Three Days Left Until... Our Trip To Santa Monica (L.A.) To See Our Daughter & Eat Ourselves Into Oblivion

Okay, I guess it's safe to admit at this point that I'm getting uber excited about our trip out to the West Coast to visit our daughter. I've had my clothes and shoes out for a week, trying to decide what I'll wear where. I'm trying to take less this time, which would probably be a *first* since I never pack light. I just like to have... alternatives. Yes, that's right! I like to have choices in case something else doesn't work out. I'm a woman. So sue me. I mean, the Las Vegas trip taught me a lesson and I learned it well. Never pack clothes that don't fit (in other words, try them on prior to trip).

This time I'm playing it smart and taking a variety of flats to wear, lest I get blisters on my feet on the first night, like last time. No thanks! I'm pretty sure I learned my lesson last time. I have an assortment of really cute sandals and flats, with a couple of pairs of medium height heels, just because I like to be daring and pretend that I'm tall sometimes. Luckily, I've had both pair for a while, so they are broken in already.

Soooooooo... The planned itinerary is to arrive in Burbank mid-morning, drive to daughter's office in Beverly Hills (meet the Big Boss), then head to the Santa Monica beach and lunch at the Ivy-At-The-Shore, which surprises me. This is The Ivy where she saw my three most favorite actor/comedians: Tom Hanks, Larry David (of Seinfeld fame) and Martin Short (for whom I would leave my husband if he weren't as happily married as I). This must mean that she trusts me enough to allow me into a public domain where I might embarrass her with my silly reactions to seeing any of those three. I know that I wouldn't just sit and stare. That would be rude, of course. However, I'm not sure I could stop myself from stopping to chat while pledging my undying love to them. All. Of. Them. I'm beyond the age of being embarrassed by my own actions.... most of the time. I'm harmless though. Really. Honest!

That night we have reservations at a place on the beach called The Lobster, which we've been told is extremely good and shouldn't be missed. Apparently, the sunsets and the lobster are to live for, so we're in. Daughter and I will most likely put her Dad to bed while we go for drinks somewhere. Although... last year he was some kind of crazy party animal because he was all mixed up with the two hour time change. I'm telling you, he was a wild man and it was so much fun! Neither SD nor I recognized him.

On Friday, we're going to kind of hang at the beach (Thank gawd it's not the Hollywood stars walk-of-fame again) where SD and I will probably ride bikes or roller blade while Mr. Snoots seeks refuge in a dark, air conditioned bar somewhere that has sports TV and smoking. So, I haven't done roller blades since the kids were younger. That has definite comedic possibilities, huh?

We have dinner reservations that night at a restaurant called Ocean Avenue Seafood which is supposedly a Santa Monica tradition. As it turns out, one of SD's teammates from her soccer team tends bar there and offered to give us a 15% discount if we come visit him at the bar. But of course we will!

On Saturday, we're going to cruise around the Third Street Promenade area and have a nice leisurely lunch somewhere with a view of the beach. No big plans really. Although, I thought it might be fun to do the Trapeze School offered at the Santa Monica Pier. That night, we have dinner reservations at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant *Chinois*, so we're looking forward to that.

On Sunday, we're going to brunch at Geoffrey's Malibu, which has been a Malibu institution for years. Everyone says the view is magnificent. After that, we'll probably run back to our hotel, change into more casual clothes and head to the amusement park at the Santa Monica Pier for a couple of hours. By then I'm sure we'll need naps.

Later that evening we have dinner reservations at a place called The Chart House, in Malibu. I have no idea if it's any good, but I've eaten at the one in Lahaina (which isn't even there anymore), on the Hawaiian island of Maui, thirty five years ago. That's good enough reason to go there, right? I just figured if it's still there after all these years (they were all opened *back in the day*), it must still be good. Besides, they have a wonderful view of the ocean at sunset. I can get a great meal almost anywhere, but I can't get a view of the ocean at sunset just anywhere.

Monday we go to Disneyland!!!!!!!!!! I can't help but wonder how long I'm going to last. I haven't done amusement parks since the kids were in middle school. Hmmmm... I'm not sure I can count that high. But, I can hardly wait to ride The Matterhorn Bobsled. I think that's been the one thing has stuck in my brain since the early days of watching Disney on Sunday nights. And the jungle cruise. I want to ride all of the wild rides (except the ones where you get wet) like Indiana Jones Adventure, Pirates of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes, and all the rest. Disneyland has several excellent restaurants in Disneyland California Adventure, so we'll be having a really great lunch. Somewhere.

