Almost Starting to Like It Here

It's amazing what the absence of pain, both physical and emotional, does for a person. I really am starting to look around and see the nice people here, and they are reaching out to us.

I told you about the roses at work. Well, they brought more blessings. People stopped by to chat about them and I learned that two of my closest neighbors in cube-land at work, both Chinese, are recent transplants from the midwest to Los Angeles. Both are dealing with homes that aren't selling and family split in two cities, for now. I had not looked past my own nose to know these nice people, even to know that they are both new in LA. How much richer it is to know them!

I finished a major infection control milestone before leaving work yesterday, and went out with my new friend, Ellen, who is the infection control nurse pioneering the new ambulatory clinic program at Cedars. She is wonderfully friendly, has a brilliant mind, excellent values, and she grew up in rural Califormia, and even had a pig in 4-H! We get along excellently.

She came to the apartment, and went with me and Benji to walk and get dinner at Cravings. She told me lots of stars hang out there at Sunset Plaza but I still haven't seen any. We chatted and watched the crowd go by, enjoyed the warm air and "quiet" night (for LA).

When she left, Benji and I ran into friends from the building we had not seen in a while, Maggie and Billy (a Boston Terrier and a Toto-dog), and Chad. He works from home as a specialty travel agent arranging trips for high-end clients and their retinues, concert crews, stars, and such. His partner, Charlie, is in New York right now, just finishing his runway show for Bebe. He designs clothes for them, Ann Taylor and others. We see him leaving in the mornings in his vintage cream colored Mercedes, wearing his plaid scarf, looking very handsome and stylish.

Anyway, Chad is one of those boisterous people who has never seen a stranger, and he loves Benji. He wants to go out to Cravings with me next week sometime. Charlie doesn't like to dine out, but he does. And he gave me big bear-hugs! We had not seen each other for a while and had missed talking. They came up to the apartment and visited a bit, too.

So it feels like LA is embracing me, whether I wanted it or asked for it, or not. I am making friends.

Here is a photo of Cravings.


And here are some of the shops at Sunset Plaza. Meet the new vintage-style girdle-dress:


and their many-colored friends:


and the instruments of torture meant to be worn on the feet:



There is also a shop there that does nothing but "blow-outs" (hair styling) in various ways. And one that does nothing but apply makeup.

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