Don,

When we moved to So. CA from NY, we lived in Huntington Beach. We then moved to Santa Ana (right across the street from South Coast Plaza). We then purchased a home in Tustin in 1977 and have been here since.

Do you still have family in O.C.?

Denise, all of my family as well as Diana's family is still in OC. If you lived across from South Coast Plaza we lived pretty close to each other. We lived at Flower and Warner right across from Memorial Park. I used to deliver newspapers for the Register maybe even in the neighborhood that you lived in. Right off of MacArthur and Bristol. In fact, we used to race our go-carts in the parking lot of South Coast Plaza before it was finished. Guess I really am showing my age!!! LOL

Well, you are showing OUR ages!

We lived on MacArthur and then on Sunflower. We remember SCP when the big stores were Sears and May Co., with several stores in between. The two restaurants were Kaplans and Riviera. Times have changed for SCP. It's now the Rodeo Drive of O.C. In fact, I worked for SCP, in their restaurant marketing dept. for five years. By the time I left SCP, there were approx. 40 restaurants that we marketed. O.C. has grown by leaps and bounds!

It's good having an old neighbor to chat with, Don!

I lived in Irvine for 17 years before moving to Thousand Oaks 6 years ago. I too remember when SCP was just yer basic mall, anchored by Sears and May Co. I don't remember Kaplans, but I think I remember Riviera -- wasn't that a really dark kind of French steakhouse sort of place?

The last time I was down in OC, about a year ago, we went by SCP and I couldn't BELIEVE it! That much change in only 6 years! The place is a behemoth now.

I really do love it up here in TO. It's still so quiet, very family-oriented, still a small-town feel. It hasn't grown much at all since we moved here. It reminds me of the way some areas of OC were when I first moved there, back in the early 80's.

I was up in your neck of the woods hiking yesterday LeeAnne. Paradise Falls - perfect day for it.

Anyone remember Will Wrights or Swensens Ice cream Parlors?

POP - my, I have not thought about that place in ages!

Right you are, LeeAnne, about Riviera. They had excellent food.

O.C. was so small-town and serene when we first moved here. Now, we are bursting at the seams and there is lots of hustle-bustle. The small streets of Tustin, where we live, can't handle the influx of people.

Robert, I remember Swenson's. Remember when you ordered The Zoo, they brought out a huge troth of ice cream, toppings, etc. and ran around the restaurant with the troth on a stretcher, yelling and screaming and blowing whistles? If you finished the whole thing, I think they gave you a congratulatory ribbon.

Denise,

That was Farrell's that had the Trough and the "fire brigade" for your birthday. There was a Swenson's on Harbor near Gisler (Costa Mesa) and a Swensons in South Coast Village we frequented.

My stepdaughter, Christy, grew up there and all of our (my 1st hubby) weekends were spent down in OC from 1976 - 1994, when she got married. We contemplated buying a condo on Sunflower near Fairview. She's still there and has twins we take out to the Mall when we go to visit.

OOPS - Thanks for the correction, Kathy! I had forgotten about Farrell's.

There was a Swenson's on Bristol and Sunflower in a strip mall - the owner's name was Hans. I believe Swenson's is still there. We also have a Swenson's in Tustin.

Denise, actually that was Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor that had the Zoo. We had it a couple of times with large groups, but it really didn't taste too good all mixed together. I remember the first time we had Swensens, which was on our Honeymoon, when we were in Sausalito. Boy it was good!!! Of course anything sounds good right now while I am on this diet. We do have an ice cream place here (Braums) that is pretty good and inexpensive. They also have a low carb ice cream that tastes just as good as their regular ice cream. They did have Swensens here at one time. Not sure if they are in business still. But, no Marie Callendars, no See's Candy, and worse, no IN-N-OUT Burgers!!! What kind of desert are we living in anyways? LOL

That is funny that you mentioned Kaplans. My brother in law was a manager of the one in Cerritos where my wife worked as a hostess for awhile.

Leanne, last time we were in OC, we sat in traffic on the 55, 91, 405, 5, 22, and every road in between. It is defintately not the same place where we grew up .

Of course Dallas has it's share of traffic issues. The difference is, here at least cars are still moving and not parked when they call it a traffic jam!

