Back in Los Angeles

I know, I know. It has been awhile since we've updated our blog.
Since the last entry, we've...

1. celebrated our one-year anniversary by watching Johnny Depp's Public Enemies (boo!), having a sushi dinner at our favorite restaurant in the Peninsula, Momoya on Shoreline Blvd. in Mountain View, rented Clint Eastwood's 1964 Fistful of Dollars because we were disappointed with Public Enemies, took bites of our freezer-burned wedding cake (gross! Robby took at least three bites!), & exchanged gifts; read the first three Twilight novels in three days & neglected my childcare duties; hated myself for being unable to stop reading those trashy novels;

2. babysat my 3 nieces with my mom. Their parents were in Japan, so I helped take & pick them up for school, send them to swim class, etc.;

3. flew to Philadelphia & spent three days with Uncle Tom & Aunt Pat. Ate in the Little Italy area of Philly & toured University of Pennsylvania & the Annenberg School for Communication;

4. hung out with Karen's kids, went to a farm to pet some animals, and walked along a creek to catch toads, frogs & crayfishes;

5. attended cousin Patrick's wedding reception at Patti's sister's house in Bucks County, where most of the houses hang a big bronze star outside their door. Out of the 160 guests, we were 2 of 4 non-white people, so we got some curious looks. I was complimented in the strangest way: "You're like a glass doll, a little glass doll that you find in the 99-cent store!";

6. spend a week in New Providence, New Jersey, with Robby's dad & stepmom: went to the diner (of course), visited Robby's friends, watched Bruno, went to the city to visit Flo, Sima & Nina. Hung out with Flo's kids, had dinner at Sima's with Nina, Joe, & Robby's parents. Explored Brooklyn's Prospect Park, Botanical Garden, & Park Slop neighborhood. Was compared to the perpetually stoned Asian girlfriend in Knocked Up (who looks NOTHING like me). Met a few of Sima's lovely lawyer friends. Went to the anomalous, too-cool-to-be-here Van Gogh's Ear Cafe in Millburn;

7. flew back to San Francisco, helped with the nieces, & bonded with the one year old. Watched (500) Days of Summer with my cousin Jennifer & shocked the the reviews from the New Yorker & the N.Y. Times are completely opposite;

8. and drove back to Los Angeles sans Robby, who is still in New Jersey right now. Tried to temper my use of air conditioning as I drove through 100-degree weather on the 5 highway. Settled back into our Culver City apartment.

All the while thinking about our wonderful trip to Japan, recalling Japanese toilets every time I walk into a public restroom.