Home Sweet Home

Working as a cater-waiter off & on since 1998 has gained me a bird's eye view of some of the most amazing houses/apartments in this country.  Back in Manhattan I recall loving the apartment of a woman who sold old, movie memorabilia.  Here in Los Angeles, I've loved many.  But my all-time favorite is a sprawling estate with a Los Angeles zip code.

At the time I walked inside this beautiful structure, it was owned by the late W. Howard Lester, former CEO and Chairman of Williams Sonoma. He was gracious. That much I remember.

Just as I remember walking through the big gate in front of the house, and being mesmerized by the lengthy walk up the tree-lined driveway.  I mean, honestly, walking up the driveway was enough to make me wish I never left the property.

The immaculate house was just the cherry on top of the incredibly well-landscaped cake. First, I walked past the guest house/gym to get to the main house. Both buildings are simply stunning.  When I walked into the main house I was immediately taken by the openness of the first floor.

I found a "reason" to venture upstairs, of course. I peeked into the beautiful bedrooms. I then checked out the basement where the game room and wine cellar are located. I'll say it again: simply stunning.

Surfing the web sometime last year, I discovered that Mr. Lester had passed. God, rest his soul. But I wonder who lives in that house now. And I wonder if whomever it is would mind if I just stopped by to walk around the grounds and through the house again. I mean, I only wanna see what the place looks like now. That's all. Haaa!

Since I don't have photos of the house's interior, you'll just have to settle for it's exterior HERE.

p.s. The house is almost directly across the street from the former, Spelling Manor.

Thank You, Lady O

Today I received my Oprah's Lifeclass Journal in the mail.  It looks precisely as it does in the photo above.  Okay, so it has arrived a bit after the fact, but I'm still happy to receive it.  I don't have cable, so I caught several of the shows on Oprah.com.  I'm really happy that Iyanla Vanzant is back in Oprahland.  The ol' gal is truly an inspiration.

This 47er

Friday night I hung out with Tyshawn and his great friend, Jazz.  I'm tellin' you, I haven't had such a good time in AGES!  We went to Pasadena and chilled out at one of Jazz's favorite haunts, THE 35er!  The place is a no-frills, no-attitude joint!  And I LOVED it!  The dj, Jimmy G, played old school r&b and hip-hop from the 80s & 90s.  I danced like I was 25 yrs old again.  And, of course, my legs feel like I've been dancing for a hundred years right now!  Ouch!  This ol' dude can still cut a rug, if I say so myself!  Haa!  I think I'll be making a return visit to The 35er.  For the dancing AND for the ENORMOUS glasses the drinks are served in!  :) :)  :)  

Mirror Mirror On The Wall...

'Nuff said.

Tilted Head

I'm feelin' mighty optimistic about this week and beyond!  Yes, indeed, this ol' boy does TRULY believe the KINDNESS I give to the world is comin' back TENFOLD!!!  I sense a PHENOMENAL advancement toward professional fulfillment is on the horizon!  And that's phenomenal in the MOST SUCCESSFUL sense!!!!  I'm auditioning for a voice-over gig this week and working on two commercials.  I am sooooooo thankful for the work!!!  They say, "Good things come to those who wait."  Well, I've been waitin' for what seems like an eternity, so my good things are sure to be DOOZIES!  And I say, dear God, Universe and Heavenly Spirits:  THANK YOU.  'Cause...

My Workout Regimen

For the rest of my life I suspect my workout regimen will pretty much remain the same:  CALISTHENICS!  That means, push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, walking, etc.  Working out in a gym with weights simply doesn't interest me.  I'm 47 yrs old and like how my body looks.  And I'll realllllllllllllllly love it if it looks like the man's below when I'm his age:  SIXTY!!!!!

Feeling Good

I jumped up out of bed by 9 AM this glorious Saturday morning and immediately popped bed linen into the washer.  Walked into the bathroom and scrubbed down the sink, toilet and tub/shower.  Then, scrubbed the floor!  Made my way through the hallway and swept up all the dust that accumulates on hardwood flooring.  Then, made my way to the kitchen and swept/scrubbed the floor!  As soon as the bed linen is finished drying, I'm hoppin' into the car and driving to Griffith Park to walk and do my usual calisthenics!  This ol' boy is feelin' mighty good this morning!!  --- Last night, my friend, Tyshawn, tried to make me feel like a loser for not goin' out with him and the other fellas; but truth be told, hangin' out with a bunch of skirt-chasers, in their very early 30s, just ain't as much fun as it was when I was in MY early 30s.  Haaa!  Okay, I didn't wanna spend $15 for a drink, either!!!  Of course, he called me from the bar and told me that the drinks were actually ONLY nine dollars!  Uh...I'm still happy I didn't go!!!!  I know what I WILL do today, though.  I'm gonna just enjoy myself to the hilt!  'Cause I'm ALIVE!!  And I'm WELL!  And I'm FEELIN' GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!