Daily Life 2013

January 31

Kelly loaned me all the episodes of Star Wars. All of them. I was thinking to see them in order 1-6 before the new one comes out.

I’m pretty sure I missed all of the first three and my feeling from the reviews is that they aren’t so great but my plan is to watch them anyway, to soak up the mythology. Let’s see if the magic works .. although I have had them for days now and not watched any.

January 30

The Texas gang, Y’All! Windy’s younger son Travis with birthday boy Jack, and then Lainee with Cali-May and Jack. Oh that Jack, growin’ like a weed, and the spitin’ image of his Daddy. And Lainee and Cali-May are going to pass for sisters.

tb/lb

I wrote recently how my mother was SO into her birthday. Then by coincidence she had a granddaughter born on her birthday (Charis Brown of the Hawaii Browns, and then a few years later (coincidence I ask?) she had a grandson born On Her Birthday (Jack Black of the Texas Blacks). How would she react? She was Not about to share Her birthday! We tried it once to an unfortunate outcome.

Important to note .. as much as she was dedicated to Her birthday she was equally dedicated to Your birthday. She devoted herself to each and every birthday with so much focus, so much intensity. Say anything you’d like her to make or to do and if it was for your birthday and within her power, it would be yours without question.

My To-Do List for today: birthday cards, yesterday’s pictures, post office, phone calls, start 2012 taxes, movie plans, nails, frame, clean the bathroom, haircut, smog check and registration. What I did today: not all that.

January 29

A pretty good year for movies, yes, but the best movie of the year? Moonrise Kingdom!

Lilly had all the girls in her pre-school class over for a playdate and they all played for a couple of hours on their own and in complete harmony. The five three-year-old girls were upstairs doing ‘whatever’ and the moms were downstairs visiting. Visiting!

When it was time to gather the girls to go home there was some question as to what it was exactly that they had soaked into their hair .. which turned out to be water…

Ella and Alyson; Jaya and Kari; Bailey and Susannah; Ella and Marisa; Lilly and Angela

Then I went with Carl on the Expo Line downtown where we had a delicious sushi dinner followed by…

…the Lakers, who WON. Several at the restaurant were chanting ‘three-peat three-peat’ in hopes that the Lakers could manage to win three games in a row, bad as they’ve been.

Now people are talking about ‘hey, we can, we can make it to the playoffs if we win 6 out of the next 7 games’. And not just Carl. I heard it on NPR too!

(Picture off the Jumbotron. Carl’s seats are dead center in the top flight which is a great full court view.)

January 28

Ken had rotator cuff surgery recently, a ‘massive tear’ according to his doctor, and we spent the afternoon doing chores, having lunch, and watching Les Mis on TV.

He’s wearing both those devices that you see here, on the same shoulder of course, and reports feeling fine which is very exciting.

Then I had Monday Potluck with the Valley Girls which is always a pleasure.

January 27

A weekend luncheon in honor of Happy Birthday Angela! The girls had us dress up in costumes. What fun! We ate yummy food that Angela herself prepared because, Darryl assured me, that was what she wanted to do, and laughed and played some fun games. YAY for another great year!

I’m up the stairs a few steps – what a great spot to get a picture.

January 26

I joined Ben and Bonnie at their Temple this morning, Temple Israel in Hollywood, for a service featuring the cantor “Don Tourliev “Danny” Maseng”, a total character with a write-up in Wikipedia.

Then we did Retirement Planning. They had finished a full year of expense tracking so we could make more realistic estimates for a budget and happy day they will not have to work for forEVER. Everyone was all smiles when I left.

January 25

At Umami Burger, a growing chain of $12-$16 designer burgers this one in the Fred Segal building in Santa Monica, with Hilda and Merlyn. It’s my first Umami Burger and dang tasty it was. We all got different kinds and it is worth noting how different each one was.

Then my little sister came over and I fixed us some dinner since Jeff is in Florida at a car show meaning Windy had some free time.

January 24 (Happy Birthday ANGELA!)

It’s been raining and Lilly got a new umbrella.

I met the gang for an early dinner at a vegan restaurant in Venice, a real…

…hipster joint as it turns out, where the staff and the PA system joined in a rousing and remarkably odd version of the Happy Birthday song.

January 23

Nancy has three grandsons and Sandy has two grandsons. So whenever pink and sparkly things come their way they think of me .. and Rome and Lilly who Love things that are pink or sparkly.

Thank you ladies!

Maintenance work to do in the little cottage. I fixed the broken toilet myself (wow is right) but I’ll need Edgar for all the rest.

The outlet plugs are loose, the window doesn’t close, the door is askew and the latch won’t hold, the handle fell off but the real problem is the door won’t close, the toilet flush didn’t flush which I fixed with a new handle and stick, the window sticks, the rod is sagging, the sink keeps dripping. Oh goodie.

January 22

It’s our Mother’s Birthday. She was always SO into her birthday. These are from 2005-2006-2007. Happy Birthday Mom .. We are singing!