Monday night I did make a reservation for dinner at Boa Steakhouse in Santa Monica, but I'm not sure if we're going to make that reservation time. I suppose it depends on how exhausted we are after Disneyland. It could be that we're completely ravaged. Then again, we might achieve a true *second wind*. Time will tell.

We leave for home Tuesday morning, so we'll most likely spend Monday night (after dinner, of course) getting packed up and ready to go home. I'm sure we'll be ready by then.

I promise to keep my digital camera at the ready... at all times. (Why don't they make those ridiculous neck straps for cameras anymore? I swear I'd wear one.) I'm taking both batteries & the charger and will do my best to be discreet when quickly setting up my shots. Of course, that's a promise I might not be able to keep. Hehehehe...

Dear Lord: Please don't let my feet and ankles swell up like big tree stumps this time. Please. I'll do anything. The first trip out to the West Coast was torture enough, as was the trip to Las Vegas last Fall.. Isn't it time that I got a *swelling break*? The water pills don't work. Elevating the feet above my head doesn't work. Is there something you're not telling me about?  The doctor just gave me a major GOOD BILL OF HEALTH. I'm begging. I just don't think I can wear the anti-swelling knee socks I bought at a weak moment....

Look, But Don't Touch or Speak...

Since I'm still really sickly, I thought I'd post this again. It was one of my very first posts, so only a few people even read it. Hopefully, I'll be back by the middle of next week now that I'm on antibiotics. And NO, we aren't going to California this Spring, but we might go this Summer. Somehow, I feel cheated out of a trip but I'll soon get over it. So, here is the post from February 29, 2008:

Mr. Snooty & I are leaving in two weeks for sunny California to visit our daughter who is an assistant music producer in Hollywood, which is her first real job since graduating from UT last year. The last time I spoke with her, she was telling me about eating someplace and seeing Tom Cruise, Larry David & Martin Short all dining together. I am a MAJOR FAN of both Martin Short & Larry David. So, I start getting all excited on the phone until the daughter says "MOM, there will be no approaching, no speaking to, nor staring at any celebrities" while we're with her during our stay. Now I ask you... where's the fun in that? I'm sure she envisions my behavior would be something similar to what Lucy & Ethel did when visiting Hollywood, but I saw it as something more resembling her behavior as a child. Besides, upon ruminating this matter, I've decided paybacks are really going to be hell for my dear daughter.

Can you imagine what I must have said to them in THIS PICTURE? I was SO NOT A DISCIPLINARIAN!

I do recall one particularly excruciating time when I took both kids to Taos to ski for a week. I've always been a huge advocate of taking the children to nice dining establishments on a regular basis, in order to hone their skills of being polite in public & using their best manners. At the time, our son was in 5th grade & daughter was in 4th. Clearly, this was the *Age of Embarrassment*, which was one tiny little thing I'd managed to overlook.

So, one night we went out to dinner at absolutely the most elegant restaurant in Taos, where both children proceeded to embarrass me continually during our 1-1/2 hour meal. They were loud, picked at one another constantly, wouldn't stay in their seats, they were blowing soft drink out of their noses when they laughed, refused to use their napkins, talked with their mouths full... you get the picture. I was horrified by the way they were acting & realized that I'd not worn them out sufficiently during our first day of skiing. If I had, they would have been too tired to display such deplorable behavior in public or anywhere else. Then, in the midst of my living nightmare, in walks one of my favorite celebrities with a small group of people. It was TOM *freaking* SELLECK. Of course the group couldn't resist looking in the direction of an annoyingly loud table... OUR'S. I turned & hid my face so that I wouldn't be recognized at any other point during our stay. The group was promptly seated in ANOTHER ROOM, as far away from us as was possible, I suppose.

Then, I began to notice that they were no longer seating people in our dining room at all. Oh yeah, big surprise there. But, the fun wasn't over for me yet. The daughter unit kept asking for things off the menu that I knew she wouldn't eat, so rather than tangle with her over the why's, I just told her "no" because I didn't have enough money for those things. Big Mistake. When the waiter delivers our bill to us & I hand him the credit card, my daughter says in her most booming outdoors voice "But MOM, you said we didn't HAVE ANY MONEY". The waiter's head snapped around to look at me so fast I thought for sure he had whiplash. Every head in the dining rooms on either side of us turned to stare. Score! She got me again. I truly wanted to morph into a snake & slither my way out of the restaurant. I've never returned to that restaurant, since I have no doubts they have a poster of us with our names, strategically located at the waiter's station to this very day.

