Things experienced so far in LA – part 16

— Yesterday was awesome. In the late afternoon, I started off down to Santa Monica to see Maria and Cashel and Brendan. I was going to get to see Cashel’s room! His house! Where he lives … This is what I miss. Seeing him in casual everyday moments.

— I had to take the 405. By the time I hit the 405, it was dark … and there was, miraculously, almost no traffic on it. And I have to say – it was kind of exhilarating. There were moments, when coming over hills, and seeing the glittering city below, that I felt like I was flying. It was so so beautiful. Kinda stressful, sure, I mean I don’t drive on freeways regularly in my normal life … but this was fun. I was able to change lanes if I needed to – I went 65, 70 … I felt comfortable there and nobody was on my ass tormenting me and harassing me and making me feel like I was about to die in a fiery mesh. I blasted the radio. It was wonderful. Just wonderful. I was on my way to see Cashel!! I haven’t seen Maria either since this summer … so I was just really excited.

— The directions were superb. No wrong turns. (The way home was another story).

— I got out of the car. The night was almost cold. I loved the feel of the air. It was a dark shadowy peaceful neighborhood – with beautiful little vine-covered houses lining the street. Vine-covered houses, yes … but most of them had that kind of early mission-style architecture … just so adorable. I was walking back to find Maria’s house … and I crossed over one street – kind of wider than the others – and it’s lined with palm trees – up and down the street – way way up into the darkness – Just the kind of image that makes me just stop and stare up. How beautiful. The palm trees give the entire place such a whimsical air … I love them. Like, I’m not “over” them yet. I still just get the giggles when I see a palm tree. But this one street was just beautiful – no cars coming either way, the streets dark and peaceful – with the palm trees quivering high high overhead.

— And then there I was – in Maria’s living room. I was so happy!!!! Cashel sat at the table, doing his homework. Very grumpy. You know. Homework’s tough when you’re 8. Bren was there. Maria gave me the grand tour. Her place is adorable. She was hanging curtains in her room. Billowy white curtains with blue and green flowers on it – very sunshiny and homey. Maria said, “I can offer you … some water … some orange juice … or some sherry.” hahahaha We decided to go out to dinner to a new place that Maria was excited about.

— And off we went. Cashel chattered up a storm, naturally, the entire way there. Oh, and I got to see the letter Cashel got from George Lucas’ secretary which is now framed on his wall. So cute!!! Cashel must have written a letter to LucasFilm – he asked a question about the upcoming Star Wars TV series … in 2007 … and the letter that came back was so adorable. “Dear Cashel: Thank you so much for writing to us and thank you so much for being a great fan …” (That’s hilarious. LIke they’re lacking for fans! But still – so sweet!!!) Then the secretary went forward to talk about “George’s” new projects. So that was very exciting. I think Cashel was proud of it.

— There was a 20 minute wait for a table, so we decided to go over and see Cashel’s school which was nearby. This, for me, was almost the most exciting part of the trip so far. To see Cashel’s school! The place where he spends the majority of his time! I was so excited. It was night – but we were able to wander around the playground. It was so so fun.

— Bren, Cash and I had a race around the track. Cash has turned into a good runner. He used to be so cautious physically that he would go up and down stairs slowly, putting both feet on each step at the same time. But now? There he was, charging off into the cool night … and when he could feel us gaining on him … he picked up the speed. It was like the O’Malley version of Chariots of Fire.

— Cashel is really “cool”, you know … but I could tell he was excited to show me stuff. He was also really excited to be there AT NIGHT. He kept saying, “Watch this … we aren’t allowed to do this during the daytime …” and he ran up a random set of stairs. He was thrilled to do things that “we aren’t allowed to do during the daytime.” He stood on top of a picnic table, and did a little tap dance. “We aren’t allowed to do this during the day time!” He was HYSTERICAL with laughter. Literally falling all over himself with laughter as he got off the picnic table. What a thrill. He got to show me his room. I don’t know … I got a little choked up. Imagining Cashel, my little Cashel, in school, doing his thing, getting his education … Man. It’s amazing!

— Cashel’s school is really beautiful. White and blue stucco, murals everywhere … I got a very good vibe from it. I’m really happy for the little guy.

— We went back to the place, which is called BABALU and yet again: I was so impressed by the calm and kind customer service. This is just my impression, so it could be wrong: but it seems that the only time when people from LA are categorically assholes is when they drive. Other than that? Everyone is nice, friendly, helpful, mellow … it is SUCH a delight. Like our waitress was this adorable girl who helped Maria figure out what Cashel would want to have to drink. “We have lemonade … we have a sort of organic ginger ale … but … you know … kids are always like: Organic? What??” It was very cute. So Cashel got some lemonade. Anyway: I just want to say to the people of LA, especially all of you who are in some kind of service-oriented job: GO, YOU. To say that this is NOT the case in New York City is an understatement. However, I have stated my theory on all of that before: It is not that Manhattan-ites are rude. It is that we are ON TOP of each other and we are all OBSESSED with manners. We have to be FIERCE about our boundaries because we cannot get away from each other. People from LA can get the hell away from each other, because they have to get in their cars, and drive around … and so their public personas, when they bump up against humanity, seems to be universally friendly and helpful. It’s really refreshing.

