Glass Menagerie

A tiny dinosaur figurine is on the kitchen counter.

The stegosaurus, I believe he is a stegosaurus, with that picket fence-back? Was never that into dinosaurs...so violent, so reptilian. Much preferred unicorns, which were every bit as fantastical but fuzzy. What I did know about dinosaurs was that I'd surely have been a brontosaurus: all long limbs with a penchant for leafy greens and meekness.

I walk over to investigate; Stegosaurus awaits my mother's return, the smile still on his face. Bits of paper towel and crazy glue surround him and I notice his injury: a broken tail. It's a familiar sight, this porcelain animal hospital. I'm home.

My mother collects these figurines, always has. She also collects crystal animals, which are of a higher class, and therefore safely stored to sparkle away in their display case. These guys are older and have a home (literally, it's a wooden shelf shaped like a house, with teeny nook-rooms for each figurine) on the wall.

The wall. I imagine all the crystal animals saying, "Oh, it's a great place to visit but I'd never actually want to live there." Takes a certain amount of grit, I'm sure. Many a tiny animal has hurled himself, premeditated or otherwise, into the abyss that is our dining room. My mother will always nurse them back to health, no matter how small the fragments, no matter that the superglue mars their original form.

"Do you collect anything?" The question was posed to me recently. It took a moment to answer; I pride myself on living simply. I also tend to move homes often, the one upside being a frequent purging of things.

Several years ago my mother began gifting me crystal animals. She's since taken to asking what I would really like (sparkly creatures couldn't keep my fingers warm in Brooklyn). Perhaps I didn't seem terribly enthusiastic about the little guys, and my significant others couldn't appreciate their beauty. Either way, they stopped coming.

A couple of weeks ago I was packing for my most recent, and likely not my last, move. I found a little ball of tissue paper that hadn't been unwrapped since New York.

Inside were my crystal animals. A bunny, a turtle, a duckling, a cat. All were broken save for the cat. I touched their fragments. The Swarovski facets were just as lovely as a diamond ring, the kind of beauty that hurts.

I rolled the animals back into the tissue and packed them away. "They will need mending", I said aloud to the empty room. "They will, they will, we will."

Spectacles

Today I wore my glasses. Which I almost never do, save for bedtime. I’ve always been one to prolong a night’s end. I’ve hosted parties where I’ve nodded off on the couch, crystal in hand, because I couldn’t bear the thought of missing one thing. When I was younger, I’d lament my poor vision and the frames I’d have to wear. I couldn’t dance properly (pirouettes are difficult enough without your eyewear flying from your face) and I especially hated them during sleepovers. We’d stay up, tiny girl voices chatting and gossiping and dreaming, until it was finally time to drift off. Removing my glasses signaled the end. The end of the night, the end of the fun.

Today I wore them all day long. I just removed them and glanced at my face in the mirror. And looking back was a lovely, hazy, softer version of myself. I had such a tremendous moment of loving what I could see. Of being kind to myself. I’m ready to curl up in bed, slip off my frames, and end the night. I’m not afraid of missing a thing. I’m carrying that kindness with me, through the darkness, until the light pours into my little white bedroom.



The Must

Couple of things to do in LA this week, as filtered through my curious brain:

“Unleash your inner fair!!!” is the theme of this year’s LA County Fair, opening Friday in Pomona. Not sure about y’all but I’m unleashing my inner fair, at the concierge desk, as we speak. Hope our guests can tell! Get up close to marine animals including sea lions, sharks, and mermaids. Yes. Mermaids. Indulge in such culinary delights as Krispy Kreme Sloppy Joes and, well, I’ll just stop there. Catch the End of Summer Concert Series featuring artists including Demi Lovato and The Bangles. I like to sing “Manic Monday” around my non-hospitality friends, especially when my work week begins during their Sunday brunch. Try it, so fun and confusing for them!

Labor Day Weekend: As a wee one, I thought this holiday was in honor of birthin’ babies. Boy, was I wrong. It’s to celebrate workin’ hard, of course! Or, get real crazy and celebrate my favorite bundle of joy: The Food Baby. The LA Times is hosting The Taste food and wine festival at Paramount Studios Friday through Sunday. On Saturday, join Michael Cimarusti of Providence and Connie and Ted’s (Responsible for my most recent F.B....I’m sorry, but you offer a hot and a cold lobster roll on your menu? Concierge-ing dictates I order both). Sunday, join critic Jonathan Gold and Sang Yoon of Father’s Office (B.F.B. anyone?) as you enjoy a day of authentic dishes from around the world, courtesy of LA’s best restaurants. Wrap this delectable weekend up with a Labor Day Block Party hosted by Nancy Silverton and lastly, partake in the Cocktail Confidential, hosted by some of LA’s finest mixologists. Labor Day barbeque, smarbeque, I’ll see y’all at Paramount!

