Time with Tony

Wow, can't believe I let this much time go by without posting our vacation time with Tony.

So here it is all rolled into one. Tony, Kendall, Mark and me went to California and didn't do Disneyland. That NEVER happens. But we wanted to see other things. We went to Universal Studios and got year passes. It was the same price, but we can now go back as often as we want until the end of the year. The last time we were there was 2001, and that was just about right. Once every 10 years is good!~ haha But we had a lot of fun. Mark absolutely loved T23D (Terminator 2 - 3D).

I have to say it was a race between Taco Bell's. Tony needed to have his Baja Blast Mtn. Dew sold only in Taco Bell. He's addicted!

The next day we went to Griffith Observatory. It is gorgeous! The houses on the drive up were gorgeous! I took a picture of this tunnel because it looked like the exact same tunnel in Back to the Future. I bet it was used in the movie. After that we went to Hollywood Blvd and walked around. Found my favorite spot...the Louis Vuitton store! We also went to Grauman's Chines Theater and saw the hand and foot prints. Pretty cool to see the really old ones. Kendall found her favorite, Marilyn Monroe. We stopped at Mcdonald's for some quick fries and soda. Place was packed and kids trying to sell stuff in there. We left and when we got to the street corner I turned around and realized Tony looked different. NO BACK PACK! After a quick expletive we ran back and there it was...still on the chair where we left it! Everything was in there: wallet, camera, cards, $500 cash...we were truly blessed. With as many people as were in there, I was sure it was gone. We got back to my Grandma's and my cousin Hannah and her husband and baby came to say "HI" and have dinner. It was so fun. Then we went to Krispy Kreme....we stood in line for probably half an hour. It was crazy.

The next day we went to Ports 'O Call and the beach. This time my Aunt Phyllis came with us. I've been wanting to go to Ports 'O Call and check everything out. I haven't been there since I was 12. It sure looks different from an adult perspective! My aunt and I loved it but the rest of my family didn't. I loved the smell of the ocean, the seafood, walking around seeing all the fish, crab, lobster, shrimp and squid you can buy. Then you take it to this counter and they cook it all up for you with whatever flavor you want and slop it on this huge pan. I bought 1 crab leg for Kendall and it was $21!!! Way more than back home! We then walked around the shops and saw all the cool stuff. After a few hours we drove down Pacific Coast Highway and went to the Santa Monica Pier. It was so cool listening to my Aunt talk about the days when she and my dad and their siblings grew up there. They would walk to the beach all the time. My dad and his brother had a surf board they would attach to the top of my grandma's car. They'd be gone until dinner! It would be cool to know my dad then! That night we went to a Thai restaurant owned by my grandma and aunt's friends. The food was to die for and we got it plus dessert for free! Needless to say we left a very hefty trip. It was a wonderful vacation. I loved staying at my grandma's house with my aunt. I remember when we were little we would come to that same house as little kids and head to Disneyland. It brought back so many memories. Especially the snails they used to have! YUCK They're gone now, but they used to be everywhere! It was fun to go back with my own kids and create memories at their great-grandm'as house!

On the way home we stopped off at the outlet mall. We stopped in the Jimmy Choo store. All I can say is "Holy Crap"! Does a shoe really need to cost $600???? Really?