LATE FOR A MEETING...RIGHT ON TIME FOR ADVENTURES!

After a limited night's sleep and bloated and swollen from too much corned beef the night before, I awoke Friday morning at the usual hour to what would not be the usual day.  I had to dress up, coffee up and make a 6:00 am bus.  Me, Her Highness and The Colleague...all of us goin' to San Diego and we had to make that bus on time....

...because today would include an adventure on...

A Bus - A Subway - A Train - A Trolley ...

...all to get to and return from a meeting in San Diego. Her Highness would visit the San Diego State University for the weekend...and all we get is the day.

Nevertheless, it would be an adventure!  We would make it an adventure!  And an adventure it was!

The day starts like this!

LATE!

The night before, Her Highness gave every argument not to take public transportation; first with reason then with the preposterous.  In her increasing frustration, I thought I sensed a silent threat to impede those transportation plans in hopes we would resort to taking the car.  Nevertheless, I knew that would never happen, and that sense quickly passed and I still had all the confidence that Her Highness and Me would be on time and on that bus at 6:00 am.  

The Colleague, though, I had to question.  And question I did.  She said she was willing to take the earliest train, and swore up-and-down and back-and-forth that she would make it on time.  I was doubtful. And that doubt was to become jinxed....for it was She who was on time and it was Us who were late.

Itinerary, Friday, March 18, 2011:

6:00 am     Bus departs

6:30 am     Red line to Union Station

6:55 am     Arrive Union Station

7:20 am     Depart for San Diego

10: 25 am  Arrive San Diego

10: 45 am  Blue Line San Diego Trolley to Old Town San Diego

11:00-3:30 Meeting

3:30 pm     Blue Line Trolley to the Amtrak

4:00 pm     Departure

6:35 pm     Arrival Union Station

Red Line then Orange Line then home.

San Diego weather:  Sunny with some clouds, temperature high 69F.

But sometimes things fall apart!

FRIDAY MORNING:

5:00 am  Alarm.  Get up.  Shower up.

5:10 Coffee starts brewing.  

5:15 I wake up Her Highness. She's all packed up ready to go. She just needs a shower.  I have no concern.

5:20  Go for the coffee.  Crap! 

The lid was askew so the water spilled out and filled up on top of the grounds and the water was trapped.

Off Schedule!  I had limited sleep so I'm tired...and I already want to go home.  Coffee is a must!  So it's clean up, make up and babysit one more pot of coffee. 

5:30  Coffee starts (again) brewing.  After poking and prodding, Her Highness stumbles and grumbles into the shower.

5:40  Coffee is brewed, poured and, at last, drinkable.

5:45  Tap on shower door to get Her Highness outta there.

5:50  Depart for bus.  We're just making it!

We arrive at the bus station, but this is the conversation just prior to parking the car:

"Mommy, I guess I'm going to have to buy a bus pass." 

"You don't have your pass?"

"No, it's in my wallet and I leave my wallet at home so I don't spend any money."

"I thought your bus pass was on your I.D."

"It is."

"You are supposed to have your ID for the train and the University.  We just talked about this yesterday."

"I guess I forgot."

I wonder: Is this a feeble attempt at trying to get us to drive rather than take public transportation?  Maybe!  But our plan will not be thwarted by a little girl!

So an 180 degree turn of the wheel, a quick call to The Colleague, a speedy drive to the house, a quick pick up of the wallet, and 2 buses passing later, we join The Colleague who is patiently waiting and sitting on a bus station bench.  And each and all three of us chant and throw our all and every thought into:

"Bus"

"Bus"

"Bus"

"Bus"....and lo and behold materializes a bus:  6:10 am.

Off Schedule!  But we still can make it.

We stumble off the bus, roll ourselves across the street and bounce down the escalators.   As we practically catapult ourselves off the escalator onto the platform, we see the next/last subway train leave.  We have another 7 minute wait.

Off Schedule!  We still have hope.

We arrive at Union Station 7 minutes plus 22 minutes later and quickly take stock of the station.  Where do they sell the tickets?  We walk briskly through the station looking for that ticket booth...it's down the hall, around the corner and through a line of 5 people, one of which is a crazy lady...she is up next.  Yet, it's 7:05...we think positively and throw our all and every thought into making it up to that booth, purchasing those tickets and boarding that train on time.

