Backyard update

On the left, new curtains for the backyard arbor. On the right, the old faded curtains on the arbor. A definite improvement!

Secret Seattle Side Trip

Two weekends ago, Lyle and I took a secret trip to Seattle. "Secret" because I didn't tell anyone about it much in advance, and I didn't write about it here for all the world to see.

I also had a hidden agenda. It's been a year since my uncle passed away. I know that grief comes in cycles and "a year" was going to be a hard weekend to go through, for me, for my family and especially for my dad. I thought I would be so clever and change the weekend from being a down and funky feeling to a fabulous and fun feeling, just by showing up in town. So we all made plans.

As the trip approached and I started to pack, I did not realize that I was "on edge". The night before we were to leave for Seattle I snapped at Lyle and he very kindly returned the favor and we stomped off in opposite directions. Then he came back and very quietly said, "I think I know what's going on. I think you are little stressed because it's been a year since your uncle passed away." Since I still had my angry face on I responded, "Well if you're so smart and know that, why don't you just give me a WIDE PATH and stay the hell OUT OF MY WAY!" I can be a joy to live with. But I did finally calm down.

We made it Seattle and I the last time I was in Seattle was in the summer. And the reason I was there was to go to Yakima in Eastern Washington to place my uncle's ashes in a cemetery. Grief, death, mourning... I was kind of a wreck.

Lyle and I had decided to treat this visit like a mini-vacation and we did manage to see friends and dine out at restaurants we wanted to. We stayed in a hotel downtown and slept in. Lyle was more relaxed than I was. I walked around while he napped. He suggested I have a glass of champagne at lunch and I obliged. It took some of the edge off.

A year of grief. It's been a hard last year. After my uncle passed away, I've had friends who have lost parents, and our little baby Dalmatian Lola last November. I would say that I am doing well. I am happy often. I make the most of my day. But in the back of my head I feel tired. I appreciate staying home with our remaining dog Cooper and just being quiet. So unlike me. But then that is also a part of grief.

On Saturday night the whole family descended on my brother Gary's house and we had one of those consummate family nights where everyone was too loud, everything was hilarious, and stories were shared and created.

The next morning we all went to breakfast and were surprised to find my cousins who were in the middle of moving to Seattle had arrived two days early. They said when they heard we were all going to be in the same place at once the had to be there too. They drove 26 hours non-stop to make it to breakfast Sunday morning.

In the end my clever plan worked. I still had to move through the grief that demanded my attention, but we turned what could have been a maudlin anniversary into a joyful memory. When my uncle was sick he would say over and over again, "Be good to your family. Everything else comes and goes, but in the end family is all you got." Through a clever plan, once again, he brought us all together again.

Massive and Mammoth

And now for the big photo wrap up of our weekend outdoors at Mammoth mountain.I sent the snow bunnies off to ski Friday morning. I noted that the forecast called for snow to begin falling starting at 7 that night and continuing until after we left. This would be my only shot at driving around the town and seeing any sights. So I did.

These are the gayest figure skating bears I have ever seen.

The snow was not just up to the front door, it was up past the patio door. On the deck. On the second floor. (this was before another 4 feet of snow fell.)
On the right the sign reads "Road Narrows"... uh, in front of me there is a wall of snow 8 feet high. That's not narrow, that's CLOSED.

I hopped out and took a quick picture of myself in front of the frozen lake. When I grabbed my camera to see if the picture worked, the camera wouldn't display the photo and wouldn't retract the lens. I had to get back into the warm car to make it work. I was outside for maybe, uh, 5 minutes. Oh, I think I should have worn a warmer outfit as well. (But I did look good!)

There is a tunnel you can ski through down to the lake.

And then promptly at 7 pm, the snow began to fall.

Look out for angry bears!

The snow bunnies bravely went back out on Saturday. By lunch, they were down to two out of three. I rode the gondola up to the main lodge to meet Lyle and Todd for lunch. The gondola ride was better than Disneyland. It was windy and we were SWINGING!

About an hour after lunch, Todd and Lyle packed it in. Too cold. Too windy. Luckily, Todd still had lip protection.

