This post is about friends, new and old.
Last week, my husband and I spent the week in SoCal. For him, it had been about two years since he made the trip down south. So in addition to the photography work I had lined up (two family photo sessions, an interview with a potential 2011 Bride, and our annual Holiday Card), we had a lot of catching up to do.
After two and a half years in the Seattle area, I still find that need to get my LA fix, and see some old friends. Including Mr. Sun. By no means did we get to see everyone. It’s always a challenge each time we come down. But we get better ideas of how to do it each time we come down.
The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. Leaving Seattle on Jet Blue at sunset put us just in time for dinner with one of our good friends who picked us up. He steered us to a KILLER Thai place in Glendale – Sedthee. When you go, you gotta order the Prosperous Baby! After settling in for the night, the next day was full of running around town, picking up props for SG 2010*, then we paid a visit to my 86 year old grandmom before dinner in Brentwood with Eric’s friends. Made time to see some other family as well.
During this visit, we managed to only hit ONLY ONE traffic jam, which was on the I-5. And we drove almost all the major freeways – The 10, 134, 101, 60, 710, and the 405 Freeways. Yes, Fall in LA is Sweet!
Saturday was meeting and photo session day with the Kouyoumdjians – five years running! Then off to OC for more visiting.
We saved Sunday for The Beach. On the way there, I got my gelato fix at what I consider the best italian market I’ve been to, Monte Carlo in Burbank. I have not found anything that compares here in Seattle. I was so tempted to load up a shopping basket with italian goods. Alas, the checked bag was already at 45 lbs. And it was our last day in town.
The conditions at Santa Monica Beach did not disappoint. It was The Classic California beach day. Clean air, a slight breeze was clean, California girls and boys working on their tans, 73 degrees and sunny. Pelicans flew over the surfers, and kids played in the waves. Parking was easy, too. Squeezed in some more face time with friends who came by and see us, too. Then it was back to Seattle.
All this to say that I have recently come to treasure my friends. All of them. As the camp song goes;
Make new friends,
But keep the old.
One is silver and the other’s gold.
Seattle is silver in so many ways – weather, it’s newness for me, my new friends, the quality of light.
LA is the gold. It will probably always be that way. As long as I get back for a visit, I’ll be fine wherever we live.
*SG = Santa Girl – the annual holiday card co-produced by Me, Eric and Michael Stern of www.Cyberstern.com)