Life List Day 274 - Try a New Restaurant and Sanddabs

There's a restaurant on the Redondo Pier called Kincaid's Bayhouse that I've been meaning to try for years. Today, I was meeting my book editor, Sally Kim, for dinner (she lives in New York but I get to see her when she visits her family on vacation...she grew up right in my neighborhood!). Anyway, she said for me to pick the place, so that's what I picked.

The menu was fantastic - with things like Lobster Mac & Cheese and Asiago-Almond Encrusted Sea Scallops - but I went for the sanddabs because you rarely see them on a menu and I've never had them before. They're not a very popular fish, and I don't know why ... mild, nice texture, good flavor. I'd order them again.

(And thanks, Sally, it's always great seeing you!!)

Life List Day 156 - Dinner at a New Restaurant

My friend, Monica, and I decided to take our sons to dinner after football practice. The boys were clamoring for Cheesecake Factory, but Monica and I were in the mood to try something new (and we were paying, so we win).

The choice: Coyote Cantina, a Mexican place in a stripmall that'd I'd never have thought twice about, except I'd heard it's freakishly good for a Mexican place in a stripmall.

As ordinary as it was on the outside, the inside was a delightful surprise: lots of funky art, and really buzzing for a Tuesday evening (in a stripmall).

As for the food, I was tempted by the BBQ chicken salad (because I always love those) but I promised myself I'd order one of their specialties. I went for the "Pasta California": sauteed breast of chicken, roasted corn and avocado tossed in a jack cheese cream sauce with chili linguni. I know. It was so good I almost wept.

Life List Day 104 - Tilt-a-Whirl for One

It was a gorgeous day today so I took a walk on the beach near the Redondo Beach pier. Looking for something to do for my life list, I detoured to the arcade and - on a whim - bought a ticket for the Tilt-a-Whirl. So what if I was by myself?

Turned out, I wasn't just alone in my car - I was the only person on the ride...period!

At first, I felt sort of silly, swirling around all by myself. But soon my giggles won out over my self-consciousness. I LOVE rides (my dream is to live near Six Flags, buy a season pass, and start every day with a roller coaster ride...how fun would that be??).

Until that day, this was a nice little jolt of joy. I'll definitely add it to my walk again.

And maybe some skeeball too.

Life List Day 101 - Take My Work Out to Play

People always ask me, "Where do you write?" I know what they're hoping I'll say. There is in our culture the romantic notion of a writer, cozied up in a coffee shop, scribbling away on a notepad while sipping mug after mug of brew. Or maybe on the beach. Or a table at an outdoor cafe.

Which is why I hate to answer it truthfully: I write on a laptop, usually parked on my couch or - if I'm feeling especially frisky - my dining room table.

Today, I decided to take on the fantasy and write in a coffee shop. I went the Catalina Coffee Company in Redondo Beach, which is cool in that "matching furniture is for sissies" sort of way.

I loved it! I got myself an iced tea, snuggled into a chair, and wrote away (on my laptop - I won't even write a note longhand anymore). I'm not bothered by noise, and I actually found the general hubbub quite energizing. I'll definitely go there again (plus I hear they have the best Cobb salad in town).