Saturday, July 29, 2000

1:36 a.m. Today took a few unexpected, but very pleasurable turns, and not a single turn required any arcane and mysterious commands shouted over the weft and the wapping warp of a madly flapping sail. Today we stayed on dry land the entire day.

Igor had an appointment for a radio interview and the broadcast studio was located on Melrose Avenue, so I loaded up my camera with brand new batteries and even brought my extra-storage smart card, just in case. You know -- it's Melrose Avenue. Ground center zero for strange folk walking.

We got there reasonably on time, but unfortunately the studio was in the better-heeled West Hollywood part of Melrose, and there were no freaks to be seen or photographed. Just ivy-covered boxy buildings with big plate-glass window displays of Oriental rugs, huge bigger-than-life urns, and various wrought-iron candlestands.

This is the part of the world where decorators get those huge white pillows for the living-room sofa. The pillows that are so big, so perky, there is no room left on the couch for anyone but a whippet. But I digress.

Through a series of Keystone-cop maneuvers, we ended up with the producer and stars of the show locked out of the building, eventually let into the building, and then locked out of the studio. Long story, ending in setting off the burglar alarm and eventually, a very pleasant compensatory lunch instead of an interview.

Lunch stretched out into the afternoon, the day looked promisingly overcast, and even though Igor did go over to the boat to putter and to check on things, I was able to claim a backed-up workload and I ended up getting out of boat duty for the day.

I'm not going to be so lucky tomorrow ... the motor is still turning over like the slutty wench she is, and we're going to be put-put-putting out of our impossible wall-slip and off into the channel, dodging other boats, rocking and rolling, and pitching and sliding.

I had a wonderful lunch. A latte to remember. Tomorrow, maybe I'll pack some peaches and hope for the best. Yeah, I know I always enjoy myself after I've done it. It's like exercise -- I'll be all glowy and achy and feeling mighty righteous.

Chin up! It's only one more day until Monday!