For no good reason, I was awake at 6 this morning. I stayed in bed with the covers over my head hoping for more rest. And then there was this jolt. The windows rattled and the entire room shook. The quaking seemed to go on forever. I’ve lived in California for most of my adult life, and I’m still not sure what to do. Is it under the table or the doorjamb? Is it out in the open or better still, outside? My heart was pounding and then it was over. 4.4 on the Richter scale, which is actually puny. (I’ve been through worse.) And then it was back to business. Just another day in L.A. Except tonight, I’m feasting on a hot fudge sundae.
Ice Cream Ceramic by Anna Barlow
I’m getting ready to unplug, at least until tomorrow. Next week, I’ll be announcing a new contest. Have a great weekend!
Update: Contest announcement postponed. Details to follow.
Once, I flew to Busan, which is a port city in South Korea. We had met at a film festival, and I couldn’t pass up another reason to travel to Asia. That’s certainly the longest distance I’ve traveled for romance. Although sometimes driving from my neighborhood across town in L.A. can seem a lot farther and less desirable.
Illustration from Personal Message
The chilly San Francisco weather got me into the scarf habit. But even now in L.A., I’m still hooked. Are you?
Illustration by Marc Johns
While traveling a lot for work, I got used to the luxury of hotel life. I enjoyed having my bed made every morning and all my meals prepared. Sometimes, it was hard to transition back to ordinary life at home. But there’s one thing that I adopted from those days to make being at home more luxurious. Every night, about an hour before going to sleep, I slip into my boudoir and turn down the sheets. And then when I’m ready for bed, it’s as if I’ve been treated to first class service.
Artwork by Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber
I turned on my BBQ to grill peppers and some sausage, and just ran out of propane. I’ve worried about this day, and it’s on my list of irrational fears of being single. There’s a full tank in the closet, which a friend hauled up late last year. But it’s way too heavy for me to lift. I really, REALLY wanted to cook the dinner I’d envisioned. So I got out a thick towel, and out of sheer will and desperation, somehow managed to move the tank onto it. Then I carefully inched the towel across the wood floor of my living room and hoisted it on the terrace, and after a few feeble attempts, hooked up the grill. I’m feeling SO PROUD. And it made me believe that anything is possible.
Image from newyorkshitty
Long before my mother got sick and passed away, I used to worry about being without a spouse when she died. On my first night back in San Francisco after the funeral, dear friends threw me a dinner party. I felt their love as they wrapped their arms around me and fed me a delicious meal. Worrying Solves Nothing by Stefan Sagmeister
What tops your ‘fear of being single’ list?