Trip Report - Southern California

Southern California was our destination. I would be following my lovely wife to the land of Fruits and Nuts on business. This my friends is how we spent Sunday through Thursday soaking ourselves in the southern California sun (or rain) as it would be our first few days.

This will be another photo essay with small talk in between to hopefully keep you informed and slightly entertained. Enjoy!

Our plan trip out was a little long and uneventful. Here is a photo of Cinderella as we are bored to tears on a 5 hour flight with no movie and only pretzels & water to keep us alive (Cinderella had stashed a few other snacks just for us - Whew!)



Our flight left Atlanta around 12:30PM and we arrived at LAX just before 3:00PM. We gathered our luggage and headed south to the yacht port of Long Beach. Specifically, the Hyatt. We arrived just in time to snag a little lunch. This would be lemon and herb chicken sandwiches, Chips and soda. We registered with the convention and then headed over to check into the hotel. Our room wasn't ready so we endured a wait of an hour or so.

On Monday, we enjoyed opening session with some great speakers. My wife was busy Monday afternoon which left me to explore California on my own. I tooled around in Los Angeles in this little baby:



I did drive by the home of West Coast Choppers.



That evening we had a dinner on our own. We chose Toyko-Wako. It was very evident that this place was not expecting any percentage of a crowd of over 3,000 conventioneers to pay a visit. We were quoted an hour wait for a Teppanyaki seat or a 30 minute wait for a normal table seat or a 10 minute wait for the sushi bar. We picked the Sushi bar!

We were seated maybe in 15 minutes. I ordered the California Roll appetizer. It's a mix of Crab meat, Avocado and cucumber - Delicious - my hat off to the sushi chef. We also ordered our entries. Teriyaki Steak and Teriyaki Chicken platters. That is about all the praise I will say. For the next 1 hour and thirty minutes we waited. That's right - 90 minutes. The sushi chef felt so bad for us. He kept offering us other items - we turned him down thinking surely it would only be a few more moments - nope! About an hour into our wait, the waitress without prompting, dropped off another appetizer of Vegetable Tempura. This was welcomed. It is battered and deep fried vegetables: pretty good - even Cinderella was munching on them. So the entrees were a little anti-climatic. Next time we will stick with P.F. Changs - which was right next door.

Here is a photo of Cinderella before our meal time disaster.


We would be going to bed late again knowing we had a early rise. Tuesday was full of meetings. We did get out a little during lunch break to walk over to the Long Beach Pier. Enjoy these photo's as I try and remember some more of our trip.



Parkers lighthouse


Queen Mary


Rake with an old friend


Beautiful Cinderella




Okay - so we had a little fun while at lunch break. We were soon back at work and ending a very long day totally exhausted. We actually skipped dinner because I fell asleep after the afternoon sessions and slept until the next morning 11 hours later.

Wednesday was morning meetings and then an afternoon adventure. We had a choice of several - most including some boat rides. Since Cinderella doesn't do boats - I choose shopping at Santa Monica. So, after a box lunch, off we go!

We visited two main places in Santa Monica. 1st - after stepping off the bus, we headed down to the Santa Monica Pier. It was nice. A large beach with a dozen or so local vendors selling t-shirts to writings on small grains of rice. 2nd - we headed over to the 3rd street promenade.

So, again - take a stroll through these photos as we spend our afternoon in southern California sun. A cool and breezy day.

Cinderella on the Santa Monica Pier.


Rake on the Santa Monica Pier.


Rake's new buddy.


An interesting resturant on our way to 3rd street. Notice they include cigarettes along the right edge vertically.


Cinderella standing in the 3rd street promenade


A very poor photo of the Pacific Coast highway, Santa Monica beach homes and the Santa Monica beach. It's not my fault the sun was in the way when I was there.


Cinderella is enjoying the souther California sun and the wonderful view. Interesting side bar. Cinderella purchased those sunglasses while on the pier. I made conversation with the sunglass sales lady as Cinderella tried on pretty much ever pair. The sales lady was from Australia. She had a very cool accent ( I am really sure she probably didn't find my southern accent as cool). She was homesick. She was married to an American and that was the only reason she wasn't back there. She gave me a few pointers if I was ever to visit there. By this time Cinderella had picked out her glasses and we said our goodbyes. So, if you are near the Santa Monica pier and can make it out to the sunglass vendor, stop by and say hello. She may just need a little pick me up.



