”You can have a laugh in Los Angeles, or you can weep in Los Angeles, depending on your attitude towards it.” Miranda Richardson
A very jam-packed, quick turnaround trip to La La Land this week; nothing like the opening number in that film where you break into song and dance while stuck in traffic on a sunny warm clear day……it was unseasonably cold 🥶 and traffic was horrendous.
Over the last week, Los Angeles has been recording the lowest temperatures of the last 50 years; including a freaky 10-minute snowfall from the ocean to the foothills……..the mountain range that frames the city was beautifully snowcapped in white.
The reason for this quickie trip was to resolve some loose ends and the opportunity to spend time with family and friends … the only other thing that I miss from NOB besides great Chinese Food.
But since we were here we also took the opportunity to catch a bit of culture. The Pompeii exhibition at the Ronald Reagan Library…….as a prelude to our autumn visit to the real place … now I can’t wait to go there. The day culminated with a wonderfully anticipated Chinese feast at our second favorite restaurant; it has a great cocktail menu – our number one only serves beer and wine.
We ran around town closing loose ends and purchasing missed items from David’s extensive must-have list…mind you we didn’t even have TJ time (thank goodness – that would have required extra baggage!). My shortlist included Skippy Crunchy peanut butter. We squeezed in some pedicures from our gal, Jo; after she’s finished your feet you’re walking on air on the way out of the salon. We later gorged on our fave Sushi restaurant and had some real🍦
We surprised our yoga family by attending class….Kari, our teacher, practically levitated from her lotus position when she saw us walk through the door. My longtime yoga family’s reaction to our reunion was more than I expected. Besides the many hugs, kisses, tears, and screams of shocked joy, the room was filled with an OVER ABUNDANCE OF ❤️ ….. early Saturday morning yoga attendance was also always about breakfast afterward. As we trekked into our favorite place, I received a hug from Ramon our waiter……..see what happens when you’re a good tipper!
After breakfast we took a trip to 1038 Lakme Avenue to pick up some of our stuff we left behind in storage on the first go-round … it’s amazing the things you just don’t miss.
We worked our way to The Valley to spend time with La Familia (yay “Roma”) … the first stop – my aunt and uncles. She had prepared a feast for lunch, even after telling my uncle please not to have her prepare anything, but Cubana women are equal to Jewish women when it comes to food. They’re not happy unless they see you with a fork or spoon filled with food on its way to your mouth. Tía, after all, made me one of my favorite dishes……bacalao a la Byscaina. I had to at least give a taste and then another taste and then … it was pure yummy-ness.
Afterward was a visit to my nephews and the boys and my sister. Shocking how much they’ve grown in the past five months and how much cuter they’ve gotten. Call me kennel blind, but did I mention how adorable they are! The first thing David noticed when we walked in was their new wall-sized tv – he has always had tv envy when we visit. He asked about what happened with the old tv….Susie responded that the kids were to blame … she found the “old” tv smashed – boom 💥 struck by a rock……boys will be boys. Told David not to get any ideas about the way to go about getting an even bigger TV.
We had a lovely day with the family … returning late to our ultimate hostess, Eileen. She truly makes you feel at HOME … mi casa es su casa.
Did you happen to catch the super moon earlier this the week? Stunningly beautiful.
This was a very quick visit, so our time was at a premium, so for those dear friends that are reading this and we missed you, we promise to catch up on our next visit.
The Envelope Please………..
