Riding in cars with boys.

Oh, but not that awful Drew Barrymore movie. Why does she keep getting cast in anything that is not The Wedding Singer? I just don't know.

Anyway, my title refers to the way I spent the evening. Of course, there was just the one boy, unless Froggy is a boy (we have decided not to find out).

I was feeling a little bit down. That happens to me, more often than I'd like. This particular time, I was upset because a lot of people we know were going to a Hallowe'en party that we attended last year but decided not to go to this year, due in large part to not having costumes. I was feeling sad that we tend to be anti-social and never do "fun" stuff. Even though I genuinely prefer our kind of social activity, where we have people over for supper or meet Chris and Elise for a picnic. But logic doesn't enter into the blues, so I was upset that we don't go to parties. Even though I don't like parties. Can you imagine putting up with this every day? My husband is a saint.

Anyway.

Will tried very hard to cheer me up, but unfortunately his method (suggesting last minute costumes) was not in tune with my mood so I was just more obnoxious and then we were both frustrated. Yay.

Eventually I hit upon the idea of driving around looking for houses with good decorations. I did a quickie finishing job on a scarf I knitted for the occasion (it's this wonderful soft fuzzy orange yarn I got in the dollar bin at Target, and I knitted it weeks ago but never wove in the ends), grabbed the camera, and we got in the car. I suggested Los Feliz but Will wanted to first check out this nice neighborhood he discovered a while back that is behind a Methodist church. We wound up driving around there and up through the filthy rich part of Hancock Park (seriously, these are the biggest houses I have ever seen that were not gated).

At one point we had the following conversation:

Will: What is this type of architecture called?
Me: I don't know.
Will: Maybe Tudor?
Me: We should ask Jess.
Will: ...
Me: Because she has a degree in architecture.
Will: Oh. I thought maybe you meant because she's English.
Me: [hysterical laughter]

So obviously everybody's mood improved.

We are absolutely determined to one day live in the neighborhood I mentioned earlier. I guess it's in Mid-Wilshire area, maybe. I'm a little fuzzy on neighborhoods. We saw lots of nice decorations (way more than the super-rich area) and several For Sale signs. We also smelled a wood-burning fireplace. There is a park and I think a school in the immediate area. (The school is irrelevant since we plan to homeschool, but it's nice to know.) It's walking distance to lots of nice things but still quiet.

Please send half a million dollars. I will give you cookies.