I hear it before I see it - the whup whup whup of the blade as the helicopter approaches the neighborhood - spotlight shining on rooftops and alleys, searching. It circles a couple of times, often accompanied on the ground by squad cars, who have cordoned off a block or three - then disappears into the night.  Flashing lights dim and then, the streets are business as usual.  Just one of the adjustments to my new, temporary home in San Pedro, California.

Don't get me wrong.  I feel perfectly safe  - five floors up with a view of the action from my terrace; as well as on the ground, where almost everyone I've encountered has been kind and nice - including the SPPD foot patrol.  It's all good and I'm really happy to be here.

It's been a fairly easy adjustment - literally welcomed by ALL of my West Coast family within five minutes of arriving in the Western Veterinary Group parking lot.  Checked Emmy into the kennel for the night and headed off for a quick bite at the Hot 'n Tot. So good to see everyone, and to meet our "newest", six month old Hannah.

After a quick salad (which I was craving after days on the road), my Uncle helped lug some boxes into my new digs - a fairly new, industrial-style studio loft with concrete floors, granite counters, floor-to-ceiling windows and a view of the harbor.  Southern exposure, a spacious terrace and fabulous "California" closet complete what feels like the perfect Pedro pied-a-terre.  Left to settle in... I unpacked a bit, make the bed and try to sleep. Hard without Emmy by my side.

Day one - what has become a weekend tradition - breakfast with Uncle Norm at a hidden jewel... each local, small,  and great food.  Haven't been disappointed yet!  A quick tour of the 'hood, introduction to main streets, landmarks and a bit of history to help understand where I've landed.  Grabbed the pup and had another quick tour of where I'd be working.  Spent the rest of the day shopping and cooking for the week.

The last five weeks seem to have flown by - and have been so fun!  Finding my way around was a challenge for the first ten days - not wanting to always depend on the GPS, I tried, unsuccessfully at times, to find my own way.  But learn I have, and now only get lost when I want to.  (I did hit a wall at the end of week five and have been told by a number of friends who have relocated, that this is normal...) 

Work days are spent trying to support the staff of Western Vet Group in any little way I can - not a huge contribution, but interesting to me, this business of a multi-doctor (5+) practice, with a support staff of techs and front-of-house client managers who take great pride in what they do and how they serve their community, through providing extraordinary animal care to all sorts of pups, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, snakes and more!

Days off provide me with the gift of time to discover the area around me, get to know family I never see, catch up with West Coast friends in their time zone, investigate places to walk leash-free with Emmy, and delve a bit into the area's art and food scene. (more on the latter in the next installment)  I've seen dolphins frolicking in the surf, cruise ships from around the world, caught my first glimpse of the "HOLLYWOOD" sign, continue to cook a bit, watched a movie crew set up for filming in the street below,  and do my best to reach out to dear, life-long friends back East (and around the world) on a daily basis via FaceBook, email and FaceTime.

As I sit on the terrace, watching the sun slip into the western sky on the eve of my 52nd birthday, I am grateful for these opportunities - to travel a bit, spend time with family, learn about something new, and ponder the possibilities for the future...  cheers!

With or without a Clay Bean Pot

I have recently been reminded how much I love beans… not the steamed green kind, or soupy sweet baked variety – but a good ol’ wholesome, creamy, garlicky, cumin-y pot of Mexican beans.  Whenever I make them I think of friends @Betsy McNair and @Sonia Banuelos de Sigenza, who I’m quite certain are the queens of beans – theirs simmering in a traditional clay bean pot.

I ordered some with breakfast in Williams, AZ at the Pine Country restaurant a few days ago.  Seemed the right accompaniment with scrambled chorizo and eggs – they came with a hot, flour tortilla and an ounce of fresh salsa – had forgotten how good that they could be!

First breakfast in my new neighborhood was a trip to the Omelet and Waffle Shop with my uncle, Norm.  He feasted on fab waffles and griddled spicy Italian sausage, while I had my “usual” – corned beef hash (by which most breakfast place benchmarks are set – and an homage to friend @Rob Gale), scrambled eggs with cheddar and a side of beans… since I could.  Soooo tasty!

Laying in supplies for the coming week left me meal planning as I shopped. I wanted to cook things that were healthy, easily reheated and comforting.  A roasted chicken was a must – and why not add a pot o’ beans to the mix?!  Pink Pintos, boiled and soaked for an hour or so to tenderize, then drained; sautéed a bit of onion, garlic & carrot, added the beans back in along with more water to cook fully.  Halfway through I added some cumin and a bit of sea salt and pepper. (waiting until the beans are mostly cooked before adding the salt ensures that they won’t harden or end up tough).  I let them simmer for a while longer until creamy.  This is a vegetarian version – but adding some kind of pork would up the flavor quotient…

This morning’s breakfast featured the beans, sans eggs (but with chicken!), topped with queso fresco, fresh salsa and a sprinkle of cilantro.  PERFECTION! 