Yes, the California trip is really going to be a great experience... and paybacks are always HELL. I mean, isn't one of the perks of aging... being able to finally embarrass your children as much as they embarrassed you once upon a time? It's in the *aging handbook*, I swear!

Last Installment of Galveston & Good Friends...

I miss the beach and our friends already, but they will be back in West Texas for 3 weeks very soon. Still, I miss our Louisiana friends too. SO... Now where was I? Oh, yes.

After another Heavenly good night of sleep our hosts fed us another delicious breakfast and it was all too soon time to go. Sadly, as I've always said... "Fish And House Guests Stink After Three Days". We were definitely beginning to get a tad smelly, in my opinion. Besides, we had plane reservations that couldn't be changed, so that deal was sealed.

However, Dear Readers, I'm not letting you off that easily. I must first make another soul cleansing confession about my oh-so-mature behavior on the beach the previous day. The little girl who had built the sandcastle was doing cartwheels on the soft part of the sand and it really took me back to when I was a kid and could do terrific cartwheels. Can you see where this is going?

Apparently I had just the right amount of cocktails in me to think I could accomplish this act without damage. Frankly, it probably wasn't even enough to account for a cheap bottle of wine. It wouldn't even make a Mastercard commercial. How badly can you get hurt on the soft part of the beach? If I fell, it would be on the oh-so-soft sand, right? Which shouldn't hurt, right? I probably would have been perfectly fine if I had just stuck with the first cartwheel, but I had to go and push it to the edge and go for cartwheel #2. Big Mistake. Huge. And, I'm afraid our hostess may have gotten scary film footage of this brazen act of Stoopidity ummm Pure Genius ummmm... Total Immaturity. I haven't been 10 years old for quite some time. Or. So. I. Thought.

I had the great joy of discovering (the hard way) that cartwheels have, alas, gone the way of making hula-hoops work & trying to dress Barbie dolls. Please. Somewhere deep down inside I'm sure that I already knew this. So, do women have groins? (It just sounds like something I would so not have.) That can hurt when a limb is nearly ripped out of its weak socket by the sheer force of gravity? For several days afterward? If so, then I think I have a groin injury or whatever it's called when women have it. No, I didn't take anatomy 101. Or if I did, I wasn't paying attention. Now, I will do no more whining about another self-inflicted wound. Enough. Said.

In closing, I shall leave you with some random pictures from the trip. Shrimp boats are always fun to watch, as the seagulls flank them in search of fish gut goodies. We didn't get to go to Woody's (The Biker Bar) this trip because being a holiday it would have been insane for anyone over the age of 40 to try & get in. We might have been attacked. However, I was sharp enough to pull the car over on the way to the airport and snap a quick click. This is as good as I've ever seen it look and I've only seen it at night inside.

As always, we had a fun, fun time and yet still very different from previous years. They have worked hard at making every year a great new experience for us and I truly appreciate that. It's almost like going somewhere different every year. So Dear Galveston Friends: I'd like to raise a glass to you both for all of the amazing experiences you've made for us. It's just too special for words and you all are too. We've never felt more comfortable than when we're with you two and our Cajun buddies.

Oh and just when I thought my travels were done for a while, I realized I'm off to see my San Antonio friends next week.

Galveston & Good Friends.... Day Two

FRIDAY, July 4th, 2008 ~ Independence Day

Our room was so dark once the electric blinds were down that it was like being in mother's womb. We slept like logs. Oh wait. Mr. Snooty was sawing logs & feeling like He was in mother's womb and I finally went to sleep like a kid at summer camp... on the porch. Only it was on a lovely chaise lounge on the porch that had a very comfy pad, blankie & pillow, so I slept to the sounds of the ocean and the steady breeze. It wasn't until around dawn that I awakened to the sound of a heliocopter, then seagulls, then people taking their morning walks. I was more than ready to greet the day, as I didn't want to waste a single moment.

Our hosts had a wonderful breakfast prepared for us consisting of coffee, orange juice, a raspberry/blackberry/strawberry compote, and the most delicious sausage filled pastries. Since I wasn't quite functioning at that early hour, I failed to take any pictures. You'll simply have to take my word for it. The breakfast was as good as it gets. Oh, that's right. My digital was broken.

