Tucson is beautiful. Something is wacky with the weather because I travelled from downcast Los Angeles to sunny Tucson and still returned to a rainy SoCal. Really, though, the hotel setting for Left Coast Crime (LCC) was so surreal and pretty! Majestic mountains, fluffy floating clouds, and impressive cacti surrounded me! I even saw a cactus with a rose growing on it! Of course, I didn't go for the secluded location. I went to see people--and they didn't disappoint either! It's … [Read more...]
Surrey International Writers’ Conference
Honestly, I thought I might be too conferenced out to enjoy SiWC. I'd already attended three writing conferences this year and was ready for a break. The organizers, though, were so lovely and inviting. Plus, Canada! The forecast was rain, so I didn't get to leave the hotel much. I did take a quick walk to the local park, marveling at the fall foliage along the way (see my Instagram account for more photos), and even discovered a black squirrel (check out my IG reel)! At the … [Read more...]
Canada, Here I Come
It's been years since I've traveled internationally (thank you, pandemic). Later this week, though, I'll be heading to Canada. To Surrey, BC--my first time there! I'm grateful for the chance to attend the Surrey Writers' International Conference. It'll be a lot of fun, and I'll need to turn on my conference mode. Since it's been so long, I had to make myself a checklist of items to think about: -Passport: Oops. I found out that my passport had actually expired, so I had to renew it. … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Chowdah
One of my favorite soups is clam chowder. Maybe because it reminds of the sea because I loved the ocean but grew up in landlocked Central California. Or perhaps since I liked those cute oyster crackers. I have fond memories of going to San Francisco and enjoying chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. Once, I even wrote down a recipe from a cooking show to create homemade chowder. It was very tasty but took a long time to make. After that experience, I opted to get gourmet versions from … [Read more...]
Giving Trees
One of my favorite books as a kid was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein because of the tree’s generosity. Years later, I also realized it was a really sad story. Still, I think about trees in the same way—that they always give and give without complaint. I love trees. As a child, I sketched out a blueprint for my ideal tree house. Too bad my parents weren’t sold on the idea. I still love trees. It’s one of the many reasons I enjoy camping in the mountains. Fresh air. Twinkling stars. … [Read more...]
Mustache Pretzels
I’m a fan of the soft pretzel. Sure, I like crunchy pretzels to munch on for snacking, but I have the fondest memories of soft pretzels. I think it all stems from a school trip I took to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. Using some spending money, I bought and devoured my very first soft pretzel—it was fabulous. I’m still hard-pressed to beat that initial savory taste. Growing up, I sometimes went to the local mall and browsed. The alluring scent from Auntie Anne’s would often follow me … [Read more...]
Omu-Rice
Several years ago, I visited Japan. We went to some amazing sights, including the iconic Kinkaku-ji or Golden Pavilion in Kyoto: I also highly recommend the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo, especially for fans of Miyazaki: Per my usual travel aspirations, I explored the food around me. The variety of mochi was excellent—even in the train station! I also really enjoyed the fresh, locally-sourced food found in the obanzai dishes of Kyoto. Plus, I admired the ubiquitous bento … [Read more...]
(Not) Drinking from Cacti & Other Fun Road Trip Facts
Whee! We recently drove from California to New Mexico for the Left Coast Crime conference. I love gathering random factoids on road trips. At a pit stop in Phoenix, we stopped by the Desert Botanical Garden. Thank goodness it wasn’t too hot. (The temp would go up to high 80s later on.) I was wowed by all sorts of cacti (but please don’t give me a pop quiz on them). Unfortunately, I was also sad to discover that you can’t really drink water out of a barrel cactus. It’s more like a glue or sap … [Read more...]