(a break for the New England trip)
…she was having None Of It. All in good time. It’s something to imagine though, what it would be like to all of a sudden find your feet in shoes. Pretty shocking I’d guess. What was it like for Darryl and Cynthia? No remembering for me without a picture!
November 17
Dale is done, finito, sayonara, Retiring! Many thanks to Barbara for inviting me to the farewell party with all the girls from way back when. Mazel Tov Dale! If you enjoy yourself 1/3 as much as I have been you’re gon’na be one happy camper.
November 16
Hearst Castle! Depending on traffic and your style of driving, but for me, it was 5 hours from SF to San Simeon, and 5 hours from San Simeon to LA, SF-San Simeon being the more scenic leg. So I’m thinking it’s not a one-nighter round-trip from either SF or LA. I could have used another night, to mess around in Cambria, enjoy the beach, and stop more along the way. Another night and you’d be havin’ some fun.
So, you follow the sign off HWY 1 to Hearst Castle and arrive at a big parking lot where there is a relatively new ticket center (new to me yet already under refurbishment) where you get the bus to go up for your tour. You do have to buy a tour. They have food there, a big gift shop, and the movie theater.
You’ve seen Citizen Kane and you know the basic concept although throughout the tour you ‘learn’ about the differences and enough gossip to fill a 3 inch fan mag.
By this time all the members of our tour group had cozied up real nice, the guide contributing significantly to the genial feelings. I was setting up this shot in one of the tower bedrooms and one of my new best friends hopped in. Cuter!
The best part of the not at all very good movie, that you can see in the Visitor’s Center, was the nice collection of old home movies. You could see notorious celebrities in ‘real life’ actually using these fabulous rooms.
Mr Hearst, gazing to the horizon, from the film at the Visitor’s Center.
It is fun when you get a good guide because the stories just go on and on. The film has none of the juicy parts. Go for the tours and you will be entertained.
Spirit Way Healing Center
From the left – Claire Lanyado, Desda Zuckerman, Dr. Kirsten Perkins.
November 15
Bob and Desda, thanks for the visit and all your generous hospitality!
I decided to take a detour on the way home, like about another 8 hours in the car, to go down HWY 1 and stop in San Simeon.
I’m always telling people to go to Hearst Castle, about how much fun it is, and yet not having been there in a generation I thought to check it out.
…and it was stop stop stop as there are fabulous turnouts every mile or so. HWY 1 is indeed a fabulous thing and I shouldn’t let so much time go by between visits.
Then I got to enjoy 2 hours of switch-backs and hairpin turns. In total darkness. At least I wasn’t obsessed with driving off a cliff since it was all about hugging the center divider line with the glow-y reflectors.
November 14
Looking out Bob and Desda’s front door. Imagine this great old house in the middle of a generous plot of land extending in all directions from the house with a design sensibility as warm and genuine as this view. Very cool.
Desda and I spent the day traveling up and down the Napa Valley in search of a perfect place to hold a group event and we think we’ve got just the ticket. There is one little wrinkle with the timing which only brings into focus the perfection of all the rest of it.
November 13
Heading out in the morning this is leaving the San Fernando Valley and it looks pretty promising out there. I’m taking 99 and plan to stop regularly along the way but…
…and then there is This. No chance to stop for the windmill farm or any other viewing opportunity. The radio says it should clear up tomorrow and I’m reeeealy hoping that’s true!
November 12
I’m off to Napa tomorrow. Oh boy Oh boy.
Thanks for the party tonight Nancy! Everyone had a great time what with all the chatting, and the eating and drinking and making merry. How swell to see Ellen and Bill again and how swell for them that you brought all their old acquaintances together. Hurray Nancy.
November 11
Brigitte and I are in town at the same time and Knut is traveling so it’s time to get together quick! This is their lovely living room, and I was fooling around with steadying the camera on the counter for a picture.
I got to particularly enjoy Brigitte’s photos from her recent vacation including Rome, where I have never been and neeed to see, and The Pyramids(!) where I have also never been but first I neeed to see Rome.
Then we joined Sharon and Nancy for dinner on the Promenade.
Here is another goofy promotional bit like last weekend when all the Star Wars crowd was out. This gang was trying to get you to buy a Nissan Sentra but mostly they had this wild screen thing that I have no explanation for but all the kids, and we, were enjoying the heck out of it.