Delight

The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight. The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.

I remain tattoo-less but if I were to inscribe words on my body, that last sentence is a particular favorite of mine. I'm also considering the state birds of Alabama and California, one for each wrist. However, that frankly seems a tad ambitious so perhaps I'll just settle for a couple of prints off of Etsy.

I was reminded of this quote tonight, while watching two little adorable boys play in front of the lobby mirrors. Starck placed some pretty crazy things in our hotel but the funhouse mirrors are always a hit. The littlest one was very taken by how skinny or fat they made him appear, and he kept giggling and babbling in Spanish and then giggling and falling to the floor. Must have done this nine times. And then I started giggling too, at witnessing his pure joy. His delight was my delight. We've had some very lovely guests lately, and I'm sometimes too quick to stop and pay attention to the gift that is constant, varied human interaction.

Though it was my seventh day of work in a row and I was quite beat, I ended it by writing my weekly little email. I'll share that with you, along with the tiny idea to pay more attention. The ability to be delighted seems like such a given, but it's not. It's absolutely not.

“I'm a perpetual tourist, and that's the best way to travel. Nobody gets used to you, you make new friends without having to hear anyone's everyday problems, and you jet back still feeling like a know-it-all.” John Waters is full of fabulous quotes, most of which are a little NSFW. Google ‘em on your lunch break! Apparently Johnny Ramone was a big fan of his as well. Sunday at 5:30 pm, the 9^th Annual Johnny Ramone Tribute will present an Outdoor Screening of Cry Baby at Hollywood Forever. Special guests include host John Waters, co-star Traci Lords, and there’s even a Ramones look a-like contest. Gonna see lots of vegan leather jackets…

Here’s an intriguing (and free) event: The Cardboard Yacht Regatta will be held Saturday at the Annenberg Community Beach House. Cheer on teams who’ve constructed their own watercraft from cardboard and duct tape.  Each paddle-powered vessel is a work of art, vying for such awards as Best Theme and Most Likely to Sink. I’m already mentally building “Monkey Business” for next year’s regatta.

Did you know our very own Lori Trimble is President of the Los Angeles Concierge Association? (Side note: she likes it when you bow in her presence.) The LACA invites you to our 2013 Hospitality Expo, held at the lovely Langham Pasadena. Next Tuesday August 20^th from 6:30 to 9:30, come mingle with other LA hospitality professionals and vendors. There will be games, prizes, and all sorts of circus-y entertainment!

The Must

I've been writing a little weekly must-do newsletter that is sent from the concierge desk to all hotel employees. Don't tell anyone, but I actually kinda enjoy it. Thought you might, too:

Robert Redford once said, “Storytellers broaden our minds: engage, provoke, inspire, and ultimately, connect us.”  The same can be said for wine and beer.  Enjoy these three things together (!) when you visit Redford’s Sundance Cinema at 8000 Sunset for Next Weekend, LA’s version of the Sundance film fest.  Friday through Sunday, stop by the delightful theater for screenings and discussion panels.  Grab a glass of Sonoma’s finest and brag about how you saw that indie film first. Oh my stars, you’re so hip!

Speaking of suds, the Craft Beer Crawl takes place Saturday and Sunday across seven unique bars and restaurants downtown.  Sample over 100 craft beers hosted by the coolest gals in the biz, The Beer Chicks.

Forget Christmas in July, it’s all about Halloween in August. Travel back in time to the Roaring 20s, and get all flapper-ified at the Great Gatsby Party.  This Saturday, downtown’s historic Park Plaza Hotel turns into the “Gatsby Mansion” with specialty cocktails, swing music, a New Orleans jazz room, and a courtyard where you can purchase treats from LA’s best food trucks.  It’s sure to be the bee’s knees AND the cat’s pajamas!

I now understand what you mean by

This is not the end of it.

And you’re probably right:

The narrative is far more thrilling than the actual events. 

The story will grip you far harder than I ever could. 

Stretch it out, make it span a lifetime, cross county lines and countrysides and children and burials and years and years and years and

Why not? 

It’ll keep you far more fascinated than my actual presence ever, ever could.

Cups

Tiki cocktails led to this. Now can I join the cast of Stomp?!