January 21

I know, it is a little embarrassing…today on the great MLK Day when the radio is usually full of soulful and inspiring speeches, and when today we have the inauguration of our own fine orator, I went to see Django Unchained.

A little embarrassing but still…

January 20

Relatives from far away Australia!

Here’s the direct line not to mention sooo many siblings not included: My father had a brother Walter, Walter had a son Bill, Bill had a daughter Susan and this is Susan and her husband Michael and their four adorable and incredibly sweet children Madeleine, Linea, William, and Esther ages 21-19-17-15.

From Lona around ..Lona, Jerri, Susan, William, Windy, Jeff, (behind Jeff) Linea, Madeleine, Esther, then Hartley, Michael, Geraldine, Titi.

January 19

Home from my week in San Francisco where for nine days straight the sun was shining and the sky was blue. In January. That’s not a thing you can even hope will happen.

You can click on this San Francisco link for the whole story.

…and of course we had to do one of these.

A splendid view of the Observatory…

A plague of the urban gardener.

January 10

Susie and I took a serious hike today of the up up up variety. Up Up Up!

It was SO cool.

You can go here too.

I can not believe this true fact. I’ve never been on this trail before. That’s right, I’ve lived most of my 65 years right here, I’m out-and-about most days, and I’ve never been on this trail.

We loved it!

January 9

That’s me, Granny, Secret Reader. It’s so cute. At Lilly’s class they do this whenever they have a volunteer. The teacher gets all the kids to hide their eyes, then the Secret Reader comes in and sits in the teacher’s chair. Then the kids look up .. and some child will recognize the Secret Reader.

Lilly called out “It’s my GRANNY!” You could melt from the cute. Then you get to read a book to the kids. Talk about fun.

ak.

January 7

A view shot out the car window with my phone while totally stopped on the 405 attempting to travel into the valley for Monday Night Potluck dinner.

January 8

My tiny little house seems so much tinier when other people are in it… Bill and I were working on his retirement plan and then we ate a Big dinner at the sushi place across the street. Nice.

(missing: Proust group, breakfast w/Nancy, Ann’s, walk at the track w/Sharon, lunch at the Reel Inn)

January 5

Happy Birthday Celina and Ronald! A Double Birthday = Double Fun. We enjoyed a lovely evening and a very tasty meal at a relatively normal Italian restaurant in the Oh-So-Trendy Silverlake area where Ronald lives.

Check out Celina’s new haircut. We all really like it except Gideon who is a little not so sure. But you know, mom and all.

January 5

I spent the day with the girls while d&a had a post-anniversary anniversary celebration.

First, on the computer we found a park nearby we hadn’t visited before. Then Rome and Lilly made maps. We packed up a picnic and headed out. Following Rome’s map we found our destination.

On the walk a view opened up. Here we are in Redondo Beach with a view of downtown, Rome pointing out that we were looking at skyscrapers.

At the park as well as a HUGE space for dogs, they had baseball fields, soccer, open space, and two original beach buildings moved to this location in the ’80s and refurbished as museums.

The displays were small but very interesting and we all enjoyed being there.

I tried, entirely unsuccessfully, to get the buildings reflected in Marsha’s glasses.

Both my camera and myself (and my f3.5-5.6 lens) are too old to get these low light shots.

January 4

Happy Hour in the lounge at the Ritz-Carlton downtown, the one at LA Live. That’s the Hollywood sign in the distance.

The lounge is part of the Wolfgang Puck restaurant there, called WP-24, and I was amazed at how delicious the bar food was.

One half of the offering was sushi so that was a no-go since I was with Marsha after all, but here’s what we did have: Tempura Shrimp & Bacon Rolls, Chinese BBQ Spare Ribs, Tempura Green Beans, and Chinese Crystal Dumplings. Rich, surprising, and YUM.

We like it.

January 3

Lunch with my little sister at the El Torito by her work. We’re doing My Fitness Pal together and it’s fun and seriously effective. As long as we log our food, that’s all, just log it in, then we are *winners* ding ding ding.

A few more of other people’s holiday photos.

I went to Japanese class with Scott maybe 15 years ago. He wanted to learn Japanese because of Sanae. I don’t remember if they were married yet but here they are now, with a beautiful growing family.

I’m quite sure Scott is still studying Japanese. No matter how hard you try you’re never done.

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Nancy and her dearly beloved!

David, Molly, Nancy, and CHLOE

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All the Browns in Honolulu playing the game I sent them. The game is supposed to be competitive and fast paced – right up their alley!

Lona must have taken the shot since she’s missing.

January 2

Angela made this for their 8th anniversary on New Year’s Eve. Happily Ever After!

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These are all Rome’s pictures! She got Darryl’s old phone to use as a camera and she is rockin’ it.

Today we had a guest over for a play date and it was all good fun.

Lilly, Taylor

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I got this off Rosie’s facebook post. This is their first anniversary trip to the Big Island. I totally love this picture.

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