LA VACATION DIARY

Toronto. Late August/ early September or so.
I was bummed out from a creative endeavour. Oh, it received a strong response from those who saw it but due to circumstances (time of year, lack of gallery promotion) nothing sold and I felt drained from all the energy I put into it, other projects temporarily set aside.
My day job contract was ending.
I needed to get away to L.A.
For good? Oh, how I wish that were feasible, I am at Canada endgame: Toronto, the last place within the borders, thousands of dollars and much paperwork is needed to leave this country.
Jessica, my bandmate in Hallmark lives in LA, she really wanted me to come out and get the band going again. I was all for that. Committed. It should blossom and grow, not wither and die. It had been a year since I performed a full set of music!
What do we sound like? Here:
http://www.myspace.com/hallmarkgroup

Vacations can inspire and recharge and possibilities can be explored.

Sept. 9th
On the flight over a pretty young lady was getting set to do something exciting at the VMAs (Video Music Awards) which apparently were happening that weekend. She smiled at me. I would have tried chatting with her but her attention was taken by a video blogger, helping her out, also attending the awards. I was left to eavesdrop over idle gossip about popstars that I'd never heard of. Still...she smiled. This was a good sign.

No walls.
I found this on my trip. Was it because I was in vacation mode? Approachability. Is this a West Coast thing? An American thing? A West Coast American thing?
I am making a list of the most Romantic places in Canada:
#1. Montreal
#2. Vancouver
#3......I stall.....
I found from my stay that these women who smile, who sometimes even approach me in LA, what a feeling they give. It doesn't matter who smiles first, it feels good. That chopped liver feeling was fading away.
Due to eyeglasses, my peripheral vision is crap but now I see glimmers out of the corner of my eye, I am usually so oblivious, too self-absorbed to notice people noticing me. And I must notice them. I must bring romance back with me as Toronto needs it, Canada needs it. I must smile more, compliment more. And use it in all my affairs! I hope that I can bring this back, this feeling and use it, not get self-conscious by my surroundings but use that little light within to shine.
The sun in LA was shining! A heatwave was had but, I didn't mind (although I worried for those who could suffer death or injury from heat exhaustion). That's what little canary yellow short shorts are for. Who's going to look at a bald spot sunburn anyways?

Jessica picked me up from the airport and she drove me straight to some Mexican food done right.

Sept. 10th
I hung out with my pal Mike Hickey. Coffee in Silver Lake which is near Echo Park where I was crashing. Echo Park is gentrifying but still a wonderful neighbourhood. Silver Lake is gentrified. Everyone gratuitously uses the word 'hipster' here and as it is a word of flux, they usually use it to mean 'young person with money, occasional purple V neck tees.'

Sept. 11th
Can I remember the day-by-day? I don't know. I really don't.
Mike, his girlfriend Marika, and I got tacos with our pals Gregg and Simone. Who's the first person I randomly see in LA? George Hamilton? No. Tony Curtis? No. Then who? My ex girlfriend's best friend. He's great, a sweetheart, yes, but it still felt kinda painful, and I had to ask how my ex-girlfriend was, of course.

Mike, Marika, and I make our way to a free show. Lots of free shows in LA. the legendary Don Bolles (The Germs, Celebrity Skin, 45 Grave, and-most currently-Fancy Space People who are awesome!!! check this:
http://www.myspace.com/fancyspacepeople ) was playing an early Alice Cooper tribute, stuff from the crazier first couple albums! I love Alice Coop and hadn't seen Don in yearrrrs. Was it good? Yeah, they totally captured that sound!

Sept. 12th
Sundays are nice.

Sept. 13th
So are Mondays. I really should have kept notes.

More to come...