Now if it wasn't for a ticket-booth-personnel-ish-person going on her break, and a crazy lady who kept screaming, "you forced a single woman to sleep in the bushes overnight!", we may have had plenty of time to make that train. However, despite that, we still think, with putting our best efforts forward, we can still make that train.

After our IDs our handed back, I volunteer to stay behind to collect the tickets and instruct my travel mates to make a dash for that train.  I would catch up with them in just seconds.  As I make my way around the bend of the Station, I see Her Highness.  She's the front-runner with her suitcase trailing and flailing behind her. The Colleague is right behind Her lugging her computer bag, the noise of her boots' heels echoing throughout the Station. And I am trailing behind them...huffing and puffing, wishing I had eaten breakfast and not drank so much coffee.  I couldn't help but laugh as we were running through that station trying to catch this train and, I'm sure, at 7:20 am, that traffic of pedestrian-people thought I was crazier than that crazy lady in line. 

So, with best efforts and heavy panting, two girls and one teen ran through practically that whole station, against pedestrian traffic...

Terminal One
Terminal Two...

...Terminal Eight...

...Terminal Ten
Terminal Eleven...and up that ramp at full speed.  With never a stop.

Then all three of us came to a halt at the top of that ramp as we watched the train, our train, the train that would have made us on time to that meeting, round the bend.  The clock above turns to 7:21 just as one lady screeches,  "the train already left."  What lady?  The Crazy Lady!

I swear..I do not know how those actor peoples in the movies run through train stations, through airports, though all of New York City...on top of cars, over fences, up walls and through alleys.  Because I just dashed through that damn station and I swear I was going to lose my breakfast if I had any in me.

So that's exactly what we need.  Breakfast!  We eat breakfast....consume more coffee...and sit and relax in that Station...with peoples, with birds.  Next train?  8:30 am.  Early for the train.  Late for the meeting.  Nevertheless, already on time for our adventures. 

We made it onto the train.  Early.  It was a nice train ride. The whole time my eyes are peering out the window at garbage dumps, recycling factories, homes with big doors, houses with weird chimneys, a nuclear power plant, the ocean, a marine base, people waving, people walking, people surfing, people biking, rolling hills, jagged cliffs, crops by tracks, tracks by crops.  The Colleague makes fun of my childlike enthusiasm as we finally arrive in beautiful downtown San Diego.  And a beautiful day in San Diego it is.

We take the Blue Line Trolley up to our meeting.  We're late.  But we catch ourselves up, feed ourselves full, exhaust our voices, and exchange all our business cards.

We take the Green Line Trolley back...which did not take us back at all.  So we travel through more of San Diego before we realize our mistake.  We get off, get back on, and return to the Blue Line Trolley just in time to hop on and make the Train home.

The Train ride back was quite pleasant.  The subway a little crowded.  And the bus back kinda late.  But we got home.  And even though we were late for the meeting, we were on time for the adventures.  Because if it were not for the...

Failed first brew of coffee
Her Highness leaving her ID
Arriving late for the bus
Missing the subway train by 5 seconds
The Crazy Lady
Missing the train
Eating breakfast at Union Station
Being late to the meeting
Hopping on the wrong trolley...

...we would have not had the adventure we had.  In fact, those WERE the adventures we had.

So, yes, we may have been late for the meeting, but we were RIGHT ON TIME FOR THE ADVENTURES!!!  And that made it even more the worthwhile!

Ciao for now!
k

On ST. PATRICK'S DAY....

May your thoughts be as glad as shamrocks.

May your heart be as light as song.

May each day bring you bright, happy hours.

That stay with you all year long.

- author unknown

ST. Mc PATRICK'S DAY!

Tomorrow I am obligated to make corned beef and cabbage.  Not because I'm Irish.  But because I married into Irish...my last name now, and for the past 20 years, begins with an "Mc"...need I say more?

