La La Land Part 2

So like any awesome dream when one minute you're getting ready to makeout with the charismatic, tall, handsome guest judge from Top Chef and the next the baby's crying to be fed and you're up and then you eagerly return to the dream but it has vanished like smoke - so are my memories of our trip. Little fragments. Of course what stands out is the food. French macaroon ice cream sandwiches at Milk. Delicious cookies and scones at City Bakery. The most amazing fries at "slow" fast food joint Oinkster. Blueberry ricotta pancakes at BLD. My favorite salad trio at the newly madeover Joan's on Third. An insane burger at the York. Huge, yummy salads al fresco at Cafe Midi, complete with a writer pitching a story to a producer - coincidentally pitching a story based on an article I had read before and not doing the bang up job my interior monologue was convincing me I would do. What also stood out? The traffic, in a oh my god its managed to get worse. Seriously. Out of control bad. So, no, mom. LA did not win. This time.

Have I mentioned how amazing Harlow was on her journey back to her homeland? She was fabulous on the plane, aside from the week-long pooping hiatus ending midflight, but Daddy got to change those diapers so what-EV, she couldn't be happier about being in the dirty, noisy city. She cooed at buses, laughed at all the luggage carts whizzing by, breathed in the smoggy city and smiled. Of course, my parental paranoia kicked in our first night end as her nose started to run and she started making strange, wheezy gasps. Ultimately there were no asthma attacks. Not that I was worried, of course.

So we did the expected, hanging out with friends, eating, partying. Well, caleb did the partying as I stayed home with the baby so he could play some shows and among other things, conduct a taco truck tour of the city. But being the sweet, generous boy he is, he stayed in so I could have my first real girls night out - in the heart of cheesy Hollywood, no less. I even got to go see a movie, but that's because he had to stay in and memorize his lines. Yeah that's right. It's a long story, and in the interest of time, superstition and being secretive because I can, Caleb walked out of lunch with some friends with a feature film audition. Only my husband. After his audition he joined me and Harlow poolside at the Roosevelt, and we toasted to a surreal, lovely last night in town. But I wasn't too sad to go. My psychic said we'd be back.