In early November, we had to travel to California to pick up an enormous chandelier. Sure, we could have paid to have it delivered, but where would the fun be in that? Plus, it gave us the opportunity to take a road trip from California to Colorado, via Arizona and New Mexico. We had an epic road trip planned for the summer that was canceled due to covid and I was itching to hit the road.

The first day of the trip was a big deal for me, as it was the first time that I set foot in my home state during 2020. I didn’t think that I would get a “trip home” this year. Here is a picture of happy me at LAX.

I love our life in Colorado. We have made so many friends, our house is beautiful, and we live in a great neighborhood, but a part of me is still in California. Short of a surprise windfall, I know that if we were to move back, our lifestyle would be greatly scaled-down. We’d be in an apartment or townhouse. The air wouldn’t be as clear and our money wouldn’t stretch as far. However, I hope that each year, I will have the opportunity to reconnect with my home state.

This trip we had just an afternoon in Los Angeles. Due to covid, we didn’t make plans to see friends. We picked up a rental car and headed straight to Culver City.

At the rental car company, I had the delight of meeting the company cat named Shadow. Shadow is very old and hangs out in the parking garage wearing a cute sweater. Every business should have a company cat!

In Culver City, we went to the Helms Bakery Complex. This is one of my favorite places in Los Angeles and it was surreal to be back.

We’ve been watching the Youtube show “Worth It.” On the show, hosts Steven Lim and Andrew Ilnyckyj travel around to different restaurants in Los Angeles ( sometimes other cities, even abroad) to try the same dish at three different price points. On one of their episodes, they reviewed pasta, including a restaurant called Pasta Sisters. We discovered that Pasta Sisters was located in the Helms Bakery Complex, so we made a plan to try it.

The pasta was delicious. We went with the simple tomato and basil sauce as seen on the show. It was served with house made bread and we washed it all down Italian style with San Pellegrino.

Members of the Clean Plate Club!

During our visit, Los Angeles did not allow indoor dining. The weather was warm for our lunch, but for dinner we ate sushi at Kabuki in the Victoria Garden’s Mall. The sun had set and the weather was very cold. We did have a space heater near us, but as much as we love the food at Kabuki, it was difficult to eat outdoors at night. Colorado has just recently closed indoor dining in some cities, and as the weather is much colder here, I think the restaurants are in for a very difficult winter. I understand the necessity of this, but it also makes me sad.

Our chandelier was ordered from our favorite designer, Timothy Oulton, who has a space inside H.D. Buttercup. We spent about an hour admiring the latest collection and one-of-a-kind antiques. We showed an unusual amount of restraint and didn’t purchase any additional items, although I had my eye on their “Inception Mirror.” This picture does not do it justice- it’s dazzling!

Dan took a picture of me in front of the drum bookcase. We had this bookcase, but left it behind when we moved from California. It had been placed in a tight spot making it very difficult to move. It was a unique bookcase, but not really practical for a booklover. I could never figure out how to arrange my book collection. Dan liked this display, because it was stuffed, and told me this is how I should have arranged ours. The disorder makes my head spin.

After loading up our rental car with our massive chandelier, we needed a coffee to give us energy for our long, rush-hour drive to Palm Springs. We returned to Pasta Sisters for lattes and pastries. I think their desserts were even better than their pasta!

When I lived in Los Angeles, I was rarely bothered by the traffic. I would listen to podcasts and look at the view. i’d catch glimpses of other people in their cars and fabricate stories about them. I’m not easily bored. However, it had been awhile since I had sat in bad traffic. The drive from Culver City to Palm Springs took nearly four hours. it was slow going, especially as we had already traveled so much in the morning.

We drove past downtown Los Angeles, which made me feel homesick. I really wanted to go through downtown and head to Glendale. I wanted to drive through my old neighborhood and visit my parents at Forest Lawn. I wanted to eat the beet salad at Damon’s Steakhouse and have dessert at Porto’s Bakery. Alas, it wasn’t in the cards for this quick visit. I hope to return to the City of Angels when Covid is under control. I want to hug my friends. I miss them.

In the meantime, here is a picture of my beloved Los Angeles.