Summer lovin' had me a blast

Even though it's wintery weather here in SoCal, it is definitely summer because Obon season has begun. The summer Japanese church festivals start in July with one of the bigger ones being Nishi in downtown L.A.

Parking here is crazy, so many people lined up to dance that they could barely move...

... it's worth the crowds just to eat that summer carnival food. It's not anything special, but it sure brings back memories. There's something very comforting about sitting on a metal folding chair eating a bowl of chili rice in the warm summer night.

But the games - oh the games. And I'm not talking about kids games here. No, Nishi has some straight up gambling type games. You can spend hours throwing dimes, trying to get them into a tiny black square for a chance to win more...

or my favorite game: DOUGHball. Get it? You place your 'bets' on which color the rolling basketball will land on - COME ON Black 6:1!!I lost. Typical. Nothing like Vegas type gambling in a church parking lot to get you pumped.

For me, ending the night with a bag of fresh dango makes life a little better. Little fried balls of dough for $2 a bag - fresh hot donuts? It's worth the 20+ person deep line and buying back a few of my childhood memories.