GBK BRAND BAR PRE-ESPYS LUXURY LOUNGE 2024

Right in the middle of the summer came this event that combined several things I love—sports, gifts, and GBK! And, on top of all that, my co-writer, Roz, and I got to discover a fabulous new locale right in the Century City area.

This year’s GBK Brand Bar’s Luxury Lounge in honor of the ESPYAwards was held at Ten Thousand Luxury Residences, which is just what the name says it is. Except for “Ten Thousand” is the address, not how many units there are for rent/sale in the building! (Although it is very tall, so maybe there are that many.) And it’s close to shopping, eateries, and most fun of all, a secret theatre right next door! Roz enjoyed that the building “was quite the change from the typical venues for events such as this one,” and pointed-out that we “especially enjoyed the views.”

As we pulled-up to the beautiful edifice, I realized that, back in the day, the ground floor corner had housed the iconic classy restaurant, Jimmy’s. So this day brought back great memories for me. Jimmy’s was the site of my first media interview, which had been agreed to by my then-manager in exchange for the media’s promise to stop following Mr. X and me around to get scoops on our relationship that we were trying to keep quiet at first, as to spare our exes’ feelings. And just a couple of years later, owner Jimmy Murphy and I ran on the same team in the celebrity division of the Jimmy Stewart Marathon. Despite having an Olympic runner with us, we failed to win, though. However, generous Murphy threw our team a celebration in his eatery, anyway, which was tons of fun.

Back to the present, for this GBK event, Roz, and I looked at the location with new eyes, with her noting, “The apartments are very classy.” We enjoyed that we got to see several of them because, for once, a gifting “suite” was held in, well, suites! It was like opening gifts, walking into one residence and room at a time, to discover all the various sponsors.

Of course, because it was for the ESPYs, many of the guests were athletes, a couple of whom I know personally, so it was great to see them again. I absolutely adored hanging with my old bud, former Chicago Bear and L.A. Raider, Willie Gault again. (I think I may have more pix of us together in this e-zine than I do with Mr. X!)

AC And I had not seen former Laker, A. C. Green in a zillion years. When I was doing my TV show way back then, A.C. and I were two of the celebrities at the Special Olympics annual meet at UCLA in the summer. I always enjoyed when we were assigned to give-out the medals or sign autographs for the kids together because he was so popular and kind to everyone. And LA native Roz said, “Basketball legend A.C. Green was a big plus for the ESPY-focused atmosphere. Good to see him and his brand doing so well.” (More on him and his new company in a minute.)

Now let’s get to the highlights of the gifts the athletes received, this time in categories:

PETS

Glow Pups—This company’s display was even more mouthwatering than usual because they had an entire room in which to spread-out their gorgeous dog toys. Guests still had their own choice of item, but the featured one was the most adorbs, designed in honor of the occasion. It’s a little “sports bag” with different soft balls! The dogs get the balls out of the ends to play with them. And we also got a preview of an even more adorable item that is going to be gifted at a celebrity ladies luncheon in the Hamptons next month. It’s a pink “purse” with stuffed “lipstick” and a “mirror.” Both of these gifts almost make me want to be a dog! www.glowpups.com

Dr. Croom—I enjoyed meeting this double vet—she’s both an Army vet, (I, of course, thank her for her service,) and a veterinarian. If she lived in LA rather than Michigan, I’d buy another dog just so she could take care of him! I really appreciated that she was amazed that Mr. X and I had kept our precious toy poodle, Clarence, alive for just about sixteen years, which is unheard of for that breed. To help other animals, I was happy to learn about Dr. Croom’s line of holistic and herbal pet remedies and treatments, which are packaged attractively, as well. www.drcroom.com

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

Ike’s Love & Sandwiches—All GBK events are elevated by Ike’s delicious sandwiches. He always surprises us with a new variety of them out of the dozens of choices at his shops. This time he featured a trio of ones he’s named after athletes, which was so appropriate. One was even named for Willy Gault, who had the biggest grin on his face when I asked if he had seen that little tribute. This time there was one with turkey, one with fried chicken, and even a vegan choice, which was so thoughtful of Ike to include. Vegan Roz was especially appreciative that they had that option, and said it was “most tasty.” She told me she now understands why I’m always raving about their sandwiches, and deemed them to be “crowd pleasers.”  www.ikessandwich.com

Fog Crest Vineyard—This was the very first display we saw after we checked-in. We chatted with their rep, Rosalind, for a while, and we all got a kick out of Roz meeting a “similarly-named lady.” Our Roz said that theirs was “very knowledgeable on what wine to choose.” She also sampled one of the suggested choices, and said that Rosalind was “spot-on with the 2018 Chardonnay, Estate Bottled, Russian River Valley.” www.fogcrestvineyard.com

Warrior Beverages—This is the sponsor where I re-met A.C. Green, who has partnered with founder Cory Lewis on this water and energy drink company. While A.C. and I were re-hashing old times, Roz spent a long time chatting with Coy, and gushes, “I loved his energy! He’s so positive. I noticed how both men poured that positive thinking into the various levels of energy in each of their water varieties. Rather than adding to hyper-activity, they’ve included less caffeine but more vitamins and nutrients that our bodies really need. Great company and delicious drink.” www.warriorbeverages.com

Jane Foodie—I had met Jane at GBK’s previous event, and recognized her colorful labels the second we entered that room she was set-up in. This time we sampled a quartet of her wares. Roz said, “Jane’s vegetarian choices were most welcome for the vegetarians among us. And they were delicious.” www.janefoodie.com

ATTIRE

Good Quality Human—We both loved this group. The trio of reps were the nicest, happiest sponsors at the event, their display of attractive and clever caps was perfect, and I adore their wonderful moniker. Out of all the caps they were offering, I’m sure that many of the guests wanted the ones with the company’s name on it, so I can only hope that everyone who rocks one really is a “Good Quality Human.” It’s a great message to wear to remind others to be that themselves. www.goodqualityhuman.com

Shari Henry—We really enjoyed meeting this clothing designer and her associate. Not only were they fun and accommodating, but we both loved, as Roz put it, “the way her clothing sparkles.” She added, “Shari’s style is fabulous, and she dresses-up like a Barbie doll with those amazing styles.” Of course, she could not gift jackets and such, so each guest received a choice of caps, many of which featured mirrors! Of course. www.sharihenry.com

HEALTH AND BEAUTY

LA Bodywork—This local business was gifting certificates for an hour-long body work session. (What else would it be for?) I was told its purpose is to “reduce tension,” so I have a feeling all the guests will take advantage of it over the next few months. www.labodywork.com

Motiv Matcha— I’m always looking for ways to get more energy without caffeine, (I detest the taste of coffee!,) so I was interetesed to learn about these gummies that are infused with “adaptogen” herbs. Roz looked into them and told me, “Matcha is more natural than coffee, and all the ingredients are part of a healthy trend.” I just admired the little sea-foam-colored containers they were gifted in! www.motivmatcha.com

CHARITIES

Foundation for a Drug-Free World—Roz said, “This charity that fights drug abuse has a winning message for this time in our lives. So many people have no idea how many ways recreational drugs can ruin your life. The booklet they handed-out is perfect to help parents and teens who are suffering from anxiety and stress over what the daily news does to our sense of wellbeing, and therefore, might turn to drugs.” www.drugfreeworld.org/mf

Animal Foster Network—This kind organization tells us they “believe in a world where there are no unwanted animals.” They help farm animals and wildlife in addition to the usual cats and dogs, which seems like a gargantuan effort, so I applaud them for it all. www.animalfosternet.org