And Baby Makes Three

All good things must come to an end, and so came the last day of my fantastic weekend getaway to L.A. We managed to fit in one last excursion before I packed my bags and headed to the airport.

• 9:15-10:45 a.m. – Lindsay and I made our way to Venice Beach for a brisk morning walk. We parked a few blocks inland, then meandered through the canal walkways. It’s a beautiful area that I had never seen before. There’s a reason it’s called Venice Beach. Like Venice, Italy, this area has a series of canals, and they are bordered by beautiful homes. Most of the residents have a small dock and a canoe just outside of their front door. I took lots of pictures of this quaint, picturesque area (see below). Once we got to the boardwalk, the atmosphere changed quite drastically. The beautiful homes, waterways, and flowers were replaced by the strange characters that inhabit the Venice Beach ocean front area: body builders, homeless people, street musicians, vendors, people on stilts… There was a little of everything. My favorite aspect of this area is that there are colorful murals on the sides of the buildings (see pictures below). After we walked for awhile, it was time to head back to the apartment so I could prepare for my journey home.
• 12:30-1:30 p.m. – Lindsay dropped me off at the airport, and with no line, I made it through security in about five minutes. Unfortunately, I soon discovered that my flight had been delayed by about 30 minutes. This made me nervous, since I had already been facing only a 55 minute layover in Salt Lake City. With the delay, that would cut it down to 25 minutes. I entertained myself by drinking a latte and listening to the French conversation going on next to me between a cute little girl and her Papa.
• 1:40 Pacific time – 4:15 Mountain time – My flight eventually left LAX, and made up some time in the air. I read a bit and listened to music during the relatively short flight.
• 4:25-4:45 p.m. – Not knowing how far I had to go, I made a mad dash through the airport to go from Terminal B to Terminal C, gate 4, where my flight to DFW was departing. By the time I got there, it was already boarding, but I still had time to make a few phone calls. It was nice to not have to wait a long time at the gate.
• 5:00 mountain time – 8:20 p.m. central time – I really enjoyed this flight, milking this last little bit of my vacation for all it was worth. I read a good chunk of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (great book so far!), listened to music, and enjoyed one of those fun little snack boxes and some red wine. The combination of the wine and music was very enjoyable. I cranked up the volume and sailed away on tunes that included The Gabe Dixon Band, Imogen Heap, Jump Little Children, Offspring (okay, so they weren’t all mellow songs), Live, etc. My experience on the plane was so different this time from my last trip to L.A., when I was holding Benjamin in my lap the whole time and trying to keep him from screaming. It was so nice to just be for a few hours.
• 8:30-9:00 p.m. – My brother Patrick picked me up from the airport and drove me home. (Thanks, Pete!) I walked in the front door just in time to see Benjamin come out of the bathtub wrapped cozily in a towel. An exhausted Brad (by the way, he did a fantastic job taking care of Benjamin all weekend) handed the boy over to me, and I hugged him close. It was good to be home.

After Friday’s full slate of activities, Saturday’s theme was relaxation. Here’s how it all went:

• 8:00-9:30 a.m. – We all slept in and lazed around for awhile. It’s funny when three people in one apartment are all on Facebook together, on three separate computers.
• 9:45-11:15 a.m. – Lindsay and I drove to Santa Monica and had a late breakfast at the Omelette Parlor. She has seen Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer (stars of True Blood) there before, but this time the only excitement was when a groom arrived to greet his wedding party, and they rewarded him with an enthusiastic (and startling, for the rest of us!) round of applause. This restaurant now as the distinction of serving me the best bacon I’ve ever had. It was thick cut, and crispy, just the way I like it, with a lot of flavor. It came as part of my “two, two, and two” platter: two eggs, two strips of bacon, two pieces of French toast. I also enjoyed a latte in a big mug, and Lindsay had her favorite, a bowl of granola, fresh fruit, and yogurt.
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – We pampered ourselves with pedicures at Deluxe Nail Bar and Spa. My deluxe pedicure included a marine mask (see picture below of my blue legs wrapped in plastic wrap – looks weird, but felt great!), a ten minute leg and foot massage, plus the basics. I occasionally go for pedicures in Dallas, but it was so nice to relax for an hour during this pedicure, and then be able to carry that relaxation on out into the rest of the day, rather than having to rush home and jump right back into frenzied mom mode.
• 1:00-2:00 p.m. – We skipped lunch and went straight to dessert at Pinkberry, the very popular California yogurt chain. Similar to Yogurtville in Plano, Pinkberry serves yogurt with various fresh fruits and other toppings. It makes for a very pretty and tasty treat. I had the coconut yogurt with fresh mango, blueberries, and raspberries. I would definitely go back!
• 2:15-3:30 p.m. – It was a perfect day to be at the beach, and so we packed up some folding chairs, books, and water and headed to the sandy shores of the Pacific. We would have stayed longer, but didn’t want to get a sunburn. (Don’t worry, though, I applied plenty of sunscreen to protect my fair skin.) I hate to rub it in to all of you who were suffering through the Dallas heat and humidity at the time, but being at the beach was heavenly: it was in the low to mid 70s, breezy, perfectly blue sky… I actually got chilly at one point. It was nice to just stare out at the waves, listen to the sounds of the water and the seagulls, read a book, and chat with Lindsay. Ah…
• 4:00-10:00 p.m. – The rest of the day was spent relaxing at Sean and Lindsay’s apartment, except when we all went to dinner at an Italian place nearby. We all had pizza, which was very tasty. We were a little confused because although it was an Italian restaurant, all of the servers were either Hispanic or Asian, and there were several blatant errors on the menu, such as “chilly peppers” instead of “chile peppers.” It was nice to just hang out after a day in the sun.

Friday, June 26: Day Two of my getaway vacation. This was the day we had a lot planned to do, and we managed to fit it all in, and still have plenty of time to relax afterwards.