And then they take you upstairs where they are showing a quilt display from current local artists.
Aww, kitty kitty. The quilts are mostly quite big and these two pictures are just clips from a small section of each.
I liked this one because she has my hair.
Most of the quilts were representational, without any of the classic patchwork quilt designs. It’s fun to see and virtually free – 3 bucks for seniors and don’t forget, we all look old to them.
November 9
We had some fun today! That’s Hana, Sharon, and Satomi at the World Cafe where we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the patio.
For my ‘Thursday Afternoon with Hana in Japanese’ we all went out and Sharon was kind and generous to let me practice some of my gaijin Japanese and then wait patiently for a translation. I had Lots of fun!
After lunch we went to the California Heritage Museum on Main Street in Santa Monica. The Museum is setup in an original and historic house from the early days of Santa Monica. It’s a very small-scale operation but still big fun.
First they take you on a quick little tour of the downstairs (living room, dining room, kitchen) where at this time there is a nice collection of tiles from the 20s and 30s.
November 8
Rome! Light! She just loooves to mess with the lights and can you think of a child who didn’t?
Sweet baby girl has an ear infection, she’s blowing snot bubbles, and she’s cutting a tooth. But a nice light switch is always distracting.
There’s this place on 2nd Street off Wilshire where you can go and get 40 minutes on one of these massage beds and I’m here to tell you it is Faaabulous. True, I’ve only been once but get this – it’s Free. They do ramble on a bit about the benefits and yes it is for sale, but wow, what a treat.
You can click here for the Ceragem website to see if there is a place near you. You’ll thank me.
November 5
This is where I live. There was a big Star Wars promotion on the Promenade today. The sky was blue, with puffy white clouds. The sea was blue, with white-sailed boats skimming the horizon. May the force be with you.
Where are all the good movies?! It supposed to be good movie season and yet it’s hard to find something out now to want to see once you’ve seen Little Miss Sunshine and The Queen.
November 3
This is a little scary…the inside of the Disney Hall. That sea-creature-y looking thing is the organ and the orchestra sits in front of those seats. It’s a theater-in-the-round. Please don’t let this discourage you.
The Disney Hall at night. Go There! I had not been to a concert yet but then Nancy’s friend Muriel got half price tickets off the internet and we all went.
The sound inside that place is as a-ma-zing as they all say. Wow. Our seats were up in the sky and it was still great. Then at half-time I led the parade (‘com’on, no problem, let’s just look’) down to the Really amazing seats and for the violin concerto we sat nine rows up in direct sightline of the soloist and the conductor. They and the entire orchestra surrounded Me and they were playing just for Me. It was a knock-out.
Then Nancy, the designated driver, bought us drinks at Patina and we chatted enthusiastically about this wonderful experience. Like grown-ups. Out past 10pm.
This is from Halloween when Louise my ex-nextdoor-neighbor still living in Northridge invites some other ex-neighbors over for hors d’oeuvres and champagne, trick-or-treaters, candy, and gossip. It’s fun!
Ljubica, Sheryl, Marija, Judy, Louise
November 1
It’s Wednesday! Every night after Rome’s bath she runs around the house with her push-toy and xo follows in hot pursuit licking her face at every turn sending Rome into peals of hysterical laughter. It is so funny!
November 2
Hi Robert! Robert took me out to lunch at Phillipe’s and on a tour of his office downtown right next door to Union Station. I’m so happy for Robert. He’s got a wonderful job in a perfect location running Systems and Operations for L.A.U.P., his house that he built himself is finished and perfect, his wife and the kids (all Three of them) are healthy and doing well – you go Robert!
Check him out at Robert’s Pagina. Too cool. Robert took all of my Retirement Party photos and here’s a photo of Robert and his family. Aren’t they wonderful?!
…I hadn’t seen a picture of the Sugimotos for maybe 20 years! Of course Hiro asked after Cynthia and I sent them a couple shots from back-then and this picture. Here is what Hiro said:
“And thank you for the old pictures, those days were still fresh in my memory. But I can not relate baby Cynthia with the lady Cynthia in the picture. To me and Kumi, Rome looks like Cynthia. So, it’s almost like Cynthia holds Cynthia.”
Wow! Here’s a Story! I know it’s an old story, about when Cynthia was a baby, every work-day I took her to the home of one of my colleagues, Hiro. Hiro’s wife Kumi took care of Cynthia and their own daughter Sachiko. It seems Kumi really really wanted to teach Cynthia her first word and make a nice surprise for me.
