SFAMily shenanigans

a handful of the SFAMily managed to get together over the weekend for a very abbreviated version of our once-annual holiday hoorah.  it was a pretty small group that included a few members of SFAM 2.0 as well, and while we didn't do any gift exchanges like we used to, it was still fun to see each other and share a meal together.  of course, we somehow managed to completely forget to take any group photos and so it's almost like it didn't happen.  but it did!  i swear!

and then afterwards we met up at nearby mitsuwa market to grab some treats that are usually only available in hawaii - mochi donuts by modo.

they're doing a temporary pop-up shop here that started a few months ago and i think it was actually supposed to finish up at the end of 2019, but lucky for us they extended their stay.  they're really popular and there was already a line when we arrived.  this was totally okay though, because it gave us more time to chat as we waited.

we were all amused at this sign, which was apparently quite a thorn in mitsuwa's side.

i mean...it's not easy to juggle two dozen fresh donuts (which is the per-person limit) in open containers while still trying to do some grocery shopping.

it was pretty mesmerizing to watch the guy pour the dough into this contraption that he then used to dispense perfect little rings of dough bubbles into the hot oil.

because they were selling these things as fast as they could make them, they were even more fresh and delicious here than they were in waikiki.

we exercised some restraint and went with just half a dozen - two of each flavor, which for that day were black sesame, mango and strawberry sugar.  the bean loved the mango ones, while i was pretty partial to the strawberry.  and we were pretty neutral on the black sesame - it wasn't our favorite flavor, but it was still pretty tasty.  and the texture of that mochi donut...oh, so yummy.  let's just say that by the time we got home only one donut had survived the trip.  heh.

and then yesterday i met up with dailygluttony and lilcee to cash in a groupon we'd bought together, for spa access and a massage at the langham hotel in pasadena.  when i pulled in, i noticed a whole lot of security milling about and as i left the car with the valet and headed towards the lobby i realized why:

the television critics association was holding their winter press tour at the hotel, and it turned out that we'd just missed ABC's turn by a day.  bummer.  still, we were all excited at the prospect of possibly seeing some celebrities at some point during our day at the langham.

but first - spa time.

that hour goes by SO fast.  man.  but my massage tech was particularly good and while i kind of wanted to cry from parts of my treatment, i felt great afterwards.  she'd commented on how tight my muscles were and that she was finding lots of knots in my back and shoulders, and even though i was scheduled for a swedish massage - light and relaxing - i ended up with more of a deep tissue massage that helped loosen a lot of that tension.  she'd also gotten me to throw in a 10-minute reflexology upgrade, which was pretty fabulous.

we decided to stay at the hotel for lunch, knowing that finding parking somewhere else in the pasadena area would likely be difficult, and as we made our way to the restaurant lilcee whispered "i just spotted nick offerman!"  i'm going to go ahead and admit that i likely saw him but hadn't recognized him because i've not seen anything he's been in, but i did at least know that he's married to megan mullally from "will and grace."

it was a lovely afternoon, and i'm hoping that maybe i can snag a couple more of those groupons and take the old lady on one of her mondays off.  after all, neither of us has ever been known to turn down a spa day.  duh.

the rainbow connection

my friend the nurse hit me up a couple of weeks ago to do some elmo-themed cookies for her nephew's birthday.  this worked out perfectly, because i just happened to have an elmo cutter that i had yet to test out, and it looked like a pretty doable design to tackle.  i think i did a pretty decent job, yeah?

but then i realized that there was no way i could ship these things anywhere in this heat without them melting into a big blob of icing.  this heat wave is so inconvenient, yo.  and the nurse lives down in the south bay area - like an hour away.  bah!  but there was no way around it, and so after a few emails back and forth, the teen and i hopped in the car and drove our happy asses down to torrance to deliver the goods to the nurse at her workplace.  she's so sweet - she handed me a birthday present that's clearly from the hello kitty store, and i'm saving it to open until tomorrow.

the teen has been bending over backwards helping me with everything under the sun these days, while i've been wiped out from this stupid bronchitis.  i can't tell you how much i appreciate how hard she's been working to keep everything afloat 'round these parts.  and despite her hatred of driving in traffic, she gladly got in behind the wheel to chauffeur me around on this excursion.  i love her so.

there was something i'd been wanting to try down in this area for a long time - a place that the nurse and other south bay-ers regularly posts about on facebook:

we giggled like 10-year-olds at the chimney.  muahahahahahaha.

inside, not only did they have racks upon racks of that sweet, delicious hawaiian bread but also lots of specialty loaves that looked and smelled pretty darn tasty.

and when i caught a glimpse of this, i knew we had to buy some to take home to the bean.  it brought back memories for both of us - on a trip to disney world back when the teen was about 8, she had her very first fluffernutter sandwich on bread that looked just like this:

there were tons of baked goods at the counter.

we didn't go too crazy, though.  just the rainbow bread, a package of chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies, and some lunch for both of us.  i opted for the mix plate (huli huli chicken, kalua pork, teriyaki beef), which made for quite a torturous ride home.  well worth the wait, though.  i ate every bit of this:

man, i miss hawaii.

happy birthday, baby sister.  i love you and wish you were here.

island fun on the mainland

the bean loves going to playdates with her friends mini cee and mini DG.  i love these playdates too, because whenever we hang out with lilcee and dailygluttony, we're almost always guaranteed to go somewhere new and exciting for grub.  it's always about the food, heh.

