I seem to be establishing some sort of routine here. February is the month I visit California. When I was in Venice two years ago, it was only for a day. The early days of February were spent helping Brett and Michelle prepare for their move to Venice -- packing boxes, watching the moving van being loaded and finally, driving down in the car with Brett and the dogs, Lulu and Nick. The day after the move was made, I returned home. Last year I got the emergency call from Michelle that Brett had been in the motorcycle accident and would need home assistance when he was released later in the week from the hospital. And although we went out for daily walks, Brett's legs worked better than mine because my hip, wonky after the weird dancing I did at Dawn's and Bob's wedding, was still giving me problems. This year there were no hindrances. Given warm air and some sunny skies, I was ready to go.
I arrived at LAX on Wednesday evening, January 29, after two routine flights routed into and out of Denver. It was 10 degrees at home, 47 in the mile-high city, and 70 in Los Angeles.
I arrived at LAX on Wednesday evening, January 29, after two routine flights routed into and out of Denver. It was 10 degrees at home, 47 in the mile-high city, and 70 in Los Angeles.
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| The street entrance to the kids' house |
There was no agenda for the next few days. Brett and Michelle get up early -- usually between 5 and 6 AM. So Brett was up and gone before daylight. Michelle is working at home, part of a team forming a new company. My "job" each day was simply to walk at least a mile. Walk anywhere, with no specific destination. So on Thursday, January 30, I took three one-mile walks. I found it is easy because there are sidewalks and a variety of sights to entertain the eyes. After nearly two months in frigid and/or snowy weather at home when I didn't venture out for exercise, I was afraid I'd have lost some stamina. Guess not, because on the last walk of the day, Brett suggested I slow down!
Saturday, February 1, was sunny with a light breeze, a great time (after two months of below freezing temps) to sit on the deck and feel the warmth. I had to leave the deck chair to take the picture, but returned to it immediately. There will be more hours spent there, too!
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| A neighbor's front yard cactus against the blue sky |
On Monday, February 3, five days into my visit, the temperature was in the 60's where it was to remain through the week. The morning walk was to Whole Foods, Michelle's grocery of choice for foodstuffs, just a half-mile up the road. I could try to tell you how beautiful it was, bright sun and soothing breeze, but maybe this photo will say it better.
Tuesday, February 4, was another sunny day with daytime temps remaining in the 60's. Michelle and I took a walk to the watch repair shop, three miles round trip. My knees and hip felt fine although my feet were crying "wolf" louder and louder as we neared the house on our return.
This could get boring. Wednesday's weather was a repeat of the previous several days. Having survived Tuesday's 3-mile walk, I decided to do it again by walking to Venice Beach's boardwalk. I discovered it isn't a board walk, it's a wide, paved, clean-swept walkway.
Facing the beach is a row of shops selling touristy items - T-shirts, sweatshirts, maxi dresses, sunglasses, skateboards, etc. I was focused on walking, so it is likely that I missed some interesting personalities passing by. I must return and sit down to do some people-watching.
Michelle has been working long hours and declared on Thursday, February 6, that she needed to get out of the house. She suggested that we go out for lunch and I was all for it. (Eating out beats a deli meat sandwich every time!) I had a huge salad with chicken, an ice cream scoop of feta cheese, Chinese noodles for crunch and tomatoes for color, accompanied by Chinese slaw. It was a meal that seemed to be reproducing itself faster than I could eat it, so enough for dinner, and perhaps breakfast as well, came home for later consumption.
Michelle had made a list of places she would like to visit while I am here. It was apparent that once away from her desk for lunch break, Michelle was in no hurry to return to it. She suggested that we drive to the Hollywood sign in spite of the rain that was approaching and so we did! The photo was taken on our drive away from the sign. At one point, I believe we could have reached out and touched it.
Friday, February 7, I woke up with a cold. Not bad, just aggravating (sniffing and sneezing and stuffy head). The weather had cleared after yesterday's rain, and the temp was unchanged. The day's walk was 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. It felt good to be outdoors.
Other colors in the space will be less bright: light grey, dark grey, ice blue and dark blue. The kitchen counter and cabinets have been rebuilt using old barn wood and they are beautiful! Sliding barn doors are also being built to function as a partition between two areas.
