Byline: Cheryl Johnson; Staff Writer
Fitness expert Melissa Hall believes in mapping out nutrition plans, and yet she's never heard of the very nourishing spaghetti squash.
A recipe featuring this versatile vegetable is on page 113 of the March issue of Robert Kennedy's Oxygen fitness magazine for women, on which Hall is the cover model.
Perhaps page 113 is just too many pages away from page 74, where Hall's abs, lats, etc., are exposed while she demonstrates exercises that help 'blast stubborn back flab.' Don't be put off by the weight she is lifting in these photos. 'That was the only weight the photographer had. I don't lift that heavy,' she said. 'Light weights always. Lifting light weights helps your metabolism more than just doing cardio.' Hall has added even more cardio to her life by quitting her job at FOX Sports Net North to start melissahallfitness.com. With her regular cable Channel 6 appearances alongside husband, Jason Young of Youngquest Fitness in Eden Prairie, some assumed Hall already had a full-time fitness gig.
'My husband and I still own Youngquest, but I want to be able to reach more people and let them know you can look as good as you want to if you do it the right way,' said Hall. She plans to make fitness DVDs and wants to put out her own line of exercise equipment.
'My business partner is Mike Meshbesher, and I have him on the program. You should see his before-and-after pictures.'
A hip day in L.A.
After a hard day in L.A. of giving away Josi Wert merchandise to Alicia Witt, Jewel, Ashlee Simpson, Pamela Anderson, Jasmine Guy, Tichina Arnold, Kristen Cavallari, Hill Harper, Brian Bell and Annie Duke, the manager of the Uptown shop was ready to chill.
Michelle Le Blanc went to Teddy's, the ultra-exclusive Hollywood bar, with her friend Kat Johnson, who flew out from NYC to assist Michelle gifting celebrities in an Oscar week ritual for retailers.
LeBlanc said they were sitting in the lobby when Lindsay Lohan walked in and went straight to the restroom.
'When I was walking to the bathroom, her bodyguard made a funny comment to me: `That's what I call just enough woman.'-' LeBlanc took it as comment on her slight height and used it as an opener: 'I guess I'm not enough woman to get into this nightclub.' The bodyguard was surprised, according to LeBlanc, and after they chatted him up a bit he got them whisked past Teddy's security guards.
LeBlanc said she danced near 'Kirsten Dunst, Eve, Adam Levine, Paris Hilton, Constantine Maroulis, Harvey Weinstein, Mary-Kate Olsen, David Schwimmer, Lucas Haas, Shane West, Sophia Bush and so many more we had to start writing down names!' Lohan 'sat on the couch from about 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. on her BlackBerry. And she looked upset. She was like the only person there not having fun,' according to LeBlanc.
Lohan was probably just bummed she didn't get any Josi Wert swag.
In defense of Corbett
A couple of new details about John Corbett's touching visit to the Fine Line.
Kimi Hansen told me that the sexy 'Sex and the City' star grabbed her bootay while here promoting his new CD 'Good to Go.' That absolutely infuriated Carolyn Bradley, a Corbett fan who called to vehemently defend his honor.
'He was not grabbing people's butts. He was a perfect gentleman,' said Bradley via voice mail, adding that Kimi's mom, Barb Hansen, 'grabbed John Corbett's butt. And took her fingernail across his bare essentials when he was bending over signing autographs. He was kind of mad at that and swung around and told her to stop it.'
Barb told me Thursday that nothing was grabbed, but 'where his pants and T-shirt met, I took one finger and touched the skin when I was behind him.'
Whyyyy? 'I don't know. Because he was bending over,' Barb said, laughing. 'I surprised him, and think I tickled him.'
I wondered how Carolyn managed, with the crush of women swarming Corbett, to have her eyes trained on his and Hansen's hindquarters throughout. 'I was standing right next to them,' she said. The whole time? 'Most of the time,' Carolyn said.
Kimi, a Len Druskin employee, is standing behind her flirty celebrity-grabbing story. 'It was one of those smooth moves, where he worked it into the hug ... you know? If it had been anyone else, I might have just went `Oh'!? But when it's Aidan ... you kind of go, `OH!?' ... and consider it a little bit of flattery that you won't forget!'
When asked for a comment, Corbett's Nashville-based handlers said they doubted John would care to do so.
C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject - 'Hello' doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on FOX 9 Thursday mornings.
