California . . . again

Last weekend, we drove to Los Angeles. Again. Now, southern California is not our favorite place, although I lived in L.A. (Culver City) for a year in the late 70's. I was very young. Now, the traffic is terrible, prices are astronomical, and it takes forever to get there, get around, and then get out again.

So on this trip, we were determined to make the best of it and find a few things we could enjoy. As I mentioned in my last blog post, Kura Sushi Bar where Sam learned to use chopsticks was one of them.

Sam taught me how to use them this time, and although I'm not totally comfortable, I ate the whole meal without silverware.

Did I mention it's a revolving sushi bar? And totally amazing?! I've never been drawn to sushi, but this food was incredible. It was a highlight of our trip.

The real reason we were there was to support our friend Karen at her dad's memorial service. We camped out at the house we helped clean out last November and helped watch her two boys. They love "Uncle Sam."

Since her dad was in the entertainment industry, Karen chose a mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

He was known as John Cassese, the Dance Doctor (look him up; there are several videos of his dancing and singing), and Karen did a great job arranging the crypt...

...which is right across from Judy Garland's. John once worked with the famous singer and actress in New York, so Karen knew he would approve of the spot.

You can even see the Hollywood sign from right outside.

One thing Sam and I always notice are the pretty plants and flowers. These are all succulents, which are low water usage plants.

The Bird of Paradise is Sam's all-time favorite. Aren't they beautiful?

Another side trip was our visit that evening to historic Santa Monica Pier.

It's the western end of Route 66, the historic highway that crossed the country before interstates were built.

And at the western end of the pier, hanging out into the Pacific Ocean, is a shop that commemorates the highway.

When you turn around, the ferris wheel spins and glows and reflects onto the surf.

It was especially fun to visit after dark and see all the lights. The whole pier is lined with shops and restaurants.

One final stop on our way home was the "Outdoor Man" store featured in our current binge watching show, "Last Man Standing," starring Tim Allen, Jay Leno and many other funny people. This store is right off I-10, right on our way home, near the sushi bar, and still took nearly two hours of driving to get there. Another hour and we were finally out of Los Angeles. We were so glad to get home to open countryside!

Back at the ranch, we're working on various projects, in between Sam's driving the school bus and my taking care of my Mom. Sam installed these cargo tie-down anchors on the back of the truck, to secure loads like the pile of old building materials and old fridge we took to the dump.

He's so handy to have around!

We hope you're all having a good week and looking forward to spring.
(As usual, many of these photos were taken by Sam.)