Then to Century City for lunch. When we arrived back at the house around 3 PM, Brett and I went out with the dogs and logged 1.5 miles.
On the evening's agenda was watching "Skyfall", a movie referenced by a potential client of Brett's as to what he had in mind for a project.
It was slow moving on Sunday, February 9 -- just because it was Sunday! Brett made pancakes for Michelle who was about to tackle the on-line exam as she works to get her Master's Degree. With breakfast out of the way, Brett put on his leathers, got the Indian out, and rode off to meet friends before going to his office to prepare for a trip to Las Vegas on Monday. I headed out to return to Venice Beach for some people watching.
There is a large area between the boardwalk and the beach set aside for skateboarders to practice their skills. As I watched, I noticed that most were teens, but there were also adult men and even some wee folks accompanied by parents.
People watching was disappointing. Perhaps the sights get more interesting after the sun has gone down, or any time other than a Sunday morning. I went with the intention of capturing some outlandish garb or behavior, but all I could come up with was this fellow. While he stood on a 5-gallon bucket, he balanced a pole on his head and appeared to be holding a snake in each hand, but these just as easily could have been coiled ropes. I wasn't going to go closer to satisfy my curiosity.
Monday, February 10, saw the temperature move from the low 60's to the upper 60's. And the sunny, cloudless skies continued. My day's walk took me to the Post Office to mail Valentine cards to the Valentine children. Since I was so close, I continued on to Venice Beach again, and extended my walk to the waterline.
I told Brett and Michelle about geocaching shortly after I arrived and now there's one in the house. Each day one of us adds something. We started with a small bottle of lotion placed there by Brett. Michelle added a small pepper the next day and I followed with a contribution of three shelled almonds. Yesterday a key was added and today, I put in a shell I brought back from the beach and removed two almonds.Miles walked today: over 3!
Brett had driven to Irvine, an hour south of Venice, where his firm (hired by FivePoint Communities) is spearheading the landscape design of several hundred community acres of Pavilion Park, a small portion of the Orange County Great Park project (http://www.ocgp.org/learn/design/) on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. His back had been bothering him, perhaps sciatic nerve-related, and on this day it rendered him useless and helpless. His text message to Michelle: "I'm f@*ked. I'm lying on the floor of the office and can't move."
Fortunately, Brett's boss lives in that area and he was able to make an appointment for Brett to see a chiropractor. By the time Michelle and I got to Irvine (thank heaven it was mid morning and we weren't impeded by the legendary freeway traffic congestion), x-rays had been taken. No treatment today; the doctor needed to review the films. Brett was to go back later in the week. So I drove the sedan back to Venice with Brett laid out in the backseat, and Michelle drove his 2-door. The rest of the day (and evening) was spent with Brett prone on a pallet on the floor, big dog Lulu lying beside Brett and Michelle playing nurse.
Happy Presidents' Day. It's Wednesday, February 12. I got my 2.5 mile walk in by going to pick up take-out for lunch (another huge salad for Michelle and me from California Chicken Cafe and a wrap for Brett) and then repeating the walk later to pick up prescription meds for Brett.
He had a rough night and needed to see someone to get relief. (Michelle and I can massage his backside and leg, and while it gives immediate relief, that doesn't last.) Michelle found a group of medical doctors who make house calls (cha-ching) and one was at the house before noon. The doctor was a personable woman who gave Brett a muscle-relaxing shot in the butt and prescribed two meds, one which is for pain and the other, a muscle relaxer. Brett said neither the shot nor the prescriptions seem to be having an effect.
No photographs and no outing on Thursday, February 13. I had put off doing some on-line research so hunkered down to get it done. Brett had agreed Wednesday night to try sleeping in bed instead of remaining on the floor. I slept on the couch and took him his meds every four hours. He doesn't even remember waking up to take them. Brett spent his day still on the floor or in bed, although he did try the couch in the morning. That lasted long enough for me to snap the photo. With him is their little dog, Nick.
Brett took some short walks through the house uttering stupid comments which were probably his indication that he now wished to live. I heard laughter coming from the bedroom as he watched the latest Johnny Knoxville movie while he procrastinated calling the chiropractor to confirm (and then cancel) his Friday appointment as well as getting into a bathtub of warm water.