So one evening when I came to get Cynthia, there she was standing up against the coffee table (she was not yet one) and she threw both arms straight up high into the air and called out ‘Banzai!’ Sooo cute! (So smart! So advanced for her age!)
Hiro and Kumi are living in Japan now. In the photo Sachi (the name she goes by) is standing to Hiro’s right. She is living in New Haven and will marry Rich, the man at her right, in December. To Kumi’s left is their son Go and his girlfriend Vivian who are living in UK.
October 30
Since Ruth’s birthday is in fact on Halloween night she always gets Maxine’s Halloween extravaganza for her birthday. BOO!
October 28 and 29
I’m out with the cousins again and this time we buzzed up to Santa Barbara for a quick overnighter.
The walks through the Botanical Gardens are easy-easy and very lovely.
We had lunch on State Street where it was a Halloween Happening, the streets filled with dressed-up kids and all the merchants offering treats to the trick or treaters (and me, who ate a goodly share of peanut butter cups and Baby Ruths.)
I bought a pair of pants and some flips! Then we drove home, and a grand time was had by all.
We buzzed by the Mission and then visited the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden.
This willow house has been up for about a year and a half now and is a featured highlight of any visit. It looks like just a shell from a distance but is actually made of many connecting rooms.
We tried to take a tour but the guide was so wigged out we were worried for her well being and decided to move on, leaving her with a smaller group.
The art show along the highway was on and the skate park was active. What a location. Wow on Santa Barbara.
We had breakfast at Sambo’s and then walked over to the Sunday morning war memorial put up by volunteers every week.
Good Morning! It’s the 29th here at the Motel 6. Maybe you can buy this bedspread on the internet? It’s a classic.
After the zoo we went to the Santa Barbara Museum. It was also a pretty small-scale operation. I don’t think they are in possession of The Great Works but they do a nice job presenting what they do have.
I especially liked a section they did of nudes with statues and many styles of work on paper all collected against one wall. I don’t think you could face that wall and not smile.
We stopped in at our Motel 6 to drop off our stuff and to scarf on the picnic Sharon brought.
Then we went to the Santa Barbara Zoo which was totally delightful. This is maybe as good as a zoo could get. The enclosures are wonderfully done and the setting is quite gorgeous.
We saw this! It was our favorite thing! I stole the photo off the internet, but it looked just like this, really!
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At lunchtime I met old work friends at a Beverly Hills Italian place I always enjoyed and hadn’t been to in two years.
And early in the morning…
October 27
What a great day! Lastly I went with Ben and Bonnie and Jeanne to their temple for Friday night services and then we went out to dinner.
They were all very surprised by the service since it was packed with rare events – a baby naming ceremony, a naming ceremony for an 8 year old who had not previously received his Jewish name, and then rarest of all there was a double conversion ceremony.
Bubble Time at Gymboree! We had two of the cutest ever Minnie Mouse girls.
d.
Angela in her Halloween orange socks and Rome in her turtle costume. (ps Rome was totally not crazy about the goggly eyed hood so I didn’t get a shot with the full effect.)
Sunset from the pier where we enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour. So nice, after which we stuffed ourselves beyond all reason at La Super Rica, with freshly made tortillas and huge quantities of goopy cheese dripping off every dish.
Then a little tv and nighty-night.
It’s Gymboree! Here come Rome and her friend Nora and all the other kidlets. You can see the guy in the back dressed up like a McShake who is leading the group with his own toddler-sized doll.
There’s a lot of free play and also two or three times they gather for some quick and lively activities. Fun for sure! Since it was Halloween-costume-day many adults showed up for the fabulous PhotoPhoto op.
Gymboree! If you’re thinking to yourself ‘ahh so cute, hmm, I wonder if there are ten thousand more pictures of those adorable children?’ the answer would be, why, yes, there are.
We were all taking pictures because I got plenty of deeelightful turns with Rome – d=Darryl, a=Angela.
October 26
My next door neighbor. And you had trouble with your kitchen remodel? She has been at this construction project for more than a year.
Last month she fired her general contractor and hired another one. And the first thing the new crowd is doing? Un-installing the windows and doors. I don’t know what else will be undone. Pity! The new contractor said she’d be moved in by mid-March. The Ides of March. We’ll see. I hope so.
