I've Got A Long Way To Run

We are in the Vagabond Inn in Bell Gardens, near L.A. How was I supposed to know this was a shady part of town? Allen asked me to make the hotel reservations, so I did. I guess I could have spent more time reading reviews; I was concerned about star levels and price. Our room is okay, but the toilet paper is stretchy and awful, and no one would even consider stealing the towels. We stayed with Steve & Mary on Saturday night and went to see a community theater production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." It wasn't the best production I have seen, and some of the interpretations were interesting (Joseph didn't exactly run away from Potiphar's wife . . .), but it was pretty good, and I think we'll have to purchase the soundtrack out here so Allen can hear what it was supposed to sound like. David babysat for us; I think the poor young man was traumatized by our baby; I guess Benji got himself so worked up that David couldn't calm him down, and he cried for a couple of hours! That's very uncharacteristic for him. Everyone did survive, and Mary thinks it was a good learning experience for David. I hope it wasn't too demoralizing! Yesterday we visited Allen's mother, who is kind to a fault. She won't turn anyone or anything away; besides Grandma and Wendy (her daughter), she has two friends, at least 3 birds, 5 cats, one dog, and two iguanas in her house. She is truly one of the nicest people I have ever met, but she's totally spunky too. I hope I can be as unselfish as she is someday. Today we are going to the La Brea Tar Pits and to Pink's for lunch, then we'll try some sushi for dinner. Should be interesting, to say the least!