So tomorrow, even though my children are teenagers and have "minds of their own," I cannot allow them to leave the house without wearing green.  Even though more Ukrainian than Irish blood runs through their veins, their last name begins with an "Mc"...need I say more?

And, tomorrow, it would be shameful if I didn't include shamrock shaped sugar cookies with green icing and sprinkles in my family's school lunches.  They expect it.  Our last name begins with an "Mc"....need I say more?

But, tomorrow, I get to have one pour of the wine, before cocktail o-clock, out at a Tavern.  Because I married into Irish...my last name now, and for the past 20 years, starts with an "Mc"...need I say more?

There's always a benefit to anything!

Tomorrow, Happy St. McPatrick's Day!

Ciao for now!
k

On GRATITUDE AND COMPASSION...

I'm conflicted between feeling gratitude for the sweet smell of spring Jasmine as I walk out my door and feeling compassion for the Japanese people and the state of their surroundings.  

May I feel both?

PASADENA...IT'S LIKE A DIFFERENT COUNTRY!

Already one weekend has past since San Francy and Me spent one exciting, adventurous day visiting what was, much to our amusement, like a different country....

Pasadena!

Prior to that visit, I had recently finished reading "Helen of Pasadena," and attended a book club at which the author, Lian Dolan, discussed the book.  The Book Club-P (P for Pasadena) meeting was no more recent than a couple weeks ago, and after I read the book and heard the talk, I realized that I didn't know much about Pasadena at all.  I don't know the area.  I rarely visit.  I knew nothing of the culture.  I was never really interested....I didn't expect it to be such a unique area.  I always considered Hollywood/Los Angeles/Santa Monica as the fun and interesting spots; however, after learning about Pasadena's old money, the community's culture, and a little more about the locations the book, the author and the Pasadena bookclubbers were referencing, Pasadena was becoming more and more intriguing to me.  Besides, I've been getting a little bit bored with the Hollywood/Los Angeles/Santa Monica scene...well, a lot bored.

"Explore Pasadena One Day!" I put on my list.  And One Day came much sooner than later.

The week following Book Club-P, an e-mail popped up in my inbox announcing the first annual Happy Hour Week.....in Pasadena.  And the day after, an e-mail popped up in my inbox reminding me of the exhibit I was interested in: "Made Up", at the Art Design College Wind Tunnel Gallery...in Pasadena.  So with thoughts of Pasadena still fresh in my mind, and since each member of my family had something else to do on a Saturday, I thought...

...CARPE DIEM!!!

To my good fortune, I was able to recruit, with not much persuasion, my friend, San Francy, to accompany me on an out of town subway-train-walking adventure to and through the pretentious, fascinating, and to me, mysterious, country of Pasadena.  Mysterious to San Francy too.  She did not read the book.  She knows less than me.  She's definitely up for the adventure.

Itinerary:

Red Line to Union Station
Gold Line to Fillmore Station

"Made Up" Exhibition at Art Center College of Design
South Campus, Wind Tunnel Gallery

Gold Line to Del Mar Station (one stop north)

Happy Hour Week, Old Town Pasadena...with wine!

Forecast: Pasadena: Sunny, 75 degrees.

I print out e-mails.  I print out maps.  I print out menus.  And we are all set to go.

Initially, the plan is to bicycle down to San Francy's house then she drives to the Station.  The bicycle part of the trip is in competition with Saturday errands and, sadly, errands win out as time runs out.  So pedal to the metal it is.  Drats!  I was looking forward to a Me-no-drive-day.  Well....close enough.

Red Line Arrival:  1:05 pm.  Great timing!
Step off the escalator
Step on-and-off the platform...
...and step onto the subway...there's no haste 'cause no wait!

San Francy and Me goin' on a trip! 

Next stop: Union Station. 
Living in Los Angeles for a lotta years, I have never ever been to Union Station.  I know, shocking!  So San Francy takes me on a tour.  A short tour.  I expect Grand Central Station.  It's more like Miniature Central Station.  Instead of the hustle and bustle and restaurants and bars, I see slouched and relaxed with water and birds.  Yep!  Birds!  Those birds are flying and nesting inside all over that station. 

