Weddings, Winchell's and Wistfulness

In case you were worried sick, Marvin Gardens has still quit his job and we are still married. I realize it has been a couple days since I have written, and I did not want you to be over there wondering. And thank you all for your nice comments and emails.

My mother has been in town, as is my stepfather, seeing as they are married and all, so that is where we have been.

It is exciting having my mother in town, as she has purchased my first pedicure in five months, and also lunch at Ribs U.S.A., which is, like, the best barbecue place within a 10-mile radius of me that I have not been to due to the fact that, you know, we are not spending. What run-on sentence?

Speaking of which (spending, not run-on sentences), the other night after dinner, the soon-to-be-unemployed Marvin Gardens and I took a walk and we noticed that the donut shop ON OUR CORNER had been completely redecorated, and we had not noticed it because we never go there anymore. They had painted it and put up a fancy menu and everything. I mean, it's one of those little hut places where you just walk up and order your donuts, and it's got windows all the way around it, so you'd think we'd have at least GLANCED in there this year, since we pass it every day. But no.

That donut shop, in the early morning, is a hangout for old men in cowboy hats. They all sit outside with their coffee and their hats and such, and every once in awhile I would get my coffee from there before work. Even though I had wet hair and I am 97 years old and give new meaning to the term "front butt," all the old men would watch me walk by. I was the belle of the Winchell's ball.

Speaking of bells, tonight we went to a wedding, and weddings always make me wish I had nicer dress up clothes. Even when I was not not spending, I tended to have just one "marry 'em and bury 'em" dress that I wore to all special occasions. Hey, it's LA, and you hardly ever need a dress for anything, so just one will do. But then you go to these weddings and you think, where DOES one find a dove gray crushed silk dress with a fur trim, and why don't I have one as a wardrobe staple?

I remember when I first moved here, and went to my first LA wedding, I was struck by how NEW everyone's clothes looked. I had come here from Seattle, where you buy new clothes that purposely look old and faded, so this was a shock to me.

Anyway, on top of lusting for people's clothes, the house where the wedding was held was not to be believed. It was probably the fanciest house I have been to here, and I kept thinking if I lived there, I'd never be sad again. I would just wander from room to room thinking, "Man, I'm rich. Look how rich I am. Here I am in another room, continuing to be rich."

I'm sure I'll be invited back soon, seeing as how just as we were getting ready to leave, I dropped my LIPSTICK behind some 17th century dresser in the entryway (the entryway. Do you know what my entryway is? My LIVING ROOM) and some wedding guest had to help me SCRAPE said 17th century dresser across the antique plank flooring in order to retrieve my $7 lipstick. Hey, I can't just go out and buy another tube. What do you want from me?

So that's my news. Oh, and no, we did not buy a wedding gift for the happy couple. We figure just us showing up, eating all the food offered then going back for seconds, being first in line for cake, and then scraping the antique floors was really gift enough.