The
Getty overlooking Los Angeles is a free museum set up
by the philanthropist J. Paul Getty.  The stark marble brightly loomed
above the LA highways, and Saturday morning we made this our first stop.  A
coworker of Donna’s recommended this museum, and since Esther and Kimmy are
artists, it was the perfect stop on our final day in LA.  After parking at
the bottom, we entered a tram that crawled up the side of the hills overlooking
the city and ocean.  Claire sat in her stroller facing a window revealing where
we started and she giggled at anyone who would listen, including the rude
couple who pushed their way through us and took the two seats next to the
stroller parking.  The Center itself had several different wings that we
wanted to peruse, but Claire’s voracious appetite got the best of her and we
had to pause for food.  After I smacked down a $20 for a small salad, two
waters and a cup of fruit, we fed Claire near the gardens on the north side of
the Center.  Kimmy and Esther made their way ahead, and later when we had
caught up with them, I saw one of my former students who chose to quit public
high school to go into real estate in California.

Before
our visit Kimmy asked what we wanted to do while we were in LA, and the only
thing other than Disneyland that I could think of was taking Claire to the beach.  I hoped to get her
feet wet and take pictures of her smiling in the crashing waves, but the beach
isn’t very warm in March.  We drove to Santa Monica Pier and dragged the
baby down the beach while she giggled as the wet wind blew around her.  Donna
stood her near the surf and I clicked a photo but wanted another without anyone
else in it.  I begged Donna to sit Claire in the sand and she
eventually acquiesced.  As soon as she let go, Kimmy and Esther screamed
“Wave! Wave! Wave!”
Donna swooped Claire up, just as the ensuing wave crashed
against her shoes and jeans.  A relatively irked Donna carried Claire into
the warm, windless safety of Bubba Gump Shrimp for dinner.

Now
don’t get me wrong, amusement park games are fun,
especially when you have a
small child or a

date to impress, so we played this dart game on the pier where
you throw darts at balloons. If you break the balloon you get a prize.  Of
course they never tell you that you need to hit like a bazillion balloons to
get something more than an ugly trinket that smells.  So eventually Donna
and I won Claire a purple elephant, and after we took some pictures of her with
it, and walked away, Donna mentioned how expensive purple elephants are.  I
gave her a quizzical look before realizing that we spent $14.00 on a stuffed
elephant that will sit on the shelf with the scads of other stuffed animals she
has in her room at home.  Oh well.

Gasoline
for trip = $60; Disneyland adventure = $85; museum parking = $7; Pink Elephant = $14; the look on Donna’s
face as she rescued Claire from Poseidon’s clutches = Priceless.