’24 June

Between Friday and Saturday we probably did 8-10 different activities, so many I’ve lost track but here are some pictures.

Alex took me for a Whaler boat ride around the marina and out to the Queen Mary. The picture above is me just goofing around in post, and below, us.

We went over to the Long Beach Art Museum and ate at the café, Claire’s. The sculpture below is called Structure and Flow created by Claire Falkenstein. The water wasn’t flowing in the structure so unfortunately you can’t get the real feel of the piece.

The food was very good, and we met up with a couple of A&C’s friends. As you can see I was having trouble with the edge of a pano.

The museum was having a Keith Haring show, not entirely comprehensive it seemed but the museum is small.

Some small-scale cutouts showing Haring’s contribution to Luna Luna. You could have seen all of the works of the amusement park that had been restored, in LA for several months, but they packed it all up getting ready for the next city. Here is my visit to Luna Luna!

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Long Beach has a few neighborhoods full of these awesome Craftsman houses.

Next we went to Naples Island where we would spend the night at Kevin’s house while A&C watch the dog in Kevin’s absence. That’s Kevin there on the left and Tim on the right from a picture off the internet. Tim passed away just a few months ago and it’s been a sorrowful time for Kevin and their legion of friends and relatives.

One of my favorite features of the Naples house.

Out for a walk in the morning and then home sweet home (and a nap!).

Under the table.

Michi was in Santa Barbara, visiting from her home in Mexico, so I drove up to have lunch with her and Nancy. It was great to be together again, to share some stories, and to be amazed. Michi just had her 80th birthday, Nancy was 80 in December, and then me, the kid at 77. GO US!

After lunch I went with Michi to Teddy’s house, where Michi is staying. Here is Teddy’s cat. Teddy’s cat is not so sure about this.

Our Monday lunch, when everyone is available we are eight. Four is comfy, six is normal, eight is ‘wow, everyone’s here’.

I just noticed the “new” El Pollo Loco logo, released in March 2018(!)! Have I been missing it all these years, or was there a mighty slow roll out?

Marsha and I had a nice Happy Hour dinner at Misfits.

But first we went to see the charming and delightful Thelma.

Thanks to Ken and Susie, I got to take Windy to the latest play at the Geffen. I enjoyed it, a little dramatic, a serious theme, with a touch of humor. And check out those fabulous seats.

We got to the theater early, early enough to get a nice spot on the handsome and comfortable people-watching patio available at the Geffen.

It’s Summer! We went to lunch and then saw Fall Guy which was delightful, and then of course, our favorite, Yogurtland.

I didn’t take any pictures this visit but here’s one from 2008!

L&E recently took a river cruise that they couldn’t recommend more highly. There are a lot of interesting features – all inclusive, a French dining room with only fixed menus, good opportunities in port, and at a surprisingly reasonable price. Here’s the Croisi website.

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Cynthia sent me a huge box full of my favorite deli treats, breakfast, lunch, and dinner including the very best chocolate custard eclair EVER.

And these gorgeous flowers too!

Windy and I enjoyed a long afternoon at one of the great luxuries, a Korean Spa. We tried a new one with some + and -. They didn’t have as many pools as others but the rooms were amazing. I loved their clay balls, and the ice room, they also had the basic steam room, salt room, magnet room, oxygen room, and we got the scrub and massage. It was great!

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My spirit guide, Pepita, the Alebrije from Coco.

Thanks you guys! Muriel gave me one of her special art cards and Jo and Alan made the card with the faces drawn by a grandchild and wrote a poem so sweet it made me blush.

République is one of those LA icons that remains a joy all these years later. Pictures and quote from their website: “originally erected in 1929 by Charlie Chaplin, and later transformed into the iconic La Brea Bakery and Campanile Restaurant. République builds on this storied past, offering a gastronomic environment imbued with history and grandeur.” The breakfast/brunch/lunch/bakery is still getting rave reviews although some have said that dinner is slipping. I don’t know, never having had dinner there.

I’m going to keep trying to improve selfie-world!

Picture above is in one of the three handsomely tiled bathrooms at the Marion Davis house at the Annenberg Community Beach Center. The whole complex is lovely. The gorgeous pool is open to the public, the kids’ playground is a favorite as is the beach in front of the complex, and you can tour the house for free.

Below is a picture of the house that I got off the internet.

A cool decorated alcove in the house.

We ate at the cafe there, Back on the Beach, toes in the sand, and then had a walk at the shore. Unfortunately the tar globs were coming in strong so we cut our walk short. I looked up about the tar, is there a way to predict when it’s better and when it’s worse and the answer is no, there is not. Of course if there’s been an oil spill it will be worse, but it is also a natural phenomenon, there is oil here that often seeps up into the ocean, which is why there is so much interest in drilling off-shore.

Reception at Back on the Beach. It’s good to make a reservation especially any weekend and anytime in the summer. We got to enjoy June gloom, my personal favorite time at the beach.

And then we stopped by Huckleberry for a Happy Birthday Sweet Treat (thank you Susie for the Whole Day!). We got a blueberry-cornmeal cake that was so delicious. I have simply got to figure out why my pictures of food never look that appetizing, interesting maybe, but they’re missing that unctuous Eat Me quality. I’ll ask google, and then I’ll ask ChatGPT, and I’ll report back!

This was the last show of the run so we stuck around to catch the cast photo.

Welcome to Duran DurAn-thony and Cleopatra. From their website: “PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ME NOW! Are you feeling HUNGRY LIKE THE WOLF for one of Shakespeare’s most NOTORIOUS tragedies, Antony & Cleopatra — combined with the music of 80’s WILD BOYS, Duran Duran? Watch the Troubies COME UNDONE as they tell the twisted tale of love, lust, and sharp objects where the RIO GRANDE becomes the Nile in Troubadour Theater Company’s Duran DurAntony & Cleopatra!”

