Bah Humbug (The Lott)

I'm not feeling the love for trick or treaters this year. I'm going to turn off the lights and catch up on some zzzz's. Meanwhile I think Heather is looking for something fun to do. Anyone game for drinks or a movie?

Mellow Weekend (H-Bomb)

Our kickball make up games were rained out. Unbelievable. This season is going to go on forever, I think. We're 5-0 with two games left before the playoffs. Stay tuned to The Daily Lott (right hand nav) for scheduling updates.

Lottie and I spent a good part of Saturday watching Animal Planet (lame!) until Hope called and invited us to join her and Ruby for a walk which was just the thing for an unfocused Fall afternoon. Aftewards I went to Derek & Jayme's tailgate party at their house. I arrived after the swarms had departed and was able to settle in for some truly hilarious family time with Jayme's family.
Today has flown by. Lottie spent a good part of it perched on top of the guest bed pillows contemplating America's various foreign policy crises.
I can't believe Monday morning is practically upon us. Nooooo! I'm not ready.

Flight part 2 (H-Bomb)

Picking up where I left off... Last Sunday I was in LA housesitting for Traci and contemplating my navel. That afternoon I drove over to Santa Monica to visit Bob & Susan at their lovely home. I've enjoyed many happy gatherings there over the 10 years since they returned to LA from horrid Salem. (I worked for Bob at Rykodisc in Salem, MA from 1994-1996.) Last Sunday was no different, although there was a certain sadness because Roscoe their beloved elderly cat is in declining health. (The cat on the table is not Roscoe; I think his name is Big Boy.) As we sat in their lush back yard sipping wine we tried to cover the past 3 years of life developments without rushing too much. I always enjoy hearing about Bob & Susan's interesting careers at the tippy top of the music industry. Later on we dined at The Boarder Grill on delicious Oaxacan fare. The margaritas were pretty wonderful too!
On Monday I drove over to the enormous Hollywood branch of Amoeba Music and spent oodles of time flipping through their extensive used CD selection. Their used vinyl room was humongous, arguably 2 times the size of my house. I didn't come prepared with a wish list which was a mistake; you know how awful my memory can be. I left with (in no order):

• Brazilian Girls / Brazilian Girls
  
• His Name Is Alive / Always Stay Sweet
  
• Danger Mouse & Jemini / Ghetto Pop Life
  
• Junior Boys / So This Is Goodbye
  
• Hot Chip / The Warning
  
• Ben Kweller / Ben Kweller
  
• Yo La Tengo / I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
  
• Iron & Wine / The Creek Drank the Cradle
  
• Greyboy / Soul Mosaic - I think this one was a mistake. I must have confused Greyboy with someone else.
  
• dios / los arboles
  
• Belle & Sebastian / Push Barman to Open Old Wounds - Try as I might, I can't get this 2CD compilation of 7 EPs into my iTunes, grrr.

Later that afternoon Alma and Amanda picked me up from Traci's and took me over to their Village Green town home in Culver City at the edge of the Baldwin Hills. We took Amandita out to one of the common greens so she could ride trikes and play in the mud with two of her friends.We had a quiet night at home after picking up a loaner car from Bob. (Thank you Bob!) Adam was at a night class for his arts management masters program. Tuesday morning the big excitement was getting Amanda ready for the Halloween party at her montessori school. She was lovely as a flower and let her Tia Heather take lots of photos.After Alma and Amanda left, I headed over to Santa Monica to meet Matthaeus who had a break between teaching video production classes at the Art Institute of California. We had lunch at Zabrie's neighborhood cafe, where they knew what he liked to drink and let us order salads that weren't on the menu. Matthaeus is a dear sweet friend from our days at UVA and my brief stint as a LA resident in 1994; he is always so kind and supportive of me. We email a few times a year and reconnected over the phone this Summer when I really needed his wise counsel. Over lunch we talked about my life in C'ville and the script he started writing during a Summer retreat in NC. He's excited about finishing it and getting it into production. I can't wait to read it... and to see it on the big screen!Mattheaus headed back to his doughy students and I scooted over to Hackmart to meet up with Traci who was just back to town from a trip East. We only had a little while since she was at work but she told me about the business of creating "Essentials" for iTunes. We had loads to catch up on, but not the time in which to do it. Since she was at work, I didn't embarrass her by whipping out my camera. That evening Adam, Alma, Amanda, and I had a relaxed and delicious family dinner and afterwards Amanda opened the gifts I brought for her. Here she is modeling a moon & stars bathrobe:Wednesday was my last full day in LA and I spent the early part of it puttering on the computer (lame!) and loading music into Adam & Alma's iTunes while the contractors banged away on some tile repairs. In the afternoon I met up with Adam at the construction site for the Madison Project, a new performing arts facility he has been instrumental in launching. It's quite impressive. They are expecting to open in Fall of 2007. Hard hats are the new black.Afterwards I walked around the 3rd Street Promenade which I found rather depressing. Take the Charlottesville Downtown Mall and replace all of the independent boutiques, cafes, book shops, and blue grass musicians with chain retailers and buskers covering James Taylor and Jimmy Buffet. I did see this rusty old beach bike with some extra gear attached for carrying a surf board. That made me smile.That evening Bob & Susan hosted a gathering for Carol & Thane (of Daily Lott Photo Caption Contest fame!), Traci, and me. The hummus Bob whipped up on the spot featuring Moroccan spices was fantastic and I couldn't get enough! While the wine and conversation was flowing, Bob prepared a fabulous meal of grilled pork served with sauteed peaches and onions and roasted fingerling potatoes and other vegetables all fresh from the farmer's market. We've all known each other for at least 11 years so the conversation was all over the place. It was comfortable and I was very happy to be there. Thane took us over the edge with the chocolate mouse deserts his "friend" Victor prepared. My jeans are tightening up just recalling the decadent pleasure.Sadly, it was all over too soon. Hopefully it won't be another 3 years before we're reunited. I'm going to try to be a better correspondent and maybe The Daily Lott will give us an opportunity to stay in touch as a group.