The guys went down to the beach and put up the canopy and we gals decided to run into town real quick & hit the sale at Academy Sports. We all scored quite nicely. I got some especially great deals on things I haven't ever seen at our Academy Sports here.



I got a really cute madras skirt that reminded me of high school days and a few polos to go with it.

I also got a cute hoodie coverup and a cute full skirt (that I think I'll send to my daughter).

Plus, I got a khaki skort and a white top that are a new material that is SPF 30 and a very nice, light weight. Perfect for golf in triple digits.

We were there for perhaps an hour, then headed back to the beach by way of the back roads in order to avoid the traffic on the main road. By the time we got back to the house, a storm was blowing in, and they come in fast down there. We all ran to the beach and retrieved the things that could blow away, brought in all the patio cushions and then headed to our favorite burger spot, Michael's. When we arrived it was just starting to rain and by the time we got inside, it had become a torrential downpour.

The minute we walked into Michael's, a huge crowd filed in line after us. Apparently, we had perfect timing. When you first go in, you look at their menu, decide & order @ the counter. They have a great cooler full of a wide variety of beer and I decided to have a beer, so I chose the bottled Grolsch. I now have a whole new respect for beer. I drank every drop with my meal. They have the best burgers, french fries, and onion rings. Yes, I know. Redneck health food in some parts of the world. Pop another Lipitor my friends. It was worth every notch on the cholesterol belt.

The husbands decided this cute young girl at the next table with her parents had on the best T-shirt they'd ever seen, so they posed with her in a most witty fashion and she got a huge giggle out of it. She and her parents are locals and obviously accustomed to touristas, and were very nice.

We finally left when we were as full as ticks on a bulldog and drove back to the house in the rain, which had slowed to a steady sprinkle. Being the old farts that we are, we all went down for naps and when we awoke, the sun was out, so we all headed down to the beach. The guys put the canopy back up and we headed back down for a frisky game of horseshoes accompanied by cocktails and followed by a vigorous game of Yard Golf. Oh yeah baby! We were cookin'!

Then, we all went up to the house to clean up and get dinner ready. Our Louisiana friends were cooking that night, so everyone ran around and helped where they could. We feasted on light appetizers then had what our friends called Red Fish On The Half Shell, Broccolli Casserole, and a wonderful bread loaf they had made.

That night, the neighbors provided us with an outstanding fireworks display, which we Oooohed and Ahhhhed and whistled for, in appreciation. Believe me, it was good enough for our tired bunch and when it was all said and done, we called it a night.

To Be Continued Tomorrow...

As Usual, Galveston Was A Festival of Food & Fun... Day One

WoW! I am thoroughly and completely exhausted although I'm so anxious to tell about the many things we did, but I really need to begin with the day before we left. My golfing friend Judy forced me to go play golf with her that day, even though I had not finished packing & still had a gazillion things to do before we left on our flight at the a$$ crack of dawn the next morning.

Throughout the 18 holes I thought I was playing pretty well but she wouldn't let me see the scorecard, so I just played on. We'd had a few cocktails which always seems to relax me & makes me play more fluidly, shall we say. We were fairly looped by the end of the round, at which point she revealed my score to me. I finally broke 100! Alright, it was only 99, but I've been struggling for so long to break the triple digits and I was happy, happy, happy. So, we left & went to my house for a celebration drink (or five). When Mr. Snooty came home he was happy for me as well, but not so much so that I'd gotten nothing done and that I was by then rendered completely useless for anything more than sitting around giggling. Yes, I'm a bad person for that.

The worst of it was that we were getting up around 4:00 AM to be ready to leave for our 6:15 AM flight to Houston Hobby and my friend (whose hubby had joined us later) didn't leave until after 10:00 PM. So, after they left, I stumbled back to my room to pack. By the next morning (after like 4 hours of sleep) I had no clue as to what I'd packed, but wasn't about to go through & look because I didn't have time.

What I found when we arrived at our friend's beach house was 2 swimsuits, 5 pareos, and completely ridiculous items I would have never taken to the beach. Gee... Go Figure! I showed my friend my suitcase and she broke into doubled over laughter, as did I. She said "Damn Girl. You really were in some kind of state to pack like that". Yup, things had been thrown into the suitcase in a Helter Skelter fashion and aside from the swimsuits & pareos, nothing seemed to have anything to do with the other. I'd included a stained polo and an old skort, an extra pair of sandals, my medications bag, my makeup bag, my hairdryer and my jewelry bag (I'd had no intentions of wearing any jewelry at the beach). I also didn't plan to wear makeup because it won't stay on in high humidity and/or rain.