Don, I had a memory blip about Farrells!

Great memories for us all! It's a small world!

I thought I had died when we moved here from NY - the OC restaurant selection was horrid. We went into LA to find decent restaurants. So glad OC dining has changed for the better.

I have two more You Know You Live in CA if....

It's 83 degrees in January and you are wearing shorts.

You are at an Aretha Franklin concert and sitting 5 rows in front of you is Meryl Streep! (Note: She was and she's lovely!).

Thats so true! We went to see Neil Diamond at the Greek Theater in LA when he started calling celebrities from all over the audience to come up on stage with him. I know that Mayor Bradley was there, also David Jansen (The Fugitive was still loose) and Henry Winkler and a bunch of others that I can't remember. I especially remember the Fonz because this little short guy stood up right in front of me and I started to tell him to sit down, and it turned out to be him.

OMG, Farrells...with the little plastic monkeys in the fire drill thing!

When you go to events in So. CA, the audience is also an event unto itself!

You know you live in So.Cal when you can't remember the numbers on the freeways so you just call them, by where they go. San Diego, San Gabriel, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernadino, Ventura, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Pomona, Pasadena, etc. I know I'm missing several for which I apologize. I've been gone too long.

Of course here in Dallas we just name them after people. Now, thats not confusing!!! LOL

Right you are, Don!

Small world!

I grew up in Orange, went to Orange High. My cousins lived near SCP, and we watched it being built.

Maybe we should have an Orange County LCT get-together sometime.

Give plenty of notice, though. We now live in Marin, but I work in Seattle and would have to do some trades to get enough time off to get there.

Frances

Frances, sounds like a grand idea. My sister and brother in law live in Villa Park, right of Katella. In fact I used to work in Orange at Villa Ford for a short while several years ago.

Would love to plan that, Frances and Don.

Don, my husband knows many people at Villa Ford, as he is an auto claims adjuster for Allstate. When did you work there and what is your last name? If you both met, that would really be a coincidence.

BTW, Marcie and Tom are OC people, too. We have the makings of a great group, so please let us know when we can put this together.

I went to high school at La Mirada - on the edge of Orange County and lived in Brea for 4 years. My mom lives in Fullerton, very close to Marcie & Tom. Does all that count??

OF COURSE!!! Count you in when we plan this, Cyndi!

Yeah!!! I'll be there.

Wonderful!

Let's try to plan something in the Spring, after Marcie and Tom return. What do you all think?

Denise:

I have a feeling we'll meet in California before we do on a ship.

Penny and I bought our first home in Placentia, Calif. in 1973 and had our first baby there so Orange County has been special to us. You just might find us attending one of your events as that would be fun plus I have several sales calls to do there, plus visit with Bill & Joy (Oceandancer) and attend graduation Friday at Marine Corps. Recruit Depot, San Diego. I completed basic training there in 1959. Lots of fond Calif. memories.

Cheers! Ray

We can have an All Orange County Table or two at the Welcome Home Marcie and Tom Cruise aboard the Queen Mary May 1st at 11AM! Long Beach is very close to OC!

Ray, we'd be more than honored if you and Penny would join us.

Chatkat/Kathy:

You should be more careful who you issue an invitation to because I just talked to the boss and we're thinking seriously of making the trip. It looks like we'll make a stop in Tucson to visit daughter # 2 and then head into Calif.

Fortunately for me, Penny says I get to go everywhere twice, second time for apologies, so maybe I'll make the next get-together, and the next one after that, so on and so on. Cool!

Cheers! Ray

Ray,

It would be an honor and a privilege to have you and Penny join in the fun. We've been looking forward to meeting you both.

I like the idea of getting together during Marcie and Tom's Welcome Home brunch.

Diana and I leave on May 8th for Rome to catch the Silver Whisper. We hope to meet up with LCT'r Leeanne in Civitavecchia on the 12th when she gets off the Voyager and before we board the Whisper.

Don

Don,

May will be a very busy time for you. I guess we will all need to think up a Plan B, maybe in the summer, for an O.C. get together.

My husband, Alan, asked if you knew Julian at Villa Ford?

