NJ2LA: Summer part 5 -- Pre Visitors

The best thing that Evan found in Seattle? A copy of Jolene on vinyl -- something we've been looking for for years.

Evan's birthday! I considered hijacking this truck but decided against it.

Mini-cupcakes from our local cupcake joint.

Evan and the fruits of his 44 years.

Presents! First, a mixed 6-pack of root beer from Rocket Fizz.

A Star Trek issue of MAD picked up at the Fremont Sunday Market.

A gigantic and complicated Lego set.

A bunch of his home movies from his high school/college years, which I had transferred onto DVD. (He immediately disappeared into our bedroom after thanking me, making me very grateful I hadn't watched them beforehand.)

Right after Evan's birthday, we were invited to a fancy-schmancy Japanese place to celebrate another birthday.

Janice is one of those people that I met and I immediately knew I needed to be friends with, We met at Newark Airport, waiting for our flight to San Diego Comicon. I'd left the boys with my folks and was four months pregnant with the The Goose (although I looked 8 months gone, at least!). I was going to hang out with Evan (and be a charming, if bloated, spouse at all those industry dinners) and try to scare up some freelance work. Janice was there to hang out with her boyfriend Mike, who Evan and I had worked with (and drank with) for years.

As it turned out, we barely saw each other at the Con (I was too busy napping). BUT! four or five years later, we were all transferred to LA. Mike and Janice (now married) were out here six months before we were, and proved themselves to be wonderful hosts and resources. Janice's oldest son is at my alma mater, and her younger son is our babysitter. We go over and swim at their pool enough that our kids consider them to be a affectionate auntie and crabby-but-softie uncle.

We celebrated Janice's milestone birthday at Yamashiro, an amazing place way up in the hills. It was such a great night that I have no pictures of it. Great friends and amazing food and a couple comic book geeks and heroes.

The kids are ready to battle. I don't know what they are getting ready to battle, but they look fierce.

A selfie in the car while waiting for my book club.

That sounds MUCH LAMER than it actually was. I belong to this great book club, a bunch of intelligent chickies of varied backgrounds and ages. I was invited to a meeting about 18 months ago by a friend who promptly dropped out. These awesome ladies have put up with me saying "Hey, how about we read a comic book?!?" every month and have been wonderful resources for me and my family.

One of these ladies is married to someone who is a member at The Magic Castle. The Magic Castle is a private club in Hollywood that people kill to get into. And I was able to visit it with my book club of Burbank housewives. You'll notice that I'm wearing a nice outfit, makeup, jewelry and -- if you can believe it -- actual restricting and shaping undergarments after 8pm. The Magic Castle has seriously strict dress codes.

No pictures allowed, of course. This is the fountain outside the valet station, looking down on Hollywood. You arrive, check in, and speak a magic word to open a secret passageway that grants you entry into the club. I had a drink at the bar while waiting for my book club and didn't quite work up the gumption to ask the resident piano-playing ghost, Irma, for a song.

The rest of my club arrived, and we got a tour and saw a short magic show. Over the course of the evening, there are 6-10 magic shows in various small theaters scattered around the castle. Our host has made a habit of visiting every Thursday and staying from dinner until closing to see all the acts that filter through the castle. He also brought us on a wonderful tour and to one of the galleries where members (who have to perform a magic act to be accepted) put on impromptu shows.

It was one of those evenings where I was not only deliriously happy that I lived in LA, but one where I was actually really inspired. Are there some magic classes in my future so I can be a member of the Magic Castle someday? Maybe. But first I need to get a job. Priories!

This is my job -- convincing the kids that lunch at Ikea is a special occasion. (Ikea had free lunches for kids, so I could feed the four of us for 3 or 4 bucks. Then I'd tuck them into the ballpit/childcare for a free 90 minutes and I'd go back up to the cafeteria and get a free cup of tea and read for 90 minutes.)

Oscar, bringing crabby at the farmer's market. He actually enjoys our Saturday mornings together.

For Oscar's belated birthday, most of his friends were away, so he had a long, luxurious sleepover with his friend E, who had moved up to Thousand Oaks at the end of the school year and Oscar dearlyt missed.

They demolished an astonishing amount of ravioli and cake and stayed up a really long time.

Remember our money jar that counts all our change? We've previously used it to pay for a trip to Legoland. This time we used it to go to the pet store and get some pets.

We have enough Oscars, thanks.

A betta for each kid. Arlo's fish resides in the bathroom and is named Speedy.

The Goose's fish is in the living/dining room and is named Sparkles.

Not pictured: Oscar's fish, Sonic. On a shelf in his room.

Oscar and Arlo went to an arts camp through the rec department. I was really impressed at the art they made. The theme that week was the 80s, and they made Warhol- and Basquiat- and Haring-inspired art. They also listened to lots of Blondie and Mister Roboto.

I dropped Oscar off at his friend E's birthday party. This is their backyard.

This is their adorable doggy.

This is their view from their spacious, charming backyard, along with the pool and the hot tub and the BBQ area and the fire pit.

Listen, we are really lucky to live less than two miles from Evan's job. And we are really lucky to be two blocks from a wonderful school that is part of a district that will serve out kids well all the way through high school. Heck, the national Teacher of the Year from last year is from Luthur Middle School, where Oscar will attend next year.

But our friends live out here and have an AMAZING house, with great schools and services. And their mortgage is probably about what our rent is for our 1000sf 1968 era bungalow.

Food for thought.

Arlo inherited my awful teeth. He got a Mechagodzilla tooth.

Here's the Goose in a shirt from our beloved babysitter in NJ.

Allowance tally. Oscar gets $6 a week; Arlo gets $4. (The Goose doesn't get an allowance because she doesn't have any regular chores.)

I found a Goldstar deal for the La Mirada Splash Park. I told the kids we were going to "the pool" and then I got on the 5 and just kept driving.

Arlo immediately remembered the parking lot and knew where we were.

Three hours of lazy river and water slide later, they are happy. And pooped.

The Autry, our favorite museum, hosts the International Day of the Cowboy and Cowgirl every year. The minute we get the mailer, it goes on the calendar.

Gunslingers.

Oscar doing rope tricks.

Arlo and The Goose playing horseshoes.

Your Humble Narrator, in the Chinatown section.

Arlo, merrily cooking in the Chinatown kitchen.

The Goose ran into a friend while we were decorating horseshoes.

Eventually we needed to remove our "high spirited" children from the museum. We did that with promises of crappy ice cream.

We went to the Burbank Starlight Bowl for a concert.

It was a Beatles cover band. They were perfectly entertaining and we had a lovely time.

I took all the picnic leftovers (tomatoes and cheese and basil) and made myself a delicious tart the next day. (This is the closest you will get to good pizza in LA.)