So this, of course, meant that I needed to go shopping. Quickly. Our Louisiana friends had arrived Wednesday night and apparently they had all been in similar condition the night before, so we were all sympathetic to one another's gut-splitting hangovers delicate conditions.

We immediately decided we needed to go downtown to The Strand and hit several of the shamefully overpriced upper end stores. The guys didn't want to be dragged into places where they'd have to witness our total disregard for money, so we took two cars & agreed to meet up for lunch at The Oyster Bar. We each made some fun purchases at the first shop and not so much at the second one. Still, it was fun looking at clothing & shoes that cost over $500.oo and up per piece. Kind of. The only thing I bought at the second place was a canvas grocery bag. Yes, my attempt to Save The Earth. Probably would have been smarter to just send the money to the tree huggers directly (no insult intended here).

After at least 5 calls to our cell phones begging imploring us to get moving, we finally proceeded in the direction of lunch. As always, the oysters were excellent and the sauce was spicy hot. We had drinks all around then ordered some much needed food. I was at least able to remember to take a picture of the place, but somehow forgot to get some clicks of the food. I know. What was I thinking? Really, I wasn't thinking because we were all talking 90 mph, trying to catch up with one another's lives.

When we finished lunch, the guys had some things they needed to go get at the store for dinner, so we parted and went off to shop some more run our errands. We needed to get everything done that day because it would be impossibly crowded & difficult to get around the island once Friday arrived. It was already getting crowded & hot and we just wanted to get back to the house so that we could collapse on the beach.

So, while we were still downtown we stopped in at our favorite Cigar & Smoke Shop and bought some lovely tasting *girly* cigars which are approximately the size of a cigarette. We ladies like to have our cognac cigars, mango cream cigars, and passion fruit cigars, with absolutely no apologies to anyone. The hubbys had gone down to the fresh fish market and bought our fresh salmon for that night's dinner and fresh shrimp for Saturday night.

That accomplished, we finally started toward West Galveston Beach where the house is. Once back, we donned our swimwear, played a round of Yard Golf, had evening cocktails on the beach then everyone began their preparations for dinner. Just as I was beginning to take pictures of our divine dinner, I accidentally dropped my digital camera and it went completely dead. I wigged out and almost cried at the thought of all the pictures I'd miss. Okay, fine. I did cry... big weenie that I am. I thought I was doomed with no camera.

So, I had another drink & got over it, deciding to use my crappy disposable waterproof camera which is good for the beach but almost nothing else. Still, I knew it was better than nothing. It still has something like 20 pictures left on it, which I hate to waste, but there's no telling when that will get used up, so I'll take them tomorrow to be developed & have them sent to me online. I think they can do that, can't they? If not, I can at least get them on CD.

We feasted on extremely fresh, delicious grilled salmon with fresh pico de gayo, spinach salad, garlic bread and drank 2 bottles of The Bitch Wine, which was excellent with the salmon. Our host & hostess wound up going to bed first (I think we wore them out) and then the two hubbys left and went to bed. Steph & I wound up staying up late and I'm pretty certain we solved most of the world's problems, but I can't remember what those solutions were now. Imagine that.

To Be Continued Tomorrow...

Triple Digit Heat? Mexico can cure that....

So, there I was last night at 11:00 PM, on the patio still trying to repot plants in the cool 88 degree temperature. The temperature at 7:00 PM was still 103 degrees in the shade and by midnight it wasn't that much better, but there was a breeze. I just figured if I'm ever going to get out to the garden to plant those baby plants & seeds, I've got to get the patio plants done first. Since it's too hot during the day, it seems I'm forced to garden by the light of the moon. Which creeps me out, because I can't see if there are any bugs or spiders. You know, that can get on me & freak me out. Yes, I am a ninny. A Huge ninny. You truly do not want to be anywhere around me when I discover a bug or a spidey on me. I turn into a screaming, flailing woman and it's not a pretty sight.