Thursday morning came very early. Adam was kind enough to take me to the airport at 7am and Alma got up to wish me safe travels. The flights were uneventful and I landed in RIC flooded with melancholy and painful nostalgia. Hearing Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" over the PA was a minor consolation as it took 35 minutes for the luggage to appear on the baggage claim carousel. I finally made it back to C'ville to pick up the baby dog from Kyra & Eric's and enjoy their hospitality for a tasty supper. Lottie clearly had a great time with them and was super comfortable at their house. Thank you Kyra & Eric!One last note about my trip. I forgot to mention that on my flight from Dallas to LA, a young couple sat down in the window and middle seats next to me in the aisle seat. The woman exclaimed when she saw me "well thank goodness she's not a great big woman!" Yeah, thanks, I think.

Flight (H-Bomb)

I haven't posted much lately because my head and heart have been spinning as I try to come to terms with everything that has happened over the past 16 months. It's hard to stop the madness and find words for it all, especially since it's such a topsy turvy bunch of contradicting feelings. I have my good days that are really just ok and I have my bad days that are shakey, damp, and miserable.

Awhile back I decided that I was long overdue for a visit to LA to see my friends Bob & Susan, Traci, Thane & Carol, Matthaeus and my niece, step-brother and sister-in-law. I knew they would distract me from my heartache at least for awhile and help me focus on better days to come. Everything makes me think of what had and might have been and so did the prospect of flying to California, but I made it out here with just a few tears.
The monotonous drive down 64 to the Richmond airport was made more lovely with the Fall foliage.
Waiting for my flight to Dallas I figured why not enjoy a pint.
Listening to Bob Newhart's "I Really Shouldn't Be Doing This."

Finally to LAX, Adam, Alma, and Amanda picked me up at the airport then drove me to their lovely new home at the edge of Culver City. Amanda took me on a tour and Adam fixed a light supper before we had to dash.
Adam and I went to see the Cashore Marionettes at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center and I struggled to stay awake through the technically impressive but dry performance. Leaving we ran into a traffic jam of parents picking up their pre-teens from a Halloween costume dance. The place was jammed and three were probably a dozen kids dressed up as Harry Potter.
I'm catsitting at Traci's for the first 3 nights I'm here. It's lovely with her many Heywood-Wakefield pieces, fabulous style, and extensive collection of books.
Saturday morning I walked to the old Farmers Market near Fairfax & 3rd for an indulgent breakfast at Kokomo's and some retail therapy. On the way back I saw this amazing couple. It had to be 80 degrees by 10am but they were unphased by the heat as were the other folks in heavy layers I saw heading to Temple.

The anchor for my trip out here was the bash Matthaeus and Daisy organized for Matthaeus' 35th birthday. The party was last night and it was tremendous. Their huge bungalow in the heart of Los Feliz was transformed. The dining room was cleared out for the DJ and dancing. The bartender set up her full bar in the kitchen. The large back yard was taken over by the band, a spread of delicious food, and hordes of their friends and family members, many of whom flew in from Copenhagen and Dallas for the celebration. Matthaeus and Daisy are in film and stop motion animation respectively and so were most of their friends. Some of their UCLA film school profs were even in attendance.
The lead singer of "Jack" said that they rehearse and perform only once every 5 months or so. You couldn't tell, they were terrific.
Happy Birthday Matthaeus!
Matthaeus' younger brother Martin (law school grad turned real estate broker) got the dancing started with his impressive latin dance steps and gregarious personality. The dancing and merry making no doubt went into the wee hours, but I was home shortly after midnight. I do a lot better in small groups.

