Los Angeles, California: It's been two weeks since I have posted and there have been very few developments, except for one: Mother Nature turned down the thermostat! Yeah. Finally. The long months of 110+ temps have been brutal. Our golf course was scalped, but the high heat was not allowing the grass seed to germinate and grow as expected, so our golf course will not reopen as scheduled - another week to wait. (They still expect us to pay our dues though.) We were very happy to get over to much-cooler Los Angeles for a few days and I packed sweaters. Both of them.
We arrived Wednesday in time to pick up Lisa to watch Leo's middle school flag football team beat another middle school flag football team. That was fun, but the World Series game was starting when the football game ended in a tie. Usually, they just call it a tie, but the boys and their coaches and the refs put their heads together and decided to keep playing, using the Texas Plan for over-time, and Leo's school won. We headed back to Lisa's house, listening to the early innings on the radio. Lenny had Lucy and hot pizza waiting for us and we all gathered together to watch the LA Dodgers beat the Yankees! The neighbors had come over to watch the last few innings and we all jumped for joy (and up and down, singing Randy Newman's I Love LA), when the Dodgers won, until we fell into an exhausted heap, laughing.
Thursday was spent prepping for the annual Halloween party while the kids were in school. Lisa had a pink theme this year. Life-sized plastic pink skeletons were hung about the house and pumpkins were painted pink. Instead of the usual black spider webbing draped across the tables, they were pink webs. Pink napkins. Pink cups. It was very different, and very fun. After everything was ready for guests, Dave and I went out to pick up a few last minute things and stopped for lunch at HomeState - one of my favorite Tex-Mex places in town.
pickled jalapeños, pickled red onions - served over fritos in the bag.
pasture-raised eggs scrambled with crispy corn strips, pico de gallo.
We did not see Leo this evening. He went trick-or-treating with his posse in a nearby neighborhood and slept-over.
Lisa and Lenny fed about 25-30 adults (and assorted children) over the evening. People came and went. Ate, then headed out with kids trick-or-treating, then returning for more food/drink. It is always a fun night and mostly the same guests - long time friends and neighbors. This year they served a great assortment of middle-eastern foods from Dune - fried chicken, grilled chicken, falafel, pita bread - and all the assorted sauces and toppings to make your own special favorite combination. Their fried chicken is absolutely divine and their falafel are the best I have ever tasted.
Mike brought Autumn Punch to the party. He said it was basically a sangria. Everyone just loved it and everyone also loved the gorgeous dispenser!
Of course, Farmers Angela and Bryan were there with their cow, Sebastian. Sebastian is old enough now (2) to kinda understand what is going on. Lisa dressed-up as the Thai pygmy hippo Moo Deng... except with cleavage and stilettos. I was my usual witch (black dress, witch hat, Halloween scarf). DT went basically as his-own-self: golf slacks, golf shirt, golf hat, golf glove... but he carried a putter, and said he was Arnold Palmer. Lenny wore a skull shirt.
Lucy dressed as Cher Horowitz (from the Clueless movie). Randomly, another guest also arrived in this costume. The two girls did not discuss - it was just a fluke. But... during the evening another Cher Horowitz trick-or-treated the house, so maybe it was a popular costume choice this year? The party was another smashing success, so I guess the tradition will continue? Everyone loves this annual party.
Ten year old Lucile hatched a petition at their school so the kids could have the day after Halloween off. Everyone signed the petition (even the headmistress), and the measure passed. Teachers had to work, but the kids had the day off. Lucy was very popular at school (pre-school through high school) this week. But Lenny and Lisa had to work Friday, so we had the kids all day. We fetched Leo from his sleep-over and went to brunch. So fun to hear about Leo's trick-or-treating (three boys dressed as Batman), all the candy they received, how the movies they watched after trick-or-treating were so scary they couldn't get to sleep until 3a! (Brings back a whole jack-o-lantern of memories from my middle-school years.) We went shopping - spending over an hour at a bookshop - then looked at some clothes and then walked over to another shopping area to visit a sporting goods store. The line for Dodger fan-gear was around the block. By the time we headed back to the house, Lisa and Lenny were home. We all went out to dinner, and this morning, Dave and I were up and out the door and back in La Quinta by 10a - we wanted to watch the Duck game at 12:30. The #1 Oregon Ducks beat Michigan in The Big House and are still undefeated.
Next up: We can't wait for our home course to open, so another golf trip over to Borrego Springs in the RV.
Until my next update, I remain, your Halloween correspondent.