I'm sure I've mentioned here that little miss Kit has not been a fan of the car. Back in April it took me 3.5 hours to get home from Tucson. That's 102 miles, people, and there was no traffic. It was bad. We have been cooped up in the house for a few months because all of us dread being in the car with the sad and pathetic and earsplitting baby screams. However, lately I've noticed that as long as the rides are timed correctly, she'll be content for a while. Sometimes she'll even fall asleep. Like normal babies. So, we'd been planning to head to Los Angeles in August to deliver the rest of Lindsay's belongings to her at school (did I mention that she transferred schools? She's in LA now at my alma mater. Yay!) and to pick up a dollhouse in San Diego for a fun rehab project with the kids. The original plan was that Jeff would drive with the stuff and Kit and I would fly over, like our Portland trip. However, the timing just wasn't working out so I decided to put on my big girl panties and figure out how to make it work with Kit in the car. Last week the kids and I threw our fears to the wind and headed out.
And guess what?!?
She did it! We had a couple of 10 minute bouts of screaming on the way there that were followed by long naps, and we took breaks as we needed to. We did have to take a break in the Krispy Kreme parking lot between Riverside and LA. The kids hated that one. She slept from LA to San Diego. She slept from San Diego back to Santa Monica. She only cried for 5 minutes all the way home despite not sleeping much. She's a road tripper! No more wishing we were places instead of being there. I feel free again.
We had fun. So much fun. I lived in LA for 5 years way back when and it's one of my favorite cities to visit, hands down. I'm so excited that Lindsay is there so I have an excuse to go. Tucson may be closer, but Los Angeles is 1000 times better.
The first day was spent with Lindsay on and near the USC campus. We met her roommates (very nice), saw what was new in the neighborhood ( a lot, seeing that everything was still burned to the ground from the Rodney King riots when I graduated), and found a fantastic place to eat and hang out. The neighborhood around USC has been troubled for a long time and I was encouraged to see the ways that the school and its alumni are investing their energies, funds and livelihoods into the community. It's a much better place for it.

We spent that night and the next morning in San Diego, and then headed back to Santa Monica. We visted the new outpost of our favorite hangout and meandered on the street where I used to work at the Gap. My old store is now an American Apparel. Oh well. The best part of the day was the time we spent at Paint Lab. I really can't think of a better way to spend a couple of hours.

I think someone needs to open one in oldtown Scottsdale so we can ride our bikes there and do some plein air painting once it cools down. Anyone?
Lastly, we meandered over to the Santa Monica Pier after an afternoon snack at the Broadway Deli.
There was dinner at CPK with Lindsay and a dear friend of mine from college, and then a night spent at a long-time friend's house so our drive home was not as long. Thanks, Shelby!
All in all, a very successful adventure indeed. Next week we head to Flagstaff with my grandma, so I'm hoping this wasn't just a fluke. I don't think Grandma's ears could take the alternative.
On the home front there has been a whole lot of house rearranging and settling into a fall routine and not much to talk about. But you know? There's always something to talk about. I need to remember that more often and sit down to write. Blog neglect is just not okay.
Hope your fall routines are settling in as well.
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