Week 131: Seasons 52, Dunedin, and the Library
- elenalilamartin
- Jul 5, 2025
- 4 min read
Week 131: June 29th-July 5th, 2025
As a surprise date, my boyfriend planned a nice dinner at Seasons 52 Fresh Grill at UTC Mall in La Jolla. Since he knows I love to walk around malls and point at stuff and say "That's cute," my boyfriend drove us to the mall about an hour before our dinner reservation., Even though I usually park on that side of the mall by Wells Fargo and walk right past Seasons 52, I'd never really noticed it before. After our mall-wandering, we headed back toward the restaurant and went inside.
The inside of Seasons 52 was surprisingly dark and moody, and it actually felt fancier than I expected. Though there weren't that many other patrons, the few other parties were a mix of foreign tourists, college students, and families. California's laid-back style was incredibly evident here. The San Diego summertime uniform of a t-shirt and shorts and flip flops was in full effect. It looked funny next to the "fancy" furnishings and the racks of wine surrounded by big red curtains.
Both of us weren't that hungry, so we kept it simple and healthy with some salads. I have been on a soup kick, so I also ordered a small cup of chicken tortilla soup.
We shared some shrimp and crab-stuffed mushrooms (they would have been better with no shrimp, and more crab), and a dessert of a mini peanut butter chocolate cup. Seasons 52 has a great strategy of bringing you a tower with the dessert cups of the day to look at, so you are more inclined to order because they are just so cute. The strategy worked on me perfectly, because I was ready to go and skip dessert until our server flourished the dessert tower at us tableside.
By the time we'd finished our early dinner and dessert, the place had filled up a bit more and was getting more lively. I appreciated the one other group of people wearing slightly nicer clothes (stylish sandals or heels, instead of beach flip flops, and skirts instead of leggings). I don't mean to be an outfit snob. Don't get me wrong, I love California and the ability to wear yoga pants and athleisure anywhere. I sometimes just envy the stylish culture of other large cities where there is a slightly higher standard for dress codes, even at mall restaurants.
My good eats did not end in La Jolla, because I also enjoyed a delicious brunch with some of my girls at Dunedin in North Park, and then a quick stop at Lovesong Coffee. Dunedin is a New Zealand eatery that feels like stepping into the jungle. I had a delicious Dutch hot cake with fried chicken, and a refreshing mint & cucumber cocktail. You can check out Dunedin's website here.
I think we all missed the feeling of being on a girls' trip, because we kept the vacation-like activities going. After our girls' brunch and coffee run, we were pampered with poolside drink service at Kassidy's fancy pool at her new apartment at The Village Mission Valley. I kept thinking, this is the life I'm meant to live: poolside with my girls, a good book and a drink in hand, after a great brunch and a treat.
A good book on paper is a rare sight for me, as I normally use Libby to check out e-books from various libraries and read them on my Kindle. I recently found out that my San Diego Public Library card account needed to be updated because it had an old address, so I looked for the closest location to my current apartment. To my surprise, the Mission Valley Branch of the San Diego Public Library is right next to IKEA! It is only a 6 minute drive from where I live, so I decided to check it out and update my account information in person.
The building is pretty cool, and has actually won accolades for architecture and design, "including the award for Best Institutional Design from the American Institute of Architects." There was even a book sale outside, but nothing stood out to me in the few minutes I took to browse the offerings.
Inside, the ceilings were tall and decorated with tree-like sculptures. There were a handful of people checking out books and sitting at study tables. After chatting with the front desk librarian for a bit and successfully updating my information, I asked to be pointed to the crafting book section.
My incredible need to always have some sort of hobby project is a fixation I will live with forever. I have a few large boxes with an assortment of craft supplies, from sewing, embroidery and crochet, to gouache paints, air dry clay, and beads.
Since I have been wanting a new project (yes...apart from the other three I currently have going...), I grabbed two books I found on beading for some inspiration. I also stumbled upon a classic "me" find - a non-fiction, science book called Life's Engines: How Microbes Made Earth Habitable by Paul G. Falkowski.
So far, I'm enjoying Life's Engines, especially when I get to read it by the pool. I look forward to getting some inspiration and tips from the beading books I got, because I have a bunch of beading supplies that have been collecting dust in storage under my bed. Apparently, the central branch of San Diego Public Library, located downtown, has a pretty well-stocked makers' space in their IDEA Lab, so I plan on checking that out in the future as well.
See you next week.
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