Lobster Festival

Karl and I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon hanging out at the Port of Los Angeles with Arianna, her hubby Steve, and a couple of their friends. The event? Lobster Festival 2012. We missed it two years ago because it was around the same time we moved to our new place so I’m glad we were able to come.

We all decided to meet at 4:30pm when it got a little cooler. Traffic was heavy when we arrived, and  we had to drive to a designated parking place more than ten blocks away from the port. But it didn’t take us long to find a parking along 22nd Street. We walked crossed the street toward the bus stop where shuttles were transporting people to and from the event. Pretty clever of them to use school buses. I was impressed at how organized everything was.

Although parking was free, we had to pay a $10 admission fee. It was easy to spot Arianna with her salmon dress and red lobster hat already standing in line for her lobster meal. We snuck in line, which was moving pretty fast, and before we knew it we had a large juicy lobster on our plate with slices of lemon, butter, and a side of coleslaw salad and potatoes. All that food for only $19. What a deal!

Good thing they had large tents set up where people could eat in the shade away from the blistering heat of the sun, otherwise, it would’ve been torture. The temperature had risen to about 103f. Eating lobster is incredibly messy, but fun at the same time. Arianna’s hubby took some videos of her for her blog via a Flip cam. (I learned from them that Flip had recently gone bankrupt and no longer exists. Ours got chewed up by Miles two Christmases ago.)

Not satisfied with his lobster, Karl moved on to Cajun Chicken Sausage in a French Roll. Talk about an appetite.

Only $19 for the entire plate.

The lobster wasn’t enough…

Refreshing pina colada with cherries and whipped cream. Plus, free refills!

Just hanging out and listening to a live band performing.

Time to go home.

Karl’s 34th Birthday

My luvey turns 34 today. We are six years apart, but I’ve never felt the age difference. Well…except when he spoils me.

After Karl’s proposal last night, I wanted to come up with a clever response for his birthday. Since he had presented my ring in the form of a dessert, I thought it would make most sense to do something similar. Originally I had thought about getting him a dozen of Sprinkles cupcakes customized with the word ‘yes’ on three cupcakes. You see, I was in total shock when it happened and the moment went by so fast I felt compelled to say yes all over again. Unfortunately, I found myself working the entire day with very little time to spare before meeting up with his parents for dinner. Sprinkles only has two locations in Southern California (Newport Beach and Beverly Hills), and I didn’t want to risk being late for dinner. I decided to try my luck at my favorite Korean bakeshop close to our place. As soon as I saw the heart-shaped Black Tea cake on their display, I knew that was it. Problem was they couldn’t customize it for me. Good thing there was a Ralph’s next door. I went straight to their baking section and found a sheet of candy-coated numbers and letters, which were the perfect size. I decided to add the letters Y-E-S in the parking lot because I didn’t want Karl to see my little surprise. A old couple, who had parked beside me, laughed when they saw what I was doing.

We picked up his parents at their house and left the cake there for dessert time. We had Karl’s birthday dinner at Gatten Sushi in Rownland Heights. Karl’s parents know how much we love sushi and treated us to this revolving sushi bar. They also gave us a card and a gift certificate to a nearby reflexology place. They’re always very sweet and thoughtful. We feel incredibly lucky to have them in our lives.

We went back to his parents’s place for coffee and cake. Karl’s mom was trying to open the cake box, but I hinted to her that Karl had to open it himself because there was a special message for him in there. When Karl opened up the box, he gasped and laughed upon seeing the letters. Of course, being the usual foodie that he is he could not wait to devour the cake, and even had a couple slices. It had one of the most interesting flavors we’ve ever tasted and we enjoyed very much. I’m not very fond of cakes, but the mousse-like texture made it palatable to me. Whew! I didn’t think I was able to pull it off, but thank goodness I did because it made Karl’s birthday more memorable. Mission accomplished.

The newly engaged couple.

Karl and I with his parents at Gatten Sushi.

Karl with his Dad.

Happiness.

Karl with his Mom and Dad enjoying a really good bottle of dessert wine.

Karl blowing out his birthday candles.

The cake up-close.

ON A SIDE NOTE: My parents coincidentally got me a heart-shaped cake in Bogo to mark my birthday even in my absence and my adorable nephew Nijo blew out the candles!