Happy 35th Anniversary, my love - things are better when we're together!
A couple days after we returned to Thailand, Tim was off to India again. We enjoyed some time down by the sea upon his return. (Our anniversary just happens to be Labor Day in Thailand, so Tim had a long weekend.) The tide has been going out really far lately - it seems to be a seasonal thing. Many locals go out and dig for clams when the water is so low.
We see all sorts of crazy things on the streets of Pattaya. I saw this particular one on the way to buy groceries, and asked Khun Mick to slow down so I could get a picture. Bet that guy feels like he's king of the world up there!
Just a couple of weeks later, we said goodbye again - this time I was the one leaving, heading to California to watch our middle son receive his PhD hood. I was so excited to be going; we hadn't seen our guys for nearly a year - way too long.
I had a decent layover in Beijing on my first trip from Bangkok to LA. It was kind of nice to have a break long enough to stretch my legs and get something to eat before that marathon flight to the US. The Beijing airport's got a lovely little pagoda with a fish pond; a very relaxing place to quiet one's mind. I also found a chair with a fold-up table and charging station, so I was able to pull out my laptop and get some work done on my blog. Charging stations have become pretty commonplace for airports in the last few years - a great innovation.
Flew up over Russia and Alaska
Found this stuck to my jacket when I woke up on the plane 😊
When our seemingly endless flight finally landed at LAX, we taxied around for quite a while, then the pilot shut down the engines and announced we would wait for a truck to come tow us to our spot. It was a good fifteen minutes before that happened, at which time we were towed to what must have been the absolute farthest corner of the airport. Guess Air China doesn't rate. From there we took a nearly half-hour bus ride up to the terminal. Then we had to pass through the NSA check - we must have been 500 people, Americans and foreigners, waiting to talk to three security guys, which took forever. Then one of the three agents had to take someone away from the counter, leaving only two! Welcome to America.
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All was forgotten when I finally made it out to the curb and got a hug from Ted. The air in LA was blessedly cool, and I got to ride in the front seat! The steering wheel seemed to be on the wrong side of the car, though, and everyone was driving on the wrong side of the road. I got so excited to see Paneras and Taco Bells along the way - the little things you miss. All a bit of shock to the system, to be honest.
It was my first time to Ted's apartment - nice place in a pretty neighborhood. I would have a week with Ted, and his ceremony wasn't until Thursday. Lots of time for fun! Once I got settled, we went out for some real food - In-N-Out burgers. We took our booty up to Kenneth Hahn State park and had a picnic with a view of the city. It was actually a little chilly - a sensation I relish these days. And the burgers were delicious...mmmmm.
Downtown L.A.
Nice Japanese-style garden, but it was tricky to get there -
worth the hike
On Tuesday, Ted went to get new tires put on his car - a much needed graduation gift. Later we drove down to my niece's place. Fortunately (rim shot), my sister and her husband were in town for the pending arrival of their new granddaughter. My niece and her husband recently bought a new house with a steep hill in the back. My sister told me you could see the ocean from the top of the hill, so we decided to climb up. My little great nephew decided to join us, and was sandwiched between me and my sister. Did I mention the hill was steep? That hill was heavy! There was lots of tenuous footing, and our little companion slipped several times. I was afraid he was going to pull a Jack and Jill on us, but we all made it up to the top. And there was the ocean - a tiny spot in the distance, but the ocean nonetheless! The trip down was equally exciting, but no broken crowns.
Three ladies and an almost baby. That hill!
We left my brother-in-law to put together a new hammock, and the rest of us went to lunch at a nice Mexican restaurant called TheRed Onion. Had some yummy margaritas, full baskets of tortilla chips (never happens in Pattaya), and some tasty enchiladas. Even the little guy enjoyed the margaritas (his mom shared her virgin margarita).
After lunch, we stopped to pick up my other great-nephew from school. He asked his mom how I knew his name.🤣 We stopped back at the "hill house" to visit a bit more, then headed back to Ted's place. I made him stop at a Wal-Mart we encountered so I could grab stuff from my list of "things to get while in America." So much selection!
We got back with little time to spare before the three of us headed to the train for a trip to Dodgers Stadium and a real American baseball game - the perfect Mother's Day gift! The train is walking distance from Ted's place, which is great, so no need to drive. And such fragrant flora along the way! The train got delayed en route, before continuing on to Union Station, where we transferred to the free shuttle bus to the stadium. So convenient!
Waiting for the train to...
Union Station, then onto...
the shuttle bus to the stadium
Shuttle bus to the stadium was packed, but festive!
We had great seats, great weather, and yummy hot dogs and beer. Ted missed a good chunk of the game standing in the refreshments line - thank-you for your service! It was a good game, complete with a pretty successful wave by the fans, and a perfect tenth-inning win by the Dodgers over the Pirates. This baseball fix that should tide me over for a while.
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