I was going to cook for Ogii's birthday. She said wait until she was done with school and we could cook together instead. However, she got done pretty late and we were too tired to cook. We looked around for a nice restaurant but there was nothing really open that late close by, so we gave up and just went to McDonald's.
At least she got her ice cream.
Wednesday night was Wicked Wild Glow in the Dark Stripper Lube Wrestling at Dames n' Games, which is just a few blocks away from work, so an easy drive for me. We got there an hour beforehand and got front-row seats; I guess nobody shows up to the strip club until later, even when they have an event like this.
Our food and our $1 bills. The wrestlers were more into having fun than being competitive, but it was still a good time.
Someone in my spot again on Thursday afternoon. I guess they think since it's before 5pm it's fine to park there, but it gets annoying.
At least this guy left his phone number for me to call him. It's easier for me to just park in Ogii's spot until she's home and then move, though.
They even put a notice up they'd be towing cars, but maybe that'll only be later in the evening. The first day I moved in they almost towed me because I didn't have a sticker yet, so I wonder why the people who are always in my spot never get towed.
Watching Live at the Bike; everyone has great starting hands.
Friday night we went to Normandie Casino. They have a $40 buy-in tournament that pays out a little under $1000 for first place, and Kendra won first place the week before, so we figured we'd give it a try. I got knocked out in just the third level when someone raised, there were three callers, I re-raised with KK, and then everyone folded except one guy who went all in. I called, he had 8 and 10 suited, and he hit a straight on the river. Good decision by me, since I'm 80% to win that hand, but that means this was one of the 20% that I lose.
Oh well, onto $1/$2 cash. Most of the dealers and the players were actually much more fun than at other casinos. One memorable moment was when a guy went all-in, lost, rebought, went all in the very next hand, lost again, and then tore up his cards and threw them at the dealer. Pretty bad sport, but still entertaining. Kendra even managed to win the tournament again for a second week in a row, which is pretty much unheard of, so good for her.
I had ordered a replacement phone, but mine seemed to be working OK now and the new one kept getting delayed, so I cancelled the order.
Are these empty storefronts? Rug shops (but if so, why so few rugs)? Yoga studios? Art galleries? I looked them up online and it appears to be a rug store.
A homeless guy crossing the street after he's not supposed to any more. I'd feel more sorry for him if he had respect for everyone in traffic trying to get home.
Palm trees on the left and a big round one on the right.
Purrfect would be a good name for a pet store, but an auto repair store?
An arm in a suit in a pickup; you don't see that very often.
An old Sears building.
The parking garage was pretty full. There was still plenty of parking on the roof, but people would sit and wait a few minutes when they saw other people walking to their cars, and there wasn't enough space to get around them, so it took a while to get up there.
A machine at the parking garage in Santa Monica. You can type in your license plate and, if one of the cameras reads it, it tells you where you parked.
We parked on the roof, and it says there are no cameras up there, so it didn't work for us, but I wonder where the cameras are and how accurate they are.
Onto Cha Cha Chicken for dinner before glow-in-the-dark volleyball.
The USA glowsticks come in a big tube of 100 that I found on Amazon. Looking at the package, I thought they'd be pretty bad, but they're by far the brightest glowsticks I've ever bought.
Ogii in front of the Santa Monica pier.
Playing.
Diving.
Serving.
Hitting from the other side.
And serving.
With the pier in the background.
David hitting the ball.
Kimmi hitting it. She was actually really good; she must have played volleyball before.
Celebrating a point.
I bought these light-up glasses, but you couldn't see at all with them on.
Taking a break.
From the other side.
Me on the court on the right.
This guy wasn't part of the group, he was just walking by, but he jumped in to play, too.
Ogii serving.
Ogii with more glowsticks on.
Some long steps in Santa Monica.
How does this plant stick to the wall?
It has these little pads that stick themselves on somehow. Amazing.
A nice house.
We were planning on eating at a Mexican restaurant in Long Beach, but it closed a few years ago. You'd think that'd be something Google Maps would mention. So we ended up eating here instead. I was a little worried because there was nobody out front or even in the restaurant; if it's decent, why isn't anybody there? However, they had a small patio in back where other people were eating. It's like how clubs don't let people in right away so they have a line out front to show passers-by how busy they are.
It ended up being really, really good. The chicken and beef skewers had just a little bit of spice on them that made them taste very unique.
Is that just a bunch of hoses?
We went to Long Beach for the Sand Sculpture Art Festival there. A few vendors nearby.
This one actually looks like a castle.
So does this one.
Pac-Man.
A turtle.
It says, "This is art" in seaweed.
A shark.
A chair to sit and watch TV.
A dog and cat.
Another castle.
Mermaid.
A sand castle trailer.
An elephant.
They were all in a line.
Except for this one over near the food.
Ogii hula hooping with a huge one.
The sun shining through an arch in a castle.
The sun setting over the buildings with volleyball players.
Almost down.
The moon and some palm trees.