What I Did On My Summer Vacation

So, yes, whirlwind weekend, but it was worth it.

Even the getting up early. Mostly. 🙂

I flew down Friday morning crazy-early, caught a cab to Gretchen’s, where Krissy S. was visiting. The three of us decided we needed coffee–them because they were just getting going for the day, me because I’d been up for EIGHT HOURS already by then. Although I really wanted to go camping with my new tent I got from Survival Cooking.

We walked to the beach, then down to Venice.

I’m still in Pacific Northwest regalia, not quite grokking pleasant weather yet

It ended up being about an hour walk, gorgeous and well worth it.

Sun! Sand! Palm trees!

Eventually, we got our coffee, and eventually-eventually, Doselle joined us and we got a fabulous lunch.

Krissy had a beer

I might have had some wine too. 🙂

From there, it was back to the apartment, for some nice lazing about, until Mark got off work and could join us. Then, more hanging out; eventually Mark and I went off to sushi, leaving the others to all kinds of mischief I don’t even know what.

Saturday, we slept in (yay!) (my four hours of crappy sleep did catch up with me, yes), then had an outrageous breakfast at The Original Pancake House; then I got to see where Mark has been working all this time–fascinating! No pictures of this, because if I showed you, I’d have to kill you. Sorry.

After that, we went to see The Avengers, along with the rest of the western hemisphere. (And after quite a bit of mucking about trying to find a theater that wasn’t entirely sold out.) It was FABULOUS! Glancing around on the internet today, I see that we aren’t alone in this assessment. I would TOTALLY see it again. And I am TOTALLY not the audience for this–and it was still fabulous. Delightful–even in a theater full of squirming screaming talking whining kids, crammed in the second to last row–all that fell away when the movie started. Awesome.

From there, we rushed off to dinner with Mark’s brother and sister-in-law and niece, at a Mexican restaurant (on Cinco de Mayo!), and then we walked on the beach after that, looking at the enormous full moon and marveling at the crazy-high tide.

Sunday morning it was up early to meet Do and Gretchen for coffee (Krissy having flown back to her large lawn, alas).

Coffee and croissant

And then breakfast after that. Then we bid them a fond farewell and headed directly to lunch with Mark’s friend V. After that, it was almost time for me to head to the airport…we did have a couple of hours, so we went to the beach again, and saw porpoises jumping out of the water.

My flight out of LAX was on time, but my flight out of Reno was delayed, and you know that part.

Got home Very Late, but all is well here. Found a freelancer’s delight in the mailbox: checks! I took three checks to the bank today, such joy. 🙂

Also, on my walk home from yoga this morning, I found this:

People throw away the darnedest things here.

I just recently bought a red climbing rose; I think I will plant this one next to it, and they can be buddies.

So! A highly successful weekend, never a dull moment–exhausting but fun. And filling. I didn’t even step on the scale this morning, I don’t want to know. Today has been productive–wrote 1,000 words on Nightcraft Mother, and did more thinking on the plot; unpacked, groceried, inspected the garden; even managed a swim this afternoon.

And the weather, oh my goodness. I think I brought LA back with me.