Julie's California Blog - Day 11

Julie's California Blog - Day 11, April 10, 2013



As the song says, "Having fun in the warm California sun" best describes this morning. It's a beautiful day. Warm and sunny! Stevie and I hit the ground running. Our goal: to do something we've never done before.



We started at the Los Angeles Farmer's Market followed by shopping at The Grove. We had lunch at a fabulous place called Morel right beside the water fountain that dances to music every hour on the hour. Stevie said it was like a mini Bellagio water show in Las Vegas. While we were having lunch, I noticed a gathering of paparazzi's near by. Obviously word is out about my appearance on Ellen.




But alas, I was upstaged by Jason Alexander from the Jerry Seinfeld show. The filming of "E" news takes place in the plaza of The Grove and Jason was being interviewed. I remembered him to be bald? I was surprised to see that he has a new crop of hair.

While we were having lunch, we met a very nice couple. They came to The Grove to pick up the girl's car that they left behind yesterday because they got to "day drinking" and couldn't drive. From the looks of things, they were probably going to leave the car again today. But the idea of "day drinking" sounded pretty good to us, so we ordered wine.

After an extended lunch, Stevie and I headed back to the condo to get ready for our big night. Our friend, Doc Eason is performing at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. We've known Doc for over 30 years and were looking forward to seeing him perform in a different venue. Doc has entertained folks with his magic at The Tower Bar in Snowmass Colorado for 25 years before the bar closed in 2004. Since then, he's taken his show on the road and also performs at private functions. He's dazzled guests with his prestidigitation at our house many times. So Doc invited us to the Magic Castle tonight, which by the way, is the only way to gain entrance. The Magic Castle is by invitation only.



We hired a driver and off we went. Before The Magic Castle, we had dinner at Yamashiro Mountain Palace (another 1st). Yamashiro is on top of a hill overlooking Hollywood. The view was spectacular. I had the most interesting, tasty and different meal ever!

The Himalayan Salt Plate, an American wagyu steak seared and served on a himalayan salt plate. The salt plate is a dense block of translucent pink salt harvested from ancient mineral deposits. The salt block is heated to over 400 degrees and the steak is sliced and served atop the heated salt plate allowing the steak to be cooked at the table, "imparting a taste and a new level of flavor complexity." It was delicious! The photo doesn't do justice to this dish. But it may give you a general idea of how it is served. I can recommend this dish without reservation! As Jeff would say, "If you put this on your head, your tongue will beat your brains out to get to it." This kind of food can and did convert a vegan.



After dinner, it was time for the magic show. The Magic Castle has several different magicians performing at the same time in different locations throughout the building. We found Doc in the W.C. Fields Bar. He was on his game tonight and enchanted the crowd.



After dinner and some magic, the driver took us back to the condo. We weren't quite ready to call it quits, so we took the dogs for their final walk of the evening. We were feeling particularly defiant, so we

1. Took the dogs out on the beach

2. With a glass of wine AND

3.Stevie was smoking a cigarette, breaking three of Hermosa Beach's City ordinances.

We are such rebels! Squeaker and Scruffy loved running on the beach. We might sneak out there every night!

We had a whole day of FIRSTS. If we weren't so old and tired, we might have broken a few more rules. "Day Drinkin" is not a good idea for old people. Of course, I'm speaking for myself, Stevie.

I've been asking myself why I'm writing this blog. I guess it's because it enables me to keep in touch with the people I love, and share with them what I'm doing and feeling and hopefully, it will help you to remember me while I'm gone. But perhaps the main reason is to keep in touch with myself and the reality of the hand of cards that I've been dealt. Even though I've run across a few speed bumps in life lately, I realize that I am truly blessed and I'm so grateful for each new day. I want to make the best of every day and share the best of everyday with best people in my life. So, if you are getting this blog, it's because you are very important to me and I wish you were here with me. If you are not here, perhaps I can brighten your day with some of the craziness of mine. Love to all.