I feel like I haven't blogged in ages. This must be the longest I've been away from wmtc since we were wandering in the Colca Canyon in Peru. So, let's see...
I had a lovely, easy flight from Toronto to LAX. Pearson was wonderful, Air Canada was wonderful, six hours (flight + airport time) of uninterrupted reading time was wonderful. We can draw our own conclusions about my NYC-to-Buffalo experience vs. this one, or we can admit it's too small a sample size, and simply luck of the draw. Either way works for me.
AWE and LC met me at the airport and whisked me back to their lovely new home. They're living the California version of my and Allan's life, a very interesting parallel since AWE and I left our old lives in New York City at the same time.
They have two amazing dogs, which I am just ga-ga over. I cannot stop paying attention to them, especially to the 9-month-old pit-lab mix, a golden with dark rings around her gorgeous expressive eyes. Their other dog - a serious-faced soldier - is recovering from very knee surgery, and they're being extremely diligent about his after-care. It's not easy to keep a dog quiet when he's got a happy sister for a puppy. They have their hands full and then some.
AWE and I spent the rest of Sunday gabbing, drinking wine and gabbing. We all went out to dinner, and I crashed.
Yesterday, Monday, I met David Cho! He and Noah picked me up, then we drove to the Old Town section of Pasadena, got a big platter of take-out sushi, and went to a park, where we could sit and talk. It was so cool to meet David! We've been blog friends a long time, and - as I have found with other good blog-friends - there was an instant comfort level. Nice! Noah is an awesome dog, as advertised.
From Pasadena, I took public transportation to meet AWE in downtown L.A. Weird, eh? Well, it's weird out here. AWE used to live in Pasadena, and commuted to work on this light rail system. It's really nice - clean trains, brand-new stations adorned with public art, great views of the mountains as the train snakes along towards L.A.
Los Angeles's Union Station is fabulous, and it opens up onto El Pueblo, the oldest part of the city, the original area founded by Mexicans in 1792. It's been restored and looks exactly like you're in Mexico.
From there, AWE and I walked to her workplace in the Los Angeles Courthouse, a famous WPA-style building. It has amazing interior details, and is shockingly clean and well maintained. Shocking if you're from New York, that is. In keeping with local custom, the building is really a stage set, behind which AWE and her colleagues toil away in faceless cubicles. From AWE's office window, you can see the famous Hollywood sign in the mountains!
Back at the house, more wine and relaxation, then we picked up an old friend of theirs, who I met a bit when she lived in New York, and went out to Santa Monica for dinner. Drinks, food and much hilarity; it was really fun. We're all dog fanatics - all rescuers, too - so there were many stories, both inspiring and heartbreaking. AWE wanted her friend to hear the famous Buster Rescue story. Amazingly, despite the alcohol, I recounted it without crying. A milestone.
Today we have two things on the agenda. One, I need new shoes. I don't want new shoes; I need them, because the puppy thought they were her toys. My friends have not stopped apologizing and are insisting on paying for them, but really, it's a puppy. Who cares. Then we're going to the Getty Museum, which I'm excited to see. Wednesday, a Dodgers game!
I just spoke to Allan, and he and the girls are fine. I miss them! I hope you're all well.
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