It isn't even Summer yet and already we're having triple digit temperatures. This is not a good sign of things to come. The last time it was this hot in May, we had a helacious Summer. At one point I remember we had 24 straight days of triple digit temps. It was a miserable Summer that had me lying around the house like a beached whale, in my swimsuit. Every movement made in that kind of heat was slow & difficult. I didn't even have a garden that Summer and many of the shrubs & flowers that I'd planted, floundered in the heat.

Which is why I'm so not looking forward to this Summer. I'm thinking we might need to get out of town and go somewhere cool, but that probably won't happen any time soon. Still, I'm thinking a trip to San Miguel de Allende in the mountains of Guanajuato, Mexico, would be the ideal place to go this year. I have a long list of lovely places to stay and I've been looking at them longingly for many years.


Mr. Snooty doesn't want to go there because it isn't by the ocean. You know. The ocean he never goes in. Ever. He does go in the swimming pool but only for quick cooling off dips. Just like he is couch potato at home, on vacation he's usually a pool lounge potato as well (which I actually really like). He especially liked the resort that I booked for us last year on our 30th anniversary trip to Cancun. I did not want to be around hoardes of screaming rugrats, so I booked us at a hotel that was for adults only. We found out why it was adults only once we arrived.

One of the many hotel restaurants --------->

Our hotel was topless. Not the hotel really, but the women. Breasts were flopping and bouncing left & right everywhere we looked. The man thought he had died and acsended to the Pearly Gates of Heaven. As for myself... well, it took me a while to get used to it. I was totally grossed out at first because there were so many large 350 pound women laying around topless and honestly looking like beached whales. It was... well... overwhelming, to say the very least. But, after a couple of days I began getting used to it. Mr. Snooty, of course, wore his darkest sunglasses all day, which made it hard to tell if he was ogling anyone. He pretended to be asleep much of the time, but I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, you know. Men are such weak creatures. I know he was ogling. Jeeze, I was. It couldn't be helped. They were everywhere you looked.

I, naturally, never revealed any *boobage*, being the old lady that I am. Then, I met these two crazy ladies from Wales who were there on holiday, Andrea and Julie. These two ladies literally cracked me up and I had so much fun with them. After the first couple of days Andrea & Julie shed their bikini tops, letting it all hang out, shall we say. They are both my age and they loved it. They said they had never felt so liberated in their lives. Frankly, I was coming around to their way of thinking. Unfortunately, one must have a two piece suit if one plans to go topless. I had not owned a two-piece in many, many moons. Deciding it would look completely derelict to just pull down the top of my one-piece, I refrained from any boobage exposure. Honestly, I would have looked better than about 75% of the women we saw going topless.

However, I decided that I could wait until next trip. I've been tanning in the nude for six months now, very little at a time. I'm determined to have a good enough base tan on my personal boobage, to not wind up burned into a crispy critter. I also bought a two-piece swimsuit that is really like a one-piece, but the top is separate. So, I'm ready to do this! I am ready to liberate these two babies. Maybe. But then, there is always this little voice in the back of my mind that says someone might get a picture of me and it will wind up on YouTube or something equally as humiliating. I'll just wait and see if I can muster up the courage, the next time we go to Mexico. Who am I kidding? It'll never happen. Probably. Unless menopause sends me maniacally laughing and giggling over the edge. Who knows what I'll be capable of then?

Each night during our week in Cancun, we would leave our hotel and venture out for dinner, with reservations made prior to our outing. We didn't need to go out, because we were on the All-Inclusive plan and the food at the hotel was simply amazing. Yet, we wanted to see some more of Cancun, and we did. One restaurant was so incredibly wonderful, that we went back the next night for the exact same lobster dinner as the night before. The name of the restaurant is Lorenzillo's and they have the absolute most delicious lobster I've ever had. They serve it in numerous ways, but Mr. Snooty and I just had to have the grilled lobster again. We weren't disapponted. You can dine outside on their pier, which is very elegant, with the wind blowing softly in rythym to the crashing waves and it was a little slice of Pure Heaven.

This was a place we liked the looks of on Isla Mujeres. ------------>

Another place we had dinner was the oceanside restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton. Again, another amazing meal and service and views. We had a private dining room and leisurely enjoyed our meal with the sound of the ocean as our background music. Another slice of Pure Heaven.

Still, every night after dinner we went straight back to the hotel so that Mr. Snooty could go to bed, just like being at home. Thank gawd I met Andrea & Julie, because once we hooked up, I had something to do every night. Giggle with the girls from Wales. At the hotel bar. And Drink. And Giggle Some More. It was too much fun, really. I met all kinds of people from England and Canada and Australia and I had a blast every night after Mr. Snooty declared "Lights Out". What else could I do without a computer?