After that 5 minute tour, to the Gold Line it is.  Again, we run up the escalator.  We don't see a sign.  So we choose the train which travels toward the mountains.  Because we are both related to people who are related to Boy Scouts, we figure that out.  We step off the platform and step onto the train.  There's no haste...'cause no wait!  This day is starting out to be a great day!

Chinatown -stop-
Lincoln/Cypress -stop-
Heritage Square -stop-
Southwest Museum -stop-
Highland Park -stop-
Mission -stop-
Fillmore! STOP...it is time to de-train!

We step out under the sun and out onto cement.  Lots of cement.  We are surrounded by cement.  Cement buildings everywhere.  We both thought Pasadena was beautiful and lush and filled with orchards and flowers.  We walk one block over to Raymond and head south!  It's an industrial utopia...for the industrialist-building-liking-peoples at heart...and we seem to be the only living things on the sidewalks.   Not even one single bug crosses our path on our way to the Exhibit.  We wonder if we're safe in a neighborhood.  Or maybe Armageddon happened while we were on the train.  It's strange.

It's like we're in a different country!

We walk briskly south on Raymond...and, shortly, arrive at the Art Center College of Design, South Campus, Wind Tunnel Gallery.  We made it to Made Up, the exhibition where technology marries art...and, in our case, unfortunately, divorces our brains!

PREREQUISITE FOR EXHIBIT

Architectural Degree

Engineering Degree

Math Degree

Preferably a Masters Degree in each or all...

...one would think, anyway!

First challenge. Figure out what to see, what to do, and how to do it.  We see things...well, plans hanging on walls, a PVC piping sculpture-thing hanging from the ceiling, computers lined up ready to be viewed.  But no one to talk to.  Not a living thing.  Not a human.  Not a plant.  Not a bug.  And no explanation on the walls accompanying the exhibits?  This is not the kind of exhibit that I've been to before.

It's like we're in a different country!

What do we do?  How do we do it?
After a short delay, my brain eventually accesses the appropriate pathway through connected synapses to be able to find out what to do and how to do it.  The Brain tells The Eyes to look to the the right and down to the ground where they see a stack of papers, translating it to be a very short stack of exhibit guides that merely reach up to ankle-level.  Apparently exhibit-organizer-peoples assume that all ankles have eyes.  After putting my mathematically-architectured-engineer hat on (and that's stating it in the most sarcastic way possible), I fold back and forth, back and forth, back and forth...and then in half...and I have made myself, and San Francy, a nice little exhibit guide brochure.  Feelin' smart now?  Almost.  But we'll see!  Foreshadowing a "Not!"



I can't quite explain the exhibit. I find this part very difficult to write.  Because I'm not quite sure either one of us understands what we see....or read, for that matter.  All I can do is narrow it down to Japanese future car drawings, PVC piping, computers with pixel shows and toy makers, lightning rod attractors, holes in seas, invisible things, paintings turned into weird things, weird things turned into paintings, urban plans and plans for bacteria to change sand to sandstone so as to secure buildings during earthquakes (I think!).  And that is it!  Two hours.  Brains tired.  We have brought our best efforts.  We check our brains at the door.  We have earned our Happy Hour tour. 

We leave.  We slow down and check out the architecture of the building...now this is what we are more interested in...and we don't even need a guide.  The Art Center College of Design building is really, truly spectacular.  Along the rear of the building are very interesting shapes in various sizes and the sides and front of the building are just as interesting.  I don't have a camera with me, but, alas, I have my Droid.  The good-for-everything-and-anything Droid.  It has a camera.  It's not a good one.  But it is a fair picture taker.

Next stop Del Mar train stop?  Nope.  No stop...just walk!  We decide not to take the train.  So we continue walking through cement-land and come across a small coffee shop in cement-land on the other side of the street.  Well, what we think is a small coffee shop.  Jones coffee shop.  I'm dying for juice...but seeing there's nothing else around, we'll give it a try.

As soon as we walk through the door of what we think is a small coffee shop, it transforms into a Big Massive coffee shop.  It's funky...it's trendy...it's gorgeous.  It's one big loft space divided up in various, unique areas for sitting, talking, playing, coffee-grinding and coffee-making.  One counter for take-out.  One coffee bar...and a bartender that goes with it.  Here are where the people are...drinking coffee while studying, drawing and computering.

