Happy Holidays Everyone!

We are off to Chicago-Wisconsin for what might be the shortest holiday trip ever. Dec 24-28. Mom turns 85 on December 27 - we have Xmas Eve, Xmas Day and friends to pack in. We'll do it, somehow. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Good Lord, this is going to be quicker than I thought!

Gahhhhhh! Messed up on my ticket - we come back a day earlier than I thought. This is a bummer on so many levels. Nothing can be done, though. We'll have to make the best of things. It'll be a blur of a trip (see pic - get it?). But at least we'll be there for Xmas and Mom's birthday. We can sleep, I suppose, later.

It's Christmastime - and for some reason, this year, I have the spirit a bit. I put up a tree. Something about this new place seems to support a tree. My neighbor, who has two kids, tricked out our front lawn with reindeer, sleigh, icicle lights, the works. Too funny! I have no idea why Christmas has hit me so much - I only had one show this season - that usually gets me into the spirit. But I am just in a what-the-hell kind of mood about it. We head to Chi-town on the 24th and celebrate Mom's 85th on the 27th. Incredible! More to come, promise!

Settled In - so Mom's coming!

I'm finally settled in. Well...mostly. There *are* some straggly issues, but they won't be resolved before Mom's visit come Saturday. Should be interesting to see what she thinks of the place. Dean's been working like a madman to help me finish this. The remaining projects are just ones that are quite a bit of work and I just don't have the heart to nag him, after all he's done. I think Mom will like it. It's defintely more luxe than my old place. We'll see!

Sadness

I feel a little...ashamed right now. Last night, Dean and I had kind of a tough night. But, this morning I woke up to news that a friend in Chicago (an old acting buddy) just lost one of his *kids* to a horrible train accident in Naperville. Now *that* little nugget will put things into perspective for me. I feel like I should have been more grownup about the stuff that went down last night, fully knowing that true sorrow does exist in the world and in fact can be right around the corner. But what's done is done and now I can only wonder how my dear friend, who always had light and love in his eyes and heart will now proceed with what's left of his life. His wife and remaining son and all of their friends are indeed the beacons of hope, but how can one do this? The kid was only 17. Why was he walking at a train station? How did he manage to be on the tracks when he was hit? I can't stand that stuff like this still happens. But it does. I moved into my place two months ago today and I've been a ball of stress and nerves the whole time - but why? This was not true sorrow, this was sheer anxiety and imaginings. Lesson learned - at least for today, hopefully for longer.

As Promised

A picture of my New York kitchen. The fridge is to the right, out of frame. But that was it. For five people, 15 nights! Very tough. Tim Gunn would have been proud - I made it work!

I'm back.

So, New York: it got easier. After a grueling week of repairmen in and out of the place, things finally settled down. I was still pretty clenched though. I called my friend, who was paying for the whole thing and whose daughter was one of the quads: HOW DO YOU DO THIS? I shouted. She laughed. Now you know what it's like to be a Mom. That clenched feeling? Starts the day you come home from the hospital. You do get used to it, though.

Oy! Well, the second week, I really did end up having some fun. I saw probably one of the best plays I've ever seen, The Book of Mormon. A must-see for anyone.

Now I'm back in LA, and the best thing is: my new place finally feels like home. Don't get me wrong, gentle reader(s - I'm optimistic), I'm nowhere near done. But the boxes are unpacked and after 15 solid days in a small NYC apartment with 4 kids, I felt like I walked through my door into an airport waiting lounge - it felt huge! And it felt good.