Stopped at two bowls, but it wasn't easy.  These beans will reappear during the week in a tortilla with cheddar for lunch, as a side dish with dinner or even a midday snack as I learn a new skill and need some brain food to keep going.  Flexible, cheap and easy.

So, whether you’re in southern California; Puebla, MX; Santa Cruz in the Bay area or New England, make a pot of beans. Ideal for a wet, cold, snowy day – even without the clay pot!

Almost there!

My last two stops - Santa Fe, NM and Flagstaff, AZ were exactly what I had hoped.  From Amarillo, straight (and I mean straight/flat) across West Texas, to the land of mesas, gulches, arroyos, Tejano, nopales and jackalopes - Santa Fe, (which I hadn't visited in over 10 year).  A soak at one of my most favorite spas, Ten Thousand Waves and dinner at Pasqual's. The former, a hot tub under the stars in bitter cold and an altitude of 7,000+ feet - heaven; the latter, sharing a community table with interesting dining companions from Denver, New Orleans, Sarasota and Oklahoma City. Incredibly enjoyable - and a bit raucous.

A quick stop at Baja Taco for a breakfast burrito the next morning, shared with friends in the know via text (and a tradition,  in my opinion, that can only be beat by the ones eaten at sunrise at the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque), a zip with Emmy around the Plaza and then in the car to Flagstaff.


Quite the drive, that. Twelve to fifteen miles between exits, freight trains with containers stacked two-high, 60-70 cars long winding their way west; the opportunity to "save 50% on meteorites" and crossing the Colorado River.  Best sighting?  An American Bald Eagle - sitting at the top of a tree as I drove by!  Incredible to be as close as I was...

Had a great visit with Alison Mitkowski,  Ethan and their five-year-old son, Grant (along with Bo, a yellow lab who loved Emmy so much he practically licked  her fur off,  and a ginger kitty - who spent alot of time at the top of the draped and whose name seems to change daily.)  Nice to be welcomed into a home of friends after many nights in a hotel, around strangers. Alison and Ethan relocated from the East Coast almost four years ago. They had visited often and  realized it was where they were happiest.  Fast forward to consulting work for A and a position with the Sherrif's department for E.  I learned alot about their take on area and culture during our conversation.  Thanks for the hospitality!

Day Seven - anxious to arrive, and grateful to have had the opportunity of the past week to travel as I did.  After a quick stop in the historic town of Williams and a tasty breakfast at the Pine Country Restaurant, I was ready to hit the road, once last time, finally leaving bitter cold (and many inches of snow in AZ) for the warmer climes of California.

Down, down, down - towards sea level again!  Fleeced peeled off and windows open we headed southwest to our final destination, the South Bay area of Los Angeles.

Regrouping

It's morning in Amarillo, Texas and we're regrouping.  A mere four hours from our next destination - Santa Fe, New Mexico - we're taking an hour or two to reset the car, pay some bills, finish Emmy's "Paw-di-cure" and pull out more socks.

It's been COLD, the entire trip.  For those of you who thought "oh!  you're headed south, it's gonna be warm", look at your map.  While I am taking one of the southern routes, it's through the northern parts of the states where winter, as us New Englanders know it, still exists.   It hasn't been above 35 degrees since I left Connecticut in the snow - and that wind, "sweepin' down the plains" in Oklahoma?  Frigid.  The next two days have us heading up the mountains of New Mexico and Arizona  - increased elevation = chillier weather.  The high in Santa Fe upon our arrival is predicted to be 27, with a low of 5!!  So no sitting by the pool for me...

Yesterday we made a stop in Oklahoma City.  As a Connecticut resident, I wanted to pay my respects and represent Newtown citizens at the Memorial.  Not sure what I expected, but it was really lovely.  So well-done - makes me think that Sandy Hook school could be a similar site.  A place of memory and reflection.

As we continued across the plains, it was a challenge to keep driving without stopping - Mel Tillis at the Sugar Creek Casino!  Cherokee Trading Post - see live Buffalo!! (for the record, from the highway, it looks like a convenience store with a huge fake Teepee in front) But one of the coolest thing we saw was windmills! 15-20 of some of the biggest propellers I've ever seen - had to be 200' in the air, with blades half that size... and then I saw another set in the distance on the opposite side of the road.  Really cool!!






Coming from the Northeast, I forget how much space there is in the rest of the country... miles and miles of open land, dotted with cattle and the occasional llama.  Was wishing it was night so I could enjoy the wide open sky filled with stars.

Landing at our La Quinta for the night meant dinner.  Decided to "ask the locals" and ended up half a mile down the road at the Country Barn, replete with its own "Big Tex" for great brisket and ribs... even the few bites of  white bread Texas toast tasted good!

