Weekend

This weekend I had my first guest, my friend Benji Weiss. After dinner we had some beers on my apartment's floor. I still don't have the power in my apartment in my name because they can't find my social security number but I had, at least, light for a guest.
Saturday I went to the 101 coffee shop for a tete-a-tete with David Gittins and Antoinette O'Grady. Because we discussed Facebook and privacy they shall not have a portrait here. Before I left I had a 1 hour conversation with Time Warner so they could explain to me how to install Internet, since I picked up a modem from their shop. No one from their technical support line could help and they all hanged up the phone in my face. I spoke to a salesman and he told me that Tuesday the latest they would turn on the Internet  in my apartment. That's when I fond out that the Internet hadn't been turned on yet and I didn't need the modem till then so "thank you Time Warner."
 I left home and I went to the 101 coffee shop to meet David and Antoinette. The place is a dinner and celebrity hot spot in Hollywood. It's in a hotel and it has, to its credit, a lot of charm. I had a smoked salmon mash that I can put up there in my top 10 smoked salmon dishes. The vibe of the place was really comfortable and friendly. It was good to have an intelligent conversation with grown ups again. I feel there is a thin cultural layer that separates me from angelinos- not Americans in general- but just people from around LA. Europeans are way more mature in general though considerably more gloomy. I hope I am not becoming arrogant in my assumptions about angelinos, since I am the one who needs to adapt to the locals and not the other way around.
Sunday I had a very nice incursion into the Ikea world with Danielle Reder who gave me a ride there (thank you mademoiselle). We had In and Out before we got to the Swedish giant store.  Ikea beats Macdonald's in patronization, all Ikea stores look the same EVERYWHERE around the globe. They don't even bother to adapt. I bought some dishes, a curtain for the shower and some glasses, but forgot the cutlery and the hooks to hang the curtain on the shower pole. I will get those when I get cable.
Now I need to get power in my name (I hope I still have power today)... do not miss the next episode...  drop me a line if you had similar experiences with Time Warner.

Benji on the floor

Benji with Doron's back light

101

Ikea