So after getting back from NYC, Katie got in from Phoenix after spending the week with my parents, and man, it had been so long being with my family, it was so nice to just sit around with them. Unfortunately, however, "getting back to normal" means a busy day and night schedule, so we couldn't really hang out until Friday (I got home Monday AM, she got home Wednesday AM). So, to really make it nice, we thought it'd be sweet to head up to my hometown, Los Angeles, for a little overnight getaway.
We got up there at a good hour, went to a nice little sushi bar in Marina del Ray, and from there checked into our $420 per night hotel in Bevery Hills.
Did you seriously just think to yourself "He payed $420 for a hotel room?!?!?!"
C'mon, seriously? Do you really think I would pay $420 for a hotel room? Are you kidding me? This is the guy that just couch surfed his way up the Eastern Seaboard, do you think I'm gonna ever shell out that kinda cash for a bed for one night?
Enter Priceline. That place is simply magical. We got the hotel for a quarter of the price, it was amazing. Our room was awesome, high class, lap of luxury, Mr. Drummond would be proud. We had a 17th floor view (one floor below the Penthouse) that faced toward Santa Monica and the beach. It was really nice and really fun to feel like someone's gonna knock on your door to tell you that you're actually not allowed to be there.
From there, we got on our matching Dodger gear and went to the Dodger game against the Division rival Diamondbacks (we got free tickets for viewing a time share at Lawrence Welk, along with airfare and hotel to San Francisco, 4 movie passes, a wine tasting afternoon for two in Temecula, and a $200 voucher for anything event from Ticketmaster (which will probably only cover most of the surcharges)...all this for FREE!!!!).
This was the first "alone" game we've gone to, which was really fun, to finally go to Dodger Stadium on a date, and not only that, but just the fact that both of us are really into it. Man, God is good...brought me a born and raised Dodger fan. She's not even just doing it for me! Her dad raised her right! (By the way, can I tell you quickly that Micah can now list off 6 Dodger players on his own with no help? He knows Russel Martin (first and last name, his favorite), Manny, Nomar, Casey, Matt, and Jon (Broxton, one of our closers). Such a good kid.
The Dodgers won that night, it was the night that Andre Ethier went 5 for 5 and brought the Dodgers within a half game of first place. The victory brought me to my favorite Dodger moment of being able to hear Randy Newman's "I Love LA" song played after the game (which is when the photo of us two was taken). This win brought my season average to 3 for 3. I've seen 3 losses at Dodger Stadium this year, 2 wins there, and 1 win at Petco. Hopefully on September 20th when I go I can get above .500 for my viewing average.
Anyway, from there we drove up through the Hollywood Hills neighborhood to peer the crazy houses (we even drove by and yelled at Nicholas Cage's house) and see a great Los Angeles city night scene from the hills.
From here we went back to the hotel and spread out on the massive King size matress.
I was particularly looking forward to the morning. I like to keep the little surprises from Katie, I didn't tell her about the detour into the hills or the sushi dinner the night before, and didn't tell her that the plan for the morning was to rent bikes at Santa Monica and bike down to Venice Beach on the boardwalk, stopping at the local trendy bistro, the Urth Cafe, for the most amazing espressos and paninis you'll ever have (which sounds like a really stupid LA thing to say, but man, it's true). And just as I expected, this was the highlight for her. She loves being outdoors, loves being active, riding bikes, at the beach, and we just don't get to do stuff like that enough. I won't hold it against her that the Dodger game wasn't the highlight. Bike riding is a lot of fun up there.
We cruised 3rd Street for a bit, I shook hands with a monkey (which was awesome, I love monkeys), and headed to the Pier. From there we rented some beach cruisers (I got a sweet black one with "monkey bar" handlebars), and lazily rode down the boardwalk.
After perusing Venice for a few minutes, we headed back, stopped at Urth, and seriously had an espresso that would blow you away. No joke.
You see, I like cigars...I like good cigars. And when I have or buy cigars, I only buy premiums. You get really used to the great quality of premiums, but then every once in a while someone gives you an amaaaaaazing cigar, like one time I was given a Cuban Cuaba that to this day was unlike any cigar I have ever had. And I have had some very tasty cigars.
Sometimes, you just run into something that outdoes everything you've experienced. This espresso was just that. A spoiler for every espresso I will ever have in the future.
