Live Music, Jake, Avengers and GOT

At WW I lost 3 lbs, which would have been more, but of course I did go to the pool party and definitely had a very large piece of cake and BBQ food. Jennifer kindly sent me home with some leftovers too!

We had a substitute this week at WW as Char had a week off. Nice lady but not as inspiring. One and 1/2 weeks to go before Singapore- need to fast!!! Very unlikely with Jake here, I think.

So, Jake arrived on Tuesday evening and I didn’t want to go to Choir as I was too excited to see him!

After the excitement all calmed down, we decided to watch GOT and it was as good as expected. I spent the entire time with my hands near my eyes and on the edge of my seat. It was amazing wasn’t it? I loved so many parts of it, but mainly Arya being the saviour, killing the Night King. Spoiler - sorry!

Jake had a lazy day at home recovering from jet lag, while I went to Pottery the next day. Kitty loved my pots and showed the rest of the class. Its very difficult to read her mood and you never know how she is going to be. Kitty introduced me to a lady who hadn’t been there last week who was lovely. She said to a few of us that Kitty was crabby with her that day and was bi polar, lovely one minute and a ‘dragon’ the next - I'm so glad it's not just me she is grumpy with. She also told me how she travelled the world following her husband’s job and had lived in Australia, Singapore and the UK for 16 years- mazing life. She mentioned loads of things she loved and missed about Britain and we had a good chat about Brexit, as well as the merits of Walkers crisps and Heinz beans. I made a slab pot and a spoon rest. My pottery mojo is back now I’m off the wheel. Again, I love it while I am there, but the 101 freeway was bad again and it took an hour in simmering heat to get home.

I was shattered and had a 10 min doze before going to my guitar lesson, which wasn’t great, as when I got there Andre decided it was a good time to start talking about pentatonic scales and basically blew my mind!!! I think he guessed seeing my glazed look and cut that bit short. I do though feel more confident in strumming rhythms and reading tab, so progress is being made, although Ive now got my gel nails on which might prove challenging (which are called acrylic here, as gel nails are the shalac ones we have at home).

We went out to the Village area of Westfield in the evening to a Mexican restaurant called XOC Tequila where I strayed yet again from my diet and had 2 Tequilas and Tacos- delicious though. Yummy!

The next day Jake and I went for hike in Escorpion Park. It wasn’t too hot thank goodness, though we did take a backpack with water and a bowl for Lulu. We did contemplate taking a walking stick as we had been warned the snakes were out and about. We kept Lulu on a close lead and it was all fine. The trail is fairly easy to walk, but there are quite a few steep areas. You are flanked either side by steep hills and craggy yellow, cream and orange rocks. At a few points there were huge seas of over head height tall yellow wild flowers covered in orange and black butterflies at either side of the path. As you walked through the paths the butterflies would fly into the air. It really was very beautiful. It is amazing the regrowth of vegetation since the fires, but you can still see blackened trees which just showed how bad it was.

We decided that before we saw the Avengers End Game, we ought to see Captain Marvel, so the only place it was showing was up in the Simi Valley road, so we drove up and up to the top of Simi Valley which is one of the most beautiful vistas you’ll see here. The Regal is a lovely old fashioned (but new) cinema which, as with all cinemas here smell of sweet butter as you walk in - not, I have to say, my favourite smell at all! There is also a distinct lack of ice cream selection - no Ben and Jerry's to be seen - now that was my favourite part of the cinema.

The next day I had my hair done after my Zumba Gold/salsa lesson at the gym, which seemed to involve a lot of booty shaking this week. I gave Hair Station a second go, as I was cost conscious and was pleasantly surprised. Jessica remembered me and the atmosphere felt different. Maybe it was me..... and the weather….. I had a lovely chat and a good laugh actually and Jessica was so positive about the hair colours saying how much it would suit me. I was very happy with the result this time and I can see I’ll go back there. Also, the price was way...way better.

Mark and Jake had googled for the best pub in the area called Numero Uno Tavern which is advertised as having over 40 types of beer and it just happened to be next door to the hairdressers, so I popped in for a 1/2 of Guinness as it would be rude not to wouldn’t it?

That evening we went to Nabu wine bar in Westlake (recommended by Marla) to see a live band and do some wine tasting. All wines were local and from Napa Valley. I was driving, so only had one. It is an odd little place, because as you drive in, it looks just like an industrial estate, with a small bar in one of the units. We weren’t sure it was going to be any good, but it had a great atmosphere inside, as it looks like a very established older bar. It had loads of vinyl that you could pick to play behind the bar. We watched a fantastic band called Fireside Acoustic, which was a four piece, with two guitars , one singer and one keyboard player. They did great covers, including The Eagles, Rolling Stones and Fleetwood Mac. There were 3 sets going up to 11pm and on the end of the 2nd set the whole bar loudly sang along to You can’t always get what you want and Golden Slumbers medley from the Abbey Road album- fantastic fun- what a great place! Mark and Jake tasted every wine going at $18 a glass and were very, very inebriated.

