The in-laws are here. Solid, Midwest types....

The in-laws are here. Solid, Midwest types. Told them our private jet was in the shop. Told them the estate in Bel-Air was being fumigated for Medflies, hence the reason for the more modest lodgings. Just a humble pied-a-terre, we said. They said they never heard of anyone owning a pied-a-terre in a place like Azusa. Funny people. Midwest types. Told them they couldn’t meet with our best friend, a certain Mr. Steven Spielberg, ‘cause Stevey-o was up in Aspen skiing. In-laws wanted to know how he could ski in the Rockies in the summertime. Brings his own snow, we told them. Those Midwest types, they don’t miss a trick. Then we announced plans to take them to Venice. Oooooo, they said: The Grand Canal. St. Mark’s Square. The Bridge of Sighs. The Doges’ Palace. Before they got carried away, we reminded them that the jet, after all, was in the shop. However, we said the seventh annual Venice Arts and Crafts celebration is a mere freeway’s ride away. The festival (see listings under Events), will feature food, a children’s court with games and rides, more than 150 arts and crafts booths and live music throughout the day. And knowing that they were animal lovers, we told the in-laws that Friends of Animals will be offering homeless dogs and kittens for adoption. In-laws wanted to know if we would ride there in the Jaguar. No can do, we said, as we squeezed everyone into the Yugo. The Jaguar, alas, was in the shop.