• 7:15 a.m. – Lindsay and I left her apartment bright and early, to make sure we would make it to WB Studios on time for our tour (we had reserved tickets). We didn’t have any major traffic, so it only took us like 45 minutes to get there.
• 8:20-10:30 a.m. – Since we arrived at Warner Bros. so early, we got on an earlier tour, which worked out nicely, since it gave us more flexibility the rest of the day. The studio tour was very fun and interesting. Being the tv buffs that we are, we strategically sat immediately behind our tour guide, as he drove us around the studio backlots and soundstages, so we could ask him plenty of questions and lobby for a peek at our favorite shows’ sets. We needn’t have worried, since the only time that anyone else on our tour (there were only like 8 of us) spoke up was when he asked if anyone is a fan of Two and a Half Men. One previously silent woman exuberantly yelled: “YES! YES! I LOVE that show!” And so, much to our chagrin, our guide led us to the Two and a Half Men soundstage. (In case you don’t know, our opinion is that this show is an example of the lowest form of comedy.) On the way into the soundstage, I attempted to persuade our guide to take us next door, where The Big Bang Theory is filmed, but he muttered something about it being under construction, and Lindsay and I had to settle for our least favorite of the studio’s shows instead. Not to worry, though. things picked up soon after, when we got a glimpse into the studios props department, which was full of elaborate furniture, strange statues, and anything else you could think of. Our guide also took us to a room that is an exact replica of the Central Perk set from Friends. They basically took everything from that set, including all the furniture, wall hangings, lamps, etc., and rebuilt the set. You really feel like you are in the Central Perk, and that was fun. Other highlights of the tour: driving past a swampy, jungle area and Merlotte’s bar (both filming locations for the HBO show True Blood), touring the remnants of the town of Stars Hollow (Gilmore Girls) – now being used for a new show called Eastwick, and browsing props and costumes from the Harry Potter movies at the studio museum. Also at the museum we saw Christian Bale and Heath Ledger’s Batman and Joker costumes, and several life-size wax replicas of Mr. Smith from The Matrix, which were used when filming the scenes where Neo battled all the Mr. Smiths at once. Our tour was an illuminating look into the behind the scenes workings and history of the studio.
• 11:00-11:10 a.m. – We made our way from WB Studios to the Hollywood area, specifically an outdoor shopping mall called The Grove. When we went to check on the movie times, we saw that Away We Go was playing at 11:15, which meant we had to make a quick decision of whether to see the movie and then eat lunch, or eat lunch and entertain ourselves for 3 hours until the 2:30 showing, which is when we’d originally planned to go. We wisely chose to see the movie at 11:15.
• 11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – As is usually the case with morning matinees, there were only about six people in the theater, and so we enjoyed our movie and buttered popcorn in an utterly distraction free environment. The movie stars Maya Rudolph and John Krasinski, who play a couple expecting their first child who take a cross country road trip in search of the perfect place to start their new life as parents. They travel everywhere from Phoenix to Montreal to Miami, and encounter some of the quirkiest characters you’ll ever see in a movie. It’s a bittersweet, but often hilarious movie about family dysfunction, parenting, and what makes a place “home.” It also has a great soundtrack!
• 1:15-2:30 p.m. – After the movie we wandered over to the adjacent Farmer’s Market, where after much deliberation, we chose a French crepe stand for lunch. We sat at the counter, where Lindsay enjoyed a panini and I had a crepe filled with cheddar cheese, avocado, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Right across from us was a pastry stand, which displayed scrumptious looking treats, but we resisted them. Next we walked through the market area, then back over to The Grove, where we leisurely browsed through the books at Barnes & Noble.
• 3:00-4:00 p.m. – Since we had walked off some of the calories from our lunch, we then drove to another area of town to Pane e Vino, an Italian restaurant known for its inviting, relaxing patio. We had a lovely experience eating dessert on the nearly empty patio. However, there was also some exciting celebrity spotting. As we walked in to find the hostess, we passed a table where an older black man was seated, and I immediately recognized him as Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer. What gave it away, you ask? Well, the tinted glasses, the large chain and medallion around his neck, and the shirt unbuttoned to his chest (not typical for most 76 year olds) were my first hints. He was there eating with what appeared to be his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson. When they left, Quincy was hand in hand with his grandson, who must have been about two years old and was very cute. Quincy was also wearing all black, perhaps because he’s in mourning over the death of his friend Michael Jackson. Anyway, I was glad that I spotted at least one celebrity on my trip. (My first celeb spotting in L.A. happened a couple of years ago, when I made eye contact with James Denton, the plumber from Desperate Housewives, as we passed each other at LAX.) Once Quincy and his family left the restaurant, we happily focused on our delicious desserts. Lindsay had caramel cream flan, and I had tiramasu and a cappuccino. I must say, it was the best tiramasu I’ve ever had. Pane e Vino really had great atmosphere, and on a day when the sky was blue and temps were in the low 70s, it was a perfect place to enjoy the afternoon.
• Before I move on, let me share some interesting facts that we learned about Quincy Jones, when we looked him up on Wikipedia after encountering him at the restaurant: his middle name is Delight, he produced Thriller, he produced and conducted “We Are the World,” he composed the musical score for the 1967 film In Cold Blood, and he’s never learned to drive. He’s a very interesting person with many accomplishments!
• 4:30-10:30 – General hanging out and relaxing at the apartment, followed by a dinner of baked potatoes. We rounded out the evening by watching the Liam Neeson movie Taken. I will reserve my full opinions of it for a post on Eclaire Fare, but let me just say that the movie’s first mistake was not only casting Maggie Grace (Shannon on Lost) as a 17 year old, but in making her character behave like a ten year old, which was very awkward. Despite this major flaw, the movie was entertaining and had an intriguing premise. It was a nice way to wind down from the busy day.

Now enjoy these pictures of our day:

For those of you who don’t know, I am currently on a four day trip to Los Angeles, where I am visiting my friend Lindsay. The most significant detail of this trip is that I am here without Brad or Benjamin. This is the first vacation I have gone on without Brad since we got married, and it is also the first time I have been away from Benjamin overnight. I am having a lovely, rejuvenating time so far on this girls’ weekend. Last month, I did a daily travel blog about our family vacation to L.A., so I will now do the same thing for my current adventures in sunny California.

