For the last several years it's been difficult to spend much time with my mom. When Ron's condition worsened, it became almost impossible to go to Los Angeles. Since Ron's death, I am making up for lost time.
Since the pandemic hit, my mom has been isolated in her home in Los Angeles. She has a wonderful companion that lives with her, but she doesn't get out too much. Most of her friends are fearful, and many have disabilities that make getting out difficult.
Susie to the rescue. I go visit my mom about once a month now, usually spending a Friday, Saturday and Sunday with her. Occasionally she comes down here for a few days, so we have been spending some quality time together lately, and loving it.
My last trip to LA took place on the first weekend in October. We ate home Friday night. A delicious brisket and potatoes (wine and appetizers first), followed by a nightcap of Bailey's Irish Cream. I had forgotten how much I loved that! We also discovered Emily in Paris, which we binge watched all weekend and finished the first season. It is a new series created by Darren Star (Sex in the City), and is just a lot of fun. I highly recommend it.
Saturday I spent the morning in Woodland Hills with Brian and Beth, Spencer and Ryan. I hadn't seen them since early June, and it was great to catch up. Saturday night we planned dinner at La Bruschetta, a longtime favorite Italian restaurant. We arrived and ordered drinks, and while purusing the menu, Mom noticed some smoke in the back of the restaurant. She thought nothing of it because she figured they were barbequing. Just then, there was a big explosion followed by crackling sounds. We all got up and quickly ran out to the street. It turned out to be an electrical fire from the building next door, but it added a bit of excitement to our dinner, which continued without incident after the fire department checked it out.
Sunday we went to Shutters, a beautiful boutique hotel in Santa Monica, right on the beach. What a beautiful spot to enjoy a great breakfast of lemon ricotta pancakes and nice, strong coffee. We enjoyed people watching and dog watching too!
Finally, late Sunday afternoon we went to Century City to enjoy a wonderful meal at Din Tai Fung. It's Chinese, of course, their specialty being noodles and buns. They have opened outdoor seating in the mall which is very safe. The mall was bustling. I commented to my mom that you'd never know we were in the middle of a pandemic from the number of people shopping and eating on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I did notice, however, that most visitors were just looking and not buying. It was a wonderful afternoon and we really felt "normal."
I can't wait for my next visit to LA. We have scouted out other areas of Los Angeles that are busy, and will visit them. For now, my next great eating adventure will be Sunday with Marilyn, where we will visit the new Nick's in One Paseo.
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