But no juice.  So gotta go!

So onward and North-ward...continuing through cement-land....toward the Happy Hours, we notice that only one block to the right of cement-land is lush-land.  A completely different land.

It's like we're in a different country! 

The architecture changes to Spanish bungalows and there are actual people outside walking up and down the streets...on one side and the other.  And there are trees!!!  We stumble upon a small-which-turns-out-to-be a Big Massive bicycle store.  A bicycle store with every type of bicycle, every type of accessory and every type of bicycle clothing one could want.  We want, but just look.  My blood sugar is low.  I'm parched.  I still want juice. 

Next, we approach a building with a small door where just outside fruit is displayed.  San Francy says, "there's a juice bar in here."  I look for a sign to see what store we're entering.  I don't find a sign.  San Francy can't see a sign. Again...we walk through the doors of what we think is a small market into a Big Massive grocery store.  An organic/health food grocery store...actually, more like a marketplace than a grocery store.  We walk up to the juice bar. There's every type of juice you can imagine.  I've never ordered at a juice bar before.  Actually, that's not true.  There's Jamba Juice, but that doesn't count.  And there was the Camden Market...but that was in a different country.


What do you recommend?"  I ask. 

No answer.  (maybe they don't speak English.)

Okay...I'll pick one.  "What is the Orange ginger juice like?" I ask. 

She says, "It has a little kick.  But the sweet with the spicy together is great!" 

"I'll take the small at the [Starbucks] price of $3.25," I say. 

"That is the [Starbucks] price of $3.25 for a 4 oz. 

While waiting the Starbucks wait, I ask, "What's the name of this market?"

"Where are you from?" She asks in a VERY sarcastic tone..."This is Whole Foods!"

San Francy and I look at each other in disbelief and I tell her, "This is NO Whole Foods that I have EVER been to!" 

It's like we're in a different country!

That drink is spicy and has a kick better than a cocktail.  It took only two sips and my head cleared, my blood sugar rose and I was back in the game.

The more we walk, the more we find.  It's a Big Massive market of two floors of things to eat:

beans and grains

      soups and breads

           tapas and wines

                 cheeses and fish

                      chocolates and gelato

                           salads and juices                               

                                 sushi and teryaki

                                    pizza and sandwiches

And look at the wines!!!!

 

There is a counter to sit at for everything.  San Francy and I decide we could conceivably hang out here morning, noon and night...bagels, sushi and tapas and wine.  And we can do our grocery shopping, personal care shopping and a little clothing shopping in between.  Maybe walk around the corner for exercise and start all over again!

We walk.  We eat cheese.  We sip juice.  We marvel over wines.  We drool over chocolates.  We hunger over cakes.  We count fishes.  I buy seaweed.  I finish the juice.  It's time to get out and move on.

Then after taking a seat outside with maps and menus, we devise a plan on how to proceed.  We get up and walk.  And continue to talk.  As we approach Green Street, the street just south of Colorado, the main street of Old Town Pasadena, we see that Raymond now looks much more interesting than Arroyo Parkway.  So we take a one-block-walk west and spot a big beautifully architectured and landscaped feast for the eyes...

...it's like we're in a different country! 

We walk across and down and approach The Castle Green.  It's beautiful and lush.  No entry.  But tour in June.  I pull out the Droid, punch in the calendar and now we have that excuse to come back.  We're comin' back in June!

We continue one block up to Colorado Boulevard, Old Town Pasadena, and want to cross the street to get to our first Happy Hour destination:  The Vertical Wine Bar, on Union and Raymond.  But we cannot walk across the street..

...we must walk DIAGONALLY across the street.

It's like we're in different country!

Who walks diagonally?  Hesitantly, we walk diagonally, feeling vulnerable, especially as we approach the center of the intersection, like any second a car or bus is gonna take us down.  We make it to the other side, take a breath, and head up to Union, the little bitty street just north of Colorado...

with little bitty restaurants

little bitty sidewalks

little bitty shops

and little bitty bars.

