Well, instead of going home last weekend, I decided to go to Los Angeles instead. In doing so, I was able to visit my aunt and uncle who live in Huntington Beach, and also a friend from college, James Stevenson, who lives in Studio City.
I flew in on Thursday evening, and I went to meet James. We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, where we randomly saw Larry King. The food was good, but the margaritas were better, even if they were a bit steep at $7.50. The following day I had to work, as did James, but afterwards we went to a wonderful French restaurant, where I spent more money on dinner than I ever have. We had a bottle of wine, a massive cheese course, entrées, and dessert. I had a lamb shank and crème brulée, and James had venison and bread pudding. Everything was excellent. After dinner, we went to Blockbuster to pick up Transformers, which I had not seen yet, went back to his apartment, and watched the movie. It was definitely a good choice. The following morning, he took me on a tour of Hollywood, including a spectacular view from Mulholland Drive. Shortly thereafter, I left for Huntington Beach.
I arrived at my aunt and uncle's house late in the afternoon. I had not seen them in a few years, so there was of course the obligatory catching up. I also had not yet seen their new house since they moved from San Francisco, so I also got a tour of the house. A bit later, they took me to a seafood restaurant on the beach. We all had wonderful food, accompanied by a good Chardonnay from Cakebread Cellars. I am not normally a fan of Chardonnay, but this wine was quite good, especially with my Mahi Mahi. The following day, after they got back from church, we went around to some of the nearby beaches, where I was able to take a number of (now posted) photos. After some time on the beach, we returned to their house for an excellent dinner of grilled halibut. Soon afterward, we said our goodbyes, and I made my way to the airport, and ultimately Tucson.