On Friday, February 14, it was back to the routine. Brett was apparently going to take recuperation a day at a time. He had sufficient meds to get him through the weekend. He thought he would be good as new by Tuesday. Sure....
He was up and about Friday, even lying out in the sun for a couple hours while he conducted business on his cell phone. Brett still couldn't sit but he was comfortable lying on a firm surface such as the guest room bed, living room floor, or backyard lawn. The Valentine's Day dinner was carryout, because he couldn't pull up to a table to eat.
As I walked mid morning (2.5 miles, but who's counting?), I saw writing in the sky. HAPPY ... Happy what, Valentine's Day? Awwww.
When I looked up again, the script was finished. Apparently this wasn't for Valentine's Day, but for someone's 15th ... birthday or anniversary, perhaps?
The skywriting continued for another hour or so, and the next message started with Papi, but as quickly as something was added, the wind had whipped the previous word's characters away.
Saturday, February 15, was a lazy day. Brett was about to exhaust his prescribed meds and called the house-call doctors' group to discuss his current situation and request refill prescriptions. Brett described to the doctor his tight calf and numb foot. As a result, a greater dosage of hydrocodone was prescribed as well as a different muscle relaxer, and a prednisone-type medication was added. My exercise for the day was the mile I walked to the pharmacy and back to get the new meds. By midafternoon Brett said he was feeling mellow and hoped the prednisone would correct the sciatica. The doctor told him that if he is not greatly improved in a week, he will be referred to an orthopedist to determine if he has a disc problem.
Brett told us that he is scheduled to interview three job applicants on Monday. One is coming at his own expense from out of town. Since Brett cannot sit, I suggested he invite the candidate to have a seat in a chair while he moves to lie on the floor. It should be memorable for everyone!
Sunny and 66 (but it felt warmer) on Sunday, February 16. Brett spent some of the overnight hours reading on his computer about sciatica and its treatment. Lying in bed is not the recommendation; activity is. So once his morning meds were on board, he laid on the floor, extended his bum leg and asked me to raise it and hold the position until he gave me the okay to lift his foot higher. Evidently stretching the hamstring brought relief. He felt so good afterwards that he even volunteered to fix Michelle pancakes for breakfast. He spent the rest of the day stretching his hamstring, doing some yoga poses Michelle showed him and for variety, lying in the sun in the back yard. I took a new walking route toward the beach and got lost, but since I'd added the Map My Walk app to my phone, was back on track quickly. By the time I returned to the house, I had walked 3.5 miles. No new photo today. If you need a reminder, refer to Friday's photo. Just make the temperature a little warmer.
Monday, February 17, morning was sunny and warm enough that I needed only a light jacket for my walk to the grocery store to get ingredients for the evening meal I told Michelle I would prepare. She had errands to run late in the morning and I tagged along. Once back at the house, I finished dinner and she worked on material for the business she is helping build.
Brett appears to be on the mend. Or, the meds are doing a great job of masking his problem. A coworker drove him to work and then home in the evening. There is a mounting stack of projects to work on and he needs to be at work with his crew. As for the interviews -- Brett stood as he talked with all three candidates and was pleased with what each could contribute to the studio's assignments. Hopefully the feeling was mutual.
Tuesday, February 18, the last day of my three-week visit. My last day to walk and walk and walk. I asked Michelle if she had an errand I could do, and she said that a pair of Brett's glasses needed a minor repair if I wanted to walk them to the optometrist. I set off and arrived 45 minutes before the shop opened. So, to kill time, I walked to the beach, sat down to kill some more time and then headed back. Glasses were fixed in a few minutes, and I headed back to the house. Miles walked: 4. Total for the three-week visit: 42 miles!
Brett had invited Michelle and me down to Irvine to see the work ValleyCrest has done in the design and installation in the common area of Pavilion Park, the first of the Great Park neighborhoods. I was blown away by what I saw, but even more impressed by the thinking and philosophy it represents.
The play area ("tot lot") has an arc-shaped wood teeter totter. When we walked past, two mid-teens were enjoying it. There is a 3-foot square of heavy wood mounted on a spring that kids (and adults like me) can't resist trying to balance on. For those who might fall off, a cushion of about eight inches of firm foam is buried and covered by a forgiving blue-pebble rubber pad. Soft enough to prevent bruises but firm enough to comfortably walk on.
