L.A. Story

Last weekend, the baby bee and I flew to Los Angeles to visit with some dear friends. Thank you to Lindsay, John, Peachie and Danny for making it the highlight of our year, and to Peachie and Lindsay for making it possible. It was a great trip, with many firsts for Emma including: Emma's first plane ride, first time sitting on a sheepskin rug while listening to Ike and Tina Turner Revue, first time eating pumpkin pie, first time seeing a horse, first time riding a dog, and first time in a real swing at a park.
I also had some firsts: First time flying with a baby; first time drinking one of John's Rusty Nails, which will put hair on your chest; first time drinking one of Danny's special Pina Coladas, which will make all sorts of things happen; first time in Santa Monica; and the first time seeing a herd of water buffalo rescue one of their young from a pride of hungry, ferocious lions (you had to be there).
We got to reconnect with old friends and made lots of new ones. Thank you to everyone for making us feel so welcome!
Inevitably, when one is taking public or private mass transportation, there are going to be some hiccups. So, I also want to take this opportunity to thank all of the kind souls out there who helped us during our odyssey: from the man who hoisted my luggage on and off the airport shuttle, to the kind grandmother who held Emma when she was bored during the flight, to the flight attendant who gave us what turned out to be the best toy ever - a mini-bag of peanuts.
We can't wait to come back!