First was off to the French Market Cafe. Then a run of stores to get things like wall clocks and the dress pictured below and screws to mount our new California license plate. (Yes, I also have a California Driver’s License now. This frightens me.)

Then it was off to the Mulligan Family Fun Center in Torrence for a friend’s 30th birthday. We played mini-golf and then got way too rowdy with the go karts. SO MUCH FUN. You have no idea how much fun. According to the website, our go karts reached mind-blowing speeds of 18 miles an hour! Never mind that they sounded like lawn mowers (which, realistically they probably were), it was a blast to rip around those curves trying to cut each other off. I got into epic corner-clipping battles with my friends John and Dallas. Such a good time.

Well, except for the disturbing games that revolved around disaster. One was called “TITANIC!” and featured flashing lights and a sinking ship. The other was called “AFTERSHOCK!” and was all about destroying a little mini-San Francisco with a massive human-powered earthquake. I thought these were really disturbing, until I realized that compared to games where you shoot at people until their heads fall off in a shower of sparkling 3D blood, a game about a sinking ship isn’t so bad. Maybe.

Then it was back to the birthday boy’s house for mudslides, dinner, and flan.

Then Andreas went to a movie, but I couldn’t take it and had to come home and rest quietly and prepare for my work week.

New aim: carpool to work twice a week. Starting last week.