THE PROBLEM WITH PLUMBING

Oh, what fun. We have a problem with our plumbing and our landlord is a trip, I tell you. We can't use our bathroom at all (no showers, no toilet) and he says he'd get around to fixing it within the month. With our pressing he found two "little guys" to do the work. He liked that they were little because they could fit under this house(!). Needless to say they are not certified plumbers and it could take two weeks to fix. "No way!," I say, "I have job hunting to do and family visiting and we need to USE OUR HOUSE." He is a funny old man with an eccentric history so you must pick your battles. I don't judge the way he lives, though when it's imposed upon us, it's too much. He has three lots; we live on one and he lives on the third in three different houses. His partner Uncle Bill passed away a couple years ago and would be so upset to see the way he is living over there... even by their standards it's bad. Anyway, he offered for us to use the bathroom in the "Bijou" property. It is fascinating on one hand, and on the other, it is crazy for him to expect us to be okay with this arrangement. Luckily, it should be fixed by Saturday evening. In the meantime, I'm showering at the public pool. Did I mention this is all taking place just a few miles from downtown LA? I don't know why that seems odd. ...more photos

FATTY'S FOOD

Jonathan took me on a surprise outing to Fatty's... seriously one of my favorite eateries in Los Angeles. Owner Kim Dingle has been known to rub people the wrong way, but she can do no wrong in my book. I've been a fan since we first met when I worked for her and Odi when they opened Fatty's. So, Jonathan and I sat out in the patio and sipped wine, ate fondue and had Kim's latest dessert concoction the Belgian Float made with ice cream and a very dry raspberry beer!

And, we saw Andy Dick as we left. Which reminds me... I believe I never posted some celebrity sightings from an opening at Gagosian in February. It was Julian Schnabel's opening during Oscar season (he directed The Diving Bell & The Butterfly). I crossed paths with Diane Keaton on the way in. I'm forgetting most, but Schnabel was there of course, and fashion designer and Project Runway judge Roberto Cavalli. Oh! And, Jonathan showed about-to-receive-an-oscar Tilda Swinton around the exhibition. I just looked at an online slide show from the evening and see that Werner Herzog was there. In a small gathering in the back offices, Seymour Cassel paid me a nice compliment and made sure my champagne glass was full. At the after party at Mr. Chow's I saw Lauren Hutton and Niki Hilton (Paris came to pick her up after I left), but unfortunately didn't see attendee Matt Dillon.

MERRY OLD NEW ENGLAND

We just returned from a fantastic trip to Massachusetts, where we helped celebrate the marriage of Caroline deLima and Eric Rubbe. We flew into Boston the week prior, so we had time to celebrate Sarah deLima's birthday at their home in Cohasett, then visit friends in Boston, and take a trip to upstate New York to see old friends Daisy, Van & their Starla before swinging by MassMoCA in North Adams on our return to the coast. The wedding was in Cape Cod and we had several days to enjoy the area while prepping for the big day. It was so gorgeous, making it quite difficult to come home.

Here's a good pic of us on the beach (a block from the house). Jonathan has a tough time not making a goofy face in photos, but he did a good job in this. His song to his sister and her groom was brilliant. More photos on my Facebook! Here are the links: album 1, album 2, album 3

ART IN MY MIND

My dream last night involved rearranging art that was in my mind. No, not art I was thinking about, but actually art that belonged in my head. The works were mainly black with a few streaks of strategically placed colors like red or blue. I was moving them around and waiting for them to download into their new positions. As if I were a computer, working hard, I felt exhausted during this time and remember waking up half way to note this fact. I love how dreams feel so real that they don't seem strange at the time.

Then, I dreamt about having an interview where I was (still) so tired that I tried so hard to keep my eyes open while the interview was talking, but it just didn't work. As I was leaving (needless to say it didn't go well) I realized I left my purse. It was a dark color and the office areas were full of really dark shadows so I couldn't find it anywhere. I was looking forever. There was a time when I would dream that I was the one showing people where their stuff was. They couldn't see what was in front of them. Hmm...

Today at work, I found a Polaroid camera and wondered how long it was sitting there and if there was film left in it. There was one picture left, and here's my self portrait.