Unfortunately, Lyle did not have bunny ear protection (from me).

You can see there was a fair bit more snow around the houses day two.

We met up with friends for Aprés ski. There will be no photos of this event.

Day three arrived and it was STILL SNOWING. Compare the next two pictures:Saturday Gondola ride.

Sunday Gondola ride.

The bear was cold and grizzly and none of my snow bunnies went up the hill.

We found the perfect accessory to go with Dan's highlighter yellow jacket.

A few final pics to seal the memories in.

There was no escaping the snow.

We even looked at getting some warmer hats!

(Oh, and if you look up at the photo header at the top, that's a panorama photo I took on Friday of the valley below.)

Farewell to Mammoth

While were in Mammoth they hit about 4 feet of new snow.

I think the t-shirt "Text Moose-aging" is funny!

Drove home today in terrible weather. But home safe and sound.

Mammoth Mountain

While my snowbunnies hit the slopes yesterday I took a drive around town. Well, I had planned to drive "around" the town but the road that circles it was closed. As in 10 feet high of unplowed snow across it. But I wanted to certain to get out and about on Friday as snow is forecast for the rest of our stay. I won't be driving in that.

I lifted the chair lift picture from Lyle.

It did start to snow last night about 7 pm. And snowed all night. Forecast called for about 4 inches overnight. Another 5-6 inches forecast for Saturday. We leave on Sunday when the forecast is calling for SEVENTEEN inches of snow.

This morning the heated pool has icicles hanging on the edge.

Road trip to snow

Drove 5 hours to Mammoth yesterday. Beautiful sunset, fabulous dinner, the view from our hotel and my three snowbunnies heading out for the day.

Me? I've got some banking and shopping to do, a book and a fireplace. I'm good.

My mother will be proud!

I rearranged my cupboards! For years now I have complained on how difficult it is to get the empty Tupperware out of the lower cupboard. So I moved it up top!

Which meant the food from up top moved over next to the stove, that cookware went low where the empty Tupperware used to live.

Yes, this is how we live.

My one complaint about growing up with my mother, the Tupperware Overlord, is that I am ill equipped as an adult to function in any ziplock capacity. So that's Lyle's department.

Happy-Sad-Missing

I saw Lola in the hallway Friday night.

I was sending Cooper out for final potty and then to bed. I glanced down the hallway from the back of the house, and there she was, standing up by the dining room. She was perky, wagging her tail and gave me that come hither, “Wanna give me a treat?” look. It was not a ghost. It was her. I didn't freak out. I smiled, raised my eyebrows to greet her and gave he the "1 minute" hold sign with my finger.

I tucked Cooper in and then went back to see her, but she was gone. Oh my god, she was gone. It felt so natural to see her there I forgot she is no longer with us. If I'd thought she would leave so quickly I would have made Cooper wait and ran to hold her in the hallway. She was so real I did have to walk to where she had been to prove she was really gone, again. Then I cried for half an hour before I could go to bed.

I wrote an email to Lyle for him to read in the morning. And he cried before he could even get in the shower.

I told my mom and she said Lola just stopped by to let me know she was okay. I told her that was pretty mean because I feel as if I am going through the whole grief process all over again. And I have been. Very low key, very sad, a lot of crying. I thought I was doing really well moving through my grief for her, but now I think I was just pushing my feeling down until Lyle was better and suddenly it’s my turn.

In telling a few people I notice I have never said, “I thought I saw Lola” or “I had a dream with Lola” it was always “I SAW” her. And I did. And I was so happy to see her, it's made me feel as though I have lost her all over again.

Tried and tested

A friend of Facebook wrote the other day that she hates change. An earlier version of me wold have heartily agreed. But I have changed my opinion on change. Change is the essence of life. If you stay still, the world around you still moves and when you don't move with it, by default, you still change. "He used to be so hip and current, but on day he just stopped. Still wearing those clothes from the 80's. Still listening to the same music. He's really changed."

I don't go out and seek change. But I know I can't avoid it. I am good with rearranging furniture. I can move homes with more ease than most. I like new restaurants. I don't like the unknown. I get nervous at new jobs. I don't like when they make up new rules at security at the airport.

