’11 February

February 16

In a few short hours I will be winging my way to St Paul Minnesota for Cynthia’s birthday celebration and to finally meet the fam. And mighty excited I am.

My little sister loaned me her hiking boots so upon arrival I won’t have to be wearing sandals, the only shoes I own. I will be wearing my cotton capris and knee-high socks, a tee shirt layered with another shirt and another. I hope to visit a St Paul Goodwill soon, to pick up some gear more appropriate for these Arctic climes!

February 13

The Grammys…

…and I got to go!

Since I couldn’t bring my camera, all that follow are photos from my PHONE.

That’s David ‘Cat’ Cohen in the cap, voting member in good standing of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He gets four tickets and invites his pals. The usual fourth was sick and much as I love the usual fourth (Bob’s daughter Shira) and much as I wish she was well, still, I got to go to the Grammys!

Like these guys need caffeine…Carl, Bob, David.

Notice the woman on the right…

…and these folks, which doesn’t really do the trick to describe the level of this crowd’s Dressed UP. And there was us.

I was wearing my K$ate S$pade oh so snappy shoes which made Me dressed Up Too!

No actual nosebleeds to treat…

…they took down the jumbo-trons so no doubt you saw more of the show on tv, but it was greatly entertaining to be there anyway and it was a wonderful star-studded extravaganza.

February 12

My dinos on the Promenade, lookin’ good this morning. We, Sharon and I, headed out early, at 10 instead of 11, for our walk thinking it’s getting a little too warm by mid-day.

A brass band. Who doesn’t love a brass band?!

And it got too hot anyway! Now we’re going to have to start at 9 instead of 10 to get all the way through.

Carl, Lynn, and Bob came out to a Santa Monica restaurant for dinner and I walked down to join them. Lucky me!

February 11

I’ve spent a lot of the day on YouTube watching Grammy nominees. It was a LOT of fun, and speaking of the Grammys, I’ve got Much more fun ahead. .because. .I get to GO!

February 10

Susie and I are out today for a nice hit of museums and who do we run into at the Hammer? the museum maven herself, Muriel, and one of her friends from LACMA.

I couldn’t get a picture of my favorite piece in the new exhibit called All of This and Nothing. It’s a 61 minute video of a sleeping hummingbird. It’s enchanting.

My second favorite was this box of leaves outside the entrance to the gallery. The sign told you to take one into the show and follow its directions.

For example on this one you were supposed to stand, consider a work and at the same time place your hand comfortably resting on your chin or your cheek, and then you were to consider if you felt comfortable or not.

They were all goofy like that but they did all seem perfectly apropos to the goofy works in the exhibit.

After the Hammer we had a delicious vegetarian lunch at a veg place down the street in Westwood and then drove up to north campus UCLA to park closer to the Fowler.

The Fowler is always free and the Hammer had free Thursday. We remarked on our good fortune.

The Fowler draw was this exhibit of Korean pottery.

The sky was blue, the sun was bright, the temperatures were in the mid-70s, we were entertained and delighted – just another day in paradise.

February 9

Bonnie and her associate Dominique, finishing up the signing and notarizing of my Trust. Thank you ladies, I’m done now considering my mortality.

February 8

Lilly and I had a great day today. We played, we sang, we ate, we danced – funfunfun.

Lilly likes to talk on the phone and her chatter is impossibly adorable. She also likes to roll herself around on her mouse and say WHEEE. Here she is taking a break from her phone call to say WHEEE.

When Rome and Angela got back from school Rome and I went out to see what was blooming. Rome decided to start a flower book of sketches. Wonderful!

Here she is doing her daffodil.

How about a little sister-sister photo-photo?!

Hello you adorable ones. Too bad, I didn’t get any shot of our game with the giant cardboard box (just Imagine all you can play with a giant cardboard box!). Blast-o-rama.

And More adorable ones! It was dinner with the guys at PF Changs.

February 6

Westridge-Canyon Back Wilderness Park, just off Mulholland, a mile or so from the exit of the 405, and a fantastic walk it is…

…as long as it isn’t hot. There’s not a lot of shade and I usually punk out early on this walk because it’s Hot.

I went with Muriel. Yes, we are friends and no, not just because of our hair. About this walk, it’s totally a dog park – we were the absolutely only ones on the trail without a dog. It was like dogs on parade.

A view from the trail. Whooo.

Because it looked interesting, one of the rare new constructions on the residential side.

Liz and I followed up our walk along the river with a nice tour of the nearby San Antonio Winery, a small wine tasting, and a big lunch. What a great day!

February 3

Oh Janet Klein, you cutie you. I went with Ann to check out our proposed joint birthday celebration for the Monday Nighters, a dinner at the Thai place across the street and the Janet Klein show at the Steve Allen Theater. It was quite delightful and might very well be just the thing.

February 2

Hi Boban! We get together one time during the year and call it my birthday and then we get together another time and call it Boban’s birthday. This time it was Boban’s birthday.

Happy Birthday! Early or late, it doesn’t really matter.

(the waiter)

And out the window of the restaurant, hold on, wait just a minute here, what’s going on?! Nooo, the LA Times is disappearing right before my EYES!

February 1

Lilly’s into a little Night Fevor, Night Fe-vor… and Rome is demonstrating a Link in Her Chain.

Rome and I were at the store when Blowin’ In The Wind came on the muzac. We practiced. Me: ‘Rome, what’s blowin’ in the wind?’ Rome: ‘The answer my friend.’

Ahh, the songs of our times. It was Fun.

Here’s the new meal-time seating arrangement. Big Girl Lilly gets a seat at the table!