O. K, Peach, what is your long absence excuse this time?

Well, considering that my Cat died less than a month ago, I think I am doing fine. The last two weeks are kind of a blur. But there was a lot going on. Enough for the excuses.

Friday, my Canadian cousins came to visit us for a couple of days en route to their Panama Canal Cruise. I told my cousin Peter that if one of the seven of them wanted to give up their ticket for the cruise, they could stay here in California while I cruise the Carribean. No takers. I am not much of a Cruise person but this one sounded interesting. Three stops in Mexico, through the Panama Canal and a few days docked at Aruba with shore excursions of course. I think if I were to do a cruise, it would be either the Panama Canal or Alaska.

This morning, we were all to meet at Dinah's Pancake House on Sepulveda for breakfast at 9:15. Everyone will tell you that I am always late.( That's what they say...it's NOT always.) I got there at 9:20, thinking everyone would be there. By 9:40 I was getting a little worried as no one had showed up yet. Cell phone calls to my Dad, and to my cousins' hotel rang to message machines. At 9:45 they walked in, with me having sat for fifteen minutes alone at a very big empty table for nine people.

They told me that my Dad's car battery was dead, and that they had to go pick him up with their rental car. Anyway, so there we all sat. Me, (Luigi can't get up that early, he came later) my Dad, Peter & Jackie,Katie & Paul, Paul's Mom Gail, Megan and Scott. We ordered mainly pancakes and omelettes. The portions were so huge that we probably could have fed another nine people.

My phone call to Luigi revealed to us another problem. Luigi was suppose to meet us at Dinah's and bring some jumper cables. He informed me that his car wasn't working either. Part of the rest of the day was calling on cellphones and trying to figure out where we would meet Luigi , at what time and where. Besides all the other 'stuff we accomplished' it was a waiting game of "where to catch up with who at what time" with 3 different cars.

Megan, Scott, Katie, Paul and Gail were going to a Lakers Hockey Game later in the evening. I wanted to go also. They (the 'not been to LA yet' ones) were going to do their L.A/Hollywood Tour and meet up with us later. But the day just got lost. Besides the 'waiting for Luigi' strategies we also were searching for antiwrinkle spray for their clothes, travel size shaving cream, cheap rum and a couple of bottles of Champagne. The 'where will we find it' tour of Trader Joe's, Longs Drugs, Sav-on, lunch(at Jerry's Deli), and then a visit to my Mom filled up the rest of the day. By the time we made it back to my apartment, it was past 6:00 and just seemed a little late to run out again and race to meet the others at the Forum.

We sat down to chat with some scrumptious Christmas Pannetone from Trader Joe's and Celestial Seasonings Country Peach Tea, and Tazo Sweet Orange Tea.

Then we went to CPK(California Pizza KItchen) for dinner.....love their pizza. Luigi did his mumblings when they brought our 'Margharita Pizza' to us. But you also have to remember that he is a real Italian and he looks at American 'Italian food' with a microscope.

On a review of this post, considering that we went out to eat three times and that I did a rundown of some of the eats...............holy sheets......this sounds like a Martha Stewart column!.......has it come to that??? Nahhh! It's just a respite from my Political satires and esoteric ramblings.......please forgive me if you are not a Martha Stewart fan.