It's like we're in a different country!

We hear church bells. 

It's like we're in a different country!

At this point San Francy actually does exclaim, "It seems like I'm in a different country!"

Agreed!  My thoughts exactly!!!

The Vertical Wine Bistro isn't open yet, so we walk down to Pop!, a quaint little bitty place that also isn't open yet.  We definitely keep it in mind to return to, it's too cute and quaint...how could we not? Next try...Bar Celona, on Colorado Blvd.  It's open.  It's appealing.  It has a music store in the basement and you can sit at the bar, on top of that music store, and watch the top of music-store-visiting people's  heads pass by every now and then.  We sit at the bar, count heads, and order empanadas and quesadillas...with wine.  Surprisingly, wine taste-testers were offered and we choose our wines.  Out come two Big Massive glasses...and the bartender gives us a VERY generous pour of the wine....at Happy Hour prices.  5 bucks each!  That wouldn't happen in L.A.!

It's like we're in a different country!

Excellent food.  Excellent wine.  On to the next!

To Pop! we go.  We sit at the bar and wait.  Instantly we don't like it there.  No music.  No talking.  No smiling or laughing.  Seemingly soul-less people at this place.  It feels weird so we leave.

Back to Vertical Wine Bistro, we choose.  After walking through a little bitty gate, through a little bitty courtyard and up some little bitty narrow, but, steep stairs, we enter and take the last two seats available.  And this place is hopping.  Peoples in their 20s, peoples in their 30s, peoples in their 40s, peoples in their 50s and peoples in their 60s...all decades of peoples together...all in the one place.  Not in L.A.!

It's like we're in a different country!

It's another two Big Massive wine glasses and another generous pour of the wine for us...and a little bitty margherita pizza.  A man asks for a piece of pizza.  I try to barter him a piece of pizza for a glass of wine.  Thankfully, he gently draws back his hand and refuses the barter...'cause we need no more generous pours of the wine. We gulp our last gulp, shove down our last piece, and proceed out, down and through to the little bitty sidewalk. 

Next stop...

...for lobster corn dogs, fried green tomatoes, and fancy ginger-lime cocktail martinis we were drawn to on the menu.  It is 7:15...we need to arrive before 8.  However, we didn't get there before stopping at one of the biggest art stores we have ever seen in our whole entire lives.  And in that store hung a Big Massive collection of artist scraper-spatula-things.

I didn't even realize there even was more than one artist scraper-spatula-thing. 

Raymond to Green...turn left...down a block...walk through a patio and into the street level bar.  A few steps down is the restaurant, basement level.   We may choose where to sit.  We choose the bar.  Again, we can watch the tops of people's heads as they eat and walk by.  We play the "married, on a date or just friends" game.  San Francy wins.  She's the smarter.  She thinks to look for wedding rings.  Duh!

Praying these next drinks agree with the wine we've already consumed, we order 2 ginger-lime martini cocktails...happy hour style...so cheap.  They sound interesting.  And despite our satiated bellies, we order lobster corn dogs and fried green tomatoes.  Drinks come pronto!  We take a sip of the drink.  Mine, too much ginger.  San Francy's, too much lime.  We switch.  Still unsatisfied and surmising that they're undrinkable, I sheepishly tell the waitress we don't care for the drinks...and she pleasantly and apologetically takes them away.  So....what to order now?

It's between point-less drinks...

(get it?)

.....and wine!

Wine is the same price...so two pours of the wine, please!

...and two generous pours of the wine they are!  This is getting boring!

But sadly...or, actually, more like, fortunately, we could not finish those two pours of the wine.  We are wined-out!  So after we hear a little bit of blues music, we bid adieu to the band and our wine and stroll out and down ready for our final Pasadena destination...the Del Mar Station for our return trip.

It takes us a while to get back home.  We walk through Stations.  Wait for trains.  Sit on trains.  And eventually have to take a little car ride back to San Francy's home.  But we hardly notice the time as we excitingly recount our Pasadena adventure the entire way home.

