Spring

Spring is springing here in New York, but it seems to be happening very slowly. I’m not sure it’s any slower than usual - maybe I’m just overeager.

For one thing, the weather has stayed pretty chilly. I’ve been refusing to wear my coat; I guess I’ve been subconsciously willing it to get warmer! Fortunately I’m able to get by with just a jacket.

When I came back from California on Monday, the ornamental pear trees were blooming along Lexington Avenue near my apartment. In just the few days I was gone the trees turned into soft white clouds. And there are big pink buds on the Japanese magnolia in the back yard - I love it when that tree blooms each year.

We also have daffodils blooming in the front flower bed, but only in the sunny part. The daffodils in the shady, cooler areas don’t have flowers yet. Funny how nature interacts that way, with plants growing just a few inches apart on different schedules! We have tulips coming up too, but they bloom later.

It’s futile to feel like I want to hurry things along - nature doesn’t listen to me, after all - but I am SO ready for the change of seasons!

(Aside: Whenever I think of nature personified, I think of Mother Nature from the old Chiffon margarine commercials.)

(Photo: Long Island City, Queens, March 2008)

Pann's

Every time I go to L.A., I pass a coffee shop called Pann’s on my way into town from LAX. It’s on a wedge of land between La Cienaga and La Tijera boulevards, with a funky swooping angled roof and a crazily tilted sign. The letters that spell out “Pann’s” come in a font that’s unmistakably ‘50s.

As you all know, I love a good diner. So last Thursday, on our way into town, Christopher and I stopped at Pann’s. We sat in one of the maroon vinyl booths and had milkshakes - mine was vanilla with peanut butter and a swirl of chocolate fudge. Mmmmm...


Pann’s, built in 1956 and designed by the firm of Armet & Davis, is a prime example of the kind of California coffee-shop architecture that was exported to the rest of the country in restaurant chains like Big Boy and Denny’s. Large plate-glass windows, angled roofs, exposed stone and lush plantings all typify this style, chronicled in Alan Hess’ excellent 1985 book “Googie: Fifties coffee shop architecture.”

The restaurants evolved this way in California’s warm, sunny car-loving climate. But they seem to work in other parts of the country, too -- and I’m glad. They're so futuristic, and yet so yesterday!


Even the tiles in the bathroom at Pann's are retro.

Palm Springs Journal

As my friends and I were driving into Palm Springs on Friday, we passed a bar with a big sign out front: “Toucan’s welcomes the ladies for Dinah Shore Weekend!”

Clueless, I read the sign to my friends. They said, “Oh! Is it Dinah Shore Weekend?”

Dinah Shore Weekend, as it turns out, is a huge lesbian gathering that coincides with a golf tournament named after, you guessed it, Dinah Shore. We had inadvertently stumbled into the middle of a big bunch of partying womyn.

Fortunately, we weren’t too visibly clueless, because there were other male stragglers around, too.


My friends Jerry and Christopher took me to P.S. as a belated 40th birthday present. We stayed at a gay resort and had a terrific time, even though we have very different traveling styles. Christopher and Jerry like to check in to a hotel and hang around the pool, relaxing and chatting up fellow lodgers. I, on the other hand, like to explore.

So some days, while they stayed put, I would go out walking through town, checking out the shops, stopping for coffee and taking photos. Also, I’m a ridiculously early riser, so I used the morning to sightsee, too. I did a lot of walking and running in Palm Springs, just as I’d hoped.

I really love the area - the climate is beautiful (at least, at this time of year) and the mountains provide a dramatic scenic backdrop, always changing with the light through the day. The town itself seems small and manageable, and also relatively affordable, despite its posh reputation. (Apparently it has experienced explosive growth in recent years.) There’s lots of beautiful landscaping and desert foliage, and since it’s spring, everything was blooming.


And as I mentioned yesterday, Chris and Jerry did make a major concession to my exploring by taking me to Joshua Tree, so I’m thankful for that!

All in all, I had a great time! Now I’m happy to be back in New York, where the trees have bloomed a bit in my absence, but where it’s also unfortunately unseasonably cold. Was I really in a swimming pool just 36 hours ago?

Joshua Tree

Well, I made it back from Palm Springs. I landed a few hours ago, and now I'm getting my life in order before I zip off to work. I'm not sure I'll be very productive today, but I'll give it the old college try.

I'll write more about Palm Springs tomorrow, but suffice to say I had a great time! The highlight was driving out to Joshua Tree National Park, which is full of amazing vistas and rock formations, as well as the ubiquitous spiny trees that give it its name. It was really stunning, with lots of spring wildflowers.


This is the panorama from Keys View, a lookout point over the Coachella Valley. On clear days, Mexico is allegedly visible.


This is a Joshua Tree - I'm pretty sure it is, anyway. (The yucca looks very similar, apparently.)


This is me being an intrepid rock climber. Nothing fancy - no harnesses or anything like that. Just me scrambling up on top of a big rock!

Disappearing

I’m off to sunny California today, for a brief vacation in Palm Springs. I’m flying out in late morning and meeting up with my friends Christopher and Jerry, and we’ll all drive out to the desert together. I’m hoping to see Joshua Tree National Park, do a bit of running, and just relax in a warm, dry environment for a few days. Woo hoo!

Bob and I went to see “Stop Loss” last night, about soldiers returning from Iraq. It’s kind of a strange movie -- the first 3/4 are very moving, with an excellent performance by Ryan Phillippe. It effectively portrays the huge injustices we inflict on our military personnel in Iraq, as well as what life may be like stateside for veterans. But the ending seems a bit slapped together and unconvincing. (And sadly, there were no parts suitable for Tina Louise.)

After the movie, Bob and I went to the Cheyenne Diner on Ninth Avenue, which sadly is about to close forever. Its last day is Sunday. I had pancakes - an appropriate late-night diner food. Here, for good measure, are a few more photos of the Cheyenne.




I don’t think I’ll be blogging from California, so I’ll be back on Monday!

I know you!

I’m always amazed when I meet another blogger in person, and I feel like I know them -- even though it’s the first time we’ve technically met. That was the case with Gary when I first met him several months ago, and now I can say the same about Kim, who’s visiting New York. She and Gary and I went for a quick drink last night (VERY quick, since they had to get to a show) and it was fun to compare notes and see our common “blog mind” in action! Go bloggers!

I wonder if Tina Louise ever thought about blogging?

(Photo: Park Avenue, March 2008)

Exploiting Tina Louise

I was looking at my Google referrals yesterday - it's amazing how many hits I get from searches for Tina Louise. All because of just one post! I think I'm going to mention Tina Louise every day, just to increase my blog traffic.

For some reason, when I woke up this morning, this jingle popped into my head. And now I can't stop singing it. Sometimes I'm scared of what lives in my brain.