Last Day in Manhattan Beach

Sorry I haven’t written lately, I took the last few days off to enjoy my last few days here. Tomorrow we’re leaving, something I really don’t want to do. Hubby and I have enjoyed our time here in Manhattan Beach and are already planning time to come back next year. Today’s post isn’t going to be too long, mostly because we haven’t been doing anything too interesting in the past few days. Mom and I did some shopping (big surprise), Hubby worked and tanned, and I procrastinated about writing (another big surprise).

Today’s big task is getting everything packed up so we can enjoy our last day here tomorrow, and so far I’m halfway through my To Do list. I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated on our trip home, including pictures and other fun things we did during our drive. I’ll also do my best to do a post tomorrow that wraps up our entire time here in Manhattan Beach. Until then, I’m going to sit in the sun and stare at the ocean.

Manhattan Beach, Day 4 and 5

Sorry I’ve been a little lazy with my posts, but it’s hard to be disciplined with yourself when the ocean keeps whispering “Why work on a post? Just stare at me.” And I do. The ocean’s a real bad influence on my writing career, but at the same time it’s very peaceful to be working on a post or on my book with the sound of waves lapping against the shoreline and seagulls caterwauling to one another. Sorry, the ocean was whispering to me again (damn ocean, how I love you).

Aaaanyway, on to the actual topic of this post. The past couple of days have been filled with fun for Hubby and me. Friday night we went out for a dinner and a movie… and then went to a pizza joint after the movie. We were a little fat that night. The place we ate dinner at was what I would describe as a dive bar, kinda. The Hangar Inn was a clean bar that was filled with character and characters. The waitresses were awesome, they came over whenever you needed something then left you alone. And the food. The food was great! Hubby ordered some Buffalo wings that he gave them a 6/10 over all, but he gave them 2 extra points for being out of the Buffalo area so they ended up being 8/10. All in all, he found them pleasantly surprising. I got their cheese burger, which was juicy and dripping with deliciousness. We would seriously consider going back. If you’re in the mood for a bar that serves great food and has a great atmosphere and you happen to be in the Manhattan Beach area, definitely go visit this place.

After dinner, Hubby and I headed over to the local theater to see Maleficent. My mom had told me that some of her friends had seen it and thought that it was great, plus I’m a sucker for classic fairy tale retellings. I have to admit, Angelina Jolie did a great job playing Maleficent and Elle Fanning was the perfect Aurora for this type of movie. Even Hubby enjoyed the movie and he’s not exactly the kind of guy that goes out of his way to watch fairy tale retellings. If you haven’t seen it, you should really consider going before it’s out of the theaters.

On our way home from the movie, Hubby and I still had a craving for some junk food. Thankfully we were going to pass by this pizza place we had been wanting to try. Beach Pizza is a small little restaurant with about five or six tables, but the service was great (especially for 10:30pm) and the food was pretty damn good. We got a pizza to share (the manhattan, man) and he ordered some wings, which got the same score as Hangar Inn. He felt that the wings were cooked a little crispier, which he liked, but he wasn’t a huge fan of their sauce. They still got that 6/10 + 2 points for being out of Buffalo, though. The pizza was really good. The sauce was flavorful, the crust was a mixture of chewy and thin, and the toppings were fresh. We’ve been snacking on that pizza for the past couple of days and it just gets better. Sadly, the last piece was eaten for breakfast this morning(my waistline is so going to hate me when we get home).

Yesterday wasn’t as filled with culinary adventure, but it was fun. We took Buddha for a walk around Manhattan Beach and Hubby even bought a couple things at Splendid. Later in the day we went over to visit my mom and her friends in The Valley then followed them over to Tony Roma’s. Now, Hubby was expecting the meal to be… good, but I was totally expecting a delicious steak dinner. That was not the case. I’m sorry, Tony Roma’s, but you’re food isn’t as good as I was hoping. Hubby called it a step above Apple Bee’s, and I’m afraid it was. The food had little flavor, my fillet was tough, and I’m pretty sure that the Cabernet demi glaze that I ordered was just ketchup and barbecue sauce. So disappointing… Which was why we decided to hit up a sushi bar after we got back to mom’s apartment.

Akatora is somewhat in walking distance to Mom’s apartment and we actually just stumbled upon it. After we had fed and watered the mutt, Hubby and I decided to go out and just wander around the town until something sounded good. Thankfully the second place we walked by was jam packed and sounded great. Even at 9:00pm Akatora was packed, and I can totally understand why. We got two orders of their Albacore tuna and an eel avocado roll, along with an order of edamame. The tuna literally melted in your mouth and the edamame was salty goodness. The eel avocado roll was also amazing, and it was my first time trying eel. I now have a new favorite for the next time I go to a sushi bar.

Wow, I just realized that this post was 75% about food… Well, Hubby and I are fat kids at heart and the food here is just so amazing. Today will also have some food involved, and maybe even a little handy-man action from Hubby. I’ll do my best to get back to my regular posting schedule tomorrow, but I can make no promises… The ocean is just a little too hypnotic for my weak mind to resist. Until next time!

