California II

May 10, 2017

Wednesday morning we drove to El Segundo to see the Aerospace Corporation where Ted would be working for the summer.  He wanted to plot out the route before starting work the following Monday.  Aerospace Corporation works closely with the US Air Force, among other entities, and in fact is located directly across El Segundo Blvd. from Los Angeles AFB.  Many large aerospace companies have facilities in El Segundo.  Looks like an interesting place to work.  We took a drive through the little downtown area and down to the ocean.

In the afternoon, Ted took me to The Last Bookstore - a place he knew would feed my soul.  It is a very hip, artsy bookstore in downtown LA with amazing collections of new and used books, and an artistic homage to the printed word.  It is the largest new and used books and record store in the state of California.  The LA Times suggests thinking of it as an illustrated bookstore, and that is a pretty good description.  The main room is huge; black walls with white Romanesque columns and huge abstract wall sculptures made of books.  Even the checkout counter is built out of books.

one side of the checkout counter

We spent some time browsing through the unique collections, then climbed the stairs to the second floor, referred to as the Labyrinth Above the Last Bookstore.  This is a fantasy world for book lovers, difficult to describe.  An enchanted bookshelf greets visitors as they step off the stairway, and whimsical creations are tucked in every corner.  I could have stayed for hours.  In fact, I want to live there!  The owner of the store, Josh Spencer, has his own unique story to share.  This Video is worth a look.

The Book Loop

An enchanted bookshelf - the books are literally flying off the shelves!

Tunnel of books

the Vault

I was able to pick up a used copy of A Man Called Ove, a book I've been wanting to read for some time, but couldn't find in Thailand.  I actually reserved the e-book through the library at home, but somehow the download didn't work.  Having the hard copy in my hands is definitely better anyway, so I was quite happy.  I also picked up a copy of Seven Years in Tibet, to keep the magic of our trip going just a bit longer.  We browsed through the vinyl record collection on the main floor - triggered so many memories.  I hope LA appreciates this treasure of a place.

The window above the record collection

From the bookstore, it was an easy walk to the Perch, a popular rooftop bar with a great view.  We didn't have a reservation, so no tables were available.  Ted ordered drinks for us while I stepped out to the ladies' room.  When I returned, Ted had a pleasantly surprised look on his face.  He said he was looking over the drink menu, and an older gentleman asked what he was drinking.  Ted said he hadn't decided, so the guy said he had just the drink for him, and asked the bartender to give Ted a sazerac and put it on his tab!  For those of you unfamiliar with the world of Ted, this is pretty par for the course.  Strangers are always randomly giving him stuff for free.

This...is a sazerac

We enjoyed our drinks and conversation on the outer terrace, where the beautiful people of LA merged with us common folk.  The terrace has cozy seating with a couple of big outdoor fire pits, and a second level that was not yet opened when we arrived.  We finished our drinks and took a peek at the upper level before walking to the train for the ride back.

We met Hiustyn and walked a few blocks to a neighborhood bistro, Gaby's Mediterranean, where we enjoyed some delicious chicken kebabs and hummus.  The owner even brought me out a piece of chocolate cake and said, "Happy Mother's Day," even though it was still four days away - very nice!

Later that night we picked up number-one-son from the airport.  Things were all in a tizzy at LAX because they were in the process of reorganizing the locations of many of the airlines throughout the terminals.  Big signs were posted warning travelers to check the gate number of their flights - don't people do this anyway?  But it was of no importance to me, because I would now have two of my sons about me!

Tim was hungry, so we stopped at the taco truck near Ted's place.  I was hoping to visit a food truck while I was in LA, and this was it.  I didn't eat anything, but liked seeing how things worked anyway.  It all seemed very efficient - just a few choice items on the menu, and a row of plastic chairs lined up along the sidewalk for the impromptu diners.  We also stopped for frozen yogurt at Yogurtland, where they have the very dangerous practice of letting you prepare your own, then charging you by weight.  It is very difficult to restrain oneself with all that deliciousness laid out before you.

Late night at the Taco Truck

Back at the apartment, Tim ate his tacos and we played Jackbox TV, a set of games that allows everyone to play with their phones.  Drawful was a fun one - everyone gets a couple of words or phrases to draw on their phone.  Then the drawings are presented one at a time, and everyone writes their best guess of what the words or phrases were.  Finally, everyone tries to guess which was the actual phrase.  I think creative writing is more important than good drawing for this one.  Good times!

I think Tim's a little excited about his tacos