Social Distancing in Littleton: Week Fourteen

This week was pivotal in our Covid-19 situation. We had to cancel my step-kids summer visit. They were scheduled to be with us for five weeks, but with the current health situation, the Swedish government extended its recommendations to cancel all non-essential travel until the end of August, and SAS Airlines canceled the flight.

It’s heartbreaking, especially since we have not seen them since last summer. Luckily, within a few days of canceling, we were able to work out an alternative plan. State of the world aside, our new plan is to go to England for their fall break. They will meet us in England, and we can spend time with Dan’s family. We will also have the kids for four weeks in the winter, and ten weeks next summer. It’s difficult to wait to see them, but this new plan is exciting and making us feel optimistic for fun things ahead.

And fun we will have…hopefully we can move our plans from this summer to a future vacation. Our plans for this summer were so epic, that I need to share them with you.

The vacation was going to start with me. I was going to drive our Subaru from Denver to Chicago, with two night-stops along the way. I planned on driving through Nebraska and Iowa, with a stop in Mallard, Iowa, where my maternal side has roots.

Dan was going to fly to meet me in Chicago (he had to work, which is why he couldn’t do the first part of the road trip with me), to pick up Zoe and Felix on a direct flight from Sweden to O’Hare.

We were going to spend a few days in Chicago, including the 4th of July.
Indianapolis Speedway for NASCAR
Kentucky-The National Corvette Museum, The original KFC (and museum), and the Jim Beam Distillery- which apparently is family friendly.
Tennessee- Pigeon Forge and Gaitlinberg: which look tacky, touristy, and wonderful. We had planned 2-3 nights here.
Georgia - Atlanta, so Zoe could go on a Stranger Things filming locations tour. She’s a huge fan. Felix loves cars- so NASCAR and the Corvette museum were more for him. In Atlanta, we would also go on a CNN Tour and visit the Coke Factory.
Alabama - The US Space and Rocket Center
Tennessee- Graceland
Missouri- St. Louis Arch
Kansas- Largest Ball of Twine
Home

We were planning to spend one week at home, and then fly to Orlando for ten days of theme parks- Universal and Disney. It was crushing to have to cancel this trip, but luckily we were able to easily get refunds, and we can plan this for a later date. I feel a bit relieved, as I’m not sure that I feel confident that it is a good idea to travel. I’m a firm believer in wearing masks in public, and grateful that the theme parks are enforcing masks, but I also can’t imagine wearing them in the Orlando heat.

This week we completed two more social distancing firsts. We went to an outdoor mall to find a housewarming present. It was a ghost town, very few customers, and some of the stores were closed. The present was for our friend’s Julie and Ryan, who have recently moved to Colorado from Los Angeles. We felt safe enough to visit their new home, which was lovely. It was great to see them, and catch up over homemade pizza and ice cream. As we’ve all been very cautious, we felt that this was low-risk. It was the first time going to a friends house since quarantine.

The cats went to the groomers on Saturday. They are all fluffy and smell nice. I took a picture of a funny sign at the groomers. I’ve had cats my entire life and never groomed them, but this sign makes me reconsider.

We saw a beautiful rainbow on a bike ride.

I took an online course through Colorado State University regarding growing vegetables. It was simply called “Vegetables.” The course was offered for free, but normally costs forty dollars, and is part of a series of gardening courses. If I were to complete all of the courses, I would receive some sort of qualification to be professional gardener. Honestly, the course wasn’t very useful. It took about an hour, and the only information that I can remember is to take a soil sample every year. I certainly don’t feel more qualified to plant vegetables. I passed the quiz at the end and earned a virtual “vegetable” badge.

This evening, I attended an outdoor yoga session in our housing estate. It was hosted on the lawn by our community center. I’ve tried yoga several times, but it’s not an exercise that I love. I prefer pilates. However, it was nice to stretch and look up at the amazing, Colorado clouds. It started raining as I walked back to our house. I met a few new neighbors, who were very nice.

And to end, a picture of Tom with his new toy that we bought at the groomers. Tom and Slinky love this new toy.

Downtown Los Angeles Architecture Tour- October 2018

Our guide, Neel, the owner of Downtown LA Walking Tours, moved us away from the Central Library, and to one of the most stunning buildings I have ever seen: The Fine Arts Building.

Built in 1927, The Fine Arts Building is an example of Romanesque Revival architecture. Its many adornments are dazzling. The interior features a courtyard that is filled with sculptures and decorations. I’m certain that Disney imagineers visited The Fine Arts Building to get inspiration for The Hollywood Tower of Terror attraction. There are so many similarities. I’m not taking an elevator ride!

We walked through the jewelry district.

Route 66 sign!

In my mid-twenties, I had a special day with my mom in downtown Los Angeles. When my mom was a toddler, her family moved from Minnesota to downtown Los Angeles, living in a two-bedroom apartment. I usually spent Tuesdays, with my mom, and one Tuesday, we just decided to skip our usually movie and lunch, and go driving. She showed me her old apartment, which she lived in during the 1940’s, and is still standing. We had lunch at Clifton’s Cafeteria, and we strolled through the theatre district. I heard stories that my mom had never shared with me and saw the locations of her childhood. This is where my maternal side put down roots in California.

