LA/Palm Springs

 
Coachella Valley sunsets are almost always awesome, but also sort of suggestive of something post-apocalyptic.
 
The Riviera Palm Springs.  Incredible pool.  Near-overwrought design.  Thoroughly enjoyable.  

The Coachella Valley seems full of consignment stores selling what can't be taken with you.  They spotted Jaime coming in the front and brought this out of the back.  That's really what happened.
 
Cumulative pool time over two days: 8 hours.  All valuable.
 
In LA, among other things, we drove up into the Hollywood Hills where we checked out a house Jaime had spotted for sale online and then followed a road up to where it ended at a gate, just short of the Koenig Case Study House 22, which I spotted from below when we were down there back in August.  

Jaime's Birthday

Jaime turned 25 on Thursday.  That night we went to Re:Public and ate pigtail for the first time - also a bison tenderloin that was very good, though a bit chewy.  I took Friday off and we flew to LA for the weekend.  Went to Santa Monica and stayed at our friend Sarah's house in Manhattan Beach that night, where we ate awesome sushi at Sashi.  The cougars were out in force.  Then we went to a club where Jaime and Sarah danced.  On Saturday we drove to West Hollywood, checked in to the Standard, walked around Sunset, got lunch at the Counter and went back to the hotel.  We met some friends at their house in Westwood, then drove back to Hollywood for dinner at Cube, where the waitstaff hurried us and then, when we commented, comped dessert and a round of digestifs.  Then we went to a lounge called Winston's and had more drinks and danced some.  Beyonce's "Single Ladies" seemed to be playing in every bar we went to and I have lots of memories of Jaime, late at night, waving her hand in my face while Beyonce sang "If you liked it then you shoulda' put a ring on it..." &c.  Sunday, brunch and shopping on Robertson, then home.

Didn't take a ton of photos.


That's the iconic Koenig Case Study House 22, with the prominent roof overhang, above.  First time I've ever wished I had a telephoto lens.  I had no idea this was right above the Standard, until I checked in and spotted it from the balcony.