabbing a bike rental at Bike Curious in Venice or at Sea Mist in Santa Monica.  Bike along the beach awhile and then hit some of these highlights:

Santa Monica Place offers free yoga at 9 a.m.

Buy one brunch entree, get the second for $3 at The Misfit. 

Go for a swim or just a drink at Endless Summer Sundays at the Hotel Shangri-LA. 

Stop by Elvino Wines for a $10, three-flight sparkling wine tasting. 

Bar Pinxto has a new daily happy hour from 4-6:30 p.m. Get six tapas for $6, $4 glasses of sangria or wine, or $25 sangria pitchers. 

Oscar’s Cerveteca is finally serving alcohol. Stop by for a drink and some fried pickles and fish & chips.