Christmastime in the OC

So since I seem to have been hit with the insomnia stick, I shall post about this weekend. I ended up flying home, well to LA, on Friday, getting in around noon. I gotta tell ya, the extra $1 I paid to fly first class out there was very much worth it. Plan B's legs need room people. Debby picked me up at LAX and off we went to enjoy our weekend. We did a little errand running and shopping and grabbed a bite to eat. We ended up not having dinner with Jimbo and Nicky as originally sorta planned so we headed out to have a yummy dinner at World Cafe in Santa Monica. We both felt the need to be more social (first mistake) and so went to a bar nearer her home...I would love to tell you the name of it but am unable to...we ended up talking to a group of Entourage-ish guys (think not known and without a caustic, but lovable Ari character) whose house we ended up going to (second mistake). I was way too tired and drunk to be socializing, especially with strangers. Thank God for Debby. She got us home where I passed out from exhaustion (remember, I'd been up since 1 am West Siiide time) and booze.

The next morning (Saturday), my cousin Brett came to Santa Monica to take me to breakfast at my favorite breakfast spot in all of OC, Mutt Lynch's. During the drive I got to talk with him about how he was doing since being back from Iraq. I'm happy to say he's changed but in a he's older and more mature way rather than a he's gone to war and been scarred kind of way. I'm unhappy to report that the following quote is taken verbatim from our conversation "I have no problem fighting for oil". Sigh. Regardless, it was incredibly good to see him and hang out with him. I love my family very much and my cousins are like the little brothers I never wanted, but have always been glad to have. So, Blaise and Alan (a dear friend from high school who I just reconnected with after some 10 odd years of being out of touch) met us for breakfast and then Michelle appeared with her daughter who is almost a year old and is already starting to talk a bit. Man, she's cute. Still don't want one ever. The surf was gnarly...biggest, strongest waves I've seen in Newport without a storm. After breakfast, Blaise and I headed down to the parlor to get our ink done (see post below for final product). After that, we headed out to the 909 (dread!) to my aunt and uncle's house in Chino Hills. It was so great to hang with them again. I haven't seen most of their family for about 3 years. I'm pretty sure the last time was after my grandmother died so it was great to spend time with them on a joyous occasion. We had great food, good laughs and played games until about 8:30 when I pulled the plug because Blaise still had to drive me back to Santa Monica (see? I can be a good friend too). During the visit, my cousins and aunt managed to talk me into going to Kyle's wedding in May in Hawaii. I feel as though I'll be playing favorites with my cousins since I didn't go to my other aunt's kids' weddings (there have been two in not fun states and bad times) but I've been assured no one's feelings will be hurt so I'm off to Hawaii next Spring. Woo hoo.

Sunday (Christmas Eve) was spent having brunch with the girls at Duke's, right on the beach in Huntington. So beautiful. I tell you, if I were at all the settle-down, get married, have kids type I would move back to Huntington in a second. But I'm not so DC is it for now. Don't get me wrong, I do want to settle down and get married, just not the kids part. Anyhoo. It was really great to see Terri and Laura again and Debby's sister Ann is always entertaining. Near the end of the meal, we noticed Tyson, the skateboarding bulldog (click on title above for link). He is the cutest thing ever. Seriously. The dog loves to skate and is so sweet. I went and took a couple pics for Agie (the owner of two bullies who are too too lazy to even try skating), talked to Tyson and his owner and got to feed him some water. After brunch, Debby and I ran a couple more errands which is where our giggling started. For any of you who have had the pleasure (?) to be around us, you know how we giggle. I'm not a big giggler. Seriously. I love to laugh, but giggling is something really only Debby can bring out in me and boy did she at HiTimes. We were tasked with getting her brother a bottle of wine for his stocking as well as some wine for Christmas Eve dinner and a special request from Tim for a beer Agie likes. We ended up being adopted (for lack of a better word) by this guy Todd who is, as it turns out, the future Mr. Plan B. He was tall, good looking, funny, able to banter with me, had one full and one 1/2 sleeve and was intelligent. Plus he picked out a kick ass white wine that I loved just by me telling him I like dry, crisp citrusy whites. Sigh. If only he lived here. I'm sure we'd skate off into the sunset together. Shut up. Let me believe in my own, personal Christmas miracle at least until the New Year. So, during our foray into the wine cellars Debby and I get a certain song stuck in our heads (I will say more on this in a separate post since this one is turning into a novella) and we ended up giggling like 12 year olds the rest of the time we were there. People were quite amused by us. Dinner with Debby's family was great fun. It's always so nice to spend time with her family. They are so welcoming and loving it was as comfortable as hanging with my own family, almost more so probably.

The next morning I woke up, got a stocking from the family, had breakfast with Debby, her parents and her brother and then headed off to the airport, to which I arrived 1 and 40 early for my flight. This was one time I really didn't mind since we were driving from OC to LA and had no idea what the traffic was going to be like. It gave me time to relax and call my parents to wish them a Merry Christmas. After my delightful first class trip to CA, I decided to burn some miles that I have sitting around and upgrade for my trip back. I got on the plane and looked at the front row to see someone in my seat. As I was looking up, I said "I'm sorry, I think you may be in my seat". I really wish I would wait to say things sometimes. I looked up and Jimmy Kimmel was starting to stand while apologizing and looking down at his girlfriend Sarah Silverman. I just said "Oh. I'm sure you two would like to sit together" (I'm a total dork). He was very nice, asked if I was sure it was okay. I said "Well, where is your seat?" trying to be jovial. It worked and his seat was the next row down and a window so I was stoked. Oddly enough, one of the last people to get on our flight was Tanya from the Real World (Chicago maybe?). During the flight the 5'2" girl in front of me decided she needed to recline for the really long, cramped hour flight. As her seat hit my crossed leg I mentally cursed Jimmy Kimmel and then as we were walking out, I did it verbally. I found myself next to him and behind Sarah coming out of the plane and said "I want you to know I had the only person in our section who reclined in front of me and it's all your fault" and I shook my fist at him and said "Damn you Jimmy Kimmel" as he and Sarah (who is really very stunning and pretty in person) chuckled. He pointed out that she had reclined as well but that wasn't good enough. I should have extorted seats for his show or something. Too little good thinking too late! The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful and I got home about 11:45 Monday night. Worked a full day today and thankfully the week is promising to be very quiet which I need after working 12-14 hour days who knows how many weeks straight now.

Okay, I'm closing up this post and writing up the song one.