My Trip to...

SUNDAY.


I was so sad to wake up in the morning when I realized that our trip was coming to a close. We cleaned the house and packed our things in a hurry, since we wanted to get as much out of the day as possible. We had to do a couple of things before we could leave the house though...

Owen did a great job of impersonating Tom Hanks in Castaway. We even had Wilson, the volleyball with the hand print for a face on it!

Mark took me, Owen and Caty over the Getty Center in LA to see the spectacular views of the city. Wow! What an amazing complex!!


This is an absolute must place to visit if you are ever in Los Angeles. The architecture and the vistas are incredible and breathtaking.




Even though we were seeing such wonderful things, I didn't want to see the day come closer to a close. The time was passing too quickly, and we just didn't want to see the great trip end.

So after we took in the views of the city, it was off to Hollywood! The cast of Harry Potter had just been there the day before to imprint their hands and feet for the sidewalk at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Apparently, to visit Los Angeles and not see this place, is like visiting China and not seeing the Great Wall.


Haha, I had bugged Mark all weekend to see the Hollywood sign, and I was ecstatic the moment it came into view! I'm sure he was relieved that this sighting below was close enough for me. =)

We closed our trip with lunch at the Chateau Marmont. Mark, Owen and I had tried to go into the Chateau after visiting the SkyBar on Thursday night, but security was so tight that they were turning away everyone unless you were a hotel guest. We are convinced that something huge, like a scandalous affair between celebs, was going down.

Lunch was fabulous, and the chateau is such a romantic and beautiful hotel. We hated to leave such wonderful company, but Mark had to take Owen and I to the airport in a hurry. We said our goodbyes to Jerry, Gail and Caty and to the Masseys as well, and we were off to LAX.
Thank you to Susan and Fred, Malibu and Los Angeles were so wonderful and charming, and thank you for having me.
Thank you to Jerry, Gail and Caty, it was such a pleasure to spend time with you all, and Owen and I are looking forward to seeing you soon at the wedding!!
Thank you Mark, for being such a wonderful guide of your amazing city. I had such a fabulous time, as I know Owen did too. I could not have had a better first experience in the city.

My Trip to...

SATURDAY.
We knew going into Saturday that it was going to be a pretty big day. MASSEY-palooza was going to kick-off in the early afternoon, and it was going to be a FULL day of activities. Here I am prepping Buster for the upcoming day.

There isn't too much I can say about the Palooza that you won't be able to gather yourself from the pictures. It was a crazy day between the beer pong matches, the volleyball games, swimming in the freezing ocean and intense games of flip-cup. Mark's friends definitely had all of us busy with activities well into the night. It was a blast, and I'll let the pictures do the rest of my talking.


Ok, so I lied, I am going to have to comment on some of these photos as they are just too great not to comment on. Here is a shot of Dr. M, a.k.a. the beer pong champion, in mid match. He and Jerry were the champs of the day. The priceless t-shirt was a gift from Mark's friend, Nick, as he knew that Dr. M played football for the Panthers as a youngster.

This is a shot of the team consulting their next move with us.





By the end of the evening, we were all worn out from a full day of activities. I had such a great time meeting Mark's friends, and the party itself was great. I will always remember the days of flip-cup and beer pong. Haha

My Trip to...

FRIDAY.
Since it was a late night on Thursday (3:30 am), we decided to pass on taking a two-hour trip to DisneyLand in Anaheim. And since we had an early dinner later, we decided that a trip to Santa Monica and Venice Beach was the perfect idea. We arrived at Shutters on the beach, and rented a few bikes to tour the area.


We embarked on a full day's journey, and headed towards the Santa Monica exercising area. The Masseys have pictures of Owen and Mark as kids trying to swing across the monkey rings at this same spot. Here are the shots I managed to get of them trying to get across now. Apparently, Owen made it across, but according to him I didn't see him do it because I was too busy watching the cute passers-by on rollerblades. =)


After Owen and Mark attempted the rings and Caty and I relaxed on the swing set, we headed over towards the Santa Monica Pier. Between the rollercoaster and the ferris wheel, we got our DisneyLand fix for the trip.




Venice Beach is a hoot. There are people everywhere, and when I say people, I mean all SORTS of people. It was so much fun to walk around and see the sights, going through the different street vendors and artists was a blast. We also stopped for lunch in Venice at this little deli, and I can't remember the name, but I think it was Danny's.



Our day spent in Santa Monica and Venice Beach was a blast. Riding bikes through the area was definitely the way to see the sights. You get around quickly, and you get to enjoy being outside and breathing the fresh sea air.

