I've been gone because friends have been visiting. Did I miss anything in particular?
I got to spend a lovely day with Robin and Dan at the Bower's Museum. The Terracotta Warriors aren't there, but the Egyptian exhibit on loan from the British Museum was and I enjoyed that more than I thought I would. Mummies are just awesome. They also had a nice exhibit on Ancient China from the permnament collection and a visiting gem stone exhibit. Dan promised he'd buy me a tiera when he became famous. They had the most amazing little carved animals made out of gem stones. There was also a giant double-fired(?) fossil which shone beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges. I also love seeing the usual stuff- especially the Native American baskets, the Mayan artifacts, and the headdresses from Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Americas. They had a few very intricately carved caskets from Indonesia I believe which were in the shape of animals and one from Central America carved as a Jaguar.
I'm going back in May for the Warriors. Onyx, trip, y/y?
We then went down to Old Towne Orange and went to my favorite little cafe bistro place. I had chilli, a chicken chipotle panini (which comes with pasta and a bite size desert chocolate chip cookie), and chocolate gellato. It was freezing out, but I don't get gellato every day.
We drove back the canyon route and the creek is full and rushing which makes me happy, because we needed the water. It was my first time driving through it since the fires and some areas are entirely back and the trees that once covered over head were no longer there. It was sad, but it's still beautiful.
And then we spent all night playing Uno and watching Austin Powers. Next time they come down, provided there is no rain, I'm taking them to San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point.
To make this an official fannish entry- my copy of Diablo II arrived and I think I'm going to choose the Amazon class.