Holidays Chapter 2: "Are you going to take your bag out of your hood?"

So, after girly, girly night (which, in case you missed it because it was back-dated, is here), it was holiday gauntlet running through the rest of LA. All of which was fantastically fun.

This is not where it gets interesting ...
The day started with brunch with Shimmy at our most favorite bad for you diner in Long Beach. The place where they double stuff potatoes for breakfast and, after serving you a plate of food big enough for three people, then slap down an order of French Toast with cream cheese stuffed inside to top it off. The coffee there is terrible, but it's worth it. We are full ... well ... overfull when we leave.



This is not where it gets interesting ...
Next stop, Shadalan's for an annual card reading. She has a lovely new place that looks out over the ocean. Very peaceful. And also, very insightful.

This is not where it gets interesting ...
Then, Santa Monica for the most reasonably priced fantastic Italian meal I've had in months. Dinner is with Darren and Brooke and they are possibly the single most charming couple you will ever meet. And then Joe and Helen showed up for dessert. And I was a happy girl.

This is where it got interesting ...
And then I drove to Topenga Canyon. Listen, I'm absolutely getting the bad drunk driving habit out of my system in 2008. No more scenes where shamus and RJ have to yell at me in a parking garage to get me to give them my keys. No more DUIs. And certainly no more of this driving to Topenga Canyon after getting loaded up on my arch nemisis red wine. But I drove to Topenga Canyon to see J-Flo and K-Flo and Justin nonetheless. And when I got there, I got confused about where to park, so I ended up parking almost two blocks away. But J-Flo is waiting outside for me because he'd already fielded a couple of my lost and drunken phone calls that night. So he sees me park two blocks away and rolls his eyes and starts to walk toward me to retrieve me. And while he is doing that, he is treated to this scene:

I have become confused about which buttons on my car remote pop the hood of my car versus the trunk of my car. And I am repeatedly popping the hood of my car, and then looking at the hood. And then looking a the trunk. And then shutting the hood. And then repeating the process. And when J-Flo gets down to the car, he is already snotting and laughing. And I look at him, lost, and say, "I can't figure out how to open my trunk. I think I'm going to have to put the back seats down and drag my bags out from the back seat."

And somewhere between snorting out beer and sitting down on the ground because he is laughing so hard, J-Flo says, "Why don't you just put the KEY into the trunk?"

DUH.

After looking at him blankly for a moment, I suddenly realize that I am a drunken idiot. And open my trunk. Like a moron. I haven't lived this one down yet. I doubt that I will any time soon.

J-Flo and K-Flo are a great team with their son, Ju-Flo. It's amazing to watch. I had the most amazing time falling asleep on their couch while drinking wine and eating Cheetohs. I love them. I wish we lived closer. Though, I still get physically ill when I think about how much food J-Flo was able to put down at IHOP the next morning. That's not even right, ya'll. I want to be a part of their team! Just not a part of their IHOP eating team.




Finally, the last stop is Charles and Luci's. As if IHOP weren't enough, when I get to Charles and Luci's, I find that we are having MEAT for lunch. MEAT on the grill. And wine. Let me tell you how I stuffed it down. Not pretty. I may have gained 10 pounds in the weekend alone. And then there were video games and pictures and all kinds of fun things.




LA gauntlet was spectacular. It was like a real Christmas but with sunshine. And then, I headed to PA and things got REALLY crazy ...