So much better now

Okay, so, for every day I have that I feel sorry for myself or badly about how things are going, the universe just laughs and then dares to show me just how good I have it. I hate when the universe does that.

New Year’s Eve was a lesson in this.

Had a long, great talk with Zadra about the vagaries of men and life and relationships and let go of a lot of the stuff that’s been stuck in my head and keeping me awake this week (right now, my very loud celebrating neighbors all around me are keeping me awake so I’m tormenting them with various playlists off my Ipod). Zadra has this way of cutting through the white noise in my head and making me release it into the atmosphere. She also has this annoying little enigmatic smile when I pose questions that no one could possibly answer, Cheshire-like, as though somewhere in her brain she has the answers to all but she just isn’t ready to share these secrets yet. In payment for her wisdom and tolerance, I helped her and her parents negotiate the treacherous nooks and crannies of Ikea. I left them awaiting their pre-fab, pre-packaged, DIY packages. I also left feeling so much more centered and less frantic than I had been in days.

Then an evening that started off going awry turned out just perfectly. Had planned to meet Chairman and perhaps some of the people from Dalt’s Gang up at the Hard Rock at CityWalk. We were given a last minute head’s up about an unexpected $25 cover charge after 8 PM so I headed up early to avoid this and just hang out, wait for the crowd to arrive. Well, they decided to charge everybody eventually, whether you arrived early or not. And the expected crowd did not appear. Luckily, as I consumed a very expense Jameson’s, two lovely British gentlemen entertained me with talk of cell phones and Las Vegas while I waited to figure out if Chairman was heading up to join me. Once I did hear from him, we decided to forego the anticipated cover charge and meet at Gaucho Grill.

Oh, yeah, they were closed. So Hamburger Hamlet on Hollywood Blvd.

Oh, yeah, they were closed.

As I drove west on Hollywood Blvd., Chairman drove east and, via cell, he announced what was open on Hollywood Blvd. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, New Year’s Eve dinner with my best friend at… wait for it… Hooters. Yep. Doesn’t get better than that.

Actually, as always, the universe showed me it’s not what or where but who. We had a delightful dinner of all the things not good for us and, as always, enjoyable conversation about stripper perfume and an over-abundance of Christmas ornaments.

Then Chairman’s brilliant suggestion of dessert at the Disney Soda Fountain – cuz that’s where one should go after Hooters – was perfect. Much pleasurable moaning over the concoctions placed in front of us peppered the rest of our conversation. Finally, we had to struggle out of there so that he could get to work. That, I think, was the biggest downer of the evening, that he had to go and control the universe that is E Entertainment. But hopefully, pizza or something else equally as thrilling filled in the void of the graveyard shift. But as I got in my car, the loneliness of the last few days evaporated into the lights on Hollywood Blvd.

A quick trip over to Burbank to my friend, Greg’s, house and a whirlwind of updates about the last six months of my life. Suddenly, the ball was dropping – the one in New York on tape delay – and suddenly, it’s 2006. The warmth and the love that greeted me in that house was another reminder that, although it seems like I am alone sometimes, there are so many people within arm’s reach that all I have to do is open myself up and love arrives. After much hugging and kissing and finishing stories, I headed out their door with a handful of balloons, which are now floating in my roommate’s room to greet her when she staggers in later this morning.

How do I know she’ll stagger in? I stopped by her bar to say happy new year and was greeted with a warm, genuine hug from her as she told me how much liquor she had sold and consumed. She always makes me smile because, despite her worldliness, every once in a while, she seems so childlike and sweet in her youth. Can’t wait till she finds the balloons. There goes that universe again, reminding me that I have this zany, sweet, talented roomie for a reason. I’m sure we’ll have many stories to exchange some time late tomorrow when we actually see each other (she has my sympathy for her early shift in the AM).

And now, with sleep a long way from coming as the neighbors halfway down the block have decided to share their annoying oompah Spanish music with the entire neighborhood and at least two blocks in either direction, I am anxious to try to get some shut-eye as the clowns in my head are finally somewhat more quiet and may actually allow me to get some rest tonight, even if the neighbors won’t. Hmm, I think there are earplugs around here somewhere. All in all, not a bad evening, Hooters and all.

Much love to all and my warmest wishes for all your hopes and dreams in 2006. Take Mikee’s advise, make this a year of discovery. I sure plan to – in every way possible!