Many materials from the former air base are incorporated in Brett's studio's designs. For example, the trellis outside the community multipurpose building was constructed using not only wood but salvaged steel from the former runways.
Tuesday, February 4, was another sunny day with daytime temps remaining in the 60's. Michelle and I took a walk to the watch repair shop, three miles round trip. My knees and hip felt fine although my feet were crying "wolf" louder and louder as we neared the house on our return.
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| Venice Beach |
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| Venice Beach Boardwalk Shops |
This could get boring. Wednesday's weather was a repeat of the previous several days. Having survived Tuesday's 3-mile walk, I decided to do it again by walking to Venice Beach's boardwalk. I discovered it isn't a board walk, it's a wide, paved, clean-swept walkway.
Facing the beach is a row of shops selling touristy items - T-shirts, sweatshirts, maxi dresses, sunglasses, skateboards, etc. I was focused on walking, so it is likely that I missed some interesting personalities passing by. I must return and sit down to do some people-watching.
Michelle has been working long hours and declared on Thursday, February 6, that she needed to get out of the house. She suggested that we go out for lunch and I was all for it. (Eating out beats a deli meat sandwich every time!) I had a huge salad with chicken, an ice cream scoop of feta cheese, Chinese noodles for crunch and tomatoes for color, accompanied by Chinese slaw. It was a meal that seemed to be reproducing itself faster than I could eat it, so enough for dinner, and perhaps breakfast as well, came home for later consumption.
Michelle had made a list of places she would like to visit while I am here. It was apparent that once away from her desk for lunch break, Michelle was in no hurry to return to it. She suggested that we drive to the Hollywood sign in spite of the rain that was approaching and so we did! The photo was taken on our drive away from the sign. At one point, I believe we could have reached out and touched it.
Friday, February 7, I woke up with a cold. Not bad, just aggravating (sniffing and sneezing and stuffy head). The weather had cleared after yesterday's rain, and the temp was unchanged. The day's walk was 1.5 miles in 30 minutes. It felt good to be outdoors.
We'll just skip right to Saturday's activities since the weather apparently doesn't change. Brett had decided Friday evening to take Saturday off from work. He went to the gym and Michelle ran a couple miles with their small dog, Nick. I read and responded to email. A news report stated that there'd been a 3.8 earthquake a few miles away, but we felt nothing. Near noon we were in the car and driving to Brett's new office space that is being remodeled. Lots yet to be done before moving day in two weeks, but the green/chartreuse paint has been applied.
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| Remodeling of office space underway |
Other colors in the space will be less bright: light grey, dark grey, ice blue and dark blue. The kitchen counter and cabinets have been rebuilt using old barn wood and they are beautiful! Sliding barn doors are also being built to function as a partition between two areas.
 |
| Lunch in Century City |
Then to Century City for lunch. When we arrived back at the house around 3 PM, Brett and I went out with the dogs and logged 1.5 miles.
On the evening's agenda was watching "Skyfall", a movie referenced by a potential client of Brett's as to what he had in mind for a project.
It was slow moving on Sunday, February 9 -- just because it was Sunday! Brett made pancakes for Michelle who was about to tackle the on-line exam as she works to get her Master's Degree. With breakfast out of the way, Brett put on his leathers, got the Indian out, and rode off to meet friends before going to his office to prepare for a trip to Las Vegas on Monday. I headed out to return to Venice Beach for some people watching.
People watching was disappointing. Perhaps the sights get more interesting after the sun has gone down, or any time other than a Sunday morning. I went with the intention of capturing some outlandish garb or behavior, but all I could come up with was this fellow. While he stood on a 5-gallon bucket, he balanced a pole on his head and appeared to be holding a snake in each hand, but these just as easily could have been coiled ropes. I wasn't going to go closer to satisfy my curiosity.
Monday, February 10, saw the temperature move from the low 60's to the upper 60's. And the sunny, cloudless skies continued. My day's walk took me to the Post Office to mail Valentine cards to the Valentine children. Since I was so close, I continued on to Venice Beach again, and extended my walk to the waterline.I told Brett and Michelle about geocaching shortly after I arrived and now there's one in the house. Each day one of us adds something. We started with a small bottle of lotion placed there by Brett. Michelle added a small pepper the next day and I followed with a contribution of three shelled almonds. Yesterday a key was added and today, I put in a shell I brought back from the beach and removed two almonds.
