Celebration at The Grove Los Angeles, California

Time to return to Ron and Pat's Wonderful Vacation Adventure in Los Angeles, California:

Today's installment is of me and Pat and our wonderful, lovely, beautiful and gracious hostess Nadege treating me and Pat to a movie at the Pacific Theater at The Grove, the place to be in West Hollywood.  This isn't the Dover Mall folks (hardly). To say I was in culture shock (me, a Walmart and B.J.'s regular) would be an understatement. When we walked into the sumptuous, spacious and luxurious lobby of the Pacific movie theater I realized that I was miles and miles away from the Midway movie theater of Rehoboth Beach. Wow, I could get used to this.

The "Refreshment Stand" at the Pacific movie theater at The Grove (Pat is the third person from the right) - hey Raybeard, how would you like this to be your neighborhood movie theater?

You know folks, I don't think I could ever go back to the Midway Theater in Rehoboth Beach now. I've been thoroughly spoiled. Oh it doesn't take much to spoil me.  I've known from an early age that I have expensive tastes, way above my social strata.  I must have been filthy rich in one of my previous lives. Maybe I was one of those first class Titanic passengers that went down with the ship in 1912.  I don't know but what I do know is that I very easily gravitate towards expensive tastes. I am a snob. 

The movie we decided on was a Liam Neeson movie "Taken Three."  Pat had seen the previous Liam Neeson "Taken" movies and said this was true to the formula.  I liked the movie but I'm more of a "Downton Abbey" kind of movie guy.  But I loved the luxurious seats we were nestled in.  Wow, again this wasn't the Midway theater in Rehoboth Beach. Great surround sound, movie screen and comfortable seats.  What's not to like for $27.95?



After we watched the movie, we exited to the outside to decided what to do next. Nadege suggested the Farmer's Market. Oh, I've heard so much about the Farmer's Market. By the way, the rain . . . . very unusual for Los Angeles but it didn't bother us or the other shoppers at the Grove that day.  it was a gentle rain, not the kind of rain that you always see in the movie, buckets of rain. This was real life rain, not "movie rain" which is actually garden hoses from the side out of camera range.


Looking at these videos and pictures that I took of our California Adventure I am reminded of how lucky I am to be able to record these memories forever. I've been accused (by some) of "living in the past." Well folks, I plead guilty. My only regret is that I didn't take more pictures and videos in my past so I could relive me past and share these good times with those who are interested now. This is my legacy.




Continuing on with our rainy day at The Grove, if I lived in West Hollywood I daresay I would be hanging out at places like The Grove almost every day. So it's a good thing I don't live in West Hollywood because I couldn't afford it. Not with my modest bank pensions and Social Security and part-time job at the hotel in Lewes. I'm just small potatoes man, able to take a once a year fantasy journey to Hollywood and indulge myself with friends for a few fun days. Of course we will be returning next year.  Always great to have something to look forward too.

The food court at the Farmer's Market - The Grove Los Angeles, California

By the way folks, I think I'm finally going to make that trip I've always wanted to make my whole life . . . to my ancestral homeland . . . . England.  Yes, it is true folks, perhaps next year in the spring.  That is if my health holds out and I don't have any more accidents.  Time is a running out folks, the old Hour Glass of Life for me is quickly coming to an end.  I'm always surprised when I look at videos or pictures and realize they were taken six, seven and more years ago.  Time does go by so fast.  Now is not the time to put off That Trip for sometime in the future.  The future is here now.

Look closely and you'll see "Tipton" England - where my clan started out - located in the Black County of Midlands, England

The Grove, Los Angeles Part Two

Spending an afternoon at the West Hollywood shopping mall "The Grove" was a very pleasant, unexpected interlude during our stay in Los Angeles.  We would never have known about this wonderful oasis in the middle of West Hollywood were it not for our friend Nadege.  Thank you Nadege!

Pat and I weren't planning on buying anything  but it sure was pleasant wandering around, soaking up the spring like temperatures, and listening to the relaxing music.  One store we stopped in (the video at the beginning this blog) had a wonderful, thumping sound system to accompany our wanderings in their store.  I haven't been to clubs with such a good sound system.  I checked the prices of the men's items; almost all of which were in blacks and grays, just the way Pat and I were dressed so I guess we were in style, and they really weren't outrageously expensive. Lots of those skinny legged jeans in this store at designer prices.  That's one style I'll never cotton too.  I think they look stupid.

