Still shaking...

Of his children's novel Coraline, Neil Gaiman writes that he found, once people began to read it, that children experienced it as an adventure, whereas adults thought it nightmarish. I am definitely in the latter camp, and wonder if Kassie is truly ready to read about Coraline, a girl small in stature but certainly not in valour, who stumbles on an alternate reality that is a chilling test of her inner strength.

Of course she triumphs in the end, but still...what a scaaaary story. Shudder! Read it if you dare.

Time off for good behaviour

I've had a little time off between projects — I recently finished a configuration and administration guide for a client, in which I learned more than I ever dreamed about voice recognition and Grammar XML — and to celebrate my freedom I've been spending time doing the following:

• spring cleaning
• weeding the garden
• attending step aerobic and muscle toning classes at the local Y (ouch!)
• meeting friends for breakfast
• meeting former colleagues for lunch — we checked out a new and pricey Burger Bar, which is worth a visit both for the overpriced burgers and salads and also for the people-watching
• picking up my daughter directly from school rather than from the after-school program
• shopping

I'll have to return to work soon in order to pay for that last item. A new shop down in the Sherbrooke Street West area caught my eye. Liv (urbain) features stylish casual clothes for active women. We're not talking Lululemon activewear here but rather clothes you can feel comfortable wearing to work (if your corporate environment is casual) and will gladly don on weekends. I picked up a Lolë versatile black polo shirt and have my eye on the Opal dress for summer afternoons in the garden. I also bought a skirt and tunic from Carve Designs: if you're interested, visit their online shop and check out the Vertical Skirt in "bark" and the High Point Tunic in "pool".

Let's just hope hubby doesn't read this. I hereby take a vow of No More Shopping...for now, at least...although a pair of low-heeled strappy shoes might compliment (and complement!) that skirt...Hmmm....

California

Apologies for the delay...our own warm, sunny weather got the better of me, along with work, income taxes, domestic duties...

Below are the promised pictures of our trip over a month ago to California.

On our first day we took a walk from our hotel in Beverly Hills to Rodeo Drive. Kassie was fascinated by the treasures to be glimpsed in Cartier's storefront window, and just about every jewelry store window in Beverly Hills for that matter.

In the end she settled for a dress from Un Deux Trois, just off Rodeo Drive. Our pocketbooks are thankful.

The next day Kassie had fun spotting familiar names on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one of which had us driving through West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Belair in a reluctant tour of stars' homes.

Mary-Kate and Ashley were not at home; however, we met on a winding street Joan Collins in an old Rolls Royce. Kassie didn't see her — not that she would have recognized the aging actress — but we did make sure to point out spots of interest to her, including Lindsay Lohan's former home, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's residence, and the spot where Britney Spears earned herself a traffic violation (actually, folks, it's a tricky intersection).

I myself would have preferred dropping in to Jack Nicholson's gated estate just off Mulholland Drive, not far from where this picture was taken. I figure if anyone knows how to party, it's ol' Jack.

We managed a trip to the beach, on perhaps the coldest day of our 10-day visit. Santa Monica beach and pier were virtually deserted, nearly as deserted as this stretch of Malibu. Brrr!

Thankfully, things got a good deal warmer in the desert. Here is a photo from Palm Springs, where we took the time to relax by the pool, venture out for a game of golf, spend a day at a local water park, and of course walk the fabled strip in the evenings.

Finally, pictures from Disneyland, where we learned the value of fast passes the hard way. Remember, it was March Break!

All in all, a great vacation!