I tried In N’ Out burger for the first time on Friday thanks to a generous friend from Texas and his “I’m going to get you something for your birthday” ways. All I gave him for his was a t-shirt…I’m such a bad friend… anyway… In N’ Out was cool, but not what I had expected. The burger was fine, sort of like a better quality big mac (complete with secret sauce). Their fries were actually not good at all, too little and too crispy to enjoy the potato-ness. Their saving grace is their milkshakes though, which are made with real ice cream. AND they give you free little packets of whole banana peppers, which is AWESOME! I took home about 12 peppers to use in my home cooking.
On Saturday I played racquetball with Jay, one of Amy’s friends from Boston. I really need to find people to play ball with on a regular basis, that game is so much fun…and such a good workout for the lungs and heart.
After the game Amy and I proceeded to Pasadena to watch the second half of the OSU vs. Iowa game. We walked in to see a 0-24 score…and promptly walked out; I don’t need Justin Zwick to ruin another Saturday for me. So, we went to eat in Old Pasadena. After coming home I decided to wash all the clothes that were brought in the moving truck a few weeks ago (they acquired a very strange smell somewhere between Ohio and California). That was rough and took about five hours…but they are done now. That was the last little thing I had left to do to settle in.
One very cool thing happened Saturday. It rained. I had to live in California for almost two whole months before I saw/felt rain. At first it was really soft, and then during the night it came down in Ohio sized torrents. One of the few things I missed about the East was ironically the terrible thunderstorms.
Sunday I went to the Brewery Art Walk with Amy. Basically it is the same as the Gallery Hop in Columbus but on a larger scale, in an artist community (the “Brewery Art Colony”) on the east side of downtown LA. I was so disappointed. I can see how people who aren’t artists are totally turned off my art these days. We walked around for an hour or two and I only found one artist that was making interesting and/or quality work – http://www.lindalundell.com/oilpaintings.htm The paintings are much much more vivid in person, and most are wall-sized. We had actually gone to the art walk because a musician Aaron and I are going to jam with on Wednesday lives there. We weren’t able to find the guy and he didn’t answer his phone. On Tuesday I put an ad up on craigs list about wanting to start a band. I got more than twenty responses (so far) and this guy seems the coolest. We’ll see.
After that we went to Hollywood to see the Hollywood and Highland shopping center (adjacent to the Chinese Theater and on the walk of fame). Once we got there I realized I had driven by it the second day I was in Los Angeles when Aaron had directed me to the West Hollywood US Bank. Apparently I’ve driven by the Hollywood sign a few times already and not had the sense to just look over to my left. Actually, I pass the Hollywood sign every morning on my way to work…I’m just on the wrong side of the hill!
So that was fun.
Next Saturday Amy and I are going to San Diego and then Tijuana. That should be fun.
