Through the misty morning fog we made our way to Striving Artists – where Boris (from Russia I’m guessing) tried to convince me to frame my paintings at his store. After spending an hour at his business we decided to check out other options. We stopped at Aaron Brothers in Burbank and found their prices very similar.

We only stopped there because it was on the way to our next destination – Griffith Park. We drove up to the gated parking lot for the observatory and headed up the hill. To my surprise mom decided to test her once broken foot on the rough rocky terrain going up the unbulldozed hillside path to the top point in the park. Despite a few slips and scares we made it all the way up and back – stopping along the way to nip off some Jade Tree leaves that I’ll try to sprout up at the condo.

Mom roughing it

We’re halfway there (can she see her house from there?)…

Here is me trying to look cool, but not pulling it off. (interesting fact: this was the last picture ever taken of me with braces on).

From there we went to Don Cuco’s, which mom had heard me talk about forever but had not got the chance to try – even when they stayed (literally) across the street for three days last December.

On our way to (you guessed it) the grocery store we stopped at several Sherman Way antique stores. A few seemed to have some good finds – but most seemed to me like things that other people simply didn’t want.

At the gas station we happened upon a rare automotive find. A 1989 Avanti Luxury Touring Sedan. Avanti only made the four-door sedan model for one year and only a few hundred were ever produced. The proud owner informed me that he had bought his at an original Youngstown Ohio dealer and had it outfitted with interior leather and wood. It could have been a Pinto for all mom knew- but I figured some of you (cough cough dad) would get a kick out of seeing this.

The evening was spent cooking, cleaning, planning escape routes to the airport, and doing laundry.

It seemed like this trip had been more work than fun for mom, but according to her she still enjoyed it. With her help my new home feels a little more like my old home – leaving me feeling more at home.