So far it's been good being out of Charlottesville and away from my house full of memories. Of course, I am bummed to have missed the Give Me Your Lunch Money double header today. I can't wait to hear how much lunch money the team collected! We were 5-0 going into today's games and next Sunday are the playoffs at 11:30am, 12:30pm, and 1:30pm!

Miss Lottie and her big day... of napping (Kyra)

Miss Lottie forgot to pack her laptop during her out-of-house experience, so she's unable to post anything new to her blog this week...

Lottie was a bit subdued after your departure yesterday, but she was able to get a good bit of lounging done at the office. Once we came home, we took a walk down the street, during which she decided that she really wanted to visit the people at 758 Lexington. We didn't ring the doorbell and introduce ourselves, much to Lottie's dismay.

Today she has felt more like herself. I think she still hopes to see you around any given corner, but she hasn't been watching the door as much. Of course, we've had a busy day. Lottie accompanied Eric and I to Chipotle for lunch, where she found bits of lettuce on the patio... she also took a long afternoon nap before taking me on a long afternoon walk. We explored the whole neighborhood and met a few nice doggies. It was such a nice afternoon, Eric decided to go for a motorcycle ride. Unfortunately, he overestimated the amount of gasoline in the tank and ended up stranded 9 miles out on Barracks/Garth Rd. Lottie and I had to speed up the last leg of our walk to bring him some more gas. I drove, but Lottie did the cheering up once we got there.

Here are a couple of pictures taken with our digital camcorder's memory stick, so the quality isn't so hot. Lottie fits in very well with our decor when she sleeps... the last picture is of her smiling at Eric, trying to convince him that she deserves a treat. It didn't work that time, although she is being a very good puppy.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Me But Were Afraid To Ask (The Lott)

In the mornings and most any time of the day I like to be serenaded with:
* Lottie Dottie She Likes To Party
* It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
* Super Puppy! (so far those are the only lyrics)

I might need to do my business:
* if I’m staring at you intently
* if I’m hanging around the door
* if I’m barking (to get your attention as opposed to at the wind, squirrel, or mailman outside)
* if it’s the morning, mid-day, before and/or after dinner, or right before bed
* even if you try to put me out because it’s the morning, bedtime, or you’re about to leave me home for the evening and I come right back in. Sometimes I need company out in the yard or I’ll just try to hold it. And we all know that’s how accidents happen.

I like to eat:
* my kibble (one bag in the morning and one bag in the evening). Sometimes I like to skip a meal and double up at the next meal. If I skip more than one meal, don’t worry about it. I’ll eat when I’m hungry.
* an occasional doggy treat as a reward for being good (like doing my biz) - not for begging – and only if I do not jump or stand up while you’re giving me the treat
* nothing else - and by that I mean no human food Jayme!

I will let you know I’m hungry or thirsty by:
* hanging around my empty food and water bowls, duh
* sending telephathic messages while I nap to save my strength

I like to drink water:
* whenever
* out of a bowl
* out of a dirty puddle

I might be crying or groaning (yes, groaning) because:
* I want to get up onto the furniture, but am afraid to try because I have no traction on wood / tile floors or because the bed is too high
* I want you to cuddle with you and have you pet me
* you won’t help or let me get into bed at night. What have I done to deserve this?
* I’m a freak

Be warned, I like to nest in:
* an afghan
* the bed sheets or pillows
* your clean clothes just out from the dryer

When you’re headed out for the evening - without me for some strange reason - I like:
* a snuggly bed with a view of the door or out the window
* an incandescent light to read by
* a selection of fine reading material: bark, the whole dog journal, national geographic
* for you to close the doors to the other rooms so the boogy man won’t creep out and get me

I should wear my collar if:
* there’s a chance I can get outside (of the house or gated yard) without you knowing it
* I am out and about town

I will bolt out into the street:
* if I think I might find Heather there
* if the gate is cracked
* when you least expect it
* for the thrill of it
* to see you pee your pants

If I get muddy on a walk, you can:
* laugh at me
* rinse my legs off under the faucet - warm water please

I like to wear my coat when:
* it's cold outside but not when I'm going for a run in the muck. Doesn't everyone?

My vet is:
* Dr. Martin Betts (Charlottesville Animal Hospital, 434.973.5331) and he gives me vienna sausages so I love him

I think you’re pretty awesome because:
* you rub my belly and let me give you kisses

Cozy (The Lott)

Happy Rickshaw Livens Up Charlottesville Transportation (H-Bomb)

Happy Rickshaw Offers Downtown and University Communities Offbeat Transportation Alternative. One easy decision for late night revelers, one giant pedal forward for Charlottesville! Read all about it on 2skinnypros.com

Be the first on your block to ride in a Happy Rickshaw. Tip well, my sweets. It's good for your kharma.