Here’s a 1940’s picture of my mom and aunt at Clifton’s Cafeteria for their birthday. The older woman is my grandmother.

My Aunt Trudy is the first kid on the left and my mom is next to her.

Our architecture tour went through the theatre district. Some of the old palace style theatre are still standing, and many are being rented for special events or concerts. These were the theaters where my mom developed her love for the cinema; double-features and weekend matinees. The area is being gentrified, with stores like Apple and Urban Outfitters coming to the neighborhood. I’m not sure how I feel about the changes, but I hope with the influx of money, they will care to preserve Los Angeles history.

Anyone who follows Hollywood gossip will remember the 2015 allegations of abuse and the subsequent divorce between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard. We were able to see the outside of infamous apartment building where their fight took place. The Eastern Columbia Building, where Depp and Heard had the penthouse apartment, was built in 1930, and is an example of Art Deco design. The brilliant green building looks like something from The Wizard of Oz!

So unassuming that you’d walk right past it, this dive bar, called The Golden Gopher, has a very unique history. It was purchased by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1905! Back then it was called the Golden Sun Saloon.

Our tour ended in Pershing Square, but on the walk to the end, I spotted this beautiful mural. Los Angeles has some wonderful street art. I was supposed to talk an art tour later in the week, but it was canceled. I’ve put it to the top of my list for my next trip to Downtown Los Angeles.

And this one in Pershing Square. No matter where I move, my heart definitely belongs to the city of angels.

After the tour, I set off to explore. I found this great covered street of eateries.

But my main objective was to get lost in The Last Bookstore. I had heard of The Last Bookstore for years, but this was my first time visiting it. I can’t believe that I never went there when I lived so close to it. I missed out! It’s a gem.

The store spans two floors, and more than simply a bookstore ( not that a bookstore isn’t enough) it also contains several artisan stalls. The Last Bookstore is whimsical with art displays, and an amazing tunnel made of books. It’s a bit like falling down Alice’s rabbit hole. You never know what wonders you might find around the next corner.

Coming soon, more downtown goodness, including Angel’s Flight!

Social Distancing in Littleton: Week Thirteen

Last week, I wrote about feeling sick, and needing a Covid Test. I was anxiously waiting for the results on Thursday, when I received a call from a very apologetic nurse, who told me that my first test had become contaminated, and that I needed to take the test again. She was very nice, and made a same-day appointment for me at a nearby facility.

Dan had to work, so I drove myself to the second test. I knew it would be unpleasant, but I wasn’t too scared. There was only one car in front of me, and I was tested within ten minutes of arriving. The nurse who tested me, seemed very nice….

And then she jammed the swab up my left nostril, causing so much pain that I immediately burst into tears. My nose started gushing blood, and she gave me a travel pack of Kleenex. I used every single tissue to stop the bleeding. She gave me a second package to-go, and I used most of them before arriving home. My nose was still leaking blood the next day.

I nearly gave up, but I was still concerned about Covid, so I let her finish with the right nostril. It hurt. A lot. She told me that if she doesn’t make people cry, she’s not doing it right. Can anyone verify? The nurse on the first test made me teary, but I wasn’t sobbing. I was crying and shaking the entire way home. It was horrible.

The next morning, the results came back negative.

I was relieved, and I definitely think that given the circumstances, the test was the responsible thing to do. That said, if a similar situation comes up in the future, I’d likely just quarantine for two weeks, and skip the test.

Here’s a few pictures of me: sick and pitiful.

In sad news, I learned that The Annenberg Space for Photography has fallen victim to Covid 19.

It couldn’t sustain the economic fall out. This one hit hard, as the Annenberg was one of my favorite art spaces in Los Angeles. It was a true treasure and a loss for the city. The museum always had thought-provoking exhibitions that left you with a new perspective. Here are links to two of my previous reviews of exhibitions at the Annenberg: Generation Wealth and Sink or Swim.

We discovered that we have a nest on the front of our house, below my step-daughter’s bedroom window. I spotted three babies, who seem nearly ready to fly. They are cute, but as soon as they’ve left the nest, we need to figure out a way to make it a less appealing spot for future families. We have bird shit all over our driveway.

I felt better by the weekend, and we were able to attend a BBQ with the neighbors. Great food and new friends! I felt safe being outside, and I can imagine that this type of party is going to be a frequent activity in the summer months. There is a block party planned for the last Saturday of the month. This is the first time I’ve lived in a neighborhood that has block parties. We’re bringing baked beans and a cake.

We watched The Hunt, a surprisingly funny, and creative horror/suspense movie starring Hilary Swank and Betty Gilpin. I don’t want to give anything away, but it has excellent story structure, and the themes are timely. Gilpin has some great one-liners.

Dan received a gift of Vosges Truffles. They were beautifully presented. The truffles had unique flavors, including curry.

A less fancy, but not less delicious treat was born, when Dan decided to put brandy butter on cinnamon rolls!

And some cat pictures. Here is Tom being extra cute with his mice. He likes to hide them in shoes or slippers, even if you happen to be wearing them at the time. He also fetches and on Sunday morning, I threw the pink mouse across the room about fifty times. He wouldn’t have stopped, but my arm was getting sore!