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Valley Village, California
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Published On: Oct 08, 2008 10:46 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Oct 08, 2008 10:46 PM
Santa Barbara Trip
Good times and not so good
times.
FRIDAY:
Our plans were for me to go up on the train for
the day, while hubby would drive up after he got off work. I biked from my house
to the Van Nuys Amtrak station, a matter of 6.5 miles.
And yes, I was VERY nervous after my heart procedure a week before. I left
myself an entire hour and a half just in case I had to call a cab! BUT -- I made
the trip in 50 minutes flat, and was able to carry on a normal conversation at
the end! I was barely breathing hard.
The train trip itself was fun; a rare treat in these days of cars and aircraft. I got a cup of coffee in the cafe car, just because I could :) ; and enjoyed the view of the back-country ranches (there are still a few around). From Ventura to Carpinteria, the train runs almost by the water's edge, and the view of the Pacific was fantastic.
In Santa Barbara by noon, I stopped at Enterprise Fish Co. for lunch, then biked downtown to Art Essentials, and to the public library to check my email and blog comments. Then I went to our motel, the Franciscan Inn, and checked in. (They have fresh-baked oatmeal cookies in the lobby every afternoon, if you're fast enough, and a basket of apples if you're not. :-) )
I went for a long bike ride by the beach in the late afternoon. Hubby arrived about 7:30; then it was a walk over to Enterprise Fish again for dinner, since it was close and we were both very hungry (despite apples.)
SATURDAY: Breakfast at the original Sambo's (which is also the last Sambo's due to political correctness...) We could have had a continental breakfast at the inn, but we both like a more substantial morning meal. Afterwards, Hubby wanted to walk through downtown S.B. I asked to go to see "The Polar Express" and got a "We'll see; we could do that in L.A." I asked to stop in a bike store, intending to see if a shop carried a biking knee brace for my right knee's worn patella, and to stop at the library to check my email.
Well, I DID get to stop at 3 different bike shops, none of which carried anything remotely like knee braces. And I got to the library. We also made it to the beach later (briefly) and we did go on the carousel. But also -- well, we're in a couples recovery group for a reason. Some of the reason also showed up. Not his fault, nor my fault -- but together, sometimes, it just doesn't work...
He made us reservations for dinner at The Palace Cafe, and the food at the Palace was good, the service was excellent, though I wish I hadn't chosen to try soft-shell crab. I'm sure the preparation was superb, but I discovered that don't like the stuff at all. Fortunately, we'd gotten a sampler platter, so I didn't go hungry with coconut shrimp and salmon Ponchitarain available. The manager (head waiter?) had that Louisiana mix of Southern/French accent, and a Zydeco band was playing.
And that was the last straw. Hearing that accent, and hearing the band, reminded me of Corpus Christi and the similar Southern/Hispanic accent mix, and I just broke down crying. It's been so long since I've been home, and everything - the beach, the food, the music, the accents - was close enough to remind but painfully far from the real thing. And I was in pain - my hip and knee hurt from miles of walking on concrete.
------
I pulled myself together and we packed it in. I didn't sleep well; I'd been taking Aleve for the arthritis pain but that's not an option with the medications I'm on now for my heart condition. And I'm back here in NoHo today trying but not succeeding to get some of my homework done for my class Thursday before the couples recovery meeting this afternoon.
Damn, I just want to pack up and go home [Imagine thick hybrid Southern/Hispanic accent here. BTW, usually I have a General American accent that you could place regionally only by a few idioms].
The train trip itself was fun; a rare treat in these days of cars and aircraft. I got a cup of coffee in the cafe car, just because I could :) ; and enjoyed the view of the back-country ranches (there are still a few around). From Ventura to Carpinteria, the train runs almost by the water's edge, and the view of the Pacific was fantastic.
In Santa Barbara by noon, I stopped at Enterprise Fish Co. for lunch, then biked downtown to Art Essentials, and to the public library to check my email and blog comments. Then I went to our motel, the Franciscan Inn, and checked in. (They have fresh-baked oatmeal cookies in the lobby every afternoon, if you're fast enough, and a basket of apples if you're not. :-) )
I went for a long bike ride by the beach in the late afternoon. Hubby arrived about 7:30; then it was a walk over to Enterprise Fish again for dinner, since it was close and we were both very hungry (despite apples.)
SATURDAY: Breakfast at the original Sambo's (which is also the last Sambo's due to political correctness...) We could have had a continental breakfast at the inn, but we both like a more substantial morning meal. Afterwards, Hubby wanted to walk through downtown S.B. I asked to go to see "The Polar Express" and got a "We'll see; we could do that in L.A." I asked to stop in a bike store, intending to see if a shop carried a biking knee brace for my right knee's worn patella, and to stop at the library to check my email.
Well, I DID get to stop at 3 different bike shops, none of which carried anything remotely like knee braces. And I got to the library. We also made it to the beach later (briefly) and we did go on the carousel. But also -- well, we're in a couples recovery group for a reason. Some of the reason also showed up. Not his fault, nor my fault -- but together, sometimes, it just doesn't work...
He made us reservations for dinner at The Palace Cafe, and the food at the Palace was good, the service was excellent, though I wish I hadn't chosen to try soft-shell crab. I'm sure the preparation was superb, but I discovered that don't like the stuff at all. Fortunately, we'd gotten a sampler platter, so I didn't go hungry with coconut shrimp and salmon Ponchitarain available. The manager (head waiter?) had that Louisiana mix of Southern/French accent, and a Zydeco band was playing.
And that was the last straw. Hearing that accent, and hearing the band, reminded me of Corpus Christi and the similar Southern/Hispanic accent mix, and I just broke down crying. It's been so long since I've been home, and everything - the beach, the food, the music, the accents - was close enough to remind but painfully far from the real thing. And I was in pain - my hip and knee hurt from miles of walking on concrete.
------
I pulled myself together and we packed it in. I didn't sleep well; I'd been taking Aleve for the arthritis pain but that's not an option with the medications I'm on now for my heart condition. And I'm back here in NoHo today trying but not succeeding to get some of my homework done for my class Thursday before the couples recovery meeting this afternoon.
Damn, I just want to pack up and go home [Imagine thick hybrid Southern/Hispanic accent here. BTW, usually I have a General American accent that you could place regionally only by a few idioms].
Posted: Sun - November 14, 2004 at 03:49 PM | | | | |