I no longer live in Downey, but tonight I was looking through pictures from when I'd first moved there.

I remember eating out a lot -- at the Chinese restaurant by the library, or the Thai restaurant at that strip mall on Bellflower. (Or sometimes, the Jack in the Box on Imperial Highway.) My first day in town I discovered Frisco's Car Hop, and that night I ended up driving past the McDonalds' Speedee-the-chef sign on Lakewood. I always got a thrill when I passed the Johnnie's Broiler sign on Firestone, and it was the Firestone mall that got me all stocked up for my new apartment. (Even if I couldn't find any science fiction books by William Gibson at its tiny B. Dalton's...)

Eating out became an ongoing theme. On Sunday nights I'd treat myself to dinner at a nice Marie Callendars, though my favorite restaurant was probably Johnny Reb's in Bellflower. (And I have fond memories of that time I met a friend at Bahooka's in Rosemead.) I was a bit of a geek, making a pilgrimage afterwards to the Fry's Electronics in City of Industry.

I never did make it to the Medieval Times dinner show, and I never did shop at The Citadel in Commerce. But I did make several visits to the Museum of Television and Radio. (Maybe that says something about my priorities.)

After the office Christmas party, I went with some of the guys from work to Tommy's hot dogs at 1 in the morning. It was decorated for Christmas. Christmas comes to L.A.

Wishing you the best for the coming new year!

6:47 PM