Just got back from 3 very full and very cool days in California.
Would love to use names but that doesn't seem the style on SG .....
Flew out on Wednesday night and saw my school friend Cl. and his wife ... and help put their tree up and slept on an old air mattress of mine.
On Thursday picked up a rental car at Budget (was great deal of $22/day) when I rented a mid-size (like a Pontiac Grand Am) and ended up getting a Ford Crown Victoria (huge car) with 160 miles on it .....
Then I got to see Claremont, CA which is where I went to grad. school and get homemade ice cream in the village at Bert and Rocky's and walk around campus (esp. Scripps College and its mission architecture) ...
Then I drove all the way cross town to Oak Park (near Thousand Oaks and adjacent to Agoura Hills) and was amazed at the variety at the Rite Aid there (NYC phenomenon) ... then I had a really annoying sales experience with Sprint PCS ....
I then got to have dinner with my college friend Ry. and his wife as well as his wife's parents .... It was great with wine and beer and stories and I heard Ry. and Ri. are pregnant which is awesome and I felt so blessed to be there ... then my wife drove me to a motel in Camarillo nearby which was nice which had whirlpool baths and cost $44 including tax (YAY!!!) .... I love the travel coupon books.
On Friday my wife saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time at Ventura Harbor, we ate some seafood at a biker/surfer hang out thats very casual just north of Malibu (where we were some of the only people not to drink beer) I think it was called something like Neptune's Net .... We saw the Ocean a couple more times including the near sunset at Zuma Beach, Malibu and then drove up Kanan to see one of my mother's best friend in Oak Park...
We then drove all the way back to Rancho Cucomunga had some fantastic BBQ at the Pit (Baseline and Carenlian/Vineyard) which I loved in School and has awesome rib tips (get the hot sauce) ... However one meal would have been enough for both of us.
We then had drinks at Montclair Mall with Cl. and his wife and slept at Cl.'s house (like I said a lot of 2 days so far)...
On Saturday I buried, with my family, my grandmother who died in mid-november and my grandfather (who died 10 years ago) at a beautiful space just under Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside. Then I stopped at the cool farmer's market on the 60 just west of Banning and bought fruit and snacky stuff. We then went to a fantastic memorial service at the United Methodist Church in Indio, CA (just south of Palm Springs, CA) where about 70 people shared memories and remembrances of my wonderful grandmother's 90 year life of teaching and service.
I had a wonderful meal with family that night got to swim with my wife Ninanna and drove to fly that night.... We had one creepy rest stop on the way home (betwn. Banning and Redlands) where I would NOT suggest going at night ... There was a full parking lot and nobody in the bathrooms and a really, really, really creepy guy parked next to us.
Then we flew home and we slept Sunday ....
Tonight I go to a balloon jam at a yummy rib place in Long Island City, Queens and thanks for reading about my fun 3 days....
ecq
btw.... I am moving to Portland, ME area in January and looking to teach there..... any good words would be appreciated ... me and ninanna both need to be in a quieter place then NYC ....
I have had some fun here though despite all the noise and living in a railroad apt with 8 people and one bathroom
(( 
be good.
Would love to use names but that doesn't seem the style on SG .....
Flew out on Wednesday night and saw my school friend Cl. and his wife ... and help put their tree up and slept on an old air mattress of mine.
On Thursday picked up a rental car at Budget (was great deal of $22/day) when I rented a mid-size (like a Pontiac Grand Am) and ended up getting a Ford Crown Victoria (huge car) with 160 miles on it .....
Then I got to see Claremont, CA which is where I went to grad. school and get homemade ice cream in the village at Bert and Rocky's and walk around campus (esp. Scripps College and its mission architecture) ...
Then I drove all the way cross town to Oak Park (near Thousand Oaks and adjacent to Agoura Hills) and was amazed at the variety at the Rite Aid there (NYC phenomenon) ... then I had a really annoying sales experience with Sprint PCS ....
I then got to have dinner with my college friend Ry. and his wife as well as his wife's parents .... It was great with wine and beer and stories and I heard Ry. and Ri. are pregnant which is awesome and I felt so blessed to be there ... then my wife drove me to a motel in Camarillo nearby which was nice which had whirlpool baths and cost $44 including tax (YAY!!!) .... I love the travel coupon books.
On Friday my wife saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time at Ventura Harbor, we ate some seafood at a biker/surfer hang out thats very casual just north of Malibu (where we were some of the only people not to drink beer) I think it was called something like Neptune's Net .... We saw the Ocean a couple more times including the near sunset at Zuma Beach, Malibu and then drove up Kanan to see one of my mother's best friend in Oak Park...
We then drove all the way back to Rancho Cucomunga had some fantastic BBQ at the Pit (Baseline and Carenlian/Vineyard) which I loved in School and has awesome rib tips (get the hot sauce) ... However one meal would have been enough for both of us.
We then had drinks at Montclair Mall with Cl. and his wife and slept at Cl.'s house (like I said a lot of 2 days so far)...
On Saturday I buried, with my family, my grandmother who died in mid-november and my grandfather (who died 10 years ago) at a beautiful space just under Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside. Then I stopped at the cool farmer's market on the 60 just west of Banning and bought fruit and snacky stuff. We then went to a fantastic memorial service at the United Methodist Church in Indio, CA (just south of Palm Springs, CA) where about 70 people shared memories and remembrances of my wonderful grandmother's 90 year life of teaching and service.
I had a wonderful meal with family that night got to swim with my wife Ninanna and drove to fly that night.... We had one creepy rest stop on the way home (betwn. Banning and Redlands) where I would NOT suggest going at night ... There was a full parking lot and nobody in the bathrooms and a really, really, really creepy guy parked next to us.
Then we flew home and we slept Sunday ....
Tonight I go to a balloon jam at a yummy rib place in Long Island City, Queens and thanks for reading about my fun 3 days....
ecq
btw.... I am moving to Portland, ME area in January and looking to teach there..... any good words would be appreciated ... me and ninanna both need to be in a quieter place then NYC ....
I have had some fun here though despite all the noise and living in a railroad apt with 8 people and one bathroom
((
be good.
VIEW 11 of 11 COMMENTS
legionnaire:
Sounds like a good trip - glad to hear that you had a good time. So are you really going ahead with moving to Maine?
hellomrworld:
NY is pretty cool in some ways ... its gotten too expensive and too crowded for me and my wife right now ... we are moving to Maine soon ... I am looking for places next week and jobs and such