One day we went to Isla Mujeres and had the most divine lunch at Rolandi's. This was our view.


So, while I'm outside planting tomatoes & peppers, with salty sweat stinging my eyes, I shall be thinking about Mexico and how badly I'd prefer to be there, basquing in the sun and drinking Margaritas. I reeeeeeeally want to go back. And, the sooner, the better.

Ahhhh.... Nothing Like The Beach Life

Every year our good friends invite us down to visit for a few days at their Galveston beach house, which I adore. They are such wonderful hosts and always have all kinds of activities planned for us. They take us to fabulous places to eat in addition to makng delicious, nouveau cuisine at the house. They also stock up on the things we like to drink and snack on. We have a cozy little bedroom that we sleep well in, so it's always a great stay.They are such a fun couple!

Our friends' house is so comfortable and beautiful that it's hard to get up and do something without some sort of motivation. So, they usually have some little excursions planned. Like, we visited the Bishop's Palace, which is the coolest historical home in Galveston. I love interesting architecture and Galveston is a dream for those of us who enjoy these things. Of course, no trip is complete without a visit to The Strand historical district for cocktails at a landmark hotel and oysters @ a popular seafood spot. There are so many things to do in Galveston that it could take years to actually do all of them.

During dinner with our Galveston friends last weekend, they revealed to us that they have just bought another larger house down the beach from this one. They have a very large family & at least 6 grandchildren now, so they can definitely use the space. I know exactly which house it is because they have admired this particular place since buying the first one. So, I'm definitely looking forward to our visit this year.

My most favorite place to go in Galveston is a little Mexican market that also has tables & chairs for you to sit & eat. They make the absolute best Migas I've ever had and their beer is always cold, and yes, on vacation I've been known to have the Breakfast of Champions, BEER. The thing I like most about this place is that it has the world's largest pork rinds for sale. The first time we went there they had one on the wall, it was so big. The last time we went, I guess someone had bought it or broken it, because it wasn't there. Talk about wall art, though. Whew! Anyway, this was the biggest they had the last time. It's about the size of a small dog.

We also go to the local biker bar, Woody's, to play pool & have drinks. No trip would be complete with a trip to Woody's. The crowd is usually kind of wild, which makes it all the more interesting. The bar isn't enclosed, so they don't have air conditioning, but the breeze off the ocean is usually enough. Still, you can't help but suck the drinks down.

Anyway, after visiting our friends in Galveston last year, I was racking my brain about what to get them for a thank you gift. We always have such a wonderful time there and I always like to give them something decorative that will go with their surroundings or something they will use. They don't like having a lot of clutter, unlike me, the *Clutter Queen*. So, with respect to that, I wanted to make it special. I finally decided I'd make them a shadow box of all the shells I was able to gather while there.

I went to the craft store and found a perfect white shadowbox and bought the glue necessary to keep the shells in place. Once I got them home, I started arranging the shells in an attractive display and then, Eureka! I decided it would really personalize it if I added a picture of them & one of us, all on the beach. So, I just printed out tiny pictures off the computer.

This is what I finally ended up with & presented to them on their next visit home.

Then, I liked it so much, I decided to make one similar to it, for us. It didn't turn out quite as nicely as the one we gave them, but I still like it. It's the memory that counts.

So, I'll have to come up with something new for this year's trip gift, but with a new house, I'm sure there will be lots of things they need.

I suppose they'd love for us to take the current beach house off their hands, (I'd love that but wouldn't ever want to leave) but that won't be happening. Not in this lifetime anyway. Hubby likes to visit, but doesn't want to own. Been there. Done that.

Some more random pictures from Hollyweird...

This guy looked really pissed that I was taking this picture, so the HU whisked me quickly away. I just couldn't believe someone would lay down on the boulevard of stars, much less be racking Z's. It smelled very strongly of urine here & it totally grossed us out. I've never seen so many homeless street people.

You can click on the pictures to see the actual size & details.

This was our view from the hotel...

<--This is a view of Hollywood Blvd. toward Vine.

How could I not get a shot of Heathcliffe?

Testing my margarita! It was perfect...

I wasted a lot of digital battery taking these pictures, so I might as well post them. Hope you enjoy!

Now that you've seen these pictures, you won't ever need to waste your time going here.