I’ll just say that this cast, every character and every lyric, is a Laugh Riot. They’ve done many shows like this, each a Laugh Riot. Really, you can’t miss. Here’s the website for troubie.com. You can click around in there, see if there’s anything coming up.

Rick and Jim had extra tickets from a drop-out and said I could invite anyone at all. So I asked Kelly and Chris because, unlike people ..my.. age, they know the songs and grew up with the band. Oh they were So Happy and l.o.v.e.d the show.

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Ingalill’s photo below – we had some dinner before the show. I made it from Descanso to The Colony Theater in perfect time. It’s so cool when the magic works.

Lilly, Liz, Darryl, Angela, Gary, me (Rome was working)

We gathered for a yummy lunch and then made our way over to Desconso Gardens to enjoy a few hours of visiting and big trees!, steep paths!, and water features!.

Big Trees!

Steep Paths!

Water Features!

Lil had fun making these “.5 pictures”.

Lil taught me how to make “.5 pictures”, not as obvious as it would seem. I still need some practice!

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Liz took this gorgeous shot. Thanks!

From Lilly: left to right; bottom to top
roxie, audrey, arya, lilja, allison, sophie, me, amandine, olivia, violet, stella

Lilly and friends gather at the beach, twice already, on the first few days of summer. There they are, freshmen in high school, enjoying a beach party without a parent in sight. Don’t we all remember when we first went to the beach without any adults? Oh yes, a red letter day.

A few things I’ve done in recent days.

More plants from Ann’s yard that I’ve always liked.

This time of year and in the late afternoon, when I walk up to Wilshire, which I do often, this plant winks at me.

I took Lilly skating again, first lunch of course, then boba, then skating, and I joined in for like 5 minutes at the end. All the little kids had left and the woman at the counter gave me the skates (I think she knew I wasn’t going to last long!). Lilly took a really cute video of me but I couldn’t get any stills out of it. I had Fun and I would do it again. Maybe I’d last twice as long.. BUT.. you know, NO FALLING!

When I walk with Kathleen, my neighbor who is still recovering from a fall, we go around the various paths at the hospital at the end of the street. I think you can smell those jasmine just by looking.

Mystery solved. What has gone wrong with my water bill? Ah, this, a drip in one of the water heaters. It’s probably cost me a hundred dollars already. So Lona and Trevor’s new contractor came over and I showed him my whole property to-do list. Please cross your fingers for me that he proves to be My Guy. “Talkin’ ’bout my guyyy.”

I went with Jo Ann on my favorite walk at Palisades Park. My dino, in her full-dress. Then we went to a new Happy Hour, at Forma on Montana, and we ate so well, it was a total treat. Not a bargain mind you, but very satisfying.

Rome is a sleep-away camp counselor for the next two months at Camp Bob Waldorf located in the foothills of Glendale. From what I know now they’ll have twelve 7-8-9 year olds with two more counselors in the cabin. There’s a ton of activities, a gorgeous pool, a dining hall, archery, crafts, a climbing tower, etc etc, if you’ve ever been to sleep-away camp then you know.

Look at all these amazing trees. It seems I got stuck on the trees and didn’t take much of any other pictures.

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Covering the dining hall, each session gets an arrowhead with the campers names etched in. It’s impressive.

“Come on, come up here.” But nope, we declined.

Lovely spot for a rest, just up from the pond and the brook.

This was the Monday in June when all the Monday Ladies were available to celebrate the June birthdays – mine and Ann’s. It was a delightful time for US, rude cards and cold cash, just the way we do.

Thank you ladies, and special thanks to Becky for hosting and for making my favorite of her always delicious desserts!

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When I went to pick up Marija she had three of her five grandboys there. How Adorable!

I wasn’t going to get to go because each student got 3 tickets (mom-dad-sibling) but Lil was able to score an extra ticket from one of her friends so lucky me! I was going to be out there anyway for a celebratory lunch and getting to go to the ceremony was the cherry on top of the whipped cream on top of the sundae.

350 students were promoted, they called every name, the student came forward, received a scroll (that would later be exchanged for a diploma), shook hands with an administrator, turned for their photo, and then went back to their place. And they did this in less than one hour. One hour. First, they had all practiced. Second, they asked the guests to please hold their applause until the end so all the names could be heard. Third, there were two lines and every student was ready when their name was called.

These students were promoted into Redondo Union High School, where the ceremony took place. Redondo was having their graduation the next day out on the football field. How many graduates? Closer to 750. I don’t know how long that took.

Darryl’s picture, so perfect.

The picture from the pro.

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A few families went out together for dinner at this cool place, Hudson House, it was Fun!

Celebratory nails! conceived and executed by Lil herself.

Wow, right?!

Angela had these tattoos made with Rome’s image and CONGRATS ROME!! We were all so pleased and happy to wear them!

Setting the scene. They had cookies made with the school’s logo which was cool.

Each graduate chose a teacher to speak about them and then some of the graduates also spoke. Here’s Annie extolling Rome’s virtues of which there are so many, and then Rome spoke with clarity and affection. It was delightful.

Outside the ballroom of the Portofino Hotel.

Gary had his hair died purple because he wanted to make Rome laugh. Mission Accomplished.

Rome is graduating high school and Lilly is getting promoted out of middle school. Rome’s school had organized a get-together at a skating rink so we all went! But first, lunch, and then a little while at the arcade.

Check it OUT! 2016 – 2024. As totally adorable as Ever!!

And now, skating.

Lilly’s upcoming outfits – a shiny dress for the dance, and an outfit for ‘frat boy day’.