The drive down to LA yesterday was a bit tiring, but we made it down safe and sound on one tank of gas.
Before I left to go shopping, my mother had me place my ornament on the tree. We have an 6ft artificial tree made out of plastic that we've had since 1985. Everyone in our family has an ornament made out of wood that is the first letter of our names.
Today I went to the Del Amo Fashion Centre to do some more Christmas shopping. I was actually pretty shocked that the mall wasn't too crowded. It's a lot smaller than I remember it, and some of the best features of the mall that I used to love are gone now, like the two bookstores that used to be there. I guess they've been displaced by bigger bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Borders. The huge holiday display that the put up every year is still there though -- it's a pair of minature snow covered cabins right next to where children can take photos with Santa.
Maybe I've lived in the Bay Area too long and been spoiled by the mainstream stores all being located in the mall, and the smaller, more specialty-type stores being located elsewhere. I'm going to go to Brea or South Coast Plaza tomorrow to hopefully finish the rest of my shopping. They are bigger malls than Del Amo but they don't compare in size at all to West Edmonton Mall.
After coming back from shopping, my sister and I ate dinner, and we talked to my mother for a while about our family history, and we reminisced about when I was younger. Afterwards, we all watched the original Italian Job (made in 1969), in which my mother recognized both Michael Caine and Benny Hill, and this summer's remake of the Italian Job.
I need to get an oil change done on my car, and I want to take in my father's car to get the transmission flushed. I can tell by the noises it's making that it hasn't been done in a while.
Tomorrow evening I think I'm going to be metting up with Erica, Calvin and Theresa for dinner. I'm hoping that if we do end up meeting in downtown L.A., I'll be able to visit The Promenade for some specialty store shopping. As far as I've noticed, places with names like "Spectrum" or "The Block" or "Citywalk" usually refer to outdoor malls, and places that are indoor usually are the names of the city or street they are located on. (i.e. Del Amo Fashion Centre, Los Cerritos Centre, Westminister Mall)
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