I'm back from my quick jaunt to Los Angeles. My brother and I made the trip to visit my bio-paternal grandmother who is unfortunately suffering from pancreatic cancer. It was tough to see her so frail and tiny-skinny, but it was nice to see that she still has her dry wit and humor.
And now, please forgive the quick notation style of the post, but I want to share a bit of this trip with you before I pack for my next quick overnight trip to San Francisco to sign the apartment lease. I'll be taking the Amtrak train for this trip and so will get a good amount of knitting time in again.
Los Angeles vs. A Little Beach Town of Los Angeles
I quickly discovered that I was easily overwhelmed by the traffic and smog that are part and parcel of greater Los Angeles, but found that Redondo Beach is a splendid, cute, little beach town! I think I could live in LA if I could just stay in the confines of an area such as Redondo Beach and never have to hit the freeways or go inland far enough to encounter the smog.
Dinner
My Uncle Kenny prepared appetizers of Bruschetta and cheese & crackers accompanied by a delicious Viognier. Then we--my Uncle Kenny, Aunt Kathy, Bio-father, half-sister Chantal, my brother, and I--went to the harbor to eat at the Bluewater Grill Seafood Restaurant. Serious yumminess was devoured in the form of fresh raw oysters, a good Pinot Grigio, and, for my entree, seared Ahi tuna with a reduced miso glaze.
Breakfast
I must heartily recommend the Original Pancake House
in Redondo Beach for a delish breakfast! They make a seriously good pancake that uses a sourdough starter (which I will have to try and make myself one of these days). I had a crepe filled with spinach, onions, and mushrooms, and covered with a hollandaise sauce, accompanied by potato pancakes. Luckily, my brother ordered a breakfast that came with the aforementioned sourdough pancakes and so I got to eat one and I definitely declare that one must eat the sourdough pancakes!
Redondo Beach Pier
My brother, Ronnie, and I went to the pier on Monday morning (around 11-ish) and hardly a shop or restaurant was open. We played a few silly games in the arcade and took a silly picture (in which you can see the 10 lbs I gained from both dinner and breakfast!):
Home--For the First Year of My Life:
Here is the home in which I spent the first year of my life (not that I can say that I remember an iota of that first year!):
It is weird to think of how different I would be had I grown up by the beach instead of in the mountains!
HI!!!
so you went to the town next door to my hometown! (torrance). and i go to that pancake house EVERY TIME I visit my parents! :o) did you have the potato pancakes??? those are soooo tasty too. yum... and congrats on the new apt.!!!
bill and I are getting all packed up too! it's exciting isn't it?!!! :o)
Posted by: kimchi | July 18, 2007 at 11:19 AM
Beach and mountains, don't they go together? Close enough!
Congrats on finding a place in the City!
The capelet came out cute.
Did you ever try Sunrise Bakery in Walnut Creek? Awesome yogurt pancakes.
Posted by: Carrie K | July 18, 2007 at 03:28 PM