Los Angeles, September 2009

I had the pleasure of going to Los Angeles at the end of September to visit my best friend. In August, I got really down about my friends being everywhere but here. I have friends in Hawaii, Orlando, Wisconsin, downstate Illinois, Idaho, and just about everywhere but Chicago. I do have friends here, let's not discount them! They're some great people and I'd be seriously lost without them. But really, sometimes you just need your best friend. Graham suggested I fly out to visit Abi, and I'm so glad I did. It was a glorious 3 days and 3 nights, and it wasn't long enough to do everything I wanted to do (which basically consisted of sitting and talking and drinking tea and catching up on everything that's happened since the last time we saw one another).

It was a wonderful trip, and I took a million pictures, and I'm finally uploading them to share with you here.

Let's start with Abi's house. I took these photos on Friday morning. Abi shares one half of a duplex with her brother. This house is actually really cool. It used to be owned by Warner Brothers and they'd rent out the homes on the street to their actors so they'd be close to the studio. Pretty cool to think that Clark Gable might have slept in Abi's bedroom, eh?

This is "the mascot" from Abi and Phil's first short film, The Non-Union Striker. It's a classic, and if Abi ever posts it anywhere, I'll definitely let you know where you can find it.

These are Abi's mice, Laverne and Shirley. They're even in the proper order, and they were terrible curious about the new human in their midst. They're also crazy climbers.

Abi's kitchen has tall, tall cabinets! The layout is awkward for anyone under 6'4", but she seems to make it work.

Abi's bedroom/possible movie legend's former home.

The List of Everything That Must Be Accomplished Before I Return To Chicago.

Hate mail for Phil. He didn't hit this guy's car, and I find it funny that they left out the word, "have".

The front of Abi's house.

The view from the left of Abi's house.

Marilyn Monroe lived in this building back before she was famous. It's just down the street from Abi's house.

Abi (& Marilyn) live on Warner and Avon.

The view from Abi's front door. Spiderman kissed Mary Jane upside down here.

The view from the right of Abi's house. ::waves hi to Warner Brothers::

Close up.

I take pictures of everything, including Abi's car.

This is Zuma beach. Look! Real beach bums!

We were actually looking for Point Dume. Here it is!

Point Dume is a bit of a hike. It takes a while to get to the tide pools and the cove, but it's worth the effort.

Really, the hike is obscene. It took a long time, but I had a great hiking companion. She's an excellent navigator.

The views from the top are suburb.

Yay!

Sometimes, all you need is a good cove. Sadly, this one wasn't ours.

Gorgeous! We could hear seals barking and see the waves crashing. It's seriously gorgeous.

We made it down Point Dume and walked along Point Dume Beach. The tide was high, so we couldn't stay long, but it was a gorgeous place to visit.

Woooooosssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh......

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Say cheese!

Dang, that water was cold.

Now she believes me.

How could I not?

I've heard good things about this place. Abi tells me Jesus works there and tells you which line to stand in.

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgewick.

Woo! We saw fun improv! And we're in Hollywood! Let's talk a picture!

Old film reels attached to the ceiling on the subway station.

The next day we went to Descanso Gardens. They have so many koi ponds.

The Boddy House. No Boddy was home. ::rimshot::

Descanso Gardens was truly gorgeous. It's first on my list of places to visit when I return to California.

After Descanso, we paid a visit to Matt and Madeline. I like to think Abi and I are officially the envy of all our blog friends.

Maddy = HAM. This kid knows how to act in front of a camera.

I'm glad I'm not her dad. She won't hate me for this someday.

I think she was trying to show me a toy. Or hit me with it. Or spill my beer.

After those two, we went to The Getty Center. It's obscene to park ($15) but it's "free" admission. There's no way to get there without driving or parking, so you're screwed via cab fare or park, so you have to pay no matter what. Fortunately for us, it's free on Saturday evenings (but I don't think all of them. Find out here at Abi's blog) so we parked and took the tram up the side of the mountain and got to walk around, enjoy the concert, and drink wine and take in the art and architecture.

Isn't it fabulous?

I had an amazing time in L.A. It was far too short a trip, but it was so good to get out there and visit Abi's stomping grounds. I didn't realize that I was the first person to come out there to visit Abi, so I feel pretty special in that regard. Now, we just need to find a reason to get her out here! Or, I can come back out there, with Graham. He's never been to California, and it was my second visit to the west coast. I think he's due for a visit there, don't you?