Busy, Busy, Busy

How time flies when you’re having…

Well it’s been a busy week or two here. Loads of personal interaction where normally I get at least some time to sit in the office, stare at walls, and sniff myself. Unfortunately I am supposed to be in a perfume-free space. It actually was mentioned in my interview, which I wondered about: I was not really wearing anything other than antiperspirant and whatever scent is in Erno Laszlo Firmarine SPF 30, but it was said. So I could not bathe myself in Emeraude new and vintage and give it the road test that I would have liked. I hope things will have calmed down somewhat soon and I will be back to testing things in my solitude.

I am actually writing this the day after Halloween. I don’t know about your area, but this one goes pretty wacky for it. The famous Beverly Hills Witches House sees over 5000 trick or treaters, who enjoy and are enjoyed by the man who bought (and saved) the place: a local realtor who was responsible for the listing. Originally a film set in Culver City, then a film office, it was moved to it’s present lot firmly in 90210 decades ago. By the time it was listed for sale, it was a bit run down and all the people the he showed it to were interested only in tearing it down. Being a local boy who had his own memories of trick-or-treating at the house, he would not let that happen. He bought it, and over the years turned it into a fairy-tail showplace that attracts thousands of tourists every year. I’ve been inside several times and it’s just as fantastic inside as it is out.

Halloween in West Hollywood was for years a street festival. Starting in the 80’s as just an impromptu gathering of les garcons it grew and grew until it became an event that closed down Santa Monica Boulevard from La Cienega to the Beverly Hills border and attracted half a million people. I used to go years ago when it was smaller- frankly I found it to be waaaaayyy to big for my comfort, and was (I know, horrible of me) kind of glad that Covid put the kibosh on it. Apparently the City of West Hollywood was too: although the crisis is over enough that the bars and clubs were having holiday do’s, the City decided to forego the trouble and expense ($5 million backs for the last one) and skip it. I can’t say that I am jonesing for it’s return.

Halloween’s return also reminded me of the single rudest thing that had ever happened to me (I know! Your thinking, really? Single rudest?) This was years ago- before he millennium I believe. I had given up on going to the WeHo ‘do for various reasons- one of which was that I had a normal job to go to the next day so I was passing on it. A friend of mine however was going, and was going to a party before hand. The party was in Beverly Hills and he said that it was going to be he party of the decade: A-Gay All the Way, and if you weren’t going you should just pack it in and move to Ohio in shame, because you were done socially West of Halstead, if not Christopher Street. Well, maybe not that bad, but he did lay it on think. He did not, however, ask me if I’d like to go, even though he was inviting other people. Okay. I frankly wasn’t that hepped up about it and was fine settling in with movies and a glass of wine or two (back then I imbibed. And smoked.) Halloween night comes and I am in my jammies watching “The Fog” or something and a knock at my door is heard. I am pretty sure it’s not revenant leprous sailors looking for revenge and/or gold so I answer the door to find my friend and his friend. He told me that he found parking in front of my house and had to use the bathroom badly- he couldn’t make it to the party. In the next block.

I let him in and his friend had the good grace to look as if she would like the floor to open and swallow her up. I stood there, doubtless gape-mouthed as he came out of the bathroom, wished me a cheery buh-bye and went on his way. To the party of the century. A block away. Were I me now rather than me then I would have told him to go pi$$ in the alley then call the fuzz and turn him in for exposing himself. But I was then younger, kinder, and behind a glass or two of Pinot Grigio.

I let him live because I found out that A) the party was a total bust- nobody came and 2) the party was partly because the hosts were being evicted from their apartment since the building was going to be torn down for condos.

My “friend” moved to Ohio shortly after and I have never heard from him again.

So what was you’re Halloween like? Trick or treaters? Treats? Tricks? Let us know in the comments.

Photos: interwebs and Pexels.