Something’s Turning Over
This past Saturday morning, and again yesterday morning, I woke to snow on the ground. But just last week I’d woken to sunny 70s in Palm Springs, California and hopped into a hot tub and then a pool before breakfast. Usually I ride out our long winter-into-spring season fairly patiently but having gotten a taste of the good life has ruined me. And this winter has been excessively harsh and brutally long.
But a little California dreaming will help get me through. I’m longing for warmth and refreshing beverages, like the vodka lemonade slushies and a “desert facial” (with vodka and cucumber) that we imbibed at the ACE Hotel’s bar (the lobby of which contains an astounding amount of macrame bullshit – I would love to throw my cats in and see what chaos ensues). Other highlights included mani/pedis at Delight, an excellent brunch at and stroll around the grounds of The Parker Hotel. But the real and for true highlight of the whole trip? Our meal at the understated Kiyosaku. We began with Kiyo’s Grapefruit Special in an intimate setting. The only other patrons happened to be owners of another area restaurant. We all talked. We giggled. We consumed one perfect item after another, deftly prepared by Kiyo. And then. The unexpected but not unwelcome. Kiyo busted out a little old ghetto blaster from beneath the counter…and proceeded to serenade us. Engelbert Humperdinck has never sounded so good. Kiyo’s wife Terri had her turn with the mic, which was really a fish scaler, as well. She has a lovely voice. And then I was sent home with a bottle of delicious Harushika extra dry sake. My hostess and I went to bed giddy that night. It doesn’t get any more magical than that.
