California Christmas 2024, pt.1

December 21: One moment we’re at CMH…

…the next we’re at LAX!

and then one Flyaway bus ride later we’re at Taqueria Frontera, courtesy of a Union Station pick up from Greg!

December 22nd: The Eastern Time Zone has me waking up nice and early and taking a big long walk.

Found one of Grandpa Condie’s swords. It was in a closet.

Then after church we Ubered over to Santa Clarita to visit Christina and her family for a few days. We took walks and watched TV and played game and “helped” cook Patty’s tamales and pozole and it was a very nice time.

December 23 - Trip to In n Out!

And a couple dusk or night time walks.

December 24: Goodbye photo shoot before we say goodbye.

and back to Pasadena in time for a Yang Chow lunch…discovered that their dumplings and szechuan beef are super great (and Liz and Grandma talked carpal tunnel surgery).

Took a night time walk

December 25: Rise and shine, it’s Christmas! We got Grandma a Nothing Bundt Cake and she said “oh boy, oh boy!” and then we ate (some of) it for breakfast!

Then Liz and I took a loooong Alhambra walk past such important landmarks as Story Park, Grandma Condie’s House, the Father of the Bride House and…

…we took these fun jumping photos in front of the Bun n Burger…

before seeing even more Alhambra, including Aunt Louise’s house, but it seems like I don’t have a photo of that.

And then that night? Another walk! Turtles were out at dusk

December 26: Up and walking at Lacy Park!

And then we went with Grandma to get breakfast at Yang’s Kitchen in Alhambra. I had heard that they had good pancakes and it turns out that they sure do! It was a big hit with Grandma and Liz and that made me feel so good, nearly as good as the pancakes made me feel. Definitely interested in coming back and trying more of their menu.

And then that early afternoon we took an architecture tour of the LA downtown library. Liz and Grandma had both read The Library Book, which tells the story of the big LA downtown library fire in the 80’s, so they were like having a book reality experience tour. I was just having a normal tour, but probably I’ll read that book now.

Then that night Liz and I went to the mall for some mall things and I took my picture with the Dan Da Dan standee. Then we went on a San Gabriel food tour had a burger and cheese bread at the Boat, taquitos at Pepe’s, soup dumplings at Kang Kang food court, and then we had a Twohey’s bittersweet hot fudge sundae. What a night! What a Christmas trip…and would you believe that there’s still more to see? Yup! Come back for my next post and you’ll see some amazing stuff!

Chicago Thanksgiving 2024

For our fourth Thanksgiving together Liz and I were blessed to celebrate our first Oak Park Thanksgiving. We drove out Tuesday night and everyone was up and at ‘em Wednesday morning to start the day with a downtown adventure. It was time for Liz to have her first Au Cheval meal!

For “lunch” (it was 10am) instead of the famous burger I had my first bologna sandwich and it was quite the initiation. The table also dined like wolves on an order of marrow bones and several platters of bacon and a couple burgers were ordered on hash-buns.

Post-lunch we had a nice West Loop (or Fulton Market?) walk-around followed by a Loop walk around with some international McDonalds, donuts, shopping and a winter market mixed in their too. And do not fret about the tacos being sold out, the Edwardses hooked us up with some from the day before!

That night we all went to see Wicked and boy it was a hit! Such a big hit that we took a group photo in front of the poster afterwards!

Thanksgiving! The family decided this year it would be fair to have a great Italian feast (a Franksgiving, if you would) and Liz and Mom and me were down in the kitchen by 6am to get it going. Don’t feel bad (at least for me), this was my dream! I don’t have a lot of pictures of the cooking because, well, I was cooking. But here I am with my timeline and recipes taped to the wall.

In a slow bit while everything was simmering Liz and I went to River Forest to walk around Dominican Priory and Concordia College — both institutions might have different names now but that’s what I remember them being when I lived there.

And then…dinner time! Here are some photos of the food, and then us at the table, and then Cornelius up to what he was up to.

And then that night we went and saw The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and this time I have a picture of a picture in front of the poster!

On Friday we all visited Mom and Dad at their job and then got Paradise Pup for lunch. Post lunch Liz and I took a walk around Oak Park.

That night we had our second feast of the holiday at Superkhana International, what a great place that place is! And what sports they were about our big party.

After dinner? A little family photo shoot in front of the restaurant’s floral curtain before a bit of downtown Chicago driving.

Saturday the Edwards flew home (booo!) and Liz and I had breakfast at the Bongo Room. Instead of waiting an hour after for all the stores of Wicker Park to open, we walked the 3’ish miles to the Sears Tower and went up to its observation deck. How fun!

Then we walked on back to Wicker Park (or Wicker Park-ish) and did some “shopping”, celebrated that there’s a Baggu in Chicago now, then headed home for a Johnnie’s supper.

And then Sunday we drove back to Columbus after having had such a nice and lovely Chicago time! (I was wearing a mask because I had just caught a real rotten cold and didn’t want to get Liz sick in the car, which we were about to drive off in.)

October/November Catch Up

Looking over my pictures from October and November of things that were not trips to Nashville, New York, or a soon-to-be-posted Thanksgiving in Oak Park, I found that I didn’t have a lot to share with you. BUT I still do have some things to share with you. Here we go!

October 15: Here’s an out of focus but nice photo of Liz from the night before my trip to New York.

October 31: Sorry, Cornelius. But it’s time for the annual wearing of the Halloween costumes.

November 9: After many months of pursuing a goal (ok, I’ll say it, getting under 210 pounds) I finally collected on my goal meal: the Oklahoma fried onion burger at Sexton’s. I had seen it online, it had my curiosity, so I made it a reward. As you can see, it was nice and smashed and oniony and cheesy and I also treated myself to fries and a swirl soft serve with Oreos. And the company of Liz. What a lunch!

Ok, I’ll be back before Christmas with Thanksgiving content!