We arrived back home this afternoon to beautiful weather and happy dogs. It was a welcome rest to the three hours it took to wind our way from Los Angeles back to the Central Coast. Parker and I unpacked the car and, after a joyful reunion with the pups, went our separate ways- me for the laptop and he for a work call. He returned to find me cozy on the bed, laptop up and running. "Back in the cockpit already, I see!" he said, not one bit surprised. I tend to do a lot of different things in bed- pay the bills, make phone calls, write- and it is kind of my desk even though we have a really cute Ikea desk in the living room. I should make the transition to the living room soon, though- slouching or curling up all the time is going to have me back at the chiropractor sooner than later.
Oh, I can't forget to tell you all about my last morning in Redondo Beach! Let's backtrack. Parker headed downstairs for the final session of his conference while I packed up our room. On his break, he came upstairs to help me make sure we weren't leaving anything behind. We took our bags to the car, and with a goodbye smooch I was off in search of a "not Starbucks" for breakfast. (Side note: I've had a few people ask me, "Why not Starbucks?" and while I certainly admire their origins as a local chain, I always try
first to support local businesses. They are often so passionate about the quality and details of not only coffee and tea but also connecting with their customers- not to mention the boost to the local economies these shops provide. I used to be a
huge Starbucks fan, but I've gone local and there's no going back!)
I drove through Redondo Beach, past all the pretty oceanfront homes, and wound my way through Manhattan Beach as well. I found a place to park and started looking around for meter money when I realized that I had left my wallet in the hotel room. Oy! I drove back to the hotel, dreading the walk back up to our room (while it had an
amazing view, it happened to be the second to last room furthest away from the elevator). Bribing the valet guy to let me leave the car there for just a minute, I ran upstairs, down the hallways, grabbed that pesky wallet and was soon on my way again. Walking aimlessly and determined not to use my Droid for directions, I found The Tea Exchange.
This place was wonderful. They were chatty and they even had Bavarian pretzels (!). It felt like I was sitting in a beach house, complete with a copy of the
Street Art Doodle Book: Outside the Lines and local art hanging on the walls
. I sketched away while waiting for my drink, people watching out of the corner of my eye (there were some great outfits today in Manhattan Beach, let me tell you!). They even had a sense of humor- a sign on the wall read, "Unattended children will be given espresso and a free puppy- they break, you buy." I was sad to leave...
...but
so happy to be home now!
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~VLP~
One of my favorite thrift store rituals is to go through the book section. Although often futile, sometimes I find gems tucked between numerous discarded copies of The South Beach Diet and dusty 1980s romance novels. A few years ago, I picked up a copy of Diane von Furstenberg's Book of Beauty and found it extremely informative and interesting- especially considering the book was published in 1976! She writes of many things like exercise and healthy eating, all the way down to the specifics of applying makeup, but I found her chapters on making the most of our time (yet taking a day each week to just relax) and being confident in our life choices the most enjoyable. The tidbits and photos she includes about her early life, loves, and career in fashion are an added bonus.
This morning, my man and I had an adventure. We decided to take the scenic Highway 1 to Pismo Beach because I had just been dying for a PBL (Pismo Beach Locals- it's not on the menu!) breakfast burrito from Hoagie's (when I worked in Pismo I used to get this for breakfast nearly every morning- so delicious). We were winding our way towards the beach when suddenly we noticed a dog standing smack in the middle of the road! Parker pulled over and as we both got out of the car, the dog immediately starting trotting towards us. He was the cutest little Basset Hound, and after we helped him into the car (his little stubby legs couldn't get himself up unassisted) I called the phone number on his tag. It was for a veterinary office, but they weren't able to find his owner's information and suggested taking him to the pound. There was no way we could do that, poor little guy. So we kept driving, and noticed an animal care office up ahead- we pulled in, took the dog inside and the girls at the front desk shook their heads and said, "Hi, Bentley..." as soon as he waddled in. Thankfully they were able to keep him and get in contact with his owner without him having to go to the shelter- I hope he'll stay in his yard from now on!
This weekend was the first of the Spring season, yet has been absolutely heavy with rain. (Ironically, Christmas day was as bright and cheery as springtime! Go figure.) Feeling like I had a sore throat coming on, I cuddled under the blankets and movies became my best friend as the rain poured outside and the dogs lay warm in the hallway. I recalled my yet-to-see list and was thrilled to find I am Love (Io Sono L'Amore) was available instantly on Netflix. After watching this film, I couldn't help but be intrigued by Tilda Swinton- who knew she speaks Italian? It was definitely a change in character from her version of the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but a transformation I quite enjoyed. I also thought the scenes of Italy in I am Love were just decadent! From Milan to Sanremo, the architecture and views were constantly beautiful (and had me regretting that I did not travel there when I lived in Munich) and enhanced the story of the wealthy but repressed Emma Recchi, a woman who has kept her family together for so many years yet ultimately watches it fall apart as she seeks personal freedom outside her marriage. Perhaps the most enjoyable experience of this movie was in the way the story was presented; the plot wasn't made obvious or spoon-fed to the audience as many are lately. There were more looks and knowing glances and less words. I had no idea how the story would end and that is just how I like to feel while watching any film- captivated.
We arrived back home this afternoon to beautiful weather and happy dogs. It was a welcome rest to the three hours it took to wind our way from Los Angeles back to the Central Coast. Parker and I unpacked the car and, after a joyful reunion with the pups, went our separate ways- me for the laptop and he for a work call. He returned to find me cozy on the bed, laptop up and running. "Back in the cockpit already, I see!" he said, not one bit surprised. I tend to do a lot of different things in bed- pay the bills, make phone calls, write- and it is kind of my desk even though we have a really cute Ikea desk in the living room. I should make the transition to the living room soon, though- slouching or curling up all the time is going to have me back at the chiropractor sooner than later.
This morning, I drove to Century City in search of H&M. This is the first time I've been to one of their stores since living in Munich, and I wasn't disappointed. I limited myself to just one "must-have", and it was so tricky deciding but I finally settled on a pair of linen high-waist trousers. They are perfect to wear with any tops and I plan to wear them as much as possible! 