This was certainly not the end of our day, we still had much more to come. Unfortunately though, I forgot my camera!!! So I didn't get to record via photo what we did, oh well. The Masseys, the Welches and I left the house in the early evening and headed for a sunset dinner at Geoffrey's in Malibu. The restaurant is a quaint and extremely romantic place that sits cliffside off of the Pacific Coast Highway. We were escorted to our table on the outside patio, and it was absolutely beautiful! To our eyes' delight, we had an amazing vista of the ocean and could feel the fresh breeze right from our table. As if the vistas and ambiance wasn't enough, the food and service was just as great. If anyone is ever in Malibu, I would highly suggest dining here, the experience alone makes it spectacular.
After an amazing dinner, it was too early for everyone to call it a night, so we headed off to Moonshadows! You know, the famous or infamous, if you prefer, Mel Gibson hang out. I think I was expecting it to be kind of cheesy, but it wasn't. Contrary to my random expectation, it was awesome! It also sits cliffside off of the PCH, and we sat at an outdoor table overlooking the ocean. Between the vodka mojitos and the sound of the waves crashing, this quickly became a favorite of mine. It really was a wonderful way to finish off the incredible day.

My Trip to...

California is so beautiful! And that is that I only saw Malibu and the different parts of Los Angeles. The weather is simply unreal, it is so perfect that you can't help but feel happy all of the time. Immediately upon my return to Houston, I realize just how much I hated mosquitos!

THURSDAY. We started our trip with a visit to the Getty Villa in Malibu. What a fantastic site! J. Paul Getty has left such an enormous legacy to the collection and research of antiquities and art, and the property and architecture of the villa itself are breathtaking.



We followed this visit with lunch at The Ivy in Beverly Hills, and walking in and out of the shops on Robertson and Rodeo Drive. The food was really tasty at The Ivy, and it has a really great ambiance of light and casual, yet sophisticated and exclusive. Katy and I both had caesar salads with grilled chicken, Owen had the chopped salad and Mark had the lobster ravioli.


After we finished lunch, Mark took us up and down Rodeo Drive. It is amazing how many wonderful shops there are on the drive, and I had always wanted to see, in person, what it felt like to be in the famous stores that people always hear about. And being on Rodeo Drive immediately made me think of Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman!




After a nonstop day, we enjoyed an amazing dinner at Toscana in Brentwood. I had grilled salmon with vine-ripened tomatos, yummy! I wish I would have gotten a photo from inside the restaurant, but didn't think of it at the time. The day was certainly not over though, as Mark took us on to our next stop on the express train... SkyBar in West Hollywood at the Mondrian Hotel. SkyBar has such an incredible ambiance, and our group had the best table on the outdoor patio. Lounge tables, chairs and candles inside of empty wine bottles surrounded the lit pool in the center.

The Innocent Man

John Grisham's first non-fiction is a success! It's an eye-opening story about a wrongfully convicted man who is sentenced to death, and it focuses on just how atrocious certain aspects of our judicial system can be when the wrong people are behind it. This is a great read, and I highly suggest everyone read it, now.

NYC

The skyline of New York is a monument of a splendour that no pyramids or palaces will ever equal or approach. - Ayn Rand

From the kitchen...

Citrus Scallops

So Owen and I tried this recipe the other night, and it was pretty tasty. Be careful of the oranges you pick at the grocery store. Make sure they are nice and juicy. We added mango as well. It was good, but I enjoy straight-up seared scallops better.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound scallops
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 large oranges, peeled and segmented
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the red bell pepper, green onions and garlic. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the scallops, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook until the scallops are opaque and the red bell pepper is tender, about 4 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the lime zest and juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Add the oranges and cilantro, cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Freedom

A brief candle; both ends burning
An endless mile; a bus wheel turning
A friend to share the lonesome times
A handshake and a sip of wine
So say it loud and let it ring
We are all a part of everything
The future, present and the past
Fly on proud bird
You're free at last.


-Charlie Daniels, written en route to the funeral for his friend, Ronnie Van Zant of the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The Police

The Police came to Houston on Friday, June 29th, and performed for a sold out crowd at the Toyota Center. They were a huge hit, and lived up to the expectations surrounding the comeback tour. The acoustics were incredible and Sting's voice actually sounded like it does on their CDs... which is nice seeing as that most artists' voices today are completely synthesized and crappy. The three of them (Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers) were all in perfect form, and the best part about it is that they did it all themselves, without the help of touring instrumental add-ons.

6/29/07 Setlist
Message In A Bottle
Synchronicity II
Walking On The Moon
Voices Inside My Head
When The World Is Running Down
Don't Stand So Close
Driven To Tears
The Bed's Too Big Without You
Truth Hits Everybody
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Wrapped Around Your Finger
De Do Do Do De Da Da Da
Invisible Sun
Walking In Your Footsteps
Can't Stand Losing You
Roxanne
King of Pain
So Lonely
Every Breath You Take
Next To You



Excerpts below from HandStamp Blog on the Houston Chronicle's website.
June 29, 2007
Police return is no bust
Sting said something curious after the Police's tight and inspired two-hour set at the Toyota Center on Friday: "Thank you, Houston. See you again. Good night."

OK, the thank you and the good night are standard-issue stuff, but "see you again" could be a pretty cruel tease. After all, he, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland pulled the chord on their band while it was still riding high more than two decades ago. Clearly fans weren't as ready to have the band turn in its badge.