True Margrit

We head over to Santa Monica around 2pm to grab a bite & chill. The traffic is---well, it's L.A. ... y'know. By the time we park, we are getting the low blood sugar, grouchy, sleep-deprived, we live out of suitcases, we have been around each other a LOT feelings that make it hard to think straight enough to choose a restaurant. And there are so many options on Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade. Somehow, we are mysteriously drawn to Cafe Monsieur Marcel. And there it is. We harmonize culinarily and share an order of the Cafe Monsieur Marcel charcuterie plate--which, when it arrives, clearly puts the cute back into charcuterie!



Thus fortified, we walk unto Santa Monica and...WAIT FOR IT....ok, here it is: we do a bit of shopping (!!!!) at Wasteland (no go), a spice store, (Gary scores some spice), and Leonidas Chocolate (we all score something here, natch). We then hit Kathmandu Boutique and Andrew buys some presents for Heather & himself & we meet some super-sweet new friends!

And now it's time to head to this evening's venue:TRIP. We arrive when the hilariously snarky bartender is setting up for the evening and a few other quiet drinkers are peering meditatively into their beverages. We strike up a conversation with a very intriguing dude from Australia who is in the film & TV music licensing universe (ps: I hope he likes us!)


In due course, the opening act goes on, customers/fans/friends/family arrive (including our delightful former guitarist NIALL FORDYCE and his lovely wife ANDREA) and we take the stage for our rock du jour. And it is good. Yes it is.

Sadly, our late night snack at Du-Pars is not so very good. It's best to generally draw a veil over the ill-fated repast--but the question that rings in our ears/stomachs as we head home to sleep is: how extremely tepid can tepid get?