October 24
We finally got to celebrate Bill’s birthday. Week after week after week one of us was always out of town.
It was a great party. For a few hours we just laughed our heads off. Our little waitress-cutie was so into the ‘Birthday’ Game we voted to include her in the pictures.
They carry their flag on their Big Adventures and then bring the flag back for hanging at the clubhouse. I don’t know what makes an adventure big enough to warrant a flag but maybe it’s just a personal thing.
The program was really very entertaining. There was a speaker from JPL talking about comets (an enthusiastic professional), a guy from Lockheed-Martin talking about testing jets (not too well prepared but the crowd loved the topic), a woman who had done a survey of all the statues on Easter Island (knowledgeable presentation but a little flat on the charisma scale), and a guy who talked about Polynesian sailing (had done his slideshow many a time). It was good. I’d go again.
The invitation specified the dress code as black-tie, military uniform, or ethnic costumes for gentlemen (cocktail dresses for the ladies.) That Masai warrior knocking back a Heineken cracked me up.
…O!M!G! it’s my old friend Yosh! And his new wife Ledonna! It’s been maybe 6 years since I’ve seen Yosh (who became Yosh 15 or so years ago prior to which he went by a different name.) Wow.
Ledonna is part of a women’s group of adventure travelers and she just got back from climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. Really. Yosh didn’t go.
October 22
An evening out at the Adventurers Club gala. This is a men only group who once every few months have a Ladies Night at their weekly meetings. This is the once-a-year Big Event. I got all dressed up in my cruise-wear finery and it was a kick in the pants for sure. It was actually both fun and interesting.
Here’s Margaret who invited me and Steve who invited her and who treated us both.
I’ll add photos of the event tomorrow but I had to get these two done Becaaause…
October 22
Here we are, lunch at Mel’s Diner. Rome was happy enough with her lunch but what she reeeeally wanted was to play with her down-the-bench neighbor. So neighbor, thanks for the good cheer. Here they are doing that cute-as-pie Sistine Chapel thing. Awww.
(t-J, f-W, s-S-S-M)
October 17
Trevor and Beth and the kids were in Europe visiting friends in Belgium and Lucas and Betsy in Germany. On coming home they were delayed in London for a day due to fog which brought them to LA just in time for all the flights to Honolulu to be cancelled due to the earthquake.
So, much to the delight of my sister and brother-in-law, they got to have the family around for a couple days until they could get another flight. And then that flight was delayed. Can you imagine? Five people keeping up good spirits spending 4 days trying to get home!
We are here making the Mommy-Motion. She is the center of the universe and we merely rotate in her orbit.
October 15
Nancy Artz made a delightful Autumn brunch in celebration of one entire smoke-free month. Hurray for Nancy! Clapping and Cheers!
From the top: me, Nancy D, Sharon, Sandy, Lisa, Nancy A.
October 14
We’re back from Sequoia tonight, and now I am going to Bed. It was great fun and I’ll be finishing up on the pictures and story tomorrow.
The lodge did have a wireless connection but the rooms were some distance away and we were just tooo busy to take advantage of it!
All done – click here for our trip to Sequoia!
October 11
Tomorrow I leave, and if because of connection issues I can’t get Sequoia pictures posted I’ll be very sorry!
Today is Rome day! Hi Sweetie!! Let’s get cleaned-up and refreshed from nap-time…
Rome is a real snuggle bear these days and two of her particular favorites are the frog princess, and Raggedy Ann from Roger and Sandy.
Hug hug kiss kiss. She hugs her people too and that’s enough to take out your knees.
Is this not a purposeful expression and posture. She is about to issue an important proclamation. We will accept.
ps That little guitar plays tunes from Sesame Street. Ohhh Mannn. I got to watch Seasame Street again. I am far too lucky.
There’s a small tasty cookie in her hand. And whatever she has to eat she always shares equally with xo.
October 9
From Angela. Oh Yeah! I’ll catch a few dozen pictures on Wednesday so we can all have a catch-up on Rome’s very very soon to be toddling self.
(For the book: s&n, mvv etc., vgirls, a&c, mom, w)
a.
October 8
What’s next? Sequoia on Thursday! So until then I should get busy and unpack from Seattle, get the mail, take out the trash, see my mom and Rome, and etc and etc. To start I should probably get up and get dressed.
from www.NPS.com ‘Moon over Moro Rock.’
