Oh BJ you are so funny. You look just like your new bed buddy. But no time for lingering and sleeping in - hurry up and get up because it's Beach Day.

A quick check of Highland Street to see where we leave from tomorrow and then up to the Info Centre, a brisk walk to Santa Monica Boulevard and we were on the right bus! Julie struck up a conversation with the person next to her and lo and behold it is Amelia, 2008 JPC captain and her partner Jack! What a small world.

It took about an hour but we were on the Pier at last. Shame it was only 17 degrees and blowing a gale. Took in a magic show by a street performer, marvelled at the beach parking, spotted a seal and jostled with the crowd looking for a haven out of the wind.

Lunch was a real treat - at Hubba Bubba's on the Pier at Santa Monica. Snuggled up in a window booth the margaritas, Coronas and mango spritz flowed and washed down platters of shrimp, pear salads, clam chowder and tacos. It was finger licking good - and BJ was the only chicken in sight.

During the meal a gentleman approached our table waving his mobile phone. He had to drop by! He wanted to reunite BJ with his long lost brother from Melbourne - almost a twin called "Legless". Who would have thought there was another squawking chicken anywhere in the world - let alone two tables down at Hubba Bubba's.

And a visit to The Pier would not be complete without a spin on the Carousel. Built in 1922, it was the wildest ride the #Fab5 could tackle. Only three intrepid riders could brave this excitement.

And so the serious walking began...in the cold, windy conditions. We ticked off each of the beaches - played volleball on the endless courts (simulated of course), showed off and got in the spirit at Muscle Beach and watched the inaugural TightRope championship and envied the bikini paddle tennis players and dodged and weaved through bikers, skateboarders and segway riders.

Venice Beach welcomed us with a assortment of brave marketeers who somehow withstood the wind. Julie found a few more treasures. But the best find of all was the Chinese Massage place. We threw off our shoes and groaned and moaned our way through ten minutes of heaven on earth. Julie and Carolyn relented to peer pressure and took a chance and Denise and Von backed up for a second...a neck massage this time.

Time to turn around and head back into the wind. The highlight - another OP SHOP...no purchases this time!

With the kilometres clicking over and the enthusiasm of the walkers flagging it was back to the windswept waterfront for one last time - urged on my Denise's "one step at a time." Carolyn was unintentionally playing a new game called "What's behind the unlocked door?" A homeless person had staked out a land claim in the toilet and from a slumped over position bellowed a slurred "Watch out" in a deep, man's voice. Never seen Carolyn move so fast and thank goodness we were right at the toilets because Denise laughed till she pe&#d her pants!


Carolyn timed the walk to the minute. We arrived at the last set of steps for the day and scaled to the top of the cliff to be perched in the perfect spot to watch the sun slide into the Pacific Ocean. With red wine, plastic cups, hunks of cheese and biscuits all agreed that the walk was worth it.

Time to call it quits. And a trip home is never complete without total confusion over which bus to catch from which side of the road. But after consulting a number of clueless locals a fellow tourist was able to point us in the right direction for the hour return trip and we slumped into the seats glad to give the feet a rest.

A sprint up Highland and we were home - and happy to be showering - changing and winding down.

So imagine this. It's about 11.10 in McCadden Avenue. Two are in PJs. Two are in civies. One is in the shower.....part way through conditioning the hair and removing the hair.

And then the fire alarm rings. And who anywhere in the U.S. has even read the evacuation procedures. Actually, who even knows where they are?

The two State High girls bolt! It seems all of a sudden that it is every man and woman for themselves. The Cav Road girls are delayed because they can't convince the one in the shower that this is for real. She thinks we are just tricking and playing alarms from the phone and refuses to get out of the shower. So by the time we convince her that it really is time to go the emergency has escalated and we can smell something burning! No worries - the essentials are grabbed, including the computer with the daily videos on it, and the showered one pauses to brush her hair so she looks good on Hollywood Boulevard.

We joined the masses evacuating by the stairs - and seriously, did it have to be the STAIRS, we had only done 22 000 steps today! Denise was leading the way and somehow got herself locked in the car park and we responded to the feeble, muffled calls of "H-E-L-P....let me out...open the door."

We joined the party outside and met some of our neighbours. We looked great in our PJs with wet hair. How come we had the computer and everyone else had glasses of wine? Maybe we need to reassess our priorities.

Two fire engines arrived. The Firefighters charged into the building. The ladders were ready to be deployed. And it was over in an instant. The smouldering popcorn was removed from the offending unit and the party was over.

Um, just wondering Denise....where was BJ in all of this? Hmmmmmm.

Now where were we. Oh yes, packing for tomorrow. Lights out at midnight. All quiet.

#Fab5 #nomorefalsealarmsEVER #sunsets #redwine #leftovers