50 Days to 50 Years: Day 18, Hill Street Cafe-La Canada-Flintridge with Ginger Wonderling
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” — Mae West
Day 18 of 50 Days to 50 Years included a truly tasty lunch at the Hill Street Cafe in La Canada-Flintridge with Ginger Wonderling. I had tried the Hill Street Cafe on Glenoaks in Burbank and found it wanting. But Ginger is a fellow Chicagoan, and knows good food; so when she said the La Canada-Flintridge location had the best burgers in town, I took her word for it. I was not disappointed!
Like Roz Clifton, Ginger is an exceptionally smart and savvy lady Ham (we're called YLs), who I met through the San Fernando Valley Amateur Radio Club. She was president of the club for a number of years, and stays active on many of the nets. She also works Stage 13 of Baker to Vegas, along with several other SFVARC Hams and spouses. We have great fun keeping the communication flowing during our wild night in the Pahrump desert.
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After years as an accountant with 20th Century Fox, she was able to retire and is loving it, taking road trips with her friends, and traveling back to Chicago to visit her kids and grandkids.
I adore Ginger's moxie and spirit—and as a fellow Leo (we share the same birthday), I relate to her straightforwardness and decisiveness. Ginger doesn't mince words, and is not a dawdler—she sets a course and goes towards it with great precision. She's a good example to follow as I move toward mid life.
[gallery ids="3601,3600" type="columns"] But about that food: I had a savory Popeye Burger, Rare (is there any other way?), that included Spinach, Mushrooms, and Cheddar, accompanied by some slammin' Garlic Fries. Ginger had a Bacon Burger, not so rare, and regular fries. Needless to say, I completely devoured mine, and Ginger did a great job of putting a dent in hers. In between bites, we caught up on life. She has another cross-country adventure planned, and as a road tripper myself, I enjoyed hearing her routes and tips, as well as her recommendations on places to stay. Ginger used to make jewelry, and she gave me a pre-birthday gift of a beautiful orange bracelet and earrings, because she noted that I looked so great in orange. It was incredibly thoughtful, and I am looking for the perfect outfit to wear it with.