California Girls (and Arthur)

I started off this month with a huge treat for myself; I went to LA to a class at Vidal Sassoon. 

This was my third class there, but the last one that I took was in 2004.  The first two classes that I took there had completely changed my life and my career, but this time I was much further into my career and much more experienced, so I didn’t quite know what to expect from my week there.  I learned a lot, brushed up on the basics a lot, and had a great time getting to relax and breathe into doing hair, having only one client a day and getting to really think about things in a different way.  I really enjoyed it.  Coming back and being in the salon I’ve realized that I took away much more than I thought I was going to when I was in the middle of the class, too, so I’m really thankful that I had the means and the time to be able to do it.  It was totally worth it!

The class was Monday through Friday and I arrived on Sunday afternoon.  I decided to do a little shopping on the 3^rd Street Promenade, an outdoor mall, and while I was walking around, someone mistook me for Gwen Stefani.  I had my hair tied up in a bandana and sunglasses on, so it makes a little sense if she had been trying to be incognito.  It totally made my day.

I took Arthur with me.  He did so great!  I swear, I need to get this little dog an agent; he’s such a ham.  When we went through security at the airport, I had to send his leash through the x-ray machine, and he had to sit and stay on the yellow line while I walked through the metal detector.  It was like he was posing, then when I called him to walk through it, he pranced through, then came and sat down right next to me, posing again.  Everyone was laughing and pointing at the adorable little dog. 

Arthur's first trip to the beach.  He liked the action (all the new smells!) but not so much getting in the water.  He's just like his mom.

I got sick, presumably from the airplane, so I laid low all of the evenings I was in LA, until my mom met me out there on Thursday night.  She and I had planned on doing this for years, really ever since I had been to this class the last time.  There were so many things that I had done that had just made me miss her back when I took the class in 2004.  So, when I started planning this trip I begged her to come, and she didn’t need much arm-twisting. 

We went to the Farmer’s Market.  We walked on the beach, and I showed her different places that she would have seen on TV.  We went to the Santa Monica Pier.  We shopped.  The next day we went to the Getty museum.  I had been to the gardens before and wanted to show her.  So we spent a ton of time just going through those, then a short time looking at the artwork.  We also checked out Hollywood and went to the Chinese Theater where they do all of the movie premiers and saw a movie. 

3rd Street Promenade

The Beach, with Santa Monica Pier behind us.  That's me on the right, not Gwen, just in case there's any confusion.

These were growing on a tree!  Any ideas what they are?  They were beautiful (in the gardens at the Getty).

Hollywood, Baby!  We took pictures by Clint's signature because we went to see his movie, Trouble With the Curve, which would have been forgettable had it not been for the circumstances.

Flowers at the Farmer's Market.  Aren't they fabulous?

We had a great time; it was like a dream come true.  In 2004 when I had wished she’d been with me, I missed her and wanted her to join me, but our relationship has grown so much, to be able to be with her at this place in my life, at this place in our relationship was such a blessing.  I’ll remember that weekend for the rest of my life.