Day 57: A Day of Victories

I woke up around noon today. Don't judge. I flew into LA yesterday. It was a taxing experience. I had a breakfast of Rice Krispies while watching another episode of Stranger Things with my friends. We finally decided on a plan to go mini golfing, because mini golfing is awesome.

Let me say this right upfront, I proved victorious, but it was a close game the whole time, and a lot of fun. The course we went to was just the right amount of dirty and run down that I expect from every mini golf course. Highlights from the course were the haunted house (that had two tunnels down to the second part of the course, both options were pretty much the same, leaving you in a terrible spot) and the one that robbed a hole in one from me. The ball went into the hole, and bounced out. I swear there was some demon sitting in the hole waiting to push it out.

One of the great things about being in LA is that it is finally summer again. I'm back in the norther hemisphere, therefore back on my normal season cycle. New Zealand wasn't particularly cold, especially the northern island, but it wasn't warm either. Today I finally got to break out my shorts and t-shirt for the first time since Tokyo. Although I did make the mistake of wearing shoes, I'll definitely go with flip flops tomorrow.

After mini golf we walked around an outside mall and got some fresh fruit smoothies. I got one called The Hummingbird (because it's made with real hummingbird). It had mango, strawberry, and pineapple. But the best part was how cold it was, and how much of a relief it was from the heat.

For reasons I still can't explain, my friends and I then met up with more people at a local Chili's restaurant. It seemed like a strange and generic place to go in such a diverse city, but I didn't mind too much. It's kinda nice to have a simple menu that I'm familiar with. But we'll see what happens tomorrow.

Once back at the apartment there was a size-able gathering of friends. Mostly people I didn't know, but it was fun. They were all gathering in my temporary bedroom a.k.a. the living room, so I was pretty much forced to hang out with them. That sounds negative, but it isn't. I had a great time sitting and talking with everyone. Fortunately my friends know how to make good friends, so everyone there was enjoyable to be around.

At the beginning of the party a friend made what he called "Home Brew Mike's" (as in Mike's Hard Lemonade) which basically consisted of Black Cherry Kool-Aid and Vodka. I don't think anyone finished drinking a cup of it, the consensus seemed to be that it was similar to cherry cough syrup. I had some without the vodka and enjoyed it though. But of course I have quite the sweet tooth.

Later on there was a few rounds of Mario Party 4, which I again came out of victorious. Mario Party is one of those games that could easily be calm and relaxing, but is actually one of the most intense and stressful games in the world. By the end I was jumping out of my chair and yelling at Mario's unchanging animated expression. Definitely lots of fun though. I retired after my victory, deciding to go out on top, and then just watched other people play.

The night kept a good pace from there, until a few hours before midnight when people started trickling home. As I sit writing this all that is left is the aftermath. Empty plates of snacks, bowls of chips, and a myriad of empty and half filled drinking containers (from glass bottles to solo cups). This is how I know I'm back. A scene like this is something I only see when I'm in someone's home. Not in a hostel for a few days. It should probably seem gross, but it's somehow comforting.

I'm sure I won't have the same feeling a few months from now.

Alright, I think tomorrow we're going to a baseball game. I think the Red Sox are playing here. I'll let you know if I'm right in tomorrow's post.

Thanks for reading and here's to tomorrow.