in a pickle

Ok, not a serious pickle, but some premature nostalgia for sure. Today when we were driving home, Orion turned to me and said, "we should have said we were leaving a long time ago, huh?"

I think what he is referring to is the fact that we announced that we were moving out of state last week and ever since it has been one fun thing after another. Thursday we went to the Hammer Museum to see bands (Dazzler, Amazing Baby, and Band of Skulls); Friday we went to a dinner party at Jason & Miriam's; Saturday we went to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to sit on the lawn, have a picnic, catch glimpses of fireworks, and watch the Cinespia screening of JAWS; and last night Orion took me to the Hollywood Bowl to see Death Cab for Cutie play with the L.A. Philharmonic, Tegan & Sara, and New Pornographers. Awesome, awesome, awesome!

And if things couldn't get any crazier---or better, a twist of fate has O and I attending the MJ memorial tomorrow morning at the Staples Center (!!) What are the freakin' odds?? Well, actually 17,500 in several hundred thousand according to the last numbers I saw released. We both put our names in the hat for the lottery, but neither of us was selected, and then this afternoon I get a phone call that starts the multi-step process of actually claiming tickets. It involved a trip to Dodger Stadium in rush hour traffic and several police check-points, but proved to be worth the effort. The whole way there I was thinking, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It is a long shot, but maybe the stars will align. Wouldn't it be a kick if they did?..."

We have Irene to thank for the tickets. And, Irene, if you can get a flight to L.A. before 10am tomorrow, I'll give you my seat, er, your seat. xoxo