Palm Springs Getaway: The Real Gift to Myself
I do love to get away, but I'm finding it less interesting to do alone. Yes, I went to Palm Springs for 4 days to get away from all the holiday madness going on in LA. This way, I didn't have to accept any awkward invitations to family gatherings or dinner parties where I hardly know anyone. Yes, my gift to myself this year was indulgence in my social phobia.
But mostly it was just to relax. And drink. And relax. So I booked a resort online that turned out to be a really great place. Huge room, huge pool, jacuzzi, several restaurants, a spa... very, very nice. And it was a bit like the Tiki Room at Disneyland with all the Oceana decorations and torches. My first night there I did a bit of soaking in the jacuzzi under the stars. Yes, people in New York are buried in snow, and I'm sitting in a hot tub in Palm Springs. Great, innit? On Xmas Eve, I puttered around, reading, relaxing, and then I went to Toucan's Tiki Lounge to continue the theme. It wasn't that busy, and mostly filled with men over 60, but I had a good time. Unfortunately for my liver, it was 2-for-1 night, so every drink came twice. After 2 (read 4) I left and went to the Tool Shed. Dead. Of course, by now it was nearly 1am. So I had one drink then hailed a cab back to the hotel.
On the 25th, I decided I was going to hit the slopes. I put on my jeans and hoodie, and drove to the Tram. And then I changed my mind. People were bringing scarves and earmuffs and snow-riding-toys and boots and knit caps... this was REAL snow, not just a bit of fluff as I thought. So I snapped a few pics and then headed back to the warmth of the jacuzzi and my room. This was a no-drinking night for me, because I had this crazy idea to get up really early and get some shots of the sunrise in the desert.
I learned that 5am is too early for that. But still, with patience, I managed to find the sun and take some experimental pics. This was another lazy day of reading and relaxing. Though I didn't get any sun, as such, I did enjoy being out in the relative warmth of PS. The pool was nice, the jacuzzi was lovely, and it was fun watching another bear couple try and figure out if I was on their team or not - they were flirty in the pool when they thought I wasn't watching, but if I looked up, they acted very "straight". They were from Canada, and one was a teacher. Nice couple, when they finally figured me out. We hit up the restaurant at the hotel together and had drinks on the town into the wee hours.
Sunday came and I had done all I needed to do in PS, so I got an early start and headed home. It was a nice relaxing getaway, if not a little lonely. I keep saying this, but I simply must make some new friends who like road trips and travel.
HIV Testing: Another Gift to Myself
I always go to the Pasadena Community Health Center now that I'm in Glendale. It's clean, quick and very friendly. And whenever I go there, my results come back negative, so that's a plus. And this time when I went, I got a whole goody bag of condoms: round ones, flavored ones (eww), colorful ones, and glow-in-the-dark ones for New Year's Eve! Woo hoo! When was your last HIV test?
After my test I met Roger for lunch at Red, White and Bluezz. It's a very cool jazz club/restaurant that you should check out if you live nearby. Ignore that it says "wine bar" on their website, they have a full bar (and I'm telling Roger to have the website changed right now). It was real nice to see him and catch up just after Solstice. I got to talk to him about a reading he'd done for me some weeks ago and hear about his plans for the holidays. It was good.
Griffith Observatory Photo Shoot
Earlier in the week, I wanted to get out of the house. I think it was Monday, probably. I thought about going to Griffith Park and then remembered the Observatory. So with new camera in hand I went to see what I could see. I realized I picked the wrong hour for amazing photos - just after noon is the worst light of the day for a shoot - but still it was nice to get out and walk around in the breezy chill and shoot a few pics of the building, the view from the top of the hill, and a few boys who caught my eye. Do you ever wonder if you're in any photographs that other people have taken? I do. I wonder all the time.
Bad Santa
The holidays can be such a mixed bag - and so I present to you a mixed bag of Santa's. Which one did you see this year?
