New pretend home.

We’re staying at the Clayton’s for June while they’re in Japan. And our new little curly-headed brown boy Mocha is also staying with us. Following us about making sure nobody gets lost. Pooping regularly so we’ll have something to keep us busy. He’s a fine little man.

It’s nice sitting on the front porch here and just watching the neighborhood go by. Especially if there’s a good breeze...

There are great blue herons nesting in trees a few blocks away. That’s kind of the big excitement.

Over and out (for now).

Back at Ma and Pa Brawners for a while. Check this spot for future updates, but it will be semi-retired for a bit...I will be heading out again, it’s just the when and where are a little fuzzy right now.

Will probably pick back up where I left off with my regular blogsyschmogsy thing. Want to start doing collages again. I picked up bits and pieces of collage scraplets while I was in California, but actual work on collages proved difficult. But I did take my trustiest scissors and glue, just in case...

Plenty of rooms in the Hotel California.

Final shot at the blog from LA... Sitting at LAX waiting for a while to board. Lexie’s flight was half an hour earlier and on another airline. But security was easy and I just enjoyed a lovely baked treat and am gingerly sipping a four-dollar bottle of water.

A little trepidous to be going back to Nashvegas now that I am fully homeless. House-sitting for May, then who knows. Have a few other offers of short-term places to stay. Really not looking forward to going to my storage space and re-sorting thru all that s**t. Needs a second purging, since things got a little hectic towards the end, to say the least. Also have to get the tax stuff together (!!)

Want to go see the folks, go to the beach for a bit, maybe make a trip up to NY to see Adam before the summer’s out (or maybe just wait until it’s cooler in the fall).

Farewell to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place...

[[I’ll have to post this tonight...why can’t a civilised country have free wi-fi in a major airport?]]

Over the Boardwalk.

Riding a bike from the apartment down Washington over to the bike path along the beach in Venice up to Santa Monica. One of the nicest things I’ll remember from this trip. Simple, good, and good exercise to boot! Hard to beat.

Stopped at Groundworks for an espresso, and watched a guy standing in the middle of the street, looking like some guy in a movie that would be carrying a “the end is near” sign...but the Venice version, not the New Yorker cartoon version...really long gray-black hair and beard, black surf-y clothes with a hoodie, incredibly skinny. He was a white guy, but had clearly been shoeless and in the sun for so long his feet looked so dark they seem to have been grafted onto him from a much darker person. Rooted to that one spot, staring out at the sea shifting from foot to foot, waiting for the mothership.

Last day in LA.

Went for a nice lunch with Lexie and my friend Leigh Cairo at Urth Caffé on Melrose. Kind of a scene. We had nice healthful food and a I had a green tea latte the size of my head.

Hadn’t seen Leigh in about four years. She’s got two more in the family since then, one of them is two and one was born a few weeks ago. I think the Santa Ana winds have brought in sinus woes for everyone. We were all kind of headachy. Good to see her.

Might go for a bike ride on the Venice boardwalk, or wander around the Marina a bit this afternoon. We’re going to the Santa Monica Airport tonight for food and plane-and-sunset watching. Ry Cooder says it’s one of the best kept secrets about Santa Monica. (Holden says so too, as Thomas the Tank Engine’s friend Tiger Moth lives there).

It’s been really nice out here...

Sunday.

Realised that—as you often do when thinking—the best things are often the simplest. Enjoyed sitting outside today listening to podcasts, feeling the breeze off the ocean. Not a big deal, yet...

Sloe Jin Fuzz.

Had a nice lunch at Jin Patisserie on Abbott Kinney today. Very high tea, ladies’ kind of lunch, me sainted mother would’ve been proud. Quiche and salad and the cake of the day with a pot of lovely tea. They also make beautiful chocolates and we got a sample box (which are going to be enjoyed momentarily)

Just saw that new movie Hot Fuzz tonight, same guys that made Shawn of the Dead. Ultra-violent black comedy of a peculiarly new type. Always wonder about average people laughing at extremely violent death and that sort of thing. Of course, I found it hard to sleep after Shawn of the Dead...a really creepy zombie movie is a really creepy zombie movie, black comedy or no. Some very funny casting, won’t ruin any of it by telling. Not for the sensitive.