Brett had driven to Irvine, an hour south of Venice, where his firm (hired by FivePoint Communities) is spearheading the landscape design of several hundred community acres of Pavilion Park, a small portion of the Orange County Great Park project (http://www.ocgp.org/learn/design/) on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. His back had been bothering him, perhaps sciatic nerve-related, and on this day it rendered him useless and helpless. His text message to Michelle: "I'm f@*ked. I'm lying on the floor of the office and can't move."
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| Lulu comforting Dad |
Happy Presidents' Day. It's Wednesday, February 12. I got my 2.5 mile walk in by going to pick up take-out for lunch (another huge salad for Michelle and me from California Chicken Cafe and a wrap for Brett) and then repeating the walk later to pick up prescription meds for Brett.He had a rough night and needed to see someone to get relief. (Michelle and I can massage his backside and leg, and while it gives immediate relief, that doesn't last.) Michelle found a group of medical doctors who make house calls (cha-ching) and one was at the house before noon. The doctor was a personable woman who gave Brett a muscle-relaxing shot in the butt and prescribed two meds, one which is for pain and the other, a muscle relaxer. Brett said neither the shot nor the prescriptions seem to be having an effect.
No photographs and no outing on Thursday, February 13. I had put off doing some on-line research so hunkered down to get it done. Brett had agreed Wednesday night to try sleeping in bed instead of remaining on the floor. I slept on the couch and took him his meds every four hours. He doesn't even remember waking up to take them. Brett spent his day still on the floor or in bed, although he did try the couch in the morning. That lasted long enough for me to snap the photo. With him is their little dog, Nick.
Brett took some short walks through the house uttering stupid comments which were probably his indication that he now wished to live. I heard laughter coming from the bedroom as he watched the latest Johnny Knoxville movie while he procrastinated calling the chiropractor to confirm (and then cancel) his Friday appointment as well as getting into a bathtub of warm water.
On Friday, February 14, it was back to the routine. Brett was apparently going to take recuperation a day at a time. He had sufficient meds to get him through the weekend. He thought he would be good as new by Tuesday. Sure....
He was up and about Friday, even lying out in the sun for a couple hours while he conducted business on his cell phone. Brett still couldn't sit but he was comfortable lying on a firm surface such as the guest room bed, living room floor, or backyard lawn. The Valentine's Day dinner was carryout, because he couldn't pull up to a table to eat.
As I walked mid morning (2.5 miles, but who's counting?), I saw writing in the sky. HAPPY ... Happy what, Valentine's Day? Awwww.
When I looked up again, the script was finished. Apparently this wasn't for Valentine's Day, but for someone's 15th ... birthday or anniversary, perhaps?
The skywriting continued for another hour or so, and the next message started with Papi, but as quickly as something was added, the wind had whipped the previous word's characters away.
Saturday, February 15, was a lazy day. Brett was about to exhaust his prescribed meds and called the house-call doctors' group to discuss his current situation and request refill prescriptions. Brett described to the doctor his tight calf and numb foot. As a result, a greater dosage of hydrocodone was prescribed as well as a different muscle relaxer, and a prednisone-type medication was added. My exercise for the day was the mile I walked to the pharmacy and back to get the new meds. By midafternoon Brett said he was feeling mellow and hoped the prednisone would correct the sciatica. The doctor told him that if he is not greatly improved in a week, he will be referred to an orthopedist to determine if he has a disc problem.
Brett told us that he is scheduled to interview three job applicants on Monday. One is coming at his own expense from out of town. Since Brett cannot sit, I suggested he invite the candidate to have a seat in a chair while he moves to lie on the floor. It should be memorable for everyone!
Sunny and 66 (but it felt warmer) on Sunday, February 16. Brett spent some of the overnight hours reading on his computer about sciatica and its treatment. Lying in bed is not the recommendation; activity is. So once his morning meds were on board, he laid on the floor, extended his bum leg and asked me to raise it and hold the position until he gave me the okay to lift his foot higher. Evidently stretching the hamstring brought relief. He felt so good afterwards that he even volunteered to fix Michelle pancakes for breakfast. He spent the rest of the day stretching his hamstring, doing some yoga poses Michelle showed him and for variety, lying in the sun in the back yard. I took a new walking route toward the beach and got lost, but since I'd added the Map My Walk app to my phone, was back on track quickly. By the time I returned to the house, I had walked 3.5 miles. No new photo today. If you need a reminder, refer to Friday's photo. Just make the temperature a little warmer.
