A few weeks after my birthday in December, my sister Liz moved out to SoCal to live here with us, and my nephew Nic did the road trip with her. Alberto and I wanted to do something fun with them during the weekend Nic was visiting and thought of taking them to the Gaslamp since they are now both 21. Right around the same time, an old friend and fraternity brother made a trip to Southern California for business and made a stop to see us!
Jennifer is a reporter down in Houston. She and I went to college together, and are in the same business fraternity.
Tan, who went to school with us too, came out for the festivities as well. He brought along another Houston friend that we all know, Hiro. Then Jen also brought another familiar face with her on the trip, another university alum named Ernesto that we all knew. What resulted was a confluence of different people showing up in town all at the same time. There's only one thing to do when that happens - party!
Dinner in the Gaslamp
Fun on the Rooftop
What a great idea! The bar ended up being a rooftop lounge, decked out with firepits, twinkly lights, chairs and tables covered with plastic tents to keep out the cold, and a bar underneath a palapa. In the corner was a long and narrow swimming pool that was illuminated from below, washing the whole scene in a soft glow.
After a couple of drinks we started getting itchy feet and decided to set out and explore again.
jimmy love's
L
As 2 am neared we started drifting in small groups downstairs to the lounge-type bar. As the dance floor cleared upstairs, we were having a round of something called Liquid Cocaine to celebrate the fabulous time that was had by all.
After leaving Jimmy Love's we decided to pause for a group photo on the street. Are we hot?
The Long Walk Home
After the long walk back to the car, we headed back to Tan's for a brief respite before heading home for the night.
Tan's House
It didn't take long for us all to become very sleepy after we arrived at Tan's house.
Jen and I took advantage of Hiro's air mattress on the floor and cozied up under a nice electric blanket.
Ernesto dozed off in the armchair while Alberto and Liz sat at the fireplace, quietly surveying the scene.
The rest of the boys played around a bit on the internet with silly videos and cartoons, but not much passed before we were ready to turn in for the night.
You go home!
The place is loaded with all sorts of surfing memorabilia and gear, and the atmosphere is laid back and very friendly.
We had delicious omelettes, pancakes, and scrambles and sat with a sense of relaxed satisfaction and pleasure when our plates were empty.
Oceanside Pier
It was a perfect day. Beautiful blue sky, shortboard surfers out in droves, and the air was just chilly enough to put a brisk spring in your step.
I am so happy that Jen got to take some time to see us, and that we were able to get such a fun group of Houstonians together! It was such a special treat for us to see everyone and have such fun times. Thank you for the great memories! We love you!
Fin
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