The trip we made to Hollywood is etched upon my mind

where you'll find us

To be honest, I didn't want to make our annual end-of-year road trip to Los Angeles. I wanted everyone to go without me so I could catch up on work and clean the house. Christmas Eve I felt a little sick and thought maybe I could have a mild flu and send the family off, cancel the housesitter, and a few hours later I'd recover completely and they'd have a great time and I would get to clean the house. Isabel thinks it's ridiculous and pathetic to want to clean the house rather than go on a trip to Los Angeles and keeps needling me about it. She's right, of course, but I give her twenty years and she will understand.

This was the home agenda:

-finish writing the train article
-finish writing the Victoria article
-write the Nanaimo bar story
-throw out all the dead plants on the deck
-sweep up all the dead leaves on the deck
-clean the pantry
-clean the bedroom closet
-buy a new doormat
-buy a lampshade for the standing lamp
-clean out the refrigerator

This is the L.A. agenda:

-drink manhattans with Eric and Kathleen at their new house (DONE!)
-see Julianna
-finish writing the train article
-finish writing the Victoria article
-tour the Gamble house
-eat a shrimp sandwich at Baco Mercat and maybe try a shrub cocktail. One shrub cocktail.
-maybe buy a pair of shoes at Remix. One pair.
-go to The Varnish with husband and have a drink. One drink.
-see Zero Dark Thirty
-have lunch at Forage and meet pastry chef
-take Isabel shopping