L.A.

         My mind is filled with thoughts of Chicken Teriyaki at this hour. And coffee.  Coffee! It’s been almost a week since I had my last cup and I’m already losing my mind, especially because I work down the street from the headquarters of Pete’s Coffee. One more day without my caffeine fix and you’ll have to lug me out of this madness…in a straitjacket (duh!). My head hurts, I’m feeling so lethargic, and I’m oh so achy all over. Really!  Does one really get withdrawal symptoms from caffeine? I feel like my head is going to burst.  Inward. So yes, maybe. 

          But I had a real tiring week too ---when do I have one that isn't?  My inner psyche (well, is there an outer psyche?)…is screaming for a quiet weekend to myself again (here comes the cave lady).  Hopefully, this coming long weekend.  President’s Day on Monday…hip hip hooray! Not that it means anything to me –yet. All that matters is I get a day off from work, and hopefully I’ll get to stay home to attend to personal stuff, for once. 

          Hubby and I went to L.A. last weekend. We visited my stepdaughter and watched her color guard debut competition last Saturday.  It was really lovely and I’m so glad we came!  They rocked! They won! The rest of Saturday I spent taking her and a nephew to the Ontario Mills mall (my mall!!!) while hubby snoozed in the hotel -–the 6-hr+ drive ain’t a piece of cake, especially if you have to do it by yourself with wifey transforming into an inanimate object in the passenger seat --snoring.  Shopping was a blast, though it left us with a disease called “Funds-ah-lo” heehee. And Ayres Suites! Our second home down south.  The scents in the hotel (uhm, carpet cleaners, is it? I’m weird huh), the clean suite, the crisp linens, the elevator, the fitness center, the breakfast buffet and even the fresh bar of oatmeal soap in the lavatory…they are all my friends who always wait for my visit and welcome me with open arms.

          Saturday night, we finally…finally…finally…went back to The Yard House.  It’s a Restaurant and Bar located in Victoria Gardens , an open-air town center at the heart of a 160-acre main street community located in Rancho Cucamonga .  I had Scallops and Crimini mushrooms with Orzo pasta and vodka cream sauce, and a Pomegranate Martini.  The contrast in the taste and texture of the food and drink is mind-bending! Hubby opted for Seared Ahi with black bean sauce and grilled asparagus, a real winner. The one-hour wait and the price we paid was all worth it (once a year haha). Dessert was at Pinkberry’s, where we got frozen yogurt topped with fresh fruit (oooh  lala).  Sunday morning, it was the usual breakfast of eggs, sausages, hash browns and French toast at Ayres Suites. Then we hit the hotel gymn for an hour (no wonder my calves are so sore right now). The visit to L.A. wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Toto’s Lechong Manok in West Covina for lunch –-simple everyday Filipino food at its authentic best! Then dessert of Halo-Halo at Chowking. And a short look at Manila Gifts, a Filipino store next door where you can find DVDs of pinoy movies, capiz this, capiz that, Johnson’s Baby Cologne, Eskinol, pH Care, sebo de macho (!?), chin-chun-su (!?!?), down to the ol’ reliable walis…and UP, Ateneo, and De La Salle stickers (!?!?!?).

          Then we headed back to Corona to bring step-doe back to their house (mom, stepdad and lil sis, people I always look forward to seeing in L.A.) Halfway back up north, we stopped by Love’s at Lost Hills.  It’s my favorite pitstop. Hubby said he’s not surprised because the convenience store smells like ShoeMart.  We picked up a quick snack of  Fried Jalapenos and Mozarella sticks with Broncoberry sauce at Arby’s then headed straight home.  I’m sad that one step in this routine fell out recently…We don’t usually make it to Harris Ranch for dinner anymore because they close before we reach them. We made it home at 10:45p, one of the earliest arrivals among our recent trips so far. Went to bed then went to work the next day – yesterday.

          I was just remembering.  While we were at breakfast at Ayres Suites last Sunday, my stepdaughter blurted out, “My dad’s lucky to have you.”

          In each walk we take in our life, we may find ourselves doing the same routine repeatedly.  Each experience and memory though, are always different.