Following are 3 random shots of Lona and Hartley’s Six Little Houses in Venice just off Abbot Kinney.
This yellow one will be vacant in a few days so I did up an ad for them on Craigslist. The flood of applicants convinced them they had gone waaay to low on the rent.
Lona and Hartley are much better landlords than I am. They want their tenants to tell them any house problem so they can fix it properly. I hope my two lovely ladies will just deal.
Built in 1914. Phew.
They’ve kept the houses the same colors as when they bought them. It took months of serious work and money to get them all spiffed up to L&H standards but it turned out to be a great investment.
October 7
Click here for Seattle! f.u.n. where I spent the last of September and the beginning of October.
We did a sightseeing drive around Queen Ann Hill and pulled off for this photo-op. They are tall, lithe, and blond. I am short, stubby, and grey. Too bad, I simply could not pull off a pass as the third cousin.
‘Uh Oh Uh Oh Granny’s got her camera. Time to play.’
Gotta catch some Rome before I leave. When I get back she’ll probably be ready to go out for her first half-marathon.
‘I’ll just stand here a minute. Hmmm, these pants, I think I recognize them…’
I see you.
When we got back we watched a taped episode of Sesame Street. Oh good-y good-y!! Sesame Street is the best most wonderful delightful intelligent program ever made for TV and that’s a fact. It makes me laugh, it makes me dance, it makes me clap and cheer. From Darryl through Cynthia, right up into Rome, Sesame Street ROCKS. (The main subject of today’s show was ‘hair’ as in Rapunzel and ‘does a mailbox have hair?’ and it was brought to us by the letter R and by the number 8.)
Oddly, it seems I need a kid around to fully give myself over to the joy that is Sesame Street. So grab yourself a kid and catch some Sesame Street. You’re gonna love it.
September 27
I stole this off the internet. Tomorrow! Seattle! Bon Voyage to me!! So today I’m awake before the birds puttering around here shuffling papers and making lists.
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The Bird Spa and Resort in Culver City. Located in Knut and Brigitte’s back garden and a favorite luxury of the neighborhood birds – and raccoons and opossums and etc. Pull up a chair and Enjoy!
Thanks for the photo Brigitte, and thanks for the lunch!
BB.
September 25
Monday Monday. And Happy Birthday Lourdes! Lourdes is in fact the youngest which she does remind us of from time to time. And I guess when you’re the youngest you should always feel young. Forever Young, Lourdes.
September 26
Look what Rome sent to say thanks for helping with her birthday parties. Is this not the very sweetest thing you ever heard of?
ND saw this picture and sent me an email: ‘Man, that kid has good taste and a big allowance.’
(I’ll try for another pic tomorrow when there’s more light!)
September 24
Spud and Kathy stopped by on their way home to Phoenix from San Diego. Yeah! Thanks so much for taking the time to have a meal with us. Also in this photo is Windy’s presumptive boyfriend Jeff.
Windy, Jeff, Flor, me, Lona, Hartley, Spud, Kathy, and Mom of course around whom we merely orbit.
Our Delightful Waiter took the shot. Thanks Sergio.
September 23
Happy Birthday to Rome Again! Granny, Aunt Cynthia, the Birthday Girl herself, and Great Aunt Windy. Thanks for the photo Sandy.
sc.
Here are a couple of pictures from Brigitte that are so cool. That’s the opossum in her grape vines. After harvesting 10 giant cans of grapes the opossum is gone and the raccoon is terribly disappointed.
I must take a photo of the fountain over there in Knut and Brigitte’s garden. I rather lust after that fountain, but it’s not just the fountain. You also need the exact viewing location to appreciate it.
BB.
Later I’ll put this in with the JPL section. This is a scale model of the Cassini spacecraft. Those people are made of cardboard and are there for scale.
You need to click here for the Cassini Mission home page. There are very very cool pictures there.
BB.
A Mommy And Me Happy Birthday Snack Table. Yummy cupcakes made by the Moms of the Birthday Girls and many other tasty bits, favorites of the kidlets. (The little quiches weren’t out yet.)
The regular participants of this gathering are kids born within about a month of each other. Can you imagine all the birthday parties?!
Yes! It is possible!
standing: Susie with Ellie, Katie with Nora, Angela with Rome, and Tracy with Aidan
seated: Emily with Zoe, Tracy with Lucas, Charlean with Sydne, and Holly with Carter
