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Afterthoughts : This Past Month
As I stated at the start of this update, if there is one word that I could use for this very young year so far it would be fast. January went by in a blur, and now it's February. The shortest month of the year promises to go by even faster than January. Slow down! Anyways, here's what happened last month.
Rose Parade float panoramic photo
New Year's Eve/New Year's Day was spent with the girlfriend. The Girl and I went to check out the Rose Parade floats as they are lined up on Orange Grove blvd. the night before the big parade. Neither of us had done such a thing, but it seemed apropos seeing that we promised to go and do things we haven't done in our pasts. The night was cold, and I really didn't expect that many people on Orange Grove. Once there I realized how wrong I was. The street was packed with people. On Colorado there was a ton of "rowdy" people sitting along the parade route. On Orange Grove there was just as many people, if not more, but the crowd there was more subdued. Our midnight kiss was shared amongst the floats. I won't soon forget new years 2011.
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Ikea serves good food
New Years day The Girl and I went to Ikea to grab something to eat after a long New Year's Eve night. Ikea has yummy food. Who knew, right? I had the meatballs and mashed potatoes, she had the surprisingly good vegetarian chili (pictured above). This was our second meal of the new year, the first being a shared grill cheese sandwich at 2am the previous night. Good times Ikea.
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After a day to settle into the new year it was time to get back into the grind of my regular schedule. There's nothing fun about having a bunch of days off and then having to get back to the regular grind once you get used to having a lot of free time again. But, the kid here needs the cash in order to eat and survive. I never make resolutions, because those go right into the trash after the first month of the year. So i don't bother with fake resolutions that will never come to fruition. I half admire people that give themselves a goal for the new year, but I know that 99% of them will fail. The most popular resolution people must make is that of losing weight and living healthier. I do plan on eating better in the new year, despite how hard it is what with my love for greasy food still intact. I'll try my best, but I won't beat myself up for eating something greasy. As long as it's only once in a while.
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Little Tokyo Temple
The Girl and I went to Little Tokyo on the 15th in order to find her some "enlightenment." Her interest in becoming a Buddhist spurred our day trip to Little Tokyo. Instead of finding open temples, ready to receive a new Buddhist, we found closed temples. The first and third temples we tried were closed. The second temple we tried had a funeral taking place. The forth temple also had a service going on. Finally on the fifth try we were able to talk to a Buddhist priest. We had a nice conversation in which The Girl asked him several questions. Since that day I've been helping her understand what Buddhism is, and what it is not. I've talked to her about the four nobel truths, and reiterated that Buddhism is really a way of life, not a religion.
All the walking around made us hungry. We walked around until we reached Chinatown. There we spotted Hop Louie (pictured below), a place I've walked by a million times since I was a kid, but had never eaten there. Now I can say I have. The food was OK, but nothing special. Still, now I can say I've had a meal there.
Hop Louie
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I won! But not by much
Week two in January and The Girl and I went to Disneyland, this time without a time restriction. The Girl and I first went to check out a ride known as Toy Story Mania, a ride I've been wanting to check out since it opened. But every time I go to the park on my morning meeting days I pass it up because there's always a long line. But with the company of The Girl I was sure not to get bored in line. Oh, and I outscored The Girl, but not by much (pictured above). One of my favorite rides at Disneyland is Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters. The Toy Story Mania ride is every bit as fun, if not more because of the many games that are played on the Toy Story ride. The day ended with the two of us exhausted from walking around. We had dinner at the Orleans Cafe, where I ordered a Monte Cristo. I hadn't had one in over a year, and I was overdue. The day went quickly, and at the end I was tired, full of Monte Cristo, and happy.
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Typical Solvang Windmill
Aebleskivers
I haven't been to Solvang since Thanksgiving day 2005. That was day one of the now often retold Monterey trip story. Everything was closed, except one little wine tasting bar. This trip with The Girl was WAY better than that trip. As stated, The Girl and I went to Solvang to check out the sights. Not much has changed since the last time I visited. The shops are still quaint, the bakeries still look inviting, and the place is still filled with tourists. The Girl and I walked around and saw the usual sights. But in our quest for a bathroom I spotted a sign that pointed to a museum. I love museums, so I suggested that they always have bathrooms. The Girl agreed and we went off on a short walk off the beaten path to the Elverhoj museum. The museum used to be the home of one Viggo Brandt-Erichsen and his wife. It's a great look at Solvang's history. Back amongst the tourist "traps" The Girl and I enjoyed a serving of Aebleskivers (pictured above), a Danish pastry served with raspberry sauce. I usually hate raspberry, but this was good.
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Getty Villa
Peristyle
Despite the Getty Center being super popular there are few that know there is another Getty museum to visit... The Getty Villa in Malibu. Five years ago when the Villa reopened after being closed for renovations for a decade I took my two aunts for a visit. This time I took The Girl. I really enjoy the outside of the Getty Villa more than I enjoy the art from the age of Antiquity. I can appreciate the art, but the architecture is something that I can relate to more easily. The same goes for The Girl. Must of our visit was spent outside on the grounds. Above are two pictures of the Villa's peristyle (a fancy name for an open space surrounded by a colonnade). I wasn't feeling well, but despite this we had a good time at the Villa. Next stop will be the Getty Center.
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The last day in January also marks a terrible anniversary... the passing of my Grandmother. It has now been six years since she passed away from cancer. The pain of her passing was great. The time since then has lessen the pain slightly, but it really never goes away. I miss her so much, and my life has changed completely since she passed that it feels like an entirely different life. I know I say that every year, but it's just so striking how much things have changed in those six years.
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