It's hard to believe that Pasadena is only 20 miles down the road from us and I have never explored it before.   On top of which, there is even more to explore.  More so, it's difficult to believe that we have a town so close to L.A. yet so different; with it's distinctive yet diverse surroundings, it's Big Massive stores, it's abundance of goods, it's quaintness and style and, most importantly, its VERY generous pours of the wine.  It's only 20 miles down the road or two trains away...and it was like we were in a different country.  It was fun!  I'm excited to go back!  In June!

Ciao for now!

k

On LENT...

I wonder how many people will give up Facebook, television or cell phones for Lent...???!

On DAUGHTER'S WISDOM...

  One day, not too long ago, my daughter said,

"Don't point out your flaws to people.  Because when they didn't notice them in the first place, they'll pay more attention to them now!" 

I have taken her advice.

On IN MY NEXT LIFE...

In my next life, I would like to have the passion of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett!

THE OSCARS....WITH SHRIMP!

Every year, since the beginning of time, 8 girls, four daughters, one dog and a cat get invited for a viewing of both the Red Carpet and the Academy Awards at NaK's house.  Some years All show + four daughters, one dog and a cat.  Other years Some show + some daughters, one dog and a cat.  Every year 2 girls show + two daughters, one dog and a cat.  Definitely NaK.  Definitely Me.  Girls brings things.  Different things.  But there's always cheese...with wine!

The day has finally arrived!  I'm excited.  I have seen many of the movies.  And tonight I'm allowed to have my daughter with me while hanging with my bestest of friends.

So I arrive, along with Her Highness, to the NaK-attack viewing of...

THE 83RD ACADEMY AWARDS
(unfortunately Starring the Hathaway-Franco Team)

Attendees - Best Friends, Best Daughters
NaK
JT
The Twins, Andie and Alie
The Photographer
LaRs
Her Highness
Her Majesty
Her Royal Majesty
The Dog
The Cat
Me

We arrive...vegies and dip in hand......with wine....and diet coke, the go-to drink after filled with wine.

NaK, Her Majesty (NaK's daughter), Alie (one of the twins), and LaRs are lounging in front of the TV...in front of the big pile of money...in front of ballots strewed over table-tops.  The Red Carpet has begun, however, no one pays attention.  No worries.  Her Majesty has the remote; they have TiVo.


So...let's get the Red Carpet out of the way!

BEST DRESSED



FOR ME, IT'S A TIE!

Actually, I must confess, as many times as that TiVo is rewound, I do not see or choose my Best Dressed until later that evening...

...and that TiVo is rewound over and over and over again.  But, yet, I never see a red carpet.  7 gabby girls plus food plus wine plus betting leads to a zero attention span for the Red Carpet. 

We sit down...actually kneel down.  We take a pen.  We throw down 10 bucks.  We fill out our ballots.  A Real Live Ballot.  Like...an authentic ballot.  NaK has connections.  Well... I shouldn't say "We."  Her Highness has a job and she's much smarter with her money than I.  She does not wager.

I figured out long time ago that I have two ways to vote.  What one feels should win...versus...What one thinks will win.  I am unemployed.  I go with What one thinks will win.  Except the documentary feature.  I "feel" strongly about that one.  Sadly, I lose on that one.

Some of my choices:

Actor:   Colin Firth
Winner!
Supporting Actor:  Christian Bale
Winner!
Actress:  Natalie Portman
Winner!
Supporting Actress:  Melissa Leo
Winner!
Animated Feature:  Toy Story 3
Winner!
Foreign Language Film:  Biutiful
FAIL!
Documentary Feature:  Restrepo
FAIL!
Animated Short Film:  The Lost Thing
Winner!
Live Action Short Film:  The Confession
FAIL!
Best Director:  The King's Speech
Winner!
Best Picture:  The King's Speech
Winner!

Lookin' pretty good up above.  So...do I win the pot of gold?  Stay tuned.

Menu?

Ahi tuna poke, chips and dip, vegies and dip, broccoli salad, warm brie and cranberry with crackers and...

this year's special....

 ...the shrimp,

shrimp, shrimp....
and more shrimp....tasty shrimp...with tasty sauce and..
......with a whole bucket o' wine!


