Night Out in Pasadena

April 3, 2010

I found myself free of responsibility and in Los Angeles on a Saturday night. It's a good thing I know people, otherwise I would have been lonely. I originally planned to have fondue with Tab, Mike, Ken & Ty (all of Ithaca College fame), but they had reservations and I was going to make them late. The plan after dinner had been for all of us to meet Kerry (of Fargo fame) for a drink. So part two of Plan A became Plan B. Kerry & I went to Bar Celona in Pasadena for tapas.

Southern California and Northern California are nothing alike. I don't know how to describe it, the people are just different. And I felt like an invader as we walked down the street. Part of it could be that I was under dressed. I was wearing flats and I felt like women in their painful shoes were (jealously) judging. I was also taken aback by the desire to be perceived as "upscale" in downtown Pasadena. I would have imagined that city as a laid back "glad-to-not-be-LA" town. I would have been wrong.

I had a Tortilla Espanola and a sweet potato empanada. Both were delicious. I also had a vanilla vodka & strawberry juice cocktail that I one day want to recreate. Tab, Mike, Ken & Ty found us and we all sat for a little bit chatting and watching the apparently endless stream of sexy mute music videos. The videos did not match the songs that were playing. Essentially there were just silent, gyrating women being thrust upon us bar patrons.

It did not take long for us to realize we didn't have any party to give. Ken & Ty left before we did and invited me to their Easter Egg hunt. It was a tempting offer even before I knew there was a prize. Kerry drove the rest of our group to her place, where she gave me a table.

We had been talking about the hunt for the right furniture pieces. Kerry is moving across the country and needs to get rid of some furniture. She had an antique table that had actually been in San Francisco during the 1906 quake. We thought it cool that I could bring it back to San Francisco. But I was worried Jesse wouldn't like it. He's becoming quite fickle in his old age. I nearly passed but Tab said "it's a free table. And Mike's here to carry it." There is no way to reject such wisdom.

There was also no way to fit the table in my trunk. The table had to go in the back seat. I don't know if you've been counting, but one driver + one passenger + one table does not equal enough space for Mike. He had to ride in the trunk. This terrified me. I mean the back seat is a bumpy enough ride. I understand the trunk to be a cold and restraint-less, version of that. I drove carefully and aside from making one illegal u-turn in front of a police car, we arrived at Casa Mike & Tab without incident.

Getting Settled.

Good to go.

Once we were in and settled, I think it took 2 minutes for me to fall asleep. I had started the day with family and finished it with friends. I don't know if there is any combination more fulfilling.