We also stopped in Nordstroms.  Nordstroms is a nice store but, from what I saw, WAY TOO EXPENSIVE for the likes of us.  This is obviously a store for folks with too much money.  Gold lame sneakers anyone? Only $750. ONLY?  I would have loved to shown this to my Mother who wouldn't spend over $20 for a dress.  



We were killing time waiting for our California friend (and frequent commentor on my blog) Nadege.  We were going to the movies.  We saw "Taken Three" with Liam Neeson.  I hadn't seen the first two "Taken" films but Pat told me this movie was the same formula, which was a bit tired by the third installment.  

One thing I did like though was this theater. I know I've been bursting with superlatives, describing out stay in California but I'm telling you, this was the most magnificent movie theater I've ever been in my life.  That could tell you two things, either I haven't been to too many movies theaters (I have actually) or this was one truly luxurious theater.  The seats, with head rests.  The sound.  The screen.  Now if we just had a decent movie but they're hard to come by these days aren't they?

The lobby of the movie theater at the Grove- and yes, that's Pat in the center walking towards the concession stand for his hot buttered popcorn; he can't watch a movie without popcorn (I can)

Below I make a suggestion to Pat that we buy a festive pair of shoes for our B & B hostess Nina.  Check out Pat's reaction to my suggestion.  The "Ron and Pat" show: to be continued . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Grove, Los Angeles Part 1

One of the many delights we discovered during our visit to Los Angeles, was the shopping mall/farmers' market called The Grove.  See HERE:

Main Stret - The Grove - Los Angeles

My blogger friend Nadege had suggested that Pat and I meet her there.  We weren't sure where the Grove was or even WHAT it was so we decided to take a trial run to find out where it was.  Much to our surprise, the Grove was only a few short blocks from where we were staying at our B & B.  Just one more reason to book our stay next year at the Hollywood Bed and Breakfast.

What a pleasant surprise!  Talk about a shopping mall.  Wow.  Pat and I were just going to touch base but the Grove was so inviting and comfortable we just spent several hours walking around, soaking up The Good Life.  The Dover Mall this wasn't.  

How do I adequately describe the Grove? From the music playing outdoor, to the relaxing whooshing sounds of the fountains, and the stress reducing, winding brick walkways . . . . this is living folks.  This shopping mall (if you can call it that) had everything.  From high end department stores like Nordstroms that sells $85 T-shirts and $1,395 Jimmy Choo shoes to a regular farmers' market bazaar of every kind of find you could wish or imagine for.  Talk about sensory overload.  



Quite frankly folks, Pat and I are just a couple of tourist hicks who were so overwhelmed at how the Other Half lives. And here I thought Peebles at the Rehoboth Mall was a big deal.

Among the many things that impressed us while we were in California was the sunny, mild, spring like days . . . in January!  The easy going people.  We saw nary a gun-toting, Tea-Party pissed off redneck, while we were walking around this wonderful mall.  Pat and I didn't get even one of those "funny" looks like we surly would have received if we were walking around a mall like this in Alabama or South Carolina (even if they had a mall like this).  Like Pat's hometown of Toronto; the Los Angeles we visited was a very diverse community that was unconcerned about two older men walking around together obviously enjoying each other's company and more concerned with their own lives.  Imagine that . . . live and let live.



One of the main reasons I moved to Delaware was that I was so tired of getting the "queer eye" from some when Bill and I shopped at Home Depot or Lowes in Downingtown, Pennsylvania where we used to live.  Where we had a neighbor who reported us to police just because we were gay (or as she called us "gaywads.")  Of course the local police threw her out of their office.  I guess in her eyes we weren't allowed to live in the country but instead restricted to living in an inner city gay neighborhood.  But here I go again getting all negative and I do want to keep (most) of my blog posts from here on out positive and happy.  But folks I couldn't help but notice the welcoming and friendly and minding their own business and not being concerned with my business ambiance of the folks we mingled with in Los Angeles.  Wow, was that ever a long sentence.  

Remember two years ago when I told you that a distant cousin of mine in North Carolina threatened me during me and Bill's visit to his parents because I lead "the gay lifestyle"?  No threats like this were received by us when we visited California.  How refreshing, and free.