Next stop?  New Mexico!  Santa Fe,  we're comin' for ya!

Boots, Juice, Chicken, Hawks and Mountains

We are now more than halfway to Los Angeles. Three days of 8 hours or more in the car, climbing mountains - Blue Ridge; counting hawks (26); crossing rivers (today it was the Mississippi and maybe the Arkansas?), and collecting states - have added Tennessee and Arkansas to the list.

Spent some time in Nashville, where I walked south Broadway at night with scores of NC State fans as they got ready for the "Music City Bowl" game; made a quick trip to the Farmer's Market this morning finding fabulously fresh and spicy tomato juice, and Memphis en route -  where we caught our first glimpse of the Mississippi and ate GREAT fried Chicken via take out from Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken. (Sweet Potato Pie on deck)

(S)no(w) Delay

They say that timing is everything!  Hours before I had planned to depart the East coast for the West, Freyer, a nor'easter, decided that he wanted to make an appearance.  Those of you who know me know that I very rarely pay attention to the weather.  I mean, I live in New England, it's different every minute, if not every hour - so why bother?!

I'd spent a lovely evening with close friends, saying "see you in April"; had a very rough night's sleep and after taking a quick peek at the radar this morning, it occurred to me that I could wait a day, get some sleep, enjoy the storm cuddled on the couch, knitting... But then, I was born in New England - a few flakes couldn't slow me down. So we packed up the last of the boxes into the car; assigned a few last minute tasks to those staying behind; grabbed breakfast with Joey and hit the road by 11 am - just as the first flakes started to fall.

It was a very easy day - hopefully an omen of more to come.  Made great time through five states - no real traffic to speak of, snow ended by Exit 8 on the NJ Tpke,  spent a small fortune on tolls ( over $25 between CT- MD)crossed the Delaware, Susquehana and Shenandoah rivers (and yes, I did sing), missed the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley due to darknesss,  made two stops - mostly for Emmy and landed at the Staunton, VA Best Western by 7:45pm.

We're checked in, both fed, Emmy's sound asleep, I'm watching trashy tv and perusing tomorrow's schedule.  Next stop - Nashville!  (dining suggestions??)

Beaches, Maps and Gyros

I love to drive.  No, really.  I think it's in my DNA.

As a child in the 60's-70's I remember lots of "long" trips in the car with my father:

• Two hours to NYC where on the way in we would stop in the Bronx at a White Castle for a sack o' sliders and then, after walking around Rockefeller Center to see "The Tree", hit the Baronet/Coronet Diner on the upper East Side for exotic Greek treats - Gyros and Baklava.

• Barely waking up on a summer Sunday morning, to be packed and ready to go at what I now refer to as "o'dark thirty" for the ride to Misquamicut Beach in Rhode Island, where by 8am the car was parked directly adjacent to the sand.  My sister and I spent hours building sand castles, swimming in the surf (the "real" ocean - no Long Island Sound beach, this); eating salami sandwiches on white bread  and ultimately getting so sunburned that no amount of Solarcaine could help. (oh, how we suffered, lobster red - shivering with sun poisoning!)

• Then there was the trip to Chicago - driving west from Connecticut, one adult and two little girls, straight through.  I honestly don't remember that we stopped to rest - 14 hours... singing show tunes... the Music Man's "Gary, Indiana", as we passed through this depressed steel town to visit the extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins. (and yes, a pilgrimage to another White Castle - do you see a theme here?)

My grandparents were avid travelers - world wide - in the 60's when that was a true luxury.  Grandma in heels and pearls, Grandpa in a suit an tie, jetting off to Europe, bringing back wooden shoes and Dolls of the World to add to our collection.  But we drove, and a blank US map was around to help us memorize the states and figure out where we'd been/were going.  I think about that map today, and how many states I've traveled to/through.  While I'm not sure that I'm able to complete the Mountain time zone (apologies to Erica and the states of Montana, Wyoming, North/South Dakota, Idaho), I'm looking forward to coloring in Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Arizona.

I've made treks alone (and/or with the dog) to Wisconsin and South Carolina - enjoying the time in the car; the freedom to stop and explore; the vastness of the mid West.  But those trips were chump change compared to the 3,000+ miles I'll be logging.   My M.O. is to drive until I'm tired - but finding lodging, especially with the pup, is often a challenge.  A friend has recommended that I set goals of reaching particular places so I can make reservations - I think I will. (Thanks, Lisa!)

I'm not going to rush -  taking six days seems doable and allows for a swing through Nashville and maybe Memphis; a wave to Bill and Hill's Little Rock; a  stop at the Oklahoma City memorial; good grub in Texas; a soak in a Santa Fe hot tub; a visit with a friend in Flagstaff and rolling into LA county in daylight on or around January 4th.

Time to load the iPod, pack the snacks and print the trip tik - I've only got a week left!