A Day in Ellay

Back when I was a Bay Area child I thought that's how L.A. was spelled. Then we moved south.

Occasionally we venture to Los Angeles for some kind of event. This time it was the Cat Art Show 2018. You know I wouldn't miss that.

It was an eventful day. The first event was parking. We found a reasonably priced parking lot in the Fashion District. We were a little early for the art show, so we headed to my alternate stop, The Last Bookstore. It was about a 15 minute walk.

I was in heaven wandering around this gigantic book store. Handy was not too interested and went off in search of a bathroom. Public restrooms are not plentiful in L.A. due to the downtown homeless issues. On our way back to the art show, we passed a man who had just taken a shit on the sidewalk.

Back at the Cat Art Show:

This one looks like Francine!

Then on to Wilshire Boulevard, for a food truck lunch and a visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum, one of Handy's favorite places.

A piece of the Berlin Wall.

The VW from Little Miss Sunshine.

I know you MUST recognize this.

Look, I found a cat!

There's always something new and different to see there.

And then we went home to the small town.

Mischief Managed

I was getting ready for work the other morning when I heard a crashing sound upstairs. I just couldn't bring myself to hike up to look, since I knew I wouldn't have enough time to pick up whatever it was. I consoled myself, thinking I didn't hear anything break or shatter.

In the evening, I braved the avalanche. Not too bad.

Rounding up the usual suspects. Who us, we're just innocent little babies?

Right. Mischief managed.

Even In a Small Town

From a friend on her walk home:

Note: There are two public restrooms within a block or two from this location. But manbabies can't wait.

Meanwhile in Paris the precious manbabies get special street urinals.

While women get ??? Probably not adequate toilet facilities.

Not Going There Again

Handy and I decided to go out to breakfast on Sunday. Big mistake?

We used to go to this restaurant a lot and even when they were hopping busy you always got great service with a smile. No longer.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be invisible? This is the place. We walked in to wait for a table to be cleaned. No one acknowledged us. No Hello, it'll just be a minute. They went out of their way to avoid eye contact.

Eventually they cleared a table and motioned us to it. Grudgingly a waitress gave us menus. Could we have coffee please? The coffee was brought and the order taken. Surprisingly, a bucket of creamer appeared on the table but no utensils for stirring it. Could we have utensils please? The utensils were brought but she didn't seem to know what to do with them, and sort of pushed them into a pile. I guess it was the bus boy's job to lay them out and she wasn't about to do his job if she could help it. The food arrived hot, which was also a surprise, but no coffee refill. Had to flag down a waitress, please could we have more coffee? The bill came right away, no surprise there.

We decided we wouldn't be back.

Funny thing, I had an upset stomach all day.  I wonder...

Lost Tower

Some months ago, we were looking at some artisan cards at work and one of my co-workers wondered where this spire/tower was. Right next to the bakery, said I, the local expert. (He lives out of town.)

But when I went out on break to prove it, the tower was gone. How long had it been gone? I was dumbfounded. I try to be aware of changes around town but clearly I missed something. It could have been gone for years. (Obviously, I took this picture last winter. Rain? What's that? I don't even remember.)

Anyway, this is what the tower looked liked. 

I wonder what other changes I've missed.

Is Organic Worth It?

This may stir up a lot of controversy. This is why I don't buy organic. $3.49 vs $.89.

No comments required.

Saturday Sights

We usually visit my M-I-L on Saturdays and stop somewhere for lunch on the way home.

Handy is always drawn to the guitar store. Thank goodness they have a comfy couch for non-guitarists to wait. He didn't even buy anything. I think he was only looking for straps.

Roosters about town!

Cat art sighting!

Here's a closeup of the cat that Handy took on an earlier day.

Floral Friday

I am enjoying a rare do-nothing day. Catching up on reading, Netflixing, and blogging.

Here are some random floral cell phone photos to brighten the day.

The Household

I have been negectful in my cat blogging.

Our darling Homer passed away in October after a long battle with cancer.

We were concerned how Francine would deal with the loss since she and Homer were close friends. They would often "talk" to each other and she would tip him off when she sensed the cat carrier out for a vet visit.  She is doing fine, however, and keeps the new minions additions in their place. She actually seems more social than she used to be. Perhaps our generous giving of cat treats has something to do with that.

These are the new additions, Harry and Leo. We were desperately wanting an orange kitten, and wow, finding an orange kitten was like trying to get Hamilton tickets. They kept getting snatched up before we could get to them.

Finally, we caught up with a litter. These two were the floofiest. Harry is a little more orange, Leo a little more buff with more white and a little mustache. How could you decide between them? So we didn't!

Leo.  Do not call him a kitler.

He's a creamsicle cream puff.

Oops, I forgot to load up a Harry picture. Here we go. Oh wait, I think this is Leo again.



This is definitely Harry. He's the more mischievous one. He likes to eat my hair. And string. And the cords on the blinds. And phone chargers. But he's adorable.




Hunter is the best big brother. He hangs with the babies and brings them treats. Live treats. What a guy.

So we're all up to date now.