Friday January 29, 2010
Malibu, CA
First Full Moon of the Year!
After one week of non stop rain which included tornadoes, lightening, thunder, 60 mph winds and fierce ocean waves, SUNSHINE! And the best part was catching up with my BFFs. Great week despite major technology breakdowns which made my work week one of the most unproductive weeks in my 25 years of working and the financial crisis of our home owners association.
Anyhow, the happiness week started last Thursday during storm no. 4, where Skipper had to be fitted with a heart rate monitor. The good news is that since I stopped the medication he has been on, he seems happier and full of energy. The contraption also didn't seem to bother him at all and made him an even more popular dog during walks through the park. He didn't have a single fainting/seizure incident so we took off the device today and we shall see what the results say in a few weeks.
The rains were to stop on Friday but after a glorious morning it started again. Apparently, it was not a new storm but Storm 4B - remnants of Thursday's storm. However, it was not too bad and the skies cleared up in time for the Welcome Home dinner Amy and Michael hosted for me. It was fabulous! Skipper and Yuki-chan joined the festivities and it was clear both dogs missed their Uncle Amy and Michael a lot. We had so much fun catching up with friends from work and sharing stories. Hard to believe I've been away for 3 years. It seems just like yesterday!
The food was fabulous! Amy went overboard on the salmon though (she bought 2 fillets!) but proceeds were donated to the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Shelley, a gourmet cook in her spare time, made a wonderful pate.
I got home around 11pm and found the dogs sound asleep in the back seat of the car. Skipper, the old man, woke up when we got home and although he was anxious to jump out of the car, run up the stairs and hop into his bed, I carried him to his bed given his joints are sensitive. Now Yuki-chan, the young one, just looks at me and raises a paw and decides she wants to be carried too! So I carry her from the car to my bed and she promptly falls asleep on one of my pillows. She has really turned into a princess!
We all slept in except for Professor, so I got up early to let him go outside. It was funny though as he came back in only after about 5 minutes. I think he thought I was taking the dogs out too because he always accompanies us on our morning walk. Since I was wide awake by then, I woke the dogs up and took them for a morning walk around the complex with Professor and then packed the dogs in the car for a short hike as the skies were clear with glorious sunshine. The hike turned out to be a very short hike though as the trail was very muddy.
Yuki-chan running around the park and enjoying sunshine
The beginning of the Busch trail: Although the air was clean and refreshing, the trail was so muddy from the rains so the one hour hike turned into a 15 minute walk.
I did get a fabulous view of the Santa Monica Mountains though
After the hike, I spent the rest of the day unpacking boxes, and continued with what seems the never ending task of getting my house together. But I did have dinner with my BFF Susan and her husband before they took the red eye back to NYC. This is the second time Susan visited me in Malibu and she always picks the week where there is torrential rain. I felt bad that on the day she and her husband were going back to NYC, the sun appeared. Anyhow, we went to La Seranata de Garibaldi which I blogged about in my previous post. It was so nice to see them and I hope to see them again this summer.
Sunday morning was spent cleaning the leaves, branches, etc from my property and also volunteering to clean up Westward Beach. I then drove to Arcadia to see my BFF Eunice who I met in Tokyo. She was in LA for business and now lives in Seoul. We had lunch together at PF Changs and then went to Loehmann's and DSW - Designer Shoe Warehouse. During lunch, we both were amazed at the portion sizes and how inexpensive food is in America. We had a great time together and also had fun shopping. I really miss her but she too might come out this summer for a vacation. I also met her wonderful family and parents who flew to LA as they were expecting a new addition to the family yesterday (baby girl!)
Then on Wednesday, I had dinner with my BFFs from knitting, Chris and Genie. We met at Lilly's on Abbot Kinney in Venice. I got there a bit early so, walked around and was amazed how cool Abbot Kinney is these days. The street is dotted with restaurants and some very cool locally owned stores. I am going to have to explore the street during the day time as most of the stores were closing for the nite. But what fun, catching up with the girls! We didn't get to cover everything, so we are going to do another nite out in February.
And tonite, the last Friday of January, is when the first full moon of the year will appear. It is supposed to be a spectacular full moon because the moon is located close to earth. And as a bonus, Mars is making an appearance also. And so I am off to taking a walk outside to enjoy the full moon. What a way to end a fabulous week of friends and sunshine!
Lilly's in Venice: Food was fabulous but we weren't too impressed with the service.
Art Gallery on Abbot Kinney
Very cool house on Abbot Kinney. Not sure I would want to live on the street though cuz it could get noisy.
Only in Venice: a food truck that specializes in sushi!
Love the photos! That is one of the worst trails (off Busch) after a rain. I have quite the story to tell someday. Did you do the Ocean view trail once you got down into the valley of the trail? Looks like you are doing your share of hiking woman! I want to make sure we do one you HAVEN'T done!!!
Posted by: Tara Berro | January 30, 2010 at 07:58 PM