was feeling quite lonely earlier today, having not heard from any of my london peeps in a while, feeling disconnected from all that love/drama/gossip/news/partying. taking a stroll along huntington beach didn’t really help… being surrounded by 100s of beautiful suntanned volleyball players and surfers and o.c. kidz made me feel even more alone. the suntanned, boardshort-wearing world zipped by, as pasty old jeans-and-black-socks wearing me pouted at the ocean for a bit.
was just about to buy a jamba juice when i was so excitedly interrupted, finally getting a call from .greg and atif in london… it had been weeks since we’d had a proper catch up. i wandered up and down main street and the pier as we randomly [them drunkenly] shared stories, but it didn’t quite work… them in the midst of a crazy house party, me in the midst of mid-afternoon family outings. i miss my boys, of course, but my life there already seems so very different from the life i’m kick-starting here.
wandering down the avenues of huntington beach, dressed extra funkily with my sidehawk gelled to new heights, i passed by a house with an open kitchen window. as my ipod fell silent between tracks, something inside caught my eye.
always the peeping tom nosy busybody, i deliberately and obviously turned to look inside the kitchen window, my gaze being reflected back at me with a nod, and a [i kid you not] hey dude, what’s up?. cute boy, wearing funky black-and-red striped sleeveless polo shirt, just sitting at his vinyl-covered kitchen table, watching the world go by. not much, i giggle back to him with a shrug. 0.8 seconds of awkward silence before i shift my embarrassed butt down back to my temporary home.
home home home… i’m moving into my fabulous new place in west hollywood on monday. more on that later. ooh and my new car [how adult am i?] and other grand plans. the new adventures are starting. fun.
had a dry run of west hollywood living on thursday night. would i adapt to the scene there? would i enjoy the bars, the clubs, the gutter? would anyone give pasty lil’ old me the time of day? would my london wardrobe [e.g. a dozen cowboy shirts suddenly 2 sizes too small, thanks to me drying them in american clothes dryers] be met with cheers or jeers?
thanks to cousin jason and allison, the outing was a total success—all tests passed with flying colors. blag my way in? check. free drinks from bartenders? check. hungry eyes sizing up the fresh meat? check. random conversations? check. numbers exchanged? check. my mojo has definitely cleared customs and my shmoozing currency has been converted. i’m not being shallow, i’m being realistic. i’m moving to west hollywood to make it a bit easier for me to network, make friends and find the love of my life. that’s all.
otherwise, i have just been busy as a beaver, getting my life in order, working through my move, getting ready for weddings and projects, and catching up with family and friends.
i mentioned earlier that my shirts have shrunk… unfortunately, i’ve also put on some weight from all the catching up with mexican food. i think. i might just be paranoid. regardless, it’s no coincidence that my shirts feel tight, and at the same time i can explain the pros and cons of the fish tacos at 8 different local restaurants. or, maybe i’m just pregnant?
saw willy wonka charlie and the chocolate factory tonight, giddy on smuggled sweets, with cousin jason and allison. initially, i was upset that it strayed so far from the original, but in the end i just appreciated it for what it was. depp was just warped enough to be convincing, and distanced himself from gene wilder to make me giggle. i can’t hear your mumbling!
how did they train all those squirrels? why didn’t gene wilder have a cameo, say as one of the grandpas? the multi-cam filming of the one little person was stupendous, and i found the variety of music to have me laughing out loud [louder than anyone in the cinema, but i'm just uninhibited like that], but i did miss the oompa loompa sing-a-long musical numbers.
funny to listen to people complain about $10 cinema tickets. funny to witness americans still a few years behind europe when it comes to cell phone etiquette. a brilliant evening out with the family—i’m just about used to having loving, caring family members around… for the first time in 10 years.


