Let the picture show begin!
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Max (and Monty, his brother who lives in Harrisburg) celebrated his 8th birthday (in human years), 56th birthday (in dog years), and 96 months (in current mother time). He enjoyed new treats and toys in celebration. After several attempts, this is the best shot of the day. Who is a good boy?
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| ^^^ This guy!! |
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| Ok, this guy too. |
Speaking of dogs, I actually saw this dog who was features on a National Geographic Instagram posting recently. I saw "it" on the 3rd street Promenade this past summer. Anything for a buck is right.
One of Max's birthday toys was a football chew toy, which was just in time for Super Bowl.
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| Window washers at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh |
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If you know anything about me in this past year, you know about my love affair with my paleo diet and also my love for all things Ryan Gosling. He has a band, did you know that? Anyway, I found these photos and decided to update my kitchen to help me stay on track.
Heh, yeah, I really did.
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Since the new year, I have been feeling the pressure of the end of my time in LA (for now). I still have a list of things that I want to do before I move on. I have been meaning to get to the zoo (see previous post), the art museum AKA the LACMA and get close to the Hollywood sign. Read on.
These are the lights at the LACMA. Ha. I was expecting a little more but they were still neat/famous enough. I would like to see them at night also. This was pretty though with the sun setting and shining through them.
I like this shot for artsy, nerdy reasons but I am not going to ramble on about it. I'll just share and move on. I didn't realize at the time but I think it was a pretty decent shot.
There was a Caravaggio installation there. I learned a lot about him in my art history classes at Penn State so I was excited to see this limited time installation. I didn't have time for the Stanley Kubrick installation (money and time, would have been a waste because I would have had to rush through it) but I saw a few of the other permanent pieces. I will say it was a very confusing layout.
While I was out, my stay at home dog did this:
Then I caught up on some much needed Family Face Time. Abbey and I connected but I didn't get any pictures. Later I connected with Jessica and Will. It was the first time he has been able to really sit up and pay attention to the screen. It was pretty funny! Little man! We talked about his new trick when he eats and also about Fashion Week.
I cannot believe it has been a year!! These little ladies celebrated their first birthday! They are in the same position in both pictures (Olivia on the left, Alyssa on the right). Time flies when you are wearing pink, or something. This was taken on their actual birthday, but they had a family party over the weekend. That's right, two times the baby, two times the cake. More pictures to follow.
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The girls' birthday coincided with another exciting day for me. Kelly was in town for work and we were able to spend a few days together bebopping around LA. The first night, we met at my place after I was finished with work and made a paleo dinner on the grill and began porch drinking, season 3 episode 1, the earliest in the year we have ever been able to do this.
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| reunited, just as we were |
We woke up pretty early and went back and forth about hiking because for once, it was cloudy and calling for rain. I reinforced that the most rain I had seen was a good day in Pittsburgh so we decided to head out to Runyon Canyon. We made it through 90% before it started sprinkling.
Lots of huffing and puffing and steady of the legs (mostly me) but WE DID IT! See. That's what the box says. We did it! I look ill for some reason.. oh yeah, there was no countdown to "smile." Thanks.
I like how you can peek at the Hollywood sign from this trail. I also like how it is cloudy but it's such a thin layer that you can still see blue skies just beyond them. Another reason I thought we would be completely safe.
Since this is the first post in February and it was February then, I was thrilled to find love in nature. I captured it. I have posted it for you. Voila!
We made it to the car and the "rain" had stopped. We headed to lunch and saw Thomas Everett Scott (go me for recognition). I loved That Thing You Do!
As always, so pretty in person. I didn't see what he ordered mostly because I was too busy kicking Kelly under the table while she was trying to tackle her crumbling hamburger like a lady. I was just happy we got to see SOMEONE while she was here and I didn't want her to miss it. It was probably easier being a "celebrity" before the age of the smart phone. Busted!
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| ^^^ |
And really that is one degree from Tom Hanks which is completely amazing. I feel a big deal spotting before I leave LA. Ryan, where are you?
Kelly and I finished up lunch and headed to do girl things like nails and shop for eye cream because we are.. young challenged? succumbing to gravity? are employed?
Question: How do you stir up all the manicurists at once in a Burbank salon?
Answer: Make it hail.
They had never! The entire place was in a tizzy. It was pretty entertaining.
That evening the weather cleared and we went to one of my new favorite spots for dinner. By dinner, I usually mean drinks and macaroons. I am going to learn how to make these little delicious cookies... We never ended up getting dinner at this place because it was packed and we found a spot at the bar so we stayed there and made friends with our neighbors. Kelly mentioned something about a basement. He immediately said "You aren't from around here." This conversation uncovered how teeny tiny the world continues to remind me it is. His best friend rode her school bus and lived down the road from where she used to live, so, neighbors.
We left and got dinner and different conversation at the place near my house. Kelly also made friends there and we took bets on the gender of our bartender.
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| TPS suppertime with a side of photo bomb |
In the morning, California weather was back! We hiked close to the Hollywood sign. Photovom beings now.
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| peek! |
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| << horses! |
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| From behind.... |
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| ...from the front |
While we were all over the Hollywood sign, the twins were having their family birthday party. Jessica called me to be a part of the singing. The reception was crummy so the photo is blurry but you get the idea. Happy birthday Alyssa and Olivia!
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| Snapped where I was when we Face Timed. Maybe I will show them someday... |
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| Professional pics (above) and cake faces (below) |
So then I just doctored up some of the photos I took from the Hollywood sign. Oh yeah, and we spotted Miley Cyrus's brother... which, if you have to be referred to as that, I probably don't know you anyway.
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| OH! |
We finished her stay with a trip to Tagine (everyone should experience this place). Partly because it is Ryan Gosling's restaurant but mostly because it is just delicious and different. Very intimate.
Then just back to me and Max. Thanks for visiting, Kelly!
Oh! On one of our trips around LA, I found a bacon chocolate candy bar. Mine!
Until next adventure..
XO
Great post! I felt like I was there! Haha! -Kelly
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