this time around, it was an early morning GTG at ford amphitheater for a free children's concert.  they do these things all summer long, and this particular one was most enticing because it was a hawaiian music and dance show.  hey, i'll pretty much grab onto any way i can get close-ish to the islands.

i love making the bean climb stairs and crap because it usually ensures a good, long nap later in the day.

because we'd anticipated crowds (freebies always attract an assload of people, especially if it's a kid-centric activity), we were there super early.  this gave us lots of time to stop at the arts & crafts station for the kids.  i love how the bean is side-eyeing the uber-animated lady who gave them a detailed history of leis and instructions on how to make theirs.

there were only a couple of other people there, so there were plenty of tables to pick from, all stocked up with all the essentials for crafting.

and by the time all three kids were done with their project (or, more accurately, after we finished putting it all together for them while they giggled, tossed stickers at each other and punched random holes in paper) it had gotten pretty stinking crowded.

they were quite proud of their handiwork.  and i laugh when i look at this picture and notice the bean's arm snaking around to try and pull mini DG closer into the circle of love.

leaving the hordes of folks crowding around the art tables behind, we headed up the stairs and into the theater, where we found plenty of seats still available down near the stage.

although it was a bit overcast when we arrived, i was pretty grateful for the big cover overhead that shielded us from the bright sun that eventually burned its way through.

i honestly don't know what's up with this wacky ass smile the bean throws on lately whenever i want to take a picture of her.

lovely, soothing hawaiian music was playing on the speakers on either side of us, inspiring the bean to fling her jacket off dramatically and do her own version of the hula.

and when the show was about to start and i asked her to sit down, this is what i got.  stinker.

the first part of the show was a hula lesson, and everyone was encouraged to stand up and join in.  the kids scurried into the aisle for a better view.

the show was entertaining, and just long enough.  an hour is plenty of time when you've got an audience full of kids.

afterwards, there was quite the stampede as people scrambled to get in line to meet the dancers.  as the line grew, quick-thinking lilcee managed to corral one of the lead dancers and get her to pose with the kids for a photo.  i'm sure the folks in that stupidly long line weren't thrilled, but whatever.  my friend is one smart cookie.

dailygluttony suggested we try sycamore kitchen, a new-ish restaurant not too far away.  when we met up in front, the kids ran towards each other in slow-mo and grabbed onto each other like lifelines.  it was as if they hadn't just seen each other ten minutes before.

the restaurant was very cool, and although small, there was a communal table that had room for us (especially after we managed to drive away one guy who gave the kids a frightened glance as he packed up and scurried away).  haha, chicken!

it didn't take very long for me to decide what to get.  one look at the double BLT-A and i was smitten - minus the A, of course.

we had a great time, chatting and laughing and enjoying our super delicious lunch.  and when the kids decided that holding up a fork and twisting to and fro while chanting "i'm a rhino!  i'm a rhino!" we knew it was time to head out.

yet another awesome playdate with our buddies.  we are just so lucky to have such great friends like these.

i miss hawaii.

as we did some random driving over the weekend, i was surfing the 'net on my iPhone for hula lessons for the bean. 

yes, i am totally *that* mom. 

anyway, as we got off the freeway to head home, we noticed these signs all along our route and wondered what they were for:

naturally, we followed them.  and they led to this:

a hawaiian-themed fundraiser for the local nature center.  whee!  it's the closest to the islands i'm gonna get, at least this year, and although the hub had no interest in checking it out, the bean and i went back to see what it was all about after she'd taken her nap.  it was still super packed at 4:00 in the afternoon, but i found a parking spot right away.  except that i couldn't be 100% sure that it wasn't a handicapped stall, despite the lack of a blue stripe on one side.  plus there was no sign in front:

but then i decided not to take my chances - who needs a $300 ticket, especially over something like that - and found another one close by.  the bean was puzzled as to why we were getting back in the car.  heh.

as we finally made our way into the festival, we noticed lots and lots of vendors hawking their hawaiian wares.

one in particular caught my eye - i managed to snap off this blurry pic of what captured my attention before asking (and being shut down) if i could take pictures.

the bean loved this necklace, so i bought it for her.

as for me, i picked up this pair of spam musubi earrings, just 'cuz.

this booth had lots of adorable sushi-themed items, all handmade by the lady who was sitting there watching the action.  after she declined my request to take pictures, she asked what i would've done with them.  i told her that i had a personal blog, and would provide a link to her online shop. 

"oh, i guess that would probably be good advertising," she said.  "but i don't know anything about blogs, so..."  and i left it at that.  because i have to share the use of a certain hated font by several of my friends, here's her business card:

 

 

despite the likelihood of being berated for my financial support (hey, it was $5) of such blatant copyright infringement, i still bought a pack of these cards.  so cute!

we walked around the rest of the 'fest, stopping briefly to watch the dancers and listen to the live music.

but by then, the bean was bored.  "can we go to the park part now, pleeeeeeeease?" and off we went.

i love watching her play.  and even with a shitton of other kids around in all ages, she fends for herself and knows to wait her turn for the equipment.

her brand new hello kitty vans took quite a beating.  whatever, that's what they're for.  i never trust pristine shoes on kids anyway - does it mean they don't get to play?

every time she climbed up to the top of the slide and began her descent, she flung her arms out wide and shouted "BLAST OFF!!!"

and then she was done.  she was ready for a snack.

i did find a local hula studio, by the way.  but we're going to start swim lessons too, and i'm afraid to overload the poor thing with activities. besides, there's a music studio around the corner...