Hi Family and Friends,
Have a funny adventure to tell you about that I took a couple of weeks ago. It was Chinese New Year and Jim and I were going to take the train into LA for the celebration. I went down Thursday before to make sure on the parking and all and was ready to take off on Sat. Jim bummed out on me and I was determined to go. So I took off, got caught behind a freight train getting to the station and missed the train. And when I got there all the parking facilities were locked up and I had to park in the worst park of town. I thought for sure my car was not going to be there when I got back. In order to catch the last train in I had to hire a cab to get to San Bernardino in 6 minutes. He screeched around corners and was going 90 miles an hour down the freeway. When I pulled up to the station the 2 porters were ready to shut the door. I jumped on and the doors closed. I thought to myself is this day going to be OK.
Union station is beautiful, just like in the old movies. Beautiful old leather chairs and big high windows and chandelier's. I thought you'd like to see it just for itself.
Double click the picture if you want to see it on a larger scale. So I make it into LA. Watched a Pueblo Dance that was quite interesting and then on to ChinaTown. OMG there were so many people shoving and pushing, it was just unbelievable. I first watched a children's parade in a corner alley way. When the dragon comes up to you, your supposed to put a red envelope that has money in it, in the mouth. Well hello tourist .
Nobody told me. It wasn't until they went to other people that I noticed the trick to it all. These little ones were between 3 & 5 so it was really cute to see.Wasted my time until the parade started having acupuncture and reflexology on my feet and old knee. It was just like the movies too. They take you winding into these back rooms where you don't have a clue about what is going to happen. Here's my new friend Sheldon that runs the place. As you can tell he helps all the Chinese with their aliments concocting potions??????
Almost time for the parade and fighting the crowd. I did manage to find 1 place to take picture but got kicked out for fire hazard. So I got next to the grand stand and got a good picture of the Grand Marshall of the parade. It's the year of the Rat....so who do you think is the biggest rat in all of LA to Grand Marshall the Chinese New Year Parade? Schwanagger??NO NO NO
Just after this I realize that my train leaves in about 20 minutes and I have to run 7 blocks, buy a tickets and find my train. Panic stricken I start running, ask every booth "where can I get a ticket to Riverside and what track". Down to the end you buy your ticket and Riverside is track B. I knew I was not going to make it. And I had to grab something to eat. I could tell my sugar was getting really low with everything spinning. Hurry Hurry I pleaded. When I got to track B, I look down to the end up back up to track B and knew for sure I was not going to make it. So I hobbled (by this time my knee was killing me, so much for the acupuncture), up the stairs got on the train (with no ticket) and sat down. It was packed. People kept asking me, are you OK lady, my face was scarlet red, I was sweating like a horse and just upheavaled. They soon closed the doors and off we went. Me panicked. The counter came by once with his clicker and once to count. Never said anything but I worried the whole time home. It took 2 1/2 hours to get home. I looked out the window and there was my little car, I was so glad. I got in it and drove home and rang the door bell and when Jim opened the door, this is what happened........
I'm so sad that my days of spontaneity and adventure are coming to an end. I learned that for sure on this trip. Hope you all had a Happy Chinese New Year......Denny