3 2 1 ROLL CAMERA

It's movie week. 

Tuesday: Iron Man at the Highland Park 3 theater with the neighbors. Three dollars for bad sound, stinky air and a rowdy crowd (it's improved over the years). I wouldn't have paid any more for that movie. Downey was good and that's all I can say.

Wednesday: Midnight at Weimer's house. We've been having movie night at my landlord's house. I have the same description for the place as the Highland 3 (it's gotten worse over the years). I wouldn't change it for the world. He knew most of Midnight's cast and he acquired the iron gate on Ave 46 from writer Charles Brackett's house after he passed away.

Thursday: A free screening of Manifesto at AUTOMAT (vending machine store next door based -loosely- on the NY version). Dina and I ate spelt/apple snacks while drinking Tecate and watching this artsy film about the Unabomber. Ted Kaczynski's brother was played by one of the artists we've represented at the gallery. 

SUNDAY'S FLOATING CHURCH

With nine feet of water under me, I swam through a religious experience. The sky blue; the air breezy; the water cool; the mood peaceful; the body (fairly) strong; the mind clear. I could hardly believe the perfection. At one point there was only one other person in the pool with me and she was doing some rather interesting exercises. It was so quiet and the stresses of life lifted for that 40 minutes. Hallelujah, right?

I'm starting my mother's version of the grape fast today. Have I ever fasted?! I think I'm going to need a little luck.

PS - I am slacking on the celebrity postings, but I saw Jack Black, Zachary Quinto and some others in the last 24 hours.

THE POOL THAT RULES

This city keeps revealing hidden treasures, even after seven years of being here. And, so many within a few miles of our house. Just within the last few months I've hit the jackpot on several occasions. While looking for a bright-colored dress for my sister-in-laws Cape Cod wedding, I found Shareen Vintage where I bought a lovely silk green dress that is rockin'. Then, when I was dog sitting for my sister, I actually walked through LA Historic State Park (which was formerly used for the cornfield project) and it was such a great experience. I've driven by this park almost everyday since I moved here and have seen it go through all it's transformations. Glad that pup made the introduction. Then, I happened across Elysian Park's trails, which were so satifying. I think the kicker, though, has been finding Glassell Park Pool. It's open year-round and free with a library card. Does that rock or what?

TIME'S A TICKIN'

ACE OF BASE IN A BETTER PLACE

My good buddy Ace the stray cat was put down on Monday. He lost a lot of weight and I planned to take him to the vet on Monday, but his other friend down the street had the same instincts and took him in Monday morning. They indicated cancer was getting the best of him and advised that he be put down. Before I got word of this yesterday, I had a dream in which he visited me looking all healthy and happy. It was nice of him to let me know that he was in a better place. Ahhh... I miss that scruffy guy!

MRS. MEYERS CLEANED UP

We (my mom and sister-in-law) went down to Aneheim to support my sister Sarah do product research at the huge natural products expo (expowest). It was interesting and lots of fun... with even a celebrity sighting or two. The big splash was Daryl Hannah running by me to greet her friend and then another actress that I recognized from the soaps, but I can't remember her name. The best part, though, was hearing Michael Pollan's talk and meeting Mrs. Meyers. She's fantastic: from the midwest, her cleaning products smell wonderful, her marketing is lighthearted and her booth was the best. They served snacks, gave a way totes and poured a mean lime-aid/vodka/basil cocktail.

INTERSECTING MY VIEW

The tree between here and the convenient store that supplies my hot coco fix had a huge swarm of bees hanging of one of its branches. It was dripping bees. Deciding to keep my head up, I noticed the next tree had a small stuffed lion toy stuck in the crux of its branches. A few steps later there was a photo shoot happening in the alley behind the gallery. The subject being some non-Chinese strong dude in a torn T-shirt. Next, the little family of girls who live upstairs playing out front with their three-wheelers and kick ball. A sweet scene that we are able to witness regularly. This morning I stopped by Homegirl Cafe (motto being Jobs Not Jail, gives job training to at risk youth and former gang members) and the conversational man at the next table happen to share a very similar upbringing as my own: growing up on a farm in Iowa. It's all about the intersections.