— Cashel told us about his idea for a movie. It is called The Egg Heist and it is about a colony of ants who get tired of their queen and decide to start a new colony – so they have to steal all the eggs in their existing colony and transport them to a new location to start anew. I ask, “What’s wrong with the queen?” Cashel shrugged and says casually, “She’s a tyrant.” I see. He starts to tell us the individual scenes – the ants go to pick disguises before the heist – and much hilarity ensues. One poor ant is obviously not the brightest bulb so he picks out an ant costume!! Cashel said, shaking with laughter, “So he still looks just like himself!!” The heist itself is a mastermind of technology. The ants have human-size duffel bags that they have to haul into the egg chamber … Cashel found this image supremely amusing. Tiny ants with massive duffel bags. I think it could be a hit, actually. The Egg Heist. Coming in 2010.

— Cashel made a joke. Instead of saying “barroom brawl”, wouldn’t it be funny if school kids called their fights “lunchroom brawls”?

— He explained the intricacies of his relationships. How he is going to tell his two friends how to deal with the school bully. “I am going to stand up for my friends … but I will not fight. I am just going to tell them to IGNORE him.” Maria validated this choice. Oh, how complex it is to be a child. Isn’t it?? So amazing.

— The food was delicious. Cashel enjoyed his chicken kebobs. Which is a miracle in and of itself.

— We headed back to the house. Cashel was now launching into telling us about the play they were working on for school – a play for Ancestor Day. When they all learn about their ancestors and act stuff out. Maria said, “So Cash – will you be Finn McCool?” I said, “Or Cuchalain?” Cashel said, “No. I’m a Greek immigrant named George.” What? hahahahaha Cashel kept fantasizing about adding a scene to the play where George immediately stabs himself with a pencil upon getting off the boat at Ellis Island. “Hi! My name is George! I’m from Greece! My family came through Ellis Island.” STABBED WITH A PENCIL. Many fake deaths occurred on the sidewalk on the way home. Cashel staggering around, moaning, and then collapsing into laughter. Poor George, the immigrant from Greece. He obviously has some emotional problems.

— Once we got home, it was time for Cashel to go to bed. And I got to read to him for a while before bedtime. Which I used to do when he lived in Brooklyn … so it just made me soo damn happy to lie on the bed with Cash, his little PJd body propped up beside me, reading out loud to him. We read 4 chapters of Treasure Island which Cashel has already read, but – as we all know – you can never read that book enough. I said, “Maybe we’ll read 2 chapters, okay?” Cashel insisted, “The chapters are really short, Auntie Sheila. Let’s read 4.” When I came to the end of the first chapter, Cashel said triumphantly, “See how short that was???” It was fun. We got to the point where Jim Hawkins and his mother take the coins owed to them from the dead captain’s sea chest … and they flee into the “frosty evening” – from the approaching one-legged guy, tap-tapping his stick leg on the walk. Terrifying!! But it was so fun – I wish it wasn’t so late, so I could have kept reading.

— Then … lights out.

— Maria and I hung her curtains. They look great. Bren had taken off. Maria and I hung out in her living room, talking … she starts a new job today … we talked about the short novel I wrote that she read … It was interesting – I kind of put that book away in a drawer … haven’t looked at it in over a year … so talking about it, and trying to hash stuff out, was really really interesting – and I think I need to take that book out and work on it again. Talking about it was really helpful.

— Then we took out a book of pictures of Cashel as a baby and pored over it. His day of birth. The newborn … on his birthday … Halloween … wrapped up in an orange silk pumpkin costume. The pictures of Cashel as a fat-legged little smiley drooling baby. His face still looks the same … but he was so little! When the heck did THAT happen? Now he’s a movie mogul planning his next project called The Egg Heist … was he ever that grinning toothless creature?? Amazing!!!!

— And then … it was 11:00 pm … and I started off to go home.

— Of course I have no idea what my rental car even looks like and I completely LOST it on the street. I walked up and down … enjoying the cool air, and the palm-tree street … but I was like … tiptoing over the grass to peer at license plates … I was peeking through darkened windows … My behavior looked EXTREMELY suspicious. But finally I found my car. And off I went into the glittering already-going-to-sleep Los Angeles night.