I've discovered the most horrible trying times in my life, are now the moments that define me. I am strong enough to handle this future task because I have already been tested in my past.

So many things around me I can not control. But I can control my response to the elements. That is what I strive for (and fall short of, often).

A few years ago my mom told me that she didn't think people under 40 really understood what it meant to be happy. She explained that before that you just hadn't had enough "bad stuff" happen to realize what the "good stuff" is.

I told her I was glad she hadn't told me that when I was in my thirties because I would have been very annoyed. "Bad stuff" really does give you a whole new perspective of appreciation for "good stuff". I'm not wishing for crappy times, but I sure appreciate simple things in comparison.

Baby it's COLD outside!

Indestructible?

Mr Cooper got a brand new "virtually indestructible" toy. 5 minutes later it was gutted.

Providence restaurant, Los Angeles

Lyle's birthday is on Monday. In preparation for this monumental occasion, he has declared himself "King of the World" and this is now his official "Birthday weekend". So we kicked it off last night with a visit to the restaurant Providence.

Providence has consistently been ranked among the best restaurants by leading critics and Bon Appetit. Providence garnered a coveted James Beard nomination for “Best New Restaurant” in the United States, “Top 20 New Restaurants” by Esquire Magazine, and “World’s Top New Restaurants” by Travel and Leisure. Gourmet Magazine named Providence as one of the top 50 restaurants in the US. Providence was awarded two Michelin Stars in the Michelin Dining Guide for 2009.

Our chef (and the owner) last night, Michael Cimarusti, is an “Iron Chef America” Champion beating his opponent, Masaharu Morimoto, and has appeared on Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters”. He was nominated for “Best Chef: Pacific Region” by the James Beard Foundation in 2010. Recently, he was named “2010 Chef of the Year” by Angeleno Magazine.

Let's just say, expectations were high. We were also going to be seated at the "Chef's table" which is a separate table in a room off of the kitchen that has a full window into the kitchen to see what is happening throughout the evening.

We had the wine pairing with the meal. Please pardon me if the descriptions aren't as full and flowery as they could be. The night was full and blurry.

We begin with an amuse bouche. On the left, frozen mojito Jelly shot. On the right the frozen screwdriver egg.

Two more amuse bouches came out separately. I saved them to photograph together. Abalone on a stick and grilled squid on a stick with chorizo.

Santa Barbra Spot Prawn tartar in a nasturtium leaf.

Santa Barbra sea urchin on toasted brioche.

Parsley panna cotte, big eye tuna sashimi, caviar and creme fraiche topped with gold leaf.

Our view into the kitchen.

Dungeness crab, meyer lemon gelatin strips, grapefruit, pine nuts and flowering cilantro.

Scallops with season's first asparagus served over a cabbage soup.

Lobster with pea tendrils, baby peas and butter foam.

A toast to this fabulous evening! Only halfway through!

Sweet breads with a red wine rosemary reduction.

Smoked eel on top of fois gras.

Australian Wagu Beef.

The action never stops in the kitchen.

Our sommolier gets cozy with the table.

And then the cheese arrived!

Is this picture too cheesy?

For some reason, the addition of the cheese in the room made everyone get a little serious.
Very serious.
Incredibly serious.

I think we all knew there wasn't a chance of me being serious.

Our chef for the evening. We couldn't thank him enough.

And then desserts began. That's right plural, dessertS.
Lychee gelee, white chocolate coconut soy milk soup.

Panna cotte with rice puffs, and grapefruit foam.

The birthday boy.
Dark chocolate ice cream, graham cracker crumble, brandied cherries and marshmallows.

Peek a boo!

And just when you say to yourself and everyone else at the table, "I can't eat anymore! I'm stuffed!" it arrives...
Petit fours! Miso Caramel, chocolate brownie and a macaroon.

Oh, don't go just yet... we have a lovely parting gift for you,
a box of chocolates to take home.

We started our evening at 7:30 and left there at 12:30. It's been over 12 hours since we left and I am still full.