THANKSGIVING 2010

As someone reminded me the other day, he did not like the Holiday Season because we are supposed to treat people well and be jolly all year.  Of course, he is right.  It could also be said that we should give thanks every day for what we have and what we have had and what is ahead.  That being said...today we could be thankful for a wonderful day and a wonderful meal...out at a lovely restaurant.  Today my choice was Sbicca in Del Mar.

What a wonderful place to have a great meal....I spent two weeks praying for good weather!

The menu was perfection.  We carefully plotted out who would have what.  For once, it worked out and everyone had selected a different item...Cliff Pork Prime Rib, Henry Grilled Steak, Betsy Ravioli, and me...Turkey.  Thanksgiving morning everyone (except Cliff) changed to Turkey.

As you can see....it was a beautiful day.  We had the table I had requested upstairs, outside, Western exposure (yes, I was that specific).

Yes..a gorgeous sunny day.  We were at this table for about four minutes before we asked for the nice table in partial shade.  Partial shade being the key word.  It was a bit warm. 

 We moved back and Henry was cold.  He traded seats with Cliff so that he could be in the sun.  The wait staff thought they were being punked--every time they came to the table it was musical chairs.  As the meal progressed, the concern was for Henry's naked head becoming sunburned and blistered.  After one bottle of wine, Betsy began taking off clothes and talking about her "delicate redhead complexion." 

The dinner arrived and was gorgeous...

...and it continued to get warmer...

 Henry and Betsy had run a 5K and a 10K (respectively) Turkey Trot--so this is Henry's self-satisfied stare.  I am just jealous!

We had a great time talking about time's past.

Much to Cliff's dismay, I did manage to get a few pictures of Cliff not giving me a dirty look.

Please note the child behind us playing on his Nintendo DS for his entire meal (of mac and cheese).

As we proceeded to dessert, Betsy tried her own awning in desperation.

Thank heaven's Betsy remembered her Lactaid Dairy-ease.

All in all it was a great day.  Fun to be complaining about the sun when we could be in Massachusetts shoveling snow.  

It was a glorious day as we drove home down the ocean gazing off to the horizon--which Henry reaffirmed was indeed horizontal!!  That college degree pays off every day!

RUBBER DUCKY

I can't believe that I forgot the highlight of the entire shopping experience within my Sunday trek to the Rose Bowl Flea Market.  On the way home, we stopped in Claremont and went into a store called Bath Junkie.


I asked the young lady working if there was a store in Las Vegas, and she said oh, no this is the only one.  Well, come to find out there are 40 stores...as widespread as Key West and Puerto Rico...and about twenty in Texas.

You all remember the classic Sesame Street rendition by Ernie of Rubber Ducky....

While there I discovered a plethora of Rubber Duckies in all shapes and sizes...and then there came the Piece de Resistance....a Jesus Rubber Ducky from Celebriducks.  He does actually walk (well float) on water--all while holding a little lamb.

Come to find out "Celebriducks" has a vast array of rubber duckiss from the famous (Obama)

 and Clinton

to the infamous (Mr. T.),

Mae West (I know what you are thinking...do not even go there)

and, of course, Santa Claus.  

There is a Pope Duckie....maybe he could have a chat with Jesus in your tub...a meeting of the "minds" so to speak.....you might have to keep the bubbles down.

 

In the words of my last ducky for the tubby:

"Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore...(and I ad lib here, but if we were I wish we could get a University of Kansas Jayhawk rubber ducky....

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!!

THE ROSE BOWL IS NOT JUST FOR UCLA...

...it is also the home of the Rose Bowl Flea Market on the second Sunday of every month.

So I put on my walking shoes...

and headed out with a friend at 5:30 AM to go to the Rose Bowl Flea Market.

Arriving at the Flea Market in a hoard of cars and people so early was overwhelming...it has been a long time since I had been there and had forgotten the frenzy...

There was a ton of vintage clothing, although most not older than the current clothes in my closet...we know I never let go of anything...

 Wonderful beaded sweaters

 Jerky for Henry...but I did not buy any due to the diet situation (I am sure he would not eat it)

 A black Santa with gorilla feet on....sorry I cut them out...

Ancient fast foot conveyances

 My typewriter from high school

 Tons of vintage blingy baubles

 It was a gorgeous day....Rose Bowl....mountains...people....people...people

A wreath made of old sheet music!!

 Beads from Ghana

 Clearly the concession to have is to have ATM machines...lines out the door all the time...six machines no waiting.

 This girl was my fave...vintage clothes, Chinese umbrella, 

Saddle Shoes....and, of course, an iphone..

 

 As we began our travel across the 210 to head home, I looked up and saw a billboard for a Trini Lopez concert.  I said, Dear Lord, I did not even know Trini Lopez was still alive.  My friend said--Alive!  I have never even heard of him.  That is when you know you are reeeeaaaaallllly old!!

  So I broke into the classic Lemon Tree.   She looked at me as though I were insane because she had never heard the song either.  To refresh everyone's memory...here it is:

Make sure your volume is on!! and sing along...Lemon tree very pretty...
Trini is now 73 and I still have a hard time believing that he is having a concert and just think about the customer base for that puppy.  Tickets and details are available here.

 We then headed off to Riverside so that I could see the Mission Inn Hotel which is just classic California and charming.  They have 3.5 million lights up for their Holiday Display.

COUCH AND 5K

Sunday morning Henry and I had something in common. 

We both went 5K...me in my car, Henry in his running shoes.

We both went approximately the same speed...no more joking.  Henry did an incredible thing...he ran a 5K race on Shelter Island.  Maybe not so incredible for those of you who run, but I personally sit.  The closest I have come to a 5K is by downloading the app to my iphone for "Couch to 5K"  an inspirational app that I could not even figure out how to use the one day I did it.

I am extremely proud of Henry...he looks fabulous, he is running, he is a different person.

For those of you who have not seen the new Woody Allen movie--"You will meet a tall dark stranger".  It begins with Anthony Hopkins divorcing his wife because he has found a new lease on life, is exercising, is fit, and she says...what are you thinking? I found it very amusing...my friends not so much...