Back from LA, fun adventure

Flight delayed out of SFO but such is life.....Michelle picked us up from the airport and we headed back to her house.  She is newly minted as Faculty in Residence at UCLA, so has a very cute on-campus apartment (about three times as big as her old one).  Saturday I had to do a 17 miler to stick with the plan so Irene and Michelle dropped me at Redondo Beach.

Dr E and I just before I start my run

They then headed off to do arty things and I made my way up the coastline to Santa Monica Pier.

Most of the path is paved......well actually now I think about it, all of it is....and I travelled under the LAX flight path (needless to say those parts of the beach were empty), through Venice Beach and ending at the Pier.  Lovely run and, given it was all flat, done in under three hours.  Although I was happy with the time overall I do have to keep working to get my mile pace down if I'm going to get to my ultra time goal.....not complaining though, total delight to run a new path and see new sights.
Girls picked me up and we went to lunch a little further up the coast, back to the house then headed out to the Hollywood Hills to have dinner with a friend of Michelle's.  Okay so HWHs is rather fab in terms of housing etc BUT traffic in LA is about as bad (if not worse) than you can imagine, both Irene and I not wildly impressed by travel times and arrogant driving.  That said, dinner was lovely and full of laughs and, wait for it.....I drove us home as the "sober driver".  Not that anyone was trashed but I didn't drink at all (still keeping to the no drinking regime).  Now feel I have another little badge of "drove in LA".....always a little nerve-wracking to drive in a new city (the left right thing doesn't much bother me any more so much as the different driving styles you have to contend with in each city).
Sunday I headed out for a six miler around and through the University campus....so beautiful.

Afterwards we went out for breakfast then went on one of those open van "Tour of LA sights and Stars Homes".  All quite funny as the stars homes weren't exactly a picture of architectural flare.  It was also incredibly cold.....

Irene and I look like we have joined some cult while Michelle seems blissfully unaware.  By the time the tour was done we had to get to the airport, back to SFO then down to Santa Cruz to get Lotte and home around 11ish.  Presidents day here so I have worked a half day and now gearing up for an 8 miler.