It's almost time to get that TiVo started!

The other Twin, Andie arrives.
The other Twin, Alie leaves.
Wait, don't go....you're twins? 

JT is here.  Andie throws down her cash.  Picks up her ballot.  JT doesn't have cash.  But picks up a ballot.  However, since JT doesn't have cash, she must write a check.  The Movie-Bet-Borrowing-Money situation ended for her last year.  She needs to build her Movie-Bet-Borrowing-Money credit back up with us.  It may take a couple years.  So no check, no bet!!!

We don't wait for The Photographer.  It's late!  She can catch up. 

With another pour of the wine and more and more shrimp, Her Majesty presses play and The Academy Awards begin.

Cute beginning.  Kinda funny. 
But has it been done before?  Yes!

And the winner goes to....!!!!

I win!
I win!
I lose!
I win!
crap!
hooray!
whatever!

The Photographer walks in and behind her Her Royal Majesty.

Then...Pause!  WT...???  Oh, yeah...Her Majesty has control of the remote.

CeCe had walked in with Quib, 2 aunts and an uncle...all visiting from Spain.  Cool!  Spanish Peoples at the Oscars.  Red Carpet has Javier so we get some Spanish Peoples too.  I learn the language real quick and have a pleasant conversation with the Young at Heart, 82 year old...with JT at my side.  I am surprising myself at how much I understand the language...until I finally acknowledge that JT is translating into my ear.  I must say, though, I am listening to the aunt's spirit more than her words.  She is just fabulous!


They have wine.  We have more wine.  We eat shrimp.  They have shrimp.  Quib, Aunt and Uncle leave.  Young at Heart wants to stay.  CeCe won't leave her behind. We make a good impression. Yay for Americans (and one Canadian and one German)!   She makes a good impression. Yay for the Spaniards!

"Back to the show, Her Majesty!" 

So just after one Play-press, one more pour of the wine, and a bit more shrimp, we are revisited by the Not-So-Bestest Oscar show....and STILL, unfortunately, starring...

The Over-Compensating-Hathaway-with-the-Exceedingly-Stoned-Franco Team!

So...8 girls, 3 daughters and one aunt later we are no longer listening to the show unless we hear "And the Winner Is..."  And as we win our category...cheers become astoundingly louder as the night wears on.  Consequently, The Dog and The Cat had left the room long time ago. 

Then...finally, it's over.  I was beginning to think it was no longer inevitable that there would be an end. 

We count our ballots.  NaK wins me by 3.  Crap!  She beats more people by more.  And the evening is finished.  NaK gets the pay out and we all grab our dishes.  We notice that there is one shrimp left.  It's all alone.  Kinda looking pathetic.

One lonely shrimp! 

Someone has to eat it.  After all, there are starving children in China.  But you know, it is, most probably, that shrimp that you think, just might, possibly, be left behind for a reason.  A very bad reason!  A very disgustingly bad reason!  A so disgustingly bad reason of which everyone else knows about but you.  They tell me to eat it.  I say no.  They say yes.  I say no.  They say yes.  They say yes. 

"A Compromise? I ask."  So the lonely shrimp gets snuggled up in tin foil, with only it's little tail sticking out...and they stick it in and down between my boobs.  Great...that's lovely perfume!

Side View

Front View

(note: my favorite view. looks like I have bigger boobs than I actually have.)

So that shrimp accompanied me home that night, along with Her Highness....and the not too pleasant after-smell!!!  A late-night shower was definitely in order.  And if that smell lingers, "They" will no longer be my BFFs.

So that was the evening.  The evening that closed my 2010 movie-going-watching adventure.  This year I would call it: The Oscars with Shrimp!  We girls have found a lot of excuses to get together throughout the years.  We need those excuses.  Use it or lose it.  And, this time of year it's always the love of movies that brings together The Best Friends.

Or shall I say Boob Friends?

Ciao for now!
k



On SNOWING IN LOS ANGELES...

On Saturday, it snowed in Los Angeles!

Her Highness and I hopped in the car, followed the clouds and found the most recent snowfall...

...and right at twilight!  It was beautiful!

A reminder that nothing is impossible!