Monday, February 17, morning was sunny and warm enough that I needed only a light jacket for my walk to the grocery store to get ingredients for the evening meal I told Michelle I would prepare. She had errands to run late in the morning and I tagged along. Once back at the house, I finished dinner and she worked on material for the business she is helping build.
Brett appears to be on the mend. Or, the meds are doing a great job of masking his problem. A coworker drove him to work and then home in the evening. There is a mounting stack of projects to work on and he needs to be at work with his crew. As for the interviews -- Brett stood as he talked with all three candidates and was pleased with what each could contribute to the studio's assignments. Hopefully the feeling was mutual.
Tuesday, February 18, the last day of my three-week visit. My last day to walk and walk and walk. I asked Michelle if she had an errand I could do, and she said that a pair of Brett's glasses needed a minor repair if I wanted to walk them to the optometrist. I set off and arrived 45 minutes before the shop opened. So, to kill time, I walked to the beach, sat down to kill some more time and then headed back. Glasses were fixed in a few minutes, and I headed back to the house. Miles walked: 4. Total for the three-week visit: 42 miles!
Brett had invited Michelle and me down to Irvine to see the work ValleyCrest has done in the design and installation in the common area of Pavilion Park, the first of the Great Park neighborhoods. I was blown away by what I saw, but even more impressed by the thinking and philosophy it represents.
The play area ("tot lot") has an arc-shaped wood teeter totter. When we walked past, two mid-teens were enjoying it. There is a 3-foot square of heavy wood mounted on a spring that kids (and adults like me) can't resist trying to balance on. For those who might fall off, a cushion of about eight inches of firm foam is buried and covered by a forgiving blue-pebble rubber pad. Soft enough to prevent bruises but firm enough to comfortably walk on.
Many materials from the former air base are incorporated in Brett's studio's designs. For example, the trellis outside the community multipurpose building was constructed using not only wood but salvaged steel from the former runways.
Over 1500 Heritage trees were dug up, put in containers and will be replanted in the neighborhoods as they are developed.
There is a green house which includes towers growing a variety of plants. In the future, as more homes are occupied, these will be replaced by larger towers where a variety of vegetables for the use of neighborhood residents will be grown. Outside the greenhouse are beds of herbs that are already available for community residents to use.
Plantings in Pavilion Park are indigenous to the area. In the event watering is prohibited, they will survive a drought.
Hopefully the vision and execution of Great Park Orange County will be the benchmark for developments elsewhere. To read more, visit www.greatparkneighborhoods.org.
As I left LAX on Wednesday, February 19, it was difficult to believe I had been in Venice for nearly three busy weeks! Although Michelle and I had visions of making frequent day trips to a variety of interesting places, life kept us busy closer to home. But the primary purpose of my visit was to spend time with Brett and Michelle and I did. I appreciated their invitation and willingness to put up with me for so long! I look forward to returning for another Brett and Michelle "fix", more unimpeded walking and visits to more Los Angeles area sights.
There is a green house which includes towers growing a variety of plants. In the future, as more homes are occupied, these will be replaced by larger towers where a variety of vegetables for the use of neighborhood residents will be grown. Outside the greenhouse are beds of herbs that are already available for community residents to use.
Plantings in Pavilion Park are indigenous to the area. In the event watering is prohibited, they will survive a drought.
Hopefully the vision and execution of Great Park Orange County will be the benchmark for developments elsewhere. To read more, visit www.greatparkneighborhoods.org.
As I left LAX on Wednesday, February 19, it was difficult to believe I had been in Venice for nearly three busy weeks! Although Michelle and I had visions of making frequent day trips to a variety of interesting places, life kept us busy closer to home. But the primary purpose of my visit was to spend time with Brett and Michelle and I did. I appreciated their invitation and willingness to put up with me for so long! I look forward to returning for another Brett and Michelle "fix", more unimpeded walking and visits to more Los Angeles area sights.
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