Cafe di Roma

If you haven't noticed, summer has been a fun but busy time for me. I can finally go out and enjoy lunch with friends and not be stuck in an office eating leftovers! Gawd, I felt so repressed! Until now!

TORC was finally on vacation as well. That's the good thing about being an educator, we know will get a summer vacation, although hers is longer than mine. No more grading papers! We had a lot of catching up to do...

Return to Babycakes

Our last stop for the night would be what we thought would be dessert at d bar.

Unfortunately, it was closed on Mondays!

Aaargh, so plan B and C was set in motion...

'Lette Macarons

Man, were we ever going to make it to Marvin's booksigning? Not to worry...we still had a few hours before heading over to Vroman's.

There were just too many stops along the way, but boy, were they worth it. We just had to enjoy the beautiful day in Pasadena...

Huapango's

Well now...fortified with a few drinks, we strolled over to Huapango's across the street.

Mr. TJ really likes the Happy Hour there and also a particular hot waiter...

Osteria Origano

This weekend, I met up with a few of my co-workers to celebrate the retirement of our former co-worker, MFH...

We all met at the beautiful home of Mr. TJ who lives in the historic neighborhood of Talmadge, where he whipped up a few drinks before we headed out to our first stop...

Return to Nijiya for lunch plus Cafe Hue

Sometime last week TC's friend KDD spent the day with us. We thought it would be fun to have lunch at Nijiya.

To make it even more fun, we had more adults - myself, Bert as well as D! The more the merrier. I'd given the girls a choice of Japanese or hotpot (TC already had it earlier that week at E & Drink) and Japanese won out...

Euro Pane Bakery

After our last stop at Cream Pan, we relaxed while we enjoyed the drive up to Pasadena, passing through crappy construction on the I-5. Once we arrived in Pasadena, Cathy showed me the barn where the floats are kept for the Rose Parade as well as a portio of the parade route, and several notable restaurants and landmarks in the area.

We still had plenty of time to kill before the book signing, so lunch was in order!

I remembered one of Cathy's older posts on this European bakery (linked at the end) so that was where we had our mid-day sustenance...

An edgy find at The Spare Room

After our lunch at Ono's, Astroboi and I popped over next door at this consignment shop...

I'd been there a few months ago and ended up getting a orchid cordury pair of jeans here. It looks better than it sounds. But I told him, I just wanted to "look"...

Return to Ono's Cafe

Sometime last week, I had the pleasure of having lunch with one of my very dear friends, Astroboi, who I haven't seen since the last Twilight movie and ate at Pink Noodle.

Earlier that morning, I had a few errands to run and snapped this shot (while at a stoplight) at the intersection across the street from Southwestern College.

I love when the jacarandas are in bloom...

My car smelled like something died in it, so I had gone to JNC Pinoy Food Mart to buy one of those "My Shaldan" air fresheners.

Vermont Street Bridge

Have you ever gone to the Trader Joe's in Hillcrest?

Perhaps, you've parked in the back...

and you might have noticed a bridge...

Return to the Barbecue Pit plus Father's Day dinner

As mentioned previously, Father's Day lunch was spent at the good ole Barbecue Pit in National City...

located across a place I detested in my youth, Yardage Town. As children, my mom would drag me and my siblings here to wander the fabric bolt filled aisles while she shopped for patterns to make our clothes. I haven't  been there in years but the stale "fabric-y" smell of that place still reminds me of childhood...

But back to across the street....