Wild and wet weekend

The last few days have been a whirlwind, frankly. Big aztec basketball win against Furman, now on to Alabama! We will shock the world, or at least cover... Leslie went out to a woman's retreat Saturday with a pal and made friends with a cute kid.

We got up early Sunday morning and drove to the flea market in Long Beach. I bought a few really nice Robert Wood paintings that Bill had held for me. This one is large (24 x 36") and unusual, it is titled "Where the wild iris grow." I have seen him paint bluebonnets before but never iris like this. I like it. Very different.

Someone will enjoy this painting I am sure. 

Not sure of the mountain in the background. 

Shasta?

I sold an item to a client who had agreed to meet me there and Warmboe gave me some stuff that the pottery restorer had finished. 

Returned a painting to Waterbury. 

The market serves many vital functions and it has for millennia. The Southern California souk.

I love the flea markets. You can buy, sell, gossip and people watch. Place was jammed.

I brought my camera but never broke it out all weekend, depending on my cell phone. 

Whoever told you they worked as well as cameras doesn't know how to use a camera...

My hip and knee have been sore, probably arthritis, I didn't walk the whole flea, was hard enough wheeling paintings through the gauntlet of the crowd.

Leslie bought a few kimonos. Our next destination was intended to be Desert Hot Springs. I had an appointment to meet clients in the Palm Springs area Monday and we decided to stay over together and get a dip in the pools for a shvitz. Take the waters, as they say.

On the way there we decided to stop at our favorite spot for brunch in the city of Orange, Citrus City Grille. The place is rather expensive at forty nine dollars a head but it is an incredible feed, I don't know anything else like it in this day and age. We started the late morning with bloody marys. Great meal.

Walking back to our car we stopped off at an old antique comrade's shop, Woody. The king of Heywood Wakefield is retiring after 45 years. 

His mother has dementia and he says it is time to sail into the sunset. We wish him well.

We drove back towards our desert destination and made one more stop at Cabazon, the Morongo Outlet Mall.

We poked around a few shops, mainly the Le Creuset store where they were showing off some new additions including their purple line and this nifty bread baker.

I was good and bought nothing but wanted to check out what they had.

We finally made it to the hotel, found out that we were two hours early for check in so drove in to Palm Springs to buy a sandwich to eat later at dinner.

We learned long ago to not trust the food in Desert Hot Springs!

Leslie knew a cool sandwich shop and we hung out. Stopped and bought some dates at a little market we like.

We stayed at Miracle Springs Resort this time. We have stayed there before. 

It seems to be a favorite of the Russians and Eastern Europeans but it lacks some of the scuzzier patrons found next door at the Desert Hot Springs resort, the old warhorse.

It claims that it is the only spa around with both a cold springs and a hot springs.

The water is really nice there as is the background view.

We can't afford Two Bunch Palms anymore and this seems like the next best thing for our needs. Lots of pools, clean and fairly well kept.

We have stayed at the big places and at the boutiques, this one manages to hit most of our marks.

I get a free night after every ten stays on Hotels.Com and redeemed my free night so the whole thing cost me about $29. 

Will do this again and soon. Or as soon as I get another free night anyway.

Leslie loves to soak and so do I.

The snow capped peaks of San Jacinto loomed spectacularly in the background.

After our morning soak we met Warmboe for breakfast at Sherman's. We were meeting afterwards with Bill's clients.

We had a nice visit and bought some things from the downsizing couple.

I don't know exactly what possessed me but I asked them if they had any french cookware for sale?

Lo and behold, they opened up a cabinet with about six or seven pieces of Le Creuset.

I'm like, you don't really need two dutch ovens do you? Long story short, they gave me a ridiculously good buy on a 7 quart vintage dutch oven in green.

I don't look too happy, do I?

You see, I cooked a poule au pot in our old elysees yellow three and a half quart dutch oven on Saturday night and the 5.9 lb. chicken was simply too big for the pot. 

I couldn't even get the lid properly on and it peeled off the skin on top.

I couldn't even fit a spatula in, let alone vegetables which I had to prepare instead on the skillet.

Now my problem is solved!

Tonight is braised short ribs!

Bon appetit!

Wait, back to the trip. We decided to go back over the hill, towards Anza. Much prettier and maybe some snow. Didn't see any but it was certainly beautiful and less hectic.

It was a long but fun weekend. Thanks to one and all.