Life in Los Angeles

...is pretty wonderful. I have some incredible friendships here. The weather is divine, and NO it's not always sunny. In fact it's as cold and cloudy and windy and electric as the cities in the Bay Area, which is a piece of nature that I love. It's also close to the mountains, so for this past dry and gusty week all I could smell between the buildings was a draft of dead leaves and icy mountain nighttime - the same smell as that one night I was borrowing Stan's Mom's Kia (aka Misty) and drove all the way up to Tahoe from Placerville just to get out and stare at those glimmering beads of white glittering against the silver night, but the freezing air filling my nostrils is what struck stuck into my senses - that blast of ice, the black and empty air, dry and whisping between pines and peaks, it swooped into my car, under my clothes, through my vents and cleansed my sinuses. A deep cold high air, that's the mountain icy air I'm talking about. Last week it visited me here in LA, only now is it drifting away letting Fall back in.

I'm out of my house now. Still getting mail in Pasadena, but I've spent the past 4 days seriously househunting. To no avail, of course.. but I'm extremely picky. I refuse to live in another situation where I'm not comfortable, so I'm sacrificing comfort these few days so I can find a more full comfort later. Capiche? So if you think I'm homeless, you're wrong. I'm just stubborn and searching.

Last night was Halloween in West Hollywood. If you don't know what that means, I'll tell you: it's the biggest Halloween walk/celebration in the world (seriously) and I found myself deep in the thick of rave jumping Charlie Browns, Avatars, enormous Masks, barely-clothed chicks and guys, and a lot of really really happy people. Going to Burning Man this year totally obliterated my fear for large groups of crazy-dressed people. I think seeing that there is actually nothing "wrong" or bad happening (so long as you steer clear of drugs and the like) it's actually a complete celebration! Like a bunch of dancing children. Literally. But childlike adults are looked down on, especially if they aren't ashamed of themselves. Such a funny society we live in, obsessing with maturity but secretly daydreaming about letting it all go and running free again. What are people to do.

Now I'm in a Starbucks, going over a script for something called Dear Murderess, a wonderful piece of classical theatre that I've been invited to staged-read for, looking for good homes online ...

and you know what?
Life in Los Angeles is definitely wonderful.
These people open their doors to you,
they welcome you in, some almost with extremity.
"PLEASE!! COME IN!!"
That's wonderfulness. Accepting without bounds.

Los Angeles is a representation of a world that isn't perfect, but works like magic because everybody believes in something or something else. It's like a fantasyland of professionals mixing up with each other and seeing what falls out onto the plate. That's what you do here - you come with an empty plate and walk around filling it up with others' ideas, invitations, food, promises, rottenness, sweetness, you can load it up. The bigger the plate, the more you can try. And there's plenty to go around.

There is no evil in any city. Evil is an idea that comes from people who believe that evil exists.
Everyone else is just trying to be happy.

By the way - get the new Sufjan Stevens. It's completely different, and after 3 listens I'm hooked.

OH!! I almost forgot. Look at this review that a producer guy gave ELEVATOR!
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5958656/elevator_a_theatrical_review.html

Mikie