Manhattan Beach, Day 3

If you’re ever in Los Angelos, the GRAMMY Museum is a great place to visit. Last night we went to see an old family friend, A.J. Croce, speak and play some songs off of his new album. The museum itself was small, but it was definitely not lacking in any way. Each exhibit was filled with  relics from bygone eras and items from newer winners of the prestigious GRAMMY Award. Each floor had an interactive exhibit that allowed you to watch or listen to particular artists, there was even a drum kit set up on the second floor for visitors to play. Anyway, back to the reason we were there. In case you were wondering why the name sounded familiar, A.J. is the late Jim Croce’s son, and boy does he make his father proud with his amazing songs and beautiful piano playing. Seriously, this man is mesmerizing when he is sitting at a piano. When you watch A.J. in a casual setting, like during an interview, he is a quiet man who is super modest about his talents. Once he opens up, however, he starts to explain his creative process.

His newest album, Twelve Tales, is a one of a kind album. Never has there been an album where six different producers have all worked on the same album. This was A.J.’s idea and it turned out to be a beautiful thing. The idea behind this was to take twelve different songs to six different producers, in turn the producers would take those songs and make them into whatever they wanted. There were many instances where A.J. heard a song one way only to have the producer take it in the opposite direction. He was also interested in trying out different styles of producing, since he had produced the last four albums on his own. Obviously this creative endeavor was a success, at least in my opinion. Each song tells its own tale with the music painting a picture of scenery that ranges from a New York subway to a street corner in New Orleans. If you’re a lover of Indie artists, then you really should go check out his work. Trust me, you will not be disappointed.

On a side note, the people watching last night was absolutely amazing. We saw people walking around in outfits that ranged from ballroom dancing down to the Playboy Mansion, and we had absolutely no idea. Finally, when we were halfway through dinner (at wolfgang pucks-amazing food, btw), Hubby decided to look up who was playing at the Staples Center. Turns out there was a reason for all the interesting attire. Lady GaGa was in the house! If she is ever performing in your town, go hang out in front of the theater for the best people watching ever.

Manhattan Beach, Day 1.2

As promised, here is my better post of the day. I guess I should start with the road trip part and then finish with our first day in Manhattan Beach, that seems like the logical thing to do, buuuut our road trip wasn’t filled with amazing adventures or fascinating things. Truth be told, the drive between Santa Fe and Manhattan Beach is filled with a lot of nothing. Beautiful nothing, but still nothing. We left Santa Fe around 1200pm and planned to drive to Kingman, AZ, but obviously that plan went out the window. By the time we got to Kingman it was only 7:00pm and we weren’t ready to stop driving for the day. So, after a quick dinner at Cracker Barrel, we hopped back into the car and headed West. At 1:30am we parked in front of Mom’s apartment and blearily unloaded all of our crap, which thankfully only took a few trips. Not long after unpacking necessary things, all three of us crashed.

When morning came we somehow felt rested after only a few hours of sleep (thanks mr. sandman). Not long after we all showered and made ourselves feel human we began talking about a small day trip to Huntington Beach, which is about 45 minutes away from Manhattan Beach. I know, we had just finished driving 860 miles and we were more than happy to get back into the car and drive a few more. Our main reason for going to Huntington Beach was to visit this knife shop that carried a line of knives that Hubby’s been drooling over. Just what were these knives? Why, they’re Chris Reeve knives. When I saw them I was ready to buy one, even though I don’t carry a knife and would have zero use for one. They’re absolutely stunning. If you haven’t seen or heard of him, go look him up. It’s a visual treat to see his amazing pieces of art.

One we left the store triumphant, we made our way back towards Mom’s apartment and began talking about dinner (food is very important to us, btw). Thankfully, there’s a delicious little bar a few blocks away from Mom’s apartment that serves amazing food. After we dropped Buddha off (yep, he came with), we made our way to the Fishbar, where we ordered amazing food. Hubby got some fried scallops (which looked great), Mom got some Mahi Mahi, and I ordered the most amazing steamed clams with a small side of linguini. Just so you know, I was about two heart beats away from licking my plate, it was that good. I was ready to get another order of clams, but good judgement (aka mom and hubby) stepped in. If you’re ever in Manhattan Beach, please go to the Fishbar and order these steamed clams, they’re seriously the best I’ve ever had.

Aaand that wraps up day one in Manhattan Beach. There will be more to talk about tomorrow, I’m sure. We were a little weary today, but tomorrow we’ll be recharged enough to take MB by storm. Well, Mom and I will be. Hubby, sadly, is working remotely for the next two weeks; so that means he has to stay behind during part of the day. That’s okay, though, we still have the evenings and the weekends to make the most of our time here in MB. I’ll be sure to keep you up to date on any escapades we get into during our stay. See you tomorrow!

