Spent a chunk of last week in Los Angeles. The Fourth of July was fun, spent at a party at friends' house on a hill overlooking a large portion of the LA basin - fireworks could be seen for miles around. The party allowed me and Greg to see a lot of people we hadn't seen in awhile (Mike, Robert, Scott, Brian, lovely twins-carrying Amy, Phil & Judy and the sweet-tempered Bernhardt) - we had a great time.

We spent the next day with Greg's parents, purchasing Dutch treats and eating Indonesian food. That night, we went to the Magic Castle with Kirsten and Aaron - that was a blast. We got all dressed up in fancy clothes (ie, I wore nylons!) and ate way too much and watched magic acts. I especially enjoyed the close-up magic. I understand how most of the tricks are done, but it's great when the magician is so good you don't see the sleight of hand.

The next day, Greg and I went to the Farmers Market and the La Brea Tar Pits. I'd only been there once before, but seeing tar bubbling up through grass and sidewalks never gets old, and let's face it, mammoths and smilodons are cool. A walk in Palisades Park followed, and we had a great time, but the day wasn't over yet! I spent the evening in Santa Monica shopping and eating with my Kirsten! Overall, I had a great time on this visit.

Kirsten and I took the bus to and from Santa Monica, and the bus was full of workers and tourists. So waking up the next morning to hear about the London bombings just hurt that much more, and kind of cast a pall over me the rest of the week. Just hours before those bombs went off, Kirsten and I were just like those victims - commuting, traveling from work, being a tourist, patronizing shops and restaurants, living our lives. If you haven't read the statement from the Mayor of London, you should check it out. Moved me to tears. (Thanks to David for pointing it out.)

So my week had happy moments and sad moments. Now my mood is, well, bratty. I feel bratty. Kind of cranky, but feeling like I should find some mischief to perpetrate. Pity Greg.