The next day, two slightly hungover men and I, went to Dukes in Malibu for lunch and watched the beautiful waves on the beach while we ate. We saw two dolphins briefly out at sea. I do love that place. We had a ridiculously large Hula pie between the three of us, which was the best dessert I’ve ever had and I actually didn’t feel guilty about it either! WW weigh beware! We had put Lulu in Wagon Tail Ranch overnight from Saturday to Sunday, to get her ready for the three week Singapore/Australia trip and we were sent such lovely pictures from them. I feel she may actually prefer it there. They seem to love her and wrote a note to say she was the happiest dog on the planet and they missed her.

We tried to Getty Villa, but queues went right the way onto the Main Street, so abandoned that idea.

Saturday evening we decided yet again to see live music and invited Cool Jennifer, Talented musician Brett, Neighbour Graphic artist Marla and Alan to The Write Off Room (recommended by Steph from WW) in Woodland Hills, and pleased to say just 10 minutes away. Jake was shattered, so didn’t come with us. Again, it was bar in a line of industrial type retail shops with no character on the outside again. I suppose it’s because the whole of this area was really only built up around the 1980s.

Anyway…what a night!!!!!

The inside of the club had a good vibe and it was dimly lit. The drinks were much cheaper than Nabu and it was a Mexican snack menu. It was an eclectic crowd with a variety of ages, many people, male and female wearing hats – you get the picture…. The band started as a three piece blues band (which were brilliant) and then throughout the evening, people just seemed to walk onto the stage and pick up an instrument. First the piano, then a sax, trumpet, violin and then two lady singers, one of which didn’t seem to sing a note and quite honestly seemed really drunk. The whole thing was brilliant, but rather bizarre. The lead singer had the lead guitar, harmonica and set of drums – he was practically a one man band. There was a dance floor and there were a few couples dancing very provocatively, one very tall beautiful black girl seemed to have two partners! Jennifer said she wondered where we had brought them, saying it had a swinger vibe. 😊 At one point one the dancing trio group came over to our table and tried to pull us up to dance. The tall black girl in a tiny mini skirt danced between Marla and I. It was very odd and would have been very uncomfortable, but after a few gin and tonics, I couldn’t stop giggling. Anyway, we did dance later - on our own, when the dance floor was a little fuller. It was a great night with a really good crowd, so we’ll definitely do that again. I said to WW Steph about what happened when I saw her today and she said last Saturday had been much more sedate. She sounded quite disappointed. 😊

On Monday Jake and I went to the Posh Salon to get their deluxe manicure and pedicure. Jake was uncomfortable at first and they did fawn over him, but I think he enjoyed it. He had a massage and now has baby soft feet. Everyone, even customers say hello to you in such a friendly way. It can be a bit disconcerting, as I am never sure if I’ve already met someone and forgotten their names/faces. When I was younger, before laser eye surgery and being very self-conscious about being called ‘four eyes’, I wouldn’t wear my glasses and so had a perpetual smile on my face which I flashed to people just in case I knew them.

Before you judge, my glasses at the time, were complete bottle tops, as I was negative 8!!! Practically blind!!!🤓

We saw Avengers in ACM Fallbrook, 5 minutes down the road, which is an odd small cinema, which again smelt of sweet butter in the entrance – I really don’t like that smell. Comfy seats for sure, but not as good as the Edwards in Calabasas. Pretty good film, but I have to say, there was really no point seeing Captain Marvel as she barley figured in the film at all. There was a brilliant scene where all the girl heroes are on screen together - more if that I say!!!!!! Having missed the Captain America films, there were a number of points that went completely over my head…and who the heck was the woman on the white flying horse??? 3D was good though.

At this Tuesday’s WW I didn’t stay for the chat, as Jake was home alone, although it was nice to see Char back, but, my goodness……I only put on 1 lb- how the heck did that happen?? I fear for next week. Debbie has said I should bring my gym kit as she is taking me to her Konga exercise class when I'm in Perth- should be great fun.

On a last note, I have had a number of people congratulating me and every time I wondered what the heck they are talking about. It’s about Megan and Harry’s baby of course. Funny that they are congratulating me though. 😊 They have even been asking me my thoughts on names, as if Id actually know….. Phillip, one lady said…..