Corona Del MarSeptember 1-September 8, 2006
The first week of September brought Sharon back to her home in Corona Del Mar (CDM) after a long recovery from her accident in Connecticut. We were delighted to see her looking so great. We stayed on an additional week to assist in her transition back to California and fill her in on what happened in Newport Beach during her absence (mostly it was that Time Warner took over Comcast as the cable provider!). Sharon gave us the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and Thea was able pay it forward by helping Sharon blow dry her hair, as so many had helped Thea during her hip recovery.
We spent one last day in LA, checking for the final time on our Hollywood house and playing with our friend Sheri who took us to the annual Labor Day Fiesta Hermosa. Thousands flock to the Pier of this picture perfect town of Hermosa Beach to pick up a trinket or craft from the hundreds of artisans selling their wares, gorge on really good grub from the bountiful food stands (we tried 12-inch long spicy sausages, grilled corn on the cob, Italian ice, popcorn, and god knows what else (do I hear Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz?) and listen to excellent music. We caught a great Jimi Hendrix tribute band that would have made the real guitar genius proud. We've always loved attending festivals (Taste Of Bethesda, Adams Morgan Day back in DC) but the biggest difference between the ones we've been to vs Hermosa...the lack of clothing. Thong bikinis were the norm on rollerblading California girls! We figure we walked off the chow from meandering some seven solid miles between Manhattan and Hermosa Beach and back again. The landscape appeared so different to me than it did 14 yeas ago when I first visited Sheri. It seems to be the norm to tear down and rebuild bigger homes in California. It's as if home owners are keeping up with the ebb and flow of the ocean, the landscape of the homes changes as quickly as the changing tides.
Another night during Labor Day weekend, Thea visited again with her cousin Jaymes, this time at Mosun, a hip Japanese restaurant (which transforms into an uber hip nightclub after hours) in Laguna Beach. Jaymes, her friend Lori, and I had a great girls night out...that was until we found out that Lori's brand spanking new Lexus was towed from the parking space. (Note to readers, don't park at a grocery store parking lot if not food shopping!). So we spent the wee hours of the night navigating the windy Laguna Beach roads to the towing lot where we had the rather nasty experience of retrieving her car.
While Thea was out with her cousin, Tom and Sharon dined with Sharon's good friends at their magnificent house in Huntington Beach. Tom was delighted to find that her friend happened to be the inventor of his all time favorite gadget, the Z' fogless shower mirror (and the one inanimate item he has missed most on our trip).
For our final night, Klaus, Sharon's beau, crafted a farewell dinner that still has us licking our lips. They invited their neighbors Pam and Mark (who adopted us during our stay in CDM, not to mention lent us their Boogie Boards) and we feasted on appetizers of stuffed mushroom caps followed by a plate that would intimidate any professional chef. The center piece was an amazing beef roulade, and due to Thea's disdain for bleu cheese, Klaus was kind enough to accommodate her by making German Roulade (made without bleu cheese) as well as the Italian version (with bleu) for everyone else. Broccoli, potatoes, and perfectly cooked red cabbage (the only one comparable to Thea's Mom's) painted the plate with color and wonderful flavor. Dessert consisted of a cleansing sorbet and exotic cheese plate which ensured we were sated.
Our parting gift from Klaus was a batch of homemade Biscotti...Shear heaven!
We spent one last day in LA, checking for the final time on our Hollywood house and playing with our friend Sheri who took us to the annual Labor Day Fiesta Hermosa. Thousands flock to the Pier of this picture perfect town of Hermosa Beach to pick up a trinket or craft from the hundreds of artisans selling their wares, gorge on really good grub from the bountiful food stands (we tried 12-inch long spicy sausages, grilled corn on the cob, Italian ice, popcorn, and god knows what else (do I hear Plop! Plop! Fizz! Fizz?) and listen to excellent music. We caught a great Jimi Hendrix tribute band that would have made the real guitar genius proud. We've always loved attending festivals (Taste Of Bethesda, Adams Morgan Day back in DC) but the biggest difference between the ones we've been to vs Hermosa...the lack of clothing. Thong bikinis were the norm on rollerblading California girls! We figure we walked off the chow from meandering some seven solid miles between Manhattan and Hermosa Beach and back again. The landscape appeared so different to me than it did 14 yeas ago when I first visited Sheri. It seems to be the norm to tear down and rebuild bigger homes in California. It's as if home owners are keeping up with the ebb and flow of the ocean, the landscape of the homes changes as quickly as the changing tides.
Another night during Labor Day weekend, Thea visited again with her cousin Jaymes, this time at Mosun, a hip Japanese restaurant (which transforms into an uber hip nightclub after hours) in Laguna Beach. Jaymes, her friend Lori, and I had a great girls night out...that was until we found out that Lori's brand spanking new Lexus was towed from the parking space. (Note to readers, don't park at a grocery store parking lot if not food shopping!). So we spent the wee hours of the night navigating the windy Laguna Beach roads to the towing lot where we had the rather nasty experience of retrieving her car.
While Thea was out with her cousin, Tom and Sharon dined with Sharon's good friends at their magnificent house in Huntington Beach. Tom was delighted to find that her friend happened to be the inventor of his all time favorite gadget, the Z' fogless shower mirror (and the one inanimate item he has missed most on our trip).
For our final night, Klaus, Sharon's beau, crafted a farewell dinner that still has us licking our lips. They invited their neighbors Pam and Mark (who adopted us during our stay in CDM, not to mention lent us their Boogie Boards) and we feasted on appetizers of stuffed mushroom caps followed by a plate that would intimidate any professional chef. The center piece was an amazing beef roulade, and due to Thea's disdain for bleu cheese, Klaus was kind enough to accommodate her by making German Roulade (made without bleu cheese) as well as the Italian version (with bleu) for everyone else. Broccoli, potatoes, and perfectly cooked red cabbage (the only one comparable to Thea's Mom's) painted the plate with color and wonderful flavor. Dessert consisted of a cleansing sorbet and exotic cheese plate which ensured we were sated.
Our parting gift from Klaus was a batch of homemade Biscotti...Shear heaven!
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