I woke up with not a hangover, which was an odd feeling for me. Usually, when I open my eyes first thing in the morning, the pain makes me close them as fast as possible. I try to pretend it’s a cold going around or an allergy attack of some vague sort, but I am a huge fan of Charles Shaw's red wine. All types of red, as long as the color is red and it stains my round white table. This morning I woke up to some painful writing process that, as usual, took me to places I didn't need to go to. I needed to have lunch with one of my best friends, Jenny, at Mohawk Bends. Most of the dishes there are vegan or vegetarian, but it is delicious trash food at the same time. She ordered a healthy-looking salad, but I went for Avo and Chips, which is fried avocado and, of course, french fries.
Since it was noon (approximately 12:03 pm), I ordered a glass of Chardonnay which was $9 per glass. My meal cost $12, and I hate that my wine was almost as expensive as the food. Perhaps through my upbringing, I always felt all beverages should be in the $2 or $3 range. Even alcohol!
Jenny was very excited because she started reading the works of Pierre Loti, who, to be honest, I knew very little of. But anyone who wrote a book called "Flowers of Boredom" is OK with me. Jenny is very much an adventurer of body and mind. Although I never shared the body part of her adventure, we have shared literature that was important to us over the years. I was more of a Yuki Mishima man myself. I always liked the idea of a writer dressed in a uniform, and if he was photographed by Cecil Beaton, or made into a film by Joseph Losey, better yet. Sadly, as far as I know, Mishima was neither photographed by Beaton nor made into a movie by Losey - nevertheless, Jenny didn't know that, so as long as I tell these 'facts' loudly enough, she will, of course. I always prefer the images by Beaton to a photographer like Garry Winogrand. Too much realism destroys the illusion of fantasy.
After lunch, we went a few doors down to visit my new favorite record store Blue Bag Records. Happily, they just received 7" EP's from the 1950s. I purchased around 20 titles, all from that era. After saying goodbye to Jenny and thanking her for the meal (as a principal, I always have someone else pay for my lunch), I rushed back home to photograph and play my new (although technically old) records on my new but old portable turntable. I can look back today when I didn't have a hangover, had lunch (paid for) with a great friend, and surrounded myself with the beauty of music not processed by the 21st Century.
Another good one Tosh, thanks.
Mishima’s birthday was yesterday or the day before! I envy all the cool places to go out to in LA.