Rake


Well. I am going to stop there. Blogger is acting up, it's late, I am tired and my neck hurts. I hope you all enjoyed your travels today through the fine area of southern California. I know Cinderella and I enjoyed it. We are back home safe and sound. Candystick is here and enjoyed her time in Fayetteville and Anniston with her Granna and Grumps and her aunt and uncle and cousins. She is off to north Atlanta tomorrow (Saturday) for a childrens bible quiz meet.

Rake's head has collapsed on the desk.

Dinner at Rake's

My family requested fish. I didn't argue and as Candystick and I shopped for groceries on Saturday, Candystick and I picked up a few things for a good fish dinner. I mentioned this a couple of post back. Walmart has frozen wild salmon fillets. Trying to look up the specifics of the Salmon on the Internet, I only came across this Walmart statement. Here:

I decided to take you (my readers) along for Dinner at Rake's. Cinderella laughs at me as I come up with these ways to open our lives to all the world. (or the few faithful readers)

Let's get the basics:
4 Salmon Fillets
1 Cup of rice
2 chopped carrots
1 sliced zucchini
1 stalk of broccoli
5 stalks of asparagus

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Here you see the basics ready for cooking:


Once I get all this laid out, Daisy our cat was at my feet meowing and meowing.


If you don't have a vegetable steamer - Get one. This is the best way to cook vegetables. Candystick even eats her vegetables when prepared this way.



I started the rice first. After about 5 minutes I started to heat the water for the vegetables and oil for the fish. Once the water was boiling, I lowered the vegetable steamer into the pot. Then I placed the fillets in the pan.

Now we are cooking.



The rice cooked for 15 minutes then set to the side for another 5 Minutes.
The vegetables steamed for a little more than 5 minutes. Vary this time to suit your taste. My family enjoys a more softer steamed vegetable. The fish fries for about 5 to 7 minutes. Then you serve.

A healthy meal for 4 (we have 3) in under 30 minutes and less than $10.



Now that you have enjoyed Dinner at Rake's - Run along and travel to other places across the world - the blog world.


Rake has left this page.

Softball Try-outs

Today was the 8 and under softball try-outs.

Candystick performed excellent. She hit every ball pitched to her. She fielded and threw to first each grounder hit her way. She caught all pop up's. Really impressing the scouts.



After we left the try-outs, we headed to Fayetteville. Candystick had received a gift certificate to ToysRus and it was burning a hole in her pocket! She took along some extra cash and decided to purchase a Razor.



Once we got home, she rode and rode and rode for hours. She had a blast. We took it up to the community pool and rode around the walkway on the sidewalk.

While she was riding in the driveway, I received a call. Within an hour of the end of the try-outs, last seasons coached called. She was asking if it was okay if she locked Candystick on her team before the draft. I thought it a real honor for Candystick to be one of only four players to be selected for lock out for her team. I agreed with the lock out and agreed to help coach in anyway I could. So, Candystick will be a Viper again this year!

I grabbed this video from you tube. Just to get you in the mood for softball.



Until later, catch the sun to your back and the trail in front of you.

Rake has left the blog.

Satruday with Candystick

Saturday morning our church had a men's prayer breakfast.
I was there promptly at 8:00AM.
We had a delicious meal of scrambled eggs, biscuits with sausage gravy, grits, hash browns and link sausage. Coffee and orange juice - I had the latter. Let's just say I got my fill. mmm Good. A good testimony was given. I even sat next to my Nemesis Roadrunner. He's tops on my list for pay back.

Soon, Cinderella showed up with Candystick. Cinderella was going to a prayer awakening at a nearby church. Candystick and I headed out to F.D. Roosevelt State park. We also visited Callaway Gardens while we were down in that area. Candystick really didn't want to go. She had visions of freezing cold hiking and didn't think that vision was all that exciting. I assured her it wasn't going too bad at all. She went with skepticism.

Callaway is having a special now until the end of February. Admission is free. It wasn't crowded at all while we were there. We were there mainly for their butterfly exhibit. I think it's neat - so I wanted to take Candystick. She doesn't remember the time we visited before.

Here are a couple of photos of Candystick while we were there.






After the butterfly center we headed over to the state park and Dowdell Knob. This was a favorite place for F.D.R. to visit while he was in Georgia staying at the little white house - just a few miles away. It truly was a spectacular view.



We also took to the trails from here. Candystick and I hiked about a half mile back towards pine mountain. We had great conversation and I answered a lot of questions. It was great to have that one on one time with your child as they grow up.










After such a hike, we needed food! I took my daughter to the country store restaurant there at Callaway Gardens. It was excellent. I had the chicken and dumplings. She had the Grilled Cheese. She told me she had a really good time.



I was happy. Rake has a smile.