Saturday, August 26, 2006

August 22nd 1993... 13 years later...


Thirteen years ago, to the day, more or less I arrived in Los Angeles. I had flown from Gatwick airport in London, via St. Louis on the now defunct TWA airline (once owned by Howard Hughes). It was a horrifically long flight, and the four hour stop-over was dire... John Rutter (pictured above) picked me up from LAX in a small rental car. I remember feeling very hot and tired when I got off the plane... John drove me to The Rainbow Grill on Sunset (pictured below), where he regailed me with rock 'n' roll tales of Axl Rose, and we drank tequila.


I felt strangely thrilled at the time. I'd escaped London. I had the promise of a fabulous job, and when you kicked around with John you ended up kicking around with pretty girls. John was always genial and self-depricating. I felt good being around him. But at the end of a very long evening after talking-things-up and making plans, John drove me to the top of Bel Air. We parked and looked out across the twinkling vista of Los Angeles at night... In the immortal words of Tony Montana, John said "all this could be yours..." What a strange and eg-maniacal moment. Was really that drunk and tired, or had I just become intoxicated with John's bullshit..? Maybe a mixture of all three. Still, thirteen years later 'all of that' was NOT MINE - and that's okay. I'm not sure that I would want 'ALL OF THAT' anyway.

Los Angeles remains the most vacuous and maddening of places. Shallow? Yes. Infuriating? Absolutely. A cultural desert? Most likely. Still. thirteen years later, I realize that it's an okay place to call home. I'm healthier than I've been in years. And, most importantly without being in Los Angeles - I wouldn't have met Margie. She has stuck with me through thick and thin. She can also be maddenning - but, at the same time is a constant inspiration to me. On August 22nd, 2006 - Margie and I went to Zankou Chicken. Not very fancy after 13 years, I know... Still, I remember thinking that my life is pretty good, and I love Margie very much...

For the rest of you who stuck by me in LA - I treasure and value your friendship... Even John - I hope I can find where he is incarcerated and try to visit him... What can I say of thirteen years? It slipped by in the blink of an eye...
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