Manhattan Beach, Day 1.1

Well, here we are in Manhattan Beach! Today’s scheduled post was going to be about our road trip yesterday, but we actually decided to go ahead and drive on in. We got in around 1:30am this morning, and that gives us an extra day! And guess what… We’ve decided to do a small day trip. Yes, we just finished a 11+ hour drive and we’re going to get back in the car. Right now we’re closing up the apartment and getting ready to head out. I’ll be updating Twitter and Instagram today and I promise I’ll put up a better post tonight. I’ll also talk about our drive yesterday and put up some pictures. Stay tuned for an update, folks! Now it’s time to go for a drive (again).

Last Day in Santa Fe

Today is our last day here (insert super sad face) and we’re going to do the best to squeeze in a bunch of stuff. In a few minutes we’re leaving to go get breakfast at this funky place called Counter Culture, they’re a vegan, vegetarian, and carnivore friendly place that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner (most days). I’ll be sure to take pictures of some of their interesting concoctions. I have no idea what I’m going to get, but it’ll be bland compared to whatever Hubby will be ordering.

Also on our agenda is to go back to that fancy pet store and return some of the things… our precious bulldog turned his nose up to almost everything that we bought him (the little shit). Oh well, we can at least go ooh and aww over the adorable things they have there, and it’s fun to people watch. Yesterday some lady came in wearing this crazy “new mexico” (aka touristy) outfit and wanted to find something that would match it. That little dog couldn’t have cared less about clothes! All he wanted to do was be an actual dog and go play with the other puppies in the store.

I’ll keep you updated on what we do through out the day and I’ll do my best to put up another post tonight about the going ons around here. I’ll also be updated Twitter an Instagram so be sure to follow those today!

Santa Fe, Day 3

Today was filled with more fun. We got to see old family friends and eat at our favorite restaurant (again), we also finally got to go to our favorite candy store ever, Señor Murphy’s. If you’re traveling through Santa Fe and you’re a fan of candies, chocolates, and caramel apples, this is totally the place for you. I wish I could tell you about all the touristy places we visited and all the wonderful things we did, but sadly that was not the case. We got up and puttered around the rental house until 11:30, which was about the time we decided to go out and do a little shopping… for Buddha. That’s right, we spent about forty-five minutes finding snacks and treats for Buddha. Afterwards we went to our favorite restaurant ever, Tomasita’s. Whenever we’re in Santa Fe we always eat here at least a couple of times, or however many times we can reasonably go. Right now we’re taking the time to feed the mutt, freshen up, and get our gambling hats on (yes, again. no, we don’t have a problem :-p). I’ll let you guys know if there’s anything amazing happens between now and tomorrow. Until then, follow me on Twitter and Instagram! Until next time, peeps.

Santa Fe Day 2.2

Today was an absolute blast! We did a little more shopping and actually took Buddha for a walk down Canyon Road (where a bunch of galleries are located). Buddha went into one modern art gallery Chiaroscuro and made friends with the curators there before deciding he needed to take a nap in the middle of the floor (the lazy brat). After that we stopped in and out of shops on our way to a wonderful little spot called the Tea House. Hubby ordered an interesting concoction of iced coffee, cream, and maple syrup while mom and I were happy with our iced herbal teas (she got oolong and i got chamomile-delicious). Around this time we decided that it was time to drop the mutt off at the house and go to dinner at this amazing little italian place called Il Piatto, you have to stop by here if you’re ever in town. Now we’re off to go play at a nearby casino, wish us luck!

Santa Fe, Day 2.1

Sorry for being MIA yesterday… Somehow I managed to eat something that took me down for the count. We did do a few things yesterday, but it wasn’t jam packed with fun like we all were expecting (welcome to the half-assed lane). Mom and I found a few great clothes, and Hubby and I found a wonderful piece of art! I’ll show you a picture later down the road when it’s hung in our house. Later today we’ll be walking around downtown Santa Fe, wandering from store to store and, hopefully, gorging ourselves on some amazing food. I’m kinda out of things to say for the moment, but I’ll do my best to put up another post tonight. I’ll be updated Twitter and Instagram through out the day, so feel free to follow along on my wanderings today!

Road Trip, Day 3

Our first night in Santa Fe was in the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino, and it was an awesome experience! Not only were the rooms great, but we had a lot of fun playing in the Casino. Mom, lucky person that she is, walked away with a heavy purse while Hubby and I walked away with thicker wallets. The reason we stayed at Buffalo Thunder was due to our rental house not being ready (poor us, right), but that was fine. Today we’re heading into Santa Fe to check into our house and then have fun playing tourist, well Hubby will at least. I grew up here and Mom lived her for quite a while before moving the family unit to Tennessee.

Oh, remember how I said it was so much fun watching Mom and Buddha fight over the back seat? Well, she pulled the “I’m dressed nice and I’m your mother” card so I got to sit in the back with Mr. Pouty. Most of the way Buddha just laid there and stared at Mom, making pathetic puppy eyes in an attempt to get attention (it worked), the rest of the time was spent snoring. All in all it was an enjoyable ride to the hotel. For those of you who don’t follow me on Twitter or Instagram I’ll post all the pictures that I toke during the drive. I’ll be updating Twitter and Instagram a lot during our time in Santa Fe and during our road trip time. Anyway, here are a few gorgeous pictures of New Mexico that I took yesterday.