Day 13 - Mask mandate is rescinded in California

The Courtyard at 1 Pico…

6/27/21. Sunday

8:30 - 10:45 - Up and in the shower. Lotion. Make-up. I wear the same clothes from yesterday. Re-pack my overnight bag. Load everything in the car.

B. is having some work done on his wrought iron fence and needs to discuss a few things with the contractor; then the power goes out and B. has to re-set the circuit breaker; then his garage door stops working. I feel a caffeine withdrawal headache coming on and immediately take two Advil.  Eventually, B. is able to leave for Starbucks…the coffee doesn’t arrive until 10:45, but the Advil kicked in and is staving off a migraine. 

10:45-12:00 – The new season of Bosch dropped so B. and I watch the first episode. It’s good.

I leave.

12:00-12:30 – Driving. It’s 109 degrees today.

12:30-1:30 – Home. Kitchen duty and I also prepare snacks for the Santa Monica beach trip. Fill the dog food and water dispensers. Add the toiletries from my overnight bag to my suitcase. Close all the blinds to the downstairs windows and put my trashcans out.

1:30–2:00 – I have some of my leftover scrambled eggs from yesterday and cut up a piece of old lasagna for the dog.

2:00-3:00 – I water all of my plants…deep, then pick up the dog poop. OMG, I feel like I’m going to have a heatstroke out here.

3:00-3:30 – I change into a traveling outfit (black pantsuit); redo my make-up; and bring my suitcase downstairs. I crack a prosecco-in-a-can. L. arrives from Art Camp right on time.

3:30-4:00 – L. and I load up and are on the road by 4:00 p.m.

4:00-5:15 – Driving

5:15 –6:30 - Arrive at Shutters on the Beach!  This hotel is absolutely beautiful, the customer service incredible. The doorman kindly tells us, “You don’t have to wear a mask if you’re vaccinated.” It’s shocking to hear this because even though the Governor rescinded the mask mandate, most stores in LA County are requiring either their employees or customers to mask OR customers are preferring to mask. I mask but I’m one of the few people in the hotel who do.

It’s 40 degrees cooler (68 degrees) here and we have floor to ceiling windows in our room that open wide to let in the sea air. We have a suite and it’s really, really nice.

We’re able to unpack most of our clothes and hang out in my Mom’s room for awhile before our dinner reservation.

6:30 – 9:00 - Mom, L., and I walk downstairs to The Courtyard at 1 Pico, the restaurant inside the hotel.  They have a wonderful patio with an ocean view, so we sit outside, under heat lamps. My brother and his wife (S. and M.) arrive a few minutes later.  I haven’t seen them in 2 years so this is very exciting and fun! I order the Santa Barbara Sea Urchin Saffron Linguine and two glasses of Italian Prosecco and everybody else gets…something??? Dinner is excellent!! L. orders dessert and I have two bites. It’s very good, whatever it is.

9:00-11:00 – L. and I return to the room and watch several episodes of Love, Death and Robots, then switch to The Clovehitch Killer. I’m too tired to make it through to the end.

***10:00- S. and M. end up hanging out at the beach.

11:00-12:00 – Nighttime routine. Bed.