Passing Time

I can't believe it has been almost three weeks since I last wrote. It isn't that I haven't wanted to, but I'm not able to log on at home on the high speed line and catching time at lunch is hard, especially on the days that I teach, because I don't get lunch on those days.

Plus, I've been busy getting the Arabian Prince moved to his new, less posh, but less stressful, digs. They aren't perfect, but they are in a relatively quiet neighborhood in the north west San Fernando Valley a few miles closer to where we live than the previous place. And the wind is far less intense, meaning I should be able to get on him more often. We did a lounge-line lesson last night and he was just fine. Noisy parrots (there are lots of feral parrots in Los Angeles) and dogs notwithstanding.

The new place has seven horses and three llamas, Whoopi, Queen (for Lahtifa), and Zsa Zsa. Zsa Zsa is cream with peach spots, the other two are brown/black. I think they are a hoot. They move silently and smoothly. They have eyes which look at you with the wisdom of ancient days. Their feet look like the missing link to birds or dinosaurs. Think ostriches with fur and four legs. They make strange chirping noises and when they get angry they hiss and spray spittle at each other. The movement of their ears really makes them look like aliens. I'm not sure how long they will be at the ranch (the Arabian mare who was kept in the same stall was moved last weekend to Atascadero and they are expected to follow,) but I am looking forward to photographing them. I did a series of shots the other day, but the sun was going down.

I've also been very busy planning the first "Creative Voices" program for Pierce College. Our first speaker is Harlan Ellison (who else?) The program is at 8 p.m. on May 22 at the Performing Arts Building, and it is free. We're going to have Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who wrote Pirates of the Caribbean, Zorro, and Aladdin, for our next program in the Fall.

Harlan is an amazing public performer.

My husband's been getting nudged by the readers of his blog for falling down on the job. Truth is, he's been out of town working as an expert witness for the past couple of weeks and preparing before that. He's got plenty more visitors than I do anyway. Last Saturday night, at dinner with friends (including the afore-mentioned Terry Rossio), Michael Cassutt told him when to the day he had last posted. I'm impressed that Michael pays that much attention to Len's blog. Michael's one of my favorite writers of prose (I recommend Red Moon), and he's had plenty of television credits as well.

Tuesday evening we had dinner with a couple of friends we haven't seen in about 18 months at a Mexican restaurant called Sol y Luna. Great guacamole and margaritas. It's in our neighborhood and it was jammed--surprising for a weeknight, but then I saw the happy hour sign. It was well past happy hour, but I guess folks just stick around. Parking is a real problem. If not for the walk home, it would make more sense to walk the mile from our house rather than deal with parking. Unfortunately, most of that walk would be on the street. Sidewalks are at a premium in Los Angeles. Pity.