I Smell Rested

Los Angeles, California

When, inevitably, the time came (as it always does) when we were forced to leave Carmel and return to Los Angeles, we took a pilgrimage drive down to the beach, and around the point for a last look at River Beach. I count River Beach as one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. And that list of seen beaches would include beaches in Hawaii, Bermuda, Mexico, the Caribbean, Tahiti, Sardinia, etc., etc. Trust me, my eval of beaches is worthy. I have heard that portions of that rolling-around-in-the-surf scene with Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity were filmed in Carmel, and I have to imagine they were filmed on River Beach. While I've never gone to the trouble of researching this, and probably never will; I know that if you squint out the cypress trees you could think that you are in Hawaii, as the water and sand are of that color. After River Beach we continued on past Mission Ranch, winding around to drive by Carmel Mission Basilica, before landing at the intersection of Highway One and Rio Road. One turn, and we were enroute to Los Angeles. 

Reentry, after the long stay in Carmel, is always a trial. I look forward to seeing my mom, and my fristers. I look forward to resuming salsa dancing. But there's a whole host of things I dread, though I am going to spare you that list. Aren't I just the nicest?

The hard part of reentry hit me the day after we drove home from Carmel. I was catching up on laundry and paperwork, and with my newly-restored vigor and vim I visualized myself plowing right through those tasks and about a dozen more after. Though I made it through the laundry, I did not, of course, make it through all of the paperwork (home, business, and my mom's mail could have comprised about a four-foot stack). I got demoralized. Then discouraged, which we all know from It's A Wonderful Life is worse than anything.

The next day I felt better, and the following one marked my return to salsa. I had to go to a club that I rarely frequent, Olivia's, as my favorite club, Bogie's, had closed while I was away (though rumor has it that it will reopen shortly -- wi-fi has nothing on the salsa gossip and news network).

At Olivia's, I saw a lot of salsa people I know--a few close friends and more acquaintances. Two people complimented me by saying that I looked rested. I took this to mean: A) I was clearly looking like something the cat dragged in the last time they saw me, or; B) they thought I'd had cosmetic surgery, or; C) both of the above? I mean, isn't that the classic compliment that follows a face-lift? You look rested? Don't get me wrong, I always hope to look good, but not surgically enhanced--especially since I'm not. I know that I am someone who shows stress in my face and eyes, so perhaps I was just looking markedly less stressed after almost six weeks in Carmel.

Later, while I was dancing with a man who told me he was from Peru, he very politely complimented me on my perfume (my new signature perfume that I swore I'd only wear for Billy, but have since broken that silly vow). So, I left the club that night with the impression that I both looked rested (artificially or otherwise), and smelled good.

The following Saturday was spent with my fave fristers, Las Chicas, at The Grove. We were celebrating Lydia's birthday, shopping and lunching at Short Order. I took the opportunity to recount the story about the compliments, afterwards deciding to jumble it up and declare that I smell rested!  I used that phrase all day, i.e.: Do I smell rested? Have you by any chance noticed that I smell rested? Enough about me do you think I smell rested? We played other variations on this theme while we enjoyed our fun frister birthday celebration which included running into Debra's daughter, Lindsay, when we were all shopping at Anthropology.

So, all things considered, I guess you could say that this year's reentry wasn't so bad. And I decided that my 2013 reentry motto is (wait for it): I smell rested. And, you know, I could do a lot worse, coming home after a long stay in beautiful Carmel, than to be able to say this. Now, I just have to figure out how to stay in that condition. The perfume part I can always nail. The rested part, unfortunately, may require a bit of diligence. That's the thing about looking rested, naturally or otherwise. It just ain't easy. Thank you for reading my blog.
PS The perfume is the very yummy Blue Agava by Jo Malone.