Denise, my last name is Dail. We moved back to CA. for a few years when my brother was diagnosed with cancer and I took a job at Villa Ford in the new car sales department in 1991.

They were really a great outfit to work for.

I just asked Alan if he was familiar with your name, Don. Unfortunately, he is not. He asked if you worked with Steve in the body shop, or Julian? Alan finds this dealership to be one of the best.

Wow, Ray, Looks like Brunch for you and Penny is on me.

I will do a formal head count on April 1st!

Any out of state guests, brunch on us (ID required - lol)!

Ray, It would be wonderful to meet you and Penny at the May 1st get together for Marcie & Tom!!!! Hope to see you there.

Denise/ChatKat/Cyndi:

We're getting "pumped up" just like your Governor :>)
Really am!

The last time Penny was in Sou. Cal. was about '95 for a swim meet near the Rose Bowl. What a fun week that was and I got to see some old railroad friends and visited our old neighborhood.

We're looking forward to meeting you all!

Cheers! Ray

Ray and Penny - do hope this is a definite trip - although we're not in OC we can do some reminiscing with you about San Diego - and railroads. There are a lot of things we didn't have a chance to compare notes about on MINT - of course we'd love you to join us on Summit for our annual coastal cruise -
(San Diego/Catalina/San Francisco/Seattle/Victoria/Juneau/Sitka/Skagway/Ketchikan/Vancouver!
Anyone interested?

We did have Farrell's and Swenson's - there may be one Farrell's still in the county, but most are long gone. Did go to a Wright's in Pacific Palisades when my brother lived there -

Loved all the reminiscing!

Joy

Ray and Penny - do hope this is a definite trip - although we're not in OC we can do some reminiscing with you about San Diego - and railroads. There are a lot of things we didn't have a chance to compare notes about on MINT - of course we'd love you to join us on Summit for our annual coastal cruise -
(San Diego/Catalina/San Francisco/Seattle/Victoria/Juneau/Sitka/Skagway/Ketchikan/Vancouver!
Anyone interested?

We did have Farrell's and Swenson's - there may be one Farrell's still in the county, but most are long gone. Did go to a Wright's in Pacific Palisades when my brother lived there -

Loved all the reminiscing!

Joy

Joy & Bill:

Am glad that I finally got your email address sorted out and we can communicate.

Fortunately the trip does look like a "go" and we're looking forward to seeing you guys again and meeting the rest of the Sou. Calif. contingent as well as welcoming back Tom & Marcie from their "waterhome" tour of our world.

Penny got back from England last night and sends her best regards and appreciates very much your thoughtfulness.

Cheers! Ray

Joy, Ray & Penny,

Great to hear you will be joining us! Really looking forward to meeting you!

Ray and Penny!

We can make you honorary Californians - glad you will join us. WE will look forward to meeting you

Oceandancer, we are having a gathering for anyone who wants to join us for Brunch at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Ca. on May 1st. We've billed the party the Welcome Home Marcie and Tom party. Cyndi and Tom are coming up from San Diego too.

Kathy,

I second the nomination! I think anyone who makes the trip out our way should be made Honorary CAs!

Me too me too!!! I grew up in So Cal, Manhattan Beach and Westchester (our house in Westchester use to be where the north runway now is). I remember POP, Long Beach Pike, Disneyland opening, SCP being built, freeways called by the names where they went,I even remember BEFORE freeways, driving to San Diego on the Coast Highway 1, and driving to my Grandparents house in Modesto up Route 99 over the grapevine, which was one lane each way in those days, and it taking us like 10 hours because you had to go thru every single town up the San Jouquin Valley - awful drive!!! We use to go to the Loyola Theater for Saturday matinees, and then they build the Paradise theater, and we would get in for .10 for the Saturday matinees. Manhattan Beach was a sleepy little town and everyone knew everyone -- lived there until 1985 when we moved here to VA for my husband's job. Went to Mira Costa High School, just had our 45th reunion a year ago!!! Going to a movie at Grumuns (sp?) Chineese Theater was a high class date or very special treat! And Farrells, my kids had birthday parties there. WOW the memories! Have fun at the Brunch guys!

Editing to add, Denise and LeeAnne your California things were really funny, LOL :D :D