Katie concurs. And so can I.
From here we rode back to the Pier, dropped the bikes off, strolled back to the car, and headed back home. A quick trip, yes, but a very fun, relaxing one.
Did I mention that the Dodgers won?
We got up there at a good hour, went to a nice little sushi bar in Marina del Ray, and from there checked into our $420 per night hotel in Bevery Hills.
Did you seriously just think to yourself "He payed $420 for a hotel room?!?!?!"
C'mon, seriously? Do you really think I would pay $420 for a hotel room? Are you kidding me? This is the guy that just couch surfed his way up the Eastern Seaboard, do you think I'm gonna ever shell out that kinda cash for a bed for one night?
Enter Priceline. That place is simply magical. We got the hotel for a quarter of the price, it was amazing. Our room was awesome, high class, lap of luxury, Mr. Drummond would be proud. We had a 17th floor view (one floor below the Penthouse) that faced toward Santa Monica and the beach. It was really nice and really fun to feel like someone's gonna knock on your door to tell you that you're actually not allowed to be there.From there, we got on our matching Dodger gear and went to the Dodger game against the Division rival Diamondbacks (we got free tickets for viewing a time share at Lawrence Welk, along with airfare and hotel to San Francisco, 4 movie passes, a wine tasting afternoon for two in Temecula, and a $200 voucher for anything event from Ticketmaster (which will probably only cover most of the surcharges)...all this for FREE!!!!).
This was the first "alone" game we've gone to, which was really fun, to finally go to Dodger Stadium on a date, and not only that, but just the fact that both of us are really into it. Man, God is good...brought me a born and raised Dodger fan. She's not even just doing it for me! Her dad raised her right! (By the way, can I tell you quickly that Micah can now list off 6 Dodger players on his own with no help? He knows Russel Martin (first and last name, his favorite), Manny, Nomar, Casey, Matt, and Jon (Broxton, one of our closers). Such a good kid.The Dodgers won that night, it was the night that Andre Ethier went 5 for 5 and brought the Dodgers within a half game of first place. The victory brought me to my favorite Dodger moment of being able to hear Randy Newman's "I Love LA" song played after the game (which is when the photo of us two was taken). This win brought my season average to 3 for 3. I've seen 3 losses at Dodger Stadium this year, 2 wins there, and 1 win at Petco. Hopefully on September 20th when I go I can get above .500 for my viewing average.
Anyway, from there we drove up through the Hollywood Hills neighborhood to peer the crazy houses (we even drove by and yelled at Nicholas Cage's house) and see a great Los Angeles city night scene from the hills.
From here we went back to the hotel and spread out on the massive King size matress.
I was particularly looking forward to the morning. I like to keep the little surprises from Katie, I didn't tell her about the detour into the hills or the sushi dinner the night before, and didn't tell her that the plan for the morning was to rent bikes at Santa Monica and bike down to Venice Beach on the boardwalk, stopping at the local trendy bistro, the Urth Cafe, for the most amazing espressos and paninis you'll ever have (which sounds like a really stupid LA thing to say, but man, it's true). And just as I expected, this was the highlight for her. She loves being outdoors, loves being active, riding bikes, at the beach, and we just don't get to do stuff like that enough. I won't hold it against her that the Dodger game wasn't the highlight. Bike riding is a lot of fun up there.
We cruised 3rd Street for a bit, I shook hands with a monkey (which was awesome, I love monkeys), and headed to the Pier. From there we rented some beach cruisers (I got a sweet black one with "monkey bar" handlebars), and lazily rode down the boardwalk.
After perusing Venice for a few minutes, we headed back, stopped at Urth, and seriously had an espresso that would blow you away. No joke.
You see, I like cigars...I like good cigars. And when I have or buy cigars, I only buy premiums. You get really used to the great quality of premiums, but then every once in a while someone gives you an amaaaaaazing cigar, like one time I was given a Cuban Cuaba that to this day was unlike any cigar I have ever had. And I have had some very tasty cigars.
Sometimes, you just run into something that outdoes everything you've experienced. This espresso was just that. A spoiler for every espresso I will ever have in the future.
Katie concurs. And so can I.
From here we rode back to the Pier, dropped the bikes off, strolled back to the car, and headed back home. A quick trip, yes, but a very fun, relaxing one.
Did I mention that the Dodgers won?
