Staycation

I went to the Petersen and LACMA. Some of the photos I posted on Facebook. More are here.

Photos: my iPhone

We are all Americans together..

"We will not sacrifice the liberties we cherish or hunker down behind walls of suspicion and mistrust"

-President Barack Obama

"On this day Americans have no division"

-Former First Lady Laura Bush

"Being a hero is not just a matter of faith, it's a matter of choice."

-First Lady Michelle Obama

Photo of WTC beam to be 9/11 memorial at Beverly Hills Fire Station is mine.

Happy Labor Day!

I took a walk in Beverly Gardens Park. I especially love the rose garden, which was in full flower.

movie: my iPhone

Happy Birthday 19th Amendment!

That's right, 90 years ago today women became able to vote in this country, due to a lot of hard work and sacrifices by the suffragist movement- we beat the UK by 8 years. Hard to imagine that when we came this close to having a woman presidential candidate that her grandmother would have been the first woman in the family to be able to vote. Chew on that next time you think it's too inconvenient to bother to do so...

Photo: Wikipedia

Shop Local!

Rudy Cole in this weeks Beverly Hills Weekly (issue 566) writes that our local hardware store, Pioneer Hardware is in trouble. A combination of a bad economy and the closure of Crescent Drive between "big" and "little" Santa Monica for the Annenberg garage has bitten into foot traffic to all businesses on Crescent, including the irreplaceable Beverly Hills Market, which serves the senior housing (and all of us) with a low-cost alternative to Whole Foods.

There's a lot of talk about being sustainable these days, keeping a small footprint and shopping local. What could be more in line with that than getting your hardware items a short walk or car trip to Crescent Drive with an hour free parking entered from either Crescent or Dayton? I can personally vouch that Pioneer is the same or better on prices than anyplace within miles: when you figure in what you're worth an hour, suddenly that drive 20 miles each way to Costco seems waaay less of a bargain. They also offer a Handyman service for people like me who could topple a wall trying to hang a picture.

If you're not from the area, why not purchase online and add a Green Bag for that "90210" touch? If you are in the area, stop in and say "hello" and discover the other businesses on that block. It's one-stop shopping, all in your backyard...

Image: Pioneer Hardware

Garage Sale this weekend!

My friend Sue is having a garage sale as prep to move to NYC. Saturday, 8/7 at 9 am (early birds will be fed to the cats).

616 N Ave 65, Los Angeles, CA 90042.

From Beverly Hills/Hollywood: Take Coldwater or Laurel to the Valley, get on the 101 East, get in left lane to transition to the 134. Keep left past the junction of the 5 and the 2 freeways. Exit San Rafael Avenue. Right off exit, immediate right onto Colorado Blvd. Left at stop sign to Melrose Ave. 100 feet or so to left at stop sign onto Ave 64. Go south on Ave 64 about 1/3 mile to traffic light at Meridian. Just past light make a left at Pollard, then immediate right at Ave 65. 616 will be on your left.

From Pasadena Freeway: Exit Marmion Way (exit will mention York Ave). Keep left and exit left onto Marmion. Bear right up the hill to light at York Ave. Continue ahead onto Ave 64. Right on Repton and left on Ave 65. 616 will be on your right.

Photo from Google Maps.

Parting is such sweet sorrow..

Well, I knew it was coming. One of my BFF's is moving back to New York. It's really the best thing for her both personally and professionally, and it's not like I never go there, or she wouldn't come here. It's also not like there aren't things today like email, Facebook, and unlimited long distance: it isn't like it was back in the day where we had to tie letters to pigeons or send smoke signals. I've known about these plans also for a while; the email exchange today asking me to visit while she packs brought it home. It's changed me in the dark reptilian part of my heart from supportive friend to pouty 7 year old who's left alone in the sandbox. No more movie partner? No more glass-and-a-half? (that's how boozy we are- one each of white wine and one shared. AA here we come!) No more road trips?!? Arrrgh!

I'll get back to supportive friend at some point in the very near future. I just had to pound some sand...

Photo: Amazon

Happy Fourth!

LASnark.com has a list of locations in LA to view fireworks.

Photo: lasmark.com

Some Enchanted Evening...

A random conversation on an internets comment board reminded me of some of the more back-handed romantic evenings I have had in life. A couple have been with my friend Bitsy: one a trip to Ojai, one a trip to the Berkshires, a couple have been with my friend Sue, a couple with my BFF Mimi. One of the most memorable was with my BFF Auntie Moo, years ago at the Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon. The Inn is one of the most romantic restaurants in Los Angeles, tucked in a small corner of Topanga complete with babbling brook, roaring fire and fairy lights in the trees. It was an El Nino year and the creek was in full run. The evening was cool but not cold and there was a roaring fire. The full moon shone on Moo's Auburn hair and highlighted her "Lifeboat" era Tallulah Bankhead good looks. We ate, we drank, we talked, we laughed.

We went home in separate cars.

But you know, like the other times I've been out with my BFF's even at the most romantic places I wouldn't I'd trade it for the world. There's something to the ease of taking the romance out of the equation that takes some pressure off. I can appreciate the wit and beauty without worrying whether I'm matching it or enticing it. Or something.

For my Vegetarian/Vegan friends (looking at you, Gaia) when you're in LA the Inn of the Seventh Ray is worth a detour. It's Topanga enough to cause hardened New Yorkers to have a granola-induced anxiety attack (really, it's Albie Singer's worst Cali nightmare) but even they will have to admit that it's a gorgeous setting with wonderful food. For a date night under a full moon it's matchless. Put the top down and some Ella Fitzgerald on the stereo for the drive home. Even if you're with your BFF.

Image: http://www.vegguide.org

In Praise of Brunettes, Part Deux

Mary Astor was a lady.

Even in parts where she played the other woman, there was an inherent goodness to her. You can see for instance in "Dodsworth" how Walter Huston can reject bored, flighty Ruth Chatterton for grounded, dewy Mary. Along this time in her career she somehow managed to survive a career-killing scandal involving her husband suing for divorce; attempting to enter into evidence her notes on her affair with George S. Kaufman, humiliatingly listing his prowess. The Judge ordered her diaries sealed.

She spent the forties memorably playing against Humphrey Bogart and others as the alternately poisonous and perfect female, and after admitting alcoholism in the 50's she capped her career as the destitute "all I have is ruined finery" Maguffin in "Hush... Hush Sweet Charlotte".

Image: TCM