After a fantastic dinner Saturday night and a late-night snack of caprese salad made from tomatoes fresh out of Bill and Alex’s garden (below), I packed my bags and caught a few hours of sleep before leaving LA for Kansas City. Sadly, it was only a few hours. Since I got to bed so late, I decided not to take a sleeping pill. Two hours later, though, my jet-lagged self was awake and wouldn’t go back to sleep until an hour before sunrise. There’s nothing like exhaustion to get you ready for a flight.
On the way to the airport, I followed William’s suggestion and stopped at the Manhattan Beach branch of Le Pain Quotidian, a Belgian bakery chain that had excellent croissants. Really nice place, good food and friendly service. Hoity-toity customers, though. How many hybrids do you need in a square block?
The flight to Kansas City was uneventful. Two pictures captured the change of environment quite distinctly. I went from this:
to this:
The first few days were spent mostly working, although now that Wednesday has come around I am transitioning into vacation mode.
Last night my sister and brother-in-law decided to go to the movies, leaving me in charge of my two nieces. Instead of cooking at home, I decided to take them out to a Mexican restaurant, which my sister thought was an ambitious choice.
Left: a photo in front of the restaurant after the meal.
Everything went fine. Seriously. Everyone was well behaved… well enough, that is. Ava ate with her characteristic pokiness. One could see the three minutes between bites as healthy for digestion. Eventually, though, meals were finished and we headed back home without any major catastrophes.
Before bedtime, instead of reading books, the girls asked to perform a play. This was pretty much fifteen minutes of free-form dancing to the soundtrack of “Mama Mia”. I have some video of this but will have to wait to upload it until Tawn brings the Mac with him to KC.
Le Pain Quotidien in the U.S. would certainly be a “crunchy granola” type of place. I prefer them in Europe.It’s great you had some quality time with your nieces. It’s fun being around kids once in a while having only temporary responsibility.
I love that snap of your nieces! So cute!
I hope you waved as you flew over my house…lol. And personally…I much prefer the view of KC over California!!!! Ruth Ann
Good pic!Hybrid = hoity toity?
awww the kids are adorable!!! that caprese salad picture looks great. i think i will replicatate that, i have all the ingredients. was there any salad dressing used other than salt and pepper?
Salad looks wonderful! Awesome comparison of West and Midwest. What was so ambitious about a Mexican restaurant?
Aw…such cute little girls How many siblings do you have?
As always, nice pictures. Thanks for sharing them here at xanga.
I’m sure you handled the ‘dining out adventure’ with the girls with humor and patience – the proof is the smiles AFTER the meal! Have to say the KC green is much more appealing than the gray smog covered LA…
Awww… the kids are adorable. I loved how you took them out for dinner. Gee, you blog more than I do and you’re on the road!
@Wangium – One younger sister, who has two daughters.@murisopsis – Yes, that’s how I like to look at it: if they were smiles after dinner, then it must have gone alright.@Norcani – Thank you. I’m glad you like them.@minhaners – It wasn’t the Mexican part of it that was particularly ambitious but simply taking them out to a sit-down restaurant by myself. McDonalds or another fast food would have been the easy way out.@XXKimPossibleXX – Balsamic vinegar was the only other thing.@yang1815 – I knew you’d give me flack for that, Andy. No, hybrid does not equal hoity toity, but I think the Manhattan Beach crowd seems to have that “I’m green because it is a status symbol” air about them.@Redlegsix – Sure did. Didn’t you see me? Also, I have some fried rice seasoning I need to get to you.@Dezinerdreams – Thanks, Vivek.@TheLatinObserver – I’d love to try LPQ in Brussels.
Whoa what a transition! That mess of roads in the middle looks like an awful knot.
@christao408 – You have fried rice for me ???!!!??? Yeah!!! How long are you going to be in Kansas City??? My daughter is going to be going from Independence to Lawrence on Saturday…could she possibly meet your somewhere?? She could pay you for the seasoning mix and I will just pay you back. Oh I am SO excited!!! Ruth Ann
@Redlegsix – Ruth Ann – let me send you an email.@Meowmeowkimmaee – Isn’t it a pretty amazing comparison?
@christao408 – Ah I see. I’m green because being green is a status symbol eh?! That would be lame.
Hah, I remember doing lots of “plays” like that with my sisters when we were younger 🙂