Frozen in Time

Hello Everyone:

I see we're closing in on 2,000 page views, terrific.  I can't wait.  In the meantime, I'm currently at the local public library branch, being plagued by a slow internet connection.  On a brighter note, my morning started off with in a no-no-notorious fashion.  I watched the "Notorious" video, again.  I love that song.  Even mom's usual mood killing manner couldn't wiped the smile off my face.  You know how some things just put you in a good mood no matter what?  That's what this song does.  Anyway, today is going is shaping to an exciting one.  I'm scheduled to be at a meeting of the West Hollywood City Council this evening at 6:30 p.m.  This outing will be on behalf of efforts to save Tower Records on 8801 Sunset Boulevard from the wrecking ball.  It's exciting because I've never done historic preservation advocacy.  I have my fingers crossed that the vote will go in favor of the pro-preservation efforts.  Realistically, there's a chance the vote will go a against saving this iconic record store.  The staff report released Friday supports denying the appeal, but I'm trying to be optimistic.  Either, way, I'm excited.

As I told you yesterday, Friday is my birthday.  I was in a bit of a sentimental mood yesterday evening as a result of a picture posted on Facebook.  It was a photograph of someone familiar with his grown daughter.  I looked at it and thought, "where did the time go?"  It seems like yesterday that this person was a cute pudgy-faced twenty-something year old with the world at his feet.  Now he's in his mid-fifties with three grown daughters.  Then I thought of a couple other familiar faces posing for pictures with their grown children and had a similar thought.  This must be a sign of aging when I stop and wonder where did the time go.  I know people get older, I get older every year, which I'm good with because I don't want to be a teenager again.  Still, I think we all walk around with images of familiar faces, famous or not, frozen at a point in time.  We see them over the years, watch grow up and get older.  Yet, the image of that person at specific point in time is forever etched into our conscience.  With my mom and late dad, they always seemed old from the start.  I have this picture of my mom sitting on my dresser, taken when she was in her early twenties.  She looked very glamourous, like a fifties movies star-think Sophia Loren.  Yet, when I looked at picture from first birthday, that glamour was replaced by something else that seemed an antithesis of that aura.  My dad just seemed to always look old.  I have to believe it was due to the tobacco and alcohol.  I'm not afraid to show a few wrinkles, that's part of life, showing grey hairs is out of the question.  It was still a shock to see this person with a grown daughter.  I guess I'm just as guilty as anyone else freezing people in time.