To start things off, here is how the first day went:

• 1:00 p.m. – Brad and Benjamin dropped me off at the airport. Benjamin didn’t reach his arms out to me as I walked away from him; instead, he just waved and nonchalantly said “bye bye” as I rolled my luggage into the terminal. Hugging him goodbye was bittersweet for me, but once I saw that he wasn’t concerned about my departure, I contentedly strolled to security check, reveling in the realization that I wasn’t responsible for anyone other than myself for the next four days! (Color me giddy!!!) I think the woman who checked my driver’s license and ID wondered why I had a strange, jubilant expression on my face as I went through security. Let me just say that I have never been so excited to be hanging out at the airport, to have a layover, and to be flying for five hours!
• 1:30 p.m. – As I sat down at my gate with a book and a smile, I overheard the CNN report that Farrah Fawcett had died, which made me sad.
• 2:25 p.m. central time – 4:00 p.m. mountain time – The first leg of my journey took me from DFW to Salt Lake City. I sat next to a friendly grandfather type, and we chatted a bit about the state of women’s college basketball and other random subjects, and I listened to a few songs on Regina Spektor’s new album, but mostly I read. Oh, what a joy it was to sit and read, uninterrupted by a bored or mischievous toddler, for over two hours! I finished reading Dexter by Design, and then started The Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby.
• 4:10-5:10 p.m. – When I entered the terminal at Salt Lake City (after an uncomfortably bumpy descent and landing due to a storm in the area), I immediately noticed that everyone was  glued to CNN, which was playing on all the tv monitors. It is a strange feeling to deboard an airplane and wonder what major world event you have missed while flying through the sky. I soon learned that the event in this case was the shocking death of Michael Jackson. How weird, that at DFW the news was all about Farrah Fawcett, and in Salt Lake City, it was all about the King of Pop. So far, my visit to L.A. has included an almost constant soundtrack of MJ tunes, whether in the car, in Barnes and Noble, or on the local news. It is sad when anyone dies, but Jackson leaves behind quite an impressive musical legacy!
• 5:10 mountain time to 6:00 p.m. pacific – The last leg of the journey, from Salt Lake to L.A., was a shorter flight, just under two hours. I took advantage of the time to make a bigger dent in The Polysyllabic Spree. I am loving this book, which is a one year, month by month account of the books Hornby has bought and read. The style is very easy to read, as well as amusing and clever, and it makes me want to read everything from Charles Dickens to 20th century poetry to non-fiction books about the business of baseball. Hornby is a prolific and varied reader, and he inspires me to aspire to do the same. Easier said than done when I have a 16 month old waiting to hang out with me at home. I’d better get a head start on the flight back home!
• 6:10-6:30 p.m. – When I arrived at LAX and got off the plane, it’s as if I stepped into an abandoned airport (it really was reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Langoliers.) Other than an occasional lone security guard, it was just me and one other guy (seriously!) trying to follow ridiculously cryptic signs to the baggage claim area. I don’t know where all the other people went! Apparently, this other guy and I both made a wrong turn, because we ended up at what appeared to be the end of the world, also known as the United Airlines baggage claim area. I guess we missed the one tiny sign that would have pointed us toward the more direct route to the Delta area. Oh, well. The long way around provided me with a chance to stretch my legs after the cramped flights, and like a scene right out of a movie, Lindsay and I had to find each other on a loud, congested sidewalk, amidst a symphony of airplanes, shuttle buses, rolling luggage, cigarette smoke, and – no doubt – Michael Jackson tunes.
• 7:30 p.m.- After a quick stop at Lindsay and Sean’s apartment, we made our way to nearby Venice Beach, for dinner at The Terrace, a restaurant that is adjacent to the boardwalk and has ocean views. We sat on the patio and enjoyed our meal (I had an excellent sesame crusted Ahi tuna steak). Let me just say that the temperature was amazing. When I left Dallas it was in the upper 90s, and while we dined outdoors in Venice Beach, it was breezy with temps in the upper 60s.
• 9:00 p.m. – Back at the apartment, we watched the So You Think You Can Dance results show. Lindsay and I both blog about the show, so we sat on the sofa together, each typing away feverishly on our Macs. It was nice to be able to chat about the show live and in person, since the two hour time difference that usually separates us prevents timely discussion of any tv programming.
• 10:45 p.m. – It was somewhere around this time that I went to bed. I had a wonderful first day of my brief respite from the daily grind. I didn’t miss Benjamin and Brad too much, but instead enjoyed some peace and quiet, and hanging out with a friend without the hindrance of having to get home by a certain time.

I’ll leave you with the few pictures I took on Day One. I promise there will be more than this from Day Two!

Lindsay enjoys the view on the patio of The Terrace.

My delicious meal, which featured a sesame crusted Ahi tuna steak

Another view of The Terrace, this time after the sun went down. I liked the pretty paper lanterns.