Choosing the long way around

Step outside my front door, and you're on a major thoroughfare.  Depending on the time of day, traffic could be whizzing by or slowed to a stop.  But just out the back door is a serene and lovely view of the Hills.

I live at the edge of the Hollywood Dell, a little neighborhood tucked in the Hollywood Hills, just below the reservoir, where on a morning stroll most of the neighbors I come across are the furry, four-legged variety.  And not just dogs being walked by their friendly owners, but I also might spy a pack of wild rabbits, hopping from yard to yard.  Lizards dart past my feet, and I wonder if I tried if I might catch one and give it to my nephew, Ethan.

I walk in this neighborhood nearly every day, mostly for recreational purposes.  To take in the chirping of the plentiful birds nestled in the thick green foliage, to have a moment of quiet and give Callie a chance to stretch those aging legs.

But lately I've been taking the back route for a different purpose:  to go to lunch, see a movie at the Arclight or take the Metro downtown.  For the longest time, when I didn't feel like driving, I walked down the hill on Cahuenga, hurrying as fast as I could through the underpass.

A New Yorker turned Angeleno, there are some lifestyle activities that are hard for me to leg go of.  Walking is one.  And so it was yesterday as I headed out for lunch at Umami Burger in Space 15 Twenty.  The sun was shining gloriously overhead, so instead of pulling the car out and wasting the gas to drive a short jaunt down the hill, I decided to stroll down Holly, a street lined with a canopy of Jacaranda trees that drop fragrant violet petals when the wind blows.

Fifteen minutes later, I found a seat in the courtyard and ordered their Hatch Burger -- perhaps possibly the best burger in the world.  (I am always profoundly disappointed that I don't have room to order a second round, it is that good.)  After the meal, I enjoyed a fabulous walk back to my apartment at the top of the hill.  And the calories from the Hatch?

I walked them off.  So there's no guilt.

Celebrating a Milestone

Last weekend, my partner turned 30, ehem, 21.  Whatever - it's irrelevant.

(A homemade sign, with recycled Anthropologie literature,

tacked on a blank white wall.  Canvas to be filled shortly.)

To celebrate the freedom to embibe, we hopped into our unpopular but incredibly fun PT Cruiser and took to the hills.

Santa Barbara wine country unfolds like Paradise.  Maybe I'm biased after a decade hooked on the soap that carried it's name, but traveling through it's breathtaking valleys mile after mile is like being in your own movie or a series of postcards that you can't wait to bore your office mates with.

Global Gardens offers $3 olive oil tastings.  Take the opportunity to

coat the belly with the elixir of the gods before hitting the wine trail.

This time, we visited Los Olivos, a spit of a town just behind a great barn that I think has been turned into an Inn.  While SB wine country is full of cute, small towns, this is it's crowning glory.  The small Victorian village, with its down home charm and walkable streets, has several tasting rooms and inspirational galleries.  I thought I would miss the ambience of the actual vineyards in Happy Valley, but the sweetness of this place has a seduction all of its own.

When it was time to go, I lingered a moment, as the sun softly sunk below the hills, a slow, silky finish to an organically happy day.

(Click HERE to view more our "postcard" selection.)

Having a big fat belly laugh over this one:

! 6m s@rry t8 r#p6rt th*t th# v@w#l #lv#s @ GM^!L @r# t@k!ng th# d@y 6ff.

I remembered that today was April 1st while journaling all my deepest thoughts this morning, and wondered briefly what type of joke I should play on my husband.  Pretend to be mad at him?  Nah, did that yesterday.  Say that I'm pregnant?  No.  That's just mean.  (Panic and disappointment would settle in simultaneously.)  I decided to skip it, and forgot all about it.

Until logging in to check my email.

Apparently, lots of folks are getting in on ejokes today, Facebookers not the least of them.  I wouldn't know, though, because I jumped off the FB bridge after an inspiring Yoga session a couple of months ago.  The decision came after I made an idiot of myself - something I'll do to make you laugh, you know - but then realized that I actually make myself appear to be someone that I'm not, nor ever was.  That, and foolishly squandering away hours better served on non-virtual activities.  (Who me, nosy?)  I miss being able to see the daily pics and blurps from some of my maternally BFFs though, and it reminds me to check in with them in a way that is more meaningful.  In a letter, through SKYPE, or my God-awful iphone, which must have started as an April Fool's joke somewhere, because though I can always find my location through Google Earth, I'll be danged if I can make an uninterrupted call.

At least SKYPE works.  Thankfully, I'm still able to complain to my BFF back in the Buckeye State about being wine free for a second day in a row.  (Notice I said WINE free and not WHINE free).  A little thing I have committed to do over the next few weeks (the HUB's birthday notwithstanding) in order to seek some wisdom about my life, and my biggest fear is that I'll slip up and actually FORGET the commitment.  So this April, have a glass and think of me while I am running the race away from the FOOL.

Happy April Everyone!

Anniversarily Ever After

Elevenses on the Foxen Canyon Trail

Happy Birthday Sis!

Here's to a candy store full of joy kind of day!

Sweet Dish, Cow's Hollow, SF

SAVE the PEAK!

Save the Peak

Above the Observatory

Weekend Wish List

My kitchen begs for more color.

Over the holidays I fell in love with these limited-edition letterpress posters from 4505 Meats in San Francisco, one of the hot new meat shops cropping up around the country.