Hello all,

I am headed to visit family this afternoon and won't be on TFB much for the next week. I am sure I will pop in once in a while; I get the shakes when I don't.

Happy Holidays, all!*
Lisa

Doing my best to continue the "War on Christmas".

Be safe...

Enjoy your holiday, Lisa

Safe travel, LM_K. Let us know when you return.

If you're heading north, stop by and buy me lunch, ok?

Happy Holidays right back atcha', Lisa, and have a safe trip!

That's because money, like rust, never sleeps.

Thanks for the well wishes, all. Mari, the life of a teacher is blessed. I get to do what I love and have enough time off each year that I keep loving my job. No complaints from me in the job dept!

Zeke, I got to travel to magical Reno, Nevada. Yep, the armpit of America; why my family moved to freaking Nevada after I left for college astounds me every time I visit. At least I won a little $ at the casino (Mom works in the bingo parlor at a casino and for some odd reason thinks it is fun to play to play bingo at the other casinos on her days off ).

We PNW folks need to get together though!! I have always had a thing for men with beards....

Nevada really, really makes me appreciate the beauty of the PNW; mold, mushrooms, webbed-feet and all.

It took me a while to find this thread.

I'm in Santa Monica until Friday, which I would say is sorta like having disappeared.

But, it got me out of the snow for a few days, so for that I will be grateful. I just don't see how people actually live in the greater LA area and maintain any semblance of self respect.

I walked a few blocks to meet some folks at a restaurant, and after dinner when I started walking back, they looked at me as if they'd met a space alien, saying, "You WALKED?!?!? Here, we'll give you a ride back." for the entire two or three blocks from the Promenade.

I'm surprised the Promenade itself doesn't have a moving sidewalk, so that people don't actually have to... walk.

I took a walk around the block near the Bonaventure (financial district) and ended up on a freeway. I also went from there to the Getty Museum via public transportation. (Stern was going to arrange an award from the mayor for me for that feat.) The only people in LA that walk are homeless people and lost tourists.

Take care, Res. See you when you get back.

Ahem ... I beg your pardon. I'm reading this after walking to the PO (which I do every day) and the drugstore. I walk to the Farmer's Market on Saturday for my food and veggies, and fire up the car about twice a month for a round trip to the bank, Costco, and the grocery store. I just filled my 12-gallon gas tank for the first time since November (but my 1990 Subaru wagon does get about 24 mpg city -- it just turned 90k original miles).

Of course, we do work from an office in my house, but my business partner lives about 8 blocks away and walks it every day, because he doesn't drive or own a car. The Green Line station is about 2 miles from here, but fortunately there's a bus that runs ever 20 min or so.

Depending on where you live here, it can be done.

When friends come from out of town, I take them on a train and walking trip. From where I live, we can go to Redondo Beach on the Green Line, or Long Beach by transferring to the Blue Line, or we can transfer and go the other way on the Blue Line to downtown LA, where we can either take the Red Line west to Hollywood and Universal City, or East to Union Station where we can pick up the Gold Line to Chinatown and then to Pasadena. $5 will let you ride all day.

My favorite trip is to go downtown and get off the Red Line at Pershing Square, walk down to the LA Central Market (yummm), which is across the street from Angels' Flight, the shortest incline railway. From there, walk down First Street past the LA City Hall to Little Tokyo and the Japanese American National Museum, then back up the next street to the new Cathedral and the Music Center, then across the freeway to Olvera Street, stop off to admire the Art Deco Union Station, then walk up the street to Phillippe's (home of the original French Dip) or further up a few blocks to Chinatown, then either eat there and train home on the Gold Line to the Red Line (at Union Station) to the Blue Line to the Green Line, or go on up to Pasadena on the Gold Line and come home from there.

Res, if you'd like to stay over till Sunday, I'll offer to take you on a great walking trip on Saturday. You catch the Big Blue Bus from Santa Monica to the Airport Metro station (on the Green Line) and I'll pick you up there. No cars or taxis the whole way. Whattaya say?

Res - Having traveled to and from Phoenix with Ducktape, I strongly recommend you accept.

I'd love to. Normally when I have business in LA, I stay at that Japanese hotel right on the edge of Japantown. I've also taken the metro from LAX to Hollywood, although why they couldn't actually put the LAX metro station AT LAX mystifies me.

Trouble is, I have to be in San Francisco next Tuesday for a couple of days, and that trip with Mrs. Ipsa was planned separately... So I'm back to Philly to catch up on stuff for a couple of days, and then out to CA again.

The offer remains open -- let me know the next time you're planning to come out. Mrs Ipsa is invited as well.

BTW, I assume you're referring to the New Otani. Great place, and if that means you like Japanese style, even better. 飲みに行きましょう!

Ah, the New Otani... that's the one. Stayed there a couple of times. Staying there is like taking a trip to Japan, as they are Japanese managed and primarily cater to Japanese visitors.

The first time I visited LA, I stayed at the Westin downtown, since I was being put up by a firm here, and it was like being sealed in some sort of sterile container. I wouldn't really do that to guests, but I guess you can never tell what make someone uncomfortable.

That funky old "grand hotel" sort of place was kind of interesting, in a 1920's Los Angeles kind of way, but I wasn't really expecting the rooms to have as much... "character" in a bed & breakfast sort of way at that rate.

Geez... I spend entirely too much of my life in hotel rooms. I'd stay at boutique or "art" hotels more often, but the loyalty programs are like candy.

I stayed at the New Otani once -- the room service sushi was a work of art. (I used to stay at Priceline hotels -- quite a range that way.)

Listeme and I are hitting the road for a week. We're loaded with computing devices and we'll have connectivity everywhere, but ... you know how it goes. Definitely no cartoons.

See you later and don't be too hard on poor Silverballetshoes. I'm pretty sure he can't help it.

Vroom! <----------- (valid scrabble word)

Swing by my place when you're close and we'll have some margaritas. I've already got the Scrabble board out and ready.

Scrabble and margaritas! That's a party!

You can bring Verbie, too, if you want.

He makes great margaritas

(Obviously I'm not the one driving.)

Have fun!!

I never get to go anywhere.

Well, I'm not traveling but I did just have did-din with some traveling fogsters.