LA

Last night my husband and I got back from a weekend in Los Angeles. He went to a boardgame convention and I did **whatever**. It was just what I needed, a getaway, to help me appreciate where we live. It was nice having a change of pace and scenery. I took the day off on Friday to sleep in and take it easy in the morning. We left for LA at 2pm Friday... got to our hotel and chilled for a while. We had a nice big king size bed which was a treat. Sometimes we talk about getting a king size bed one day, but then we wouldn't get so excited about hotels. I suppose it sounds pretty juvenile getting excited to stay in a hotel and having a king size bed, but I like my space. I like to roll over and still have room either side of me. Its nice not to have everything sometimes, then you can still get excited about the supposed little things.

I was on a pretty tight budget in LA which I stuck to (just!). I spent a lot of it eating out. Friday night Daniel and I went to this beer/sausage restaurant in downtown LA. Its become our new favourite haunt. Between Belgian and German beers... gourmet sausages paired with hotdog-rolls and a choice of onions/bell pepper/sweet peppers and sauerkraut - it makes for a wonderful meal.

Saturday morning I took it easy and drove over to Santa Monica for a morning of fresh air, people watching and a nice stroll on 3rd Street Promenade. I had breakfast at Starbucks of all places. After the beer & sausage shenanigans the night before my stomach could only handle a small breakfast of oatmeal and a latte. I just love Santa Monica. That afternoon I joined my friends in North Hollywood. It took me an hour to battle traffic from Santa Monica to North Hollywood! Usually it would take 30 minutes max (according to the trusty GPS). We went to lunch with a friend in Studio City for the most amazing sandwiches. The name of the cafe is "Aroma Cafe". The cakes, muffins and pastries looked divine. I'm definitely taking Daniel there! That night we hung out with friends Larramy & Letty and went to a Tiki bar for drinks which was nice and relaxing.

Sunday was Rose Bowl. Unfortunately my heart just wasn't in it. It was hot and crowded and I wasn't really in the mood for shopping. I was more in the mood for going for a bikeride or visiting a museum. Oh well, you can't plan your general mood for the day huh:) Nevertheless it was fun to look at different things. After Rose Bowl we got somewhat lost and finally made our way to old Pasadena and had a late lunch at Barney's Beanery. By that time we were tired and good beer helped some.

So, that was the weekend! It was nice to hang out with friends and see some different spots. Today I'm back at work. Its beautiful here in Southern California today. Its warm and sunny with only the slightest hint of crispness in the air. I went for a long walk on the beach at lunch and am now nursing an iced coffee which serves the purpose of cooling me down after power walking. My power walking was much less impressive than it sounds, believe me.