I’m a little behind since my trip. Not jet-lagged, just BEHIND. And, at the risk of being morose, very very sad. I have none of my family here. My nearest person is my sister and she’s in South Carolina, all the way down by the Georgia border. So that’s an overnight road trip. My daughter is in Tampa, Florida. Even further. And pretty much everyone else (bar a stray cousin or two) is in California. Mostly southern, but there’s one rebel up near San Francisco. It was so so good to get to see all the California contingent. And to be back in California, which I love. It’s like Brooklyn but shinier and brighter. Energetic and bustling. I love that. I felt like I was being driven to the boondocks on my ride home from the airport Friday night. It was so dark. Everything was closed. Everyone was asleep. I saw no neon lights. Sigh.

This will last awhile. Sorry. I hope to get out there someday to live for real…but due to everything it will not be for quite some time. In the meantime I just need to adjust back to my actual life.

That said, I had a wonderful time. I did a million and one things, walked my feet off, ate tons, wore almost everything in my suitcase 🙂

My cousin and I dropped Katie off at the path to walk 3 miles up to the Hollywood sign (she didn’t get that from my side of the family!), then we went down below to an easier incline. Oh yeah, I didn’t even take the wig with me.

IMG_0083

We walked, instead, to The Bat Cave from the 60’s (POW! KABOOM!) TV Batman show.  I got a new phone just the week before I left and didn’t have time to play around with settings much and realized after taking a ton of pictures out there that it was set to shoot in HDR. Not a fan.

IMG_0092

Anti-gravity rocks.

IMG_0091

That night we had Mardi Gras themed dinner at another cousin’s. We had New Orleans style food and a King Cake, from which Katie pulled the baby, dubbing her the Queen of Mardi Gras. I am not allowed to share her photo. Sadface. Aren’t they all great? Don’t you wish they were your family??

IMG_0112

The dessert table.

IMG_0095

Masks.

IMG_0096

What I wore. Isn’t her house so pretty??

IMG_0108

She’s been collecting shells forever.

IMG_0109

The next day Randy took us to Dohini Castle (Mansion? I forget). It was lovely, the grounds reminded me of Old Westbury Gardens but with a much better view.

IMG_0119

Then onto the Getty Center.

IMG_0153IMG_0177IMG_0178

Went to Mexican dinner (yay yum) with my niece, great-niece and nephew.

IMG_0211

Annabelle helped herself to her first tortilla chips.

IMG_0195

It’s the Year of the Dog.

IMG_0219

Had French food at The Grove/Farmer’s Market with my cousin and aunt (Yes! The Fun at Home one!!!)

IMG_0238

I bonded with Puck the Dalmatian.

IMG_0242

On Thursday Katie and I parted ways. She was continuing onto San Diego for a few more days while I had my last day in SoCal.

IMG_0253

We had mani-pedis, did a little shopping, my lovely niece got me an “anti-depression” parting gift. I had another breakfast with my cousin Robin on our way to the airport. And then…trying as hard as I could not to cry (slight fail there), I left.

Sigh. Goodbye, Pacific Ocean (the better ocean). Goodbye beautiful mountains majesties.

IMG_0277

Pictures from the air.

IMG_0321IMG_0322

And then home. Got myself flowers right away to make the apartment not feel so quiet and lonesome.

IMG_0328

Watched the kooky neighbor sitting out in the snow.

IMG_0345

And am missing people terribly…

jen + annabelle venice beach 2.10.18 1 resized pink tint

And now am on my way to get my taxes done, wish me luck. This is no longer the magical time of year that it used to be for me. I just have to hope that the amount owed isn’t crippling.

Bye for now.