New Years Blog - 2015

New Years Blog-2015

January 5, 2015

It was a very hectic Holiday season for Kimberly and me.  It started early and stayed late.  By the time we got to a wonderful Christmas Eve at our daughter’s house in San Francisco, I was beat.  All along it had been our plan to go to Los Angeles for a few days.  I love it down there: the weather is about 10 degrees hotter, there are no meetings, few distractions, and no real plans.  Just play Paddle Tennis in the morning, something around art in the afternoon, then a movie and dinner.  We argue about how much we are going to do.  I think we should only try to do 3 things a day but Kimbo thinks about 5.  We generally settle on 4.  We always stay in Venice Beach and this time in a small bungalow off of one of the “walk streets.”  While it was several blocks from where I wanted to be, still it was only a couple of blocks from the beach. 

We took our dog, Bodhi, and the new Mustang and set off for LA after a sweet Christmas day with our grandchildren.  They are very grown up, and we rarely get enough time with them since they’re away at college during the school year and working in the summers.  They gave us stockings stuffed with all the things we used to put in their stockings: toothpaste, gum, soap, candy etc - very clever and funny.  The drive down is routine and on Christmas day crowded as usual.  From SF, it was an easy 5-1/2 hour drive into the driveway at our spot in VB just as the sun was going down.  We walked down to Abbot-Kinney for dinner and even on Christmas Day had lots of choices.  

Up early in the AM and off to the Public Paddle Tennis pavilion on the beach where I immediately caught up with my coach from our last visit, Gino Berjarano.  What a nice guy.  A good teacher and an excellent player who has developed many champions on these perfect courts.  We had a great time and a perfect lesson remembering all the tricks of what is called “paddle”.  I remembered again why I want to build a paddle court in Sonoma.  It’s a terrific game for overage tennis and squash players with not much movement required but lots of eye hand coordination.  Of course, it is a different game for the younger set and singles is very physical.  I am determined to try and get something built in Sonoma asap.  Thinking of Depot Park. 

Kimberly, Bodhi, and Me at the Paddle Tennis Court.

Our pattern didn’t change much for the next five days: movies, art, paddle, dog park, restaurants for dinner and quiet times. 

Every year we go to the Hammer, which is the museum of the great university, UCLA.  It is dedicated to Armand Hammer who had a broad collection that he donated to start the Museum.  On one of our previous trips, we had occasion to meet the Director, Annie Philbin, who is a well known and respected museum person and she gave us a behind-the-scenes view of running the museum.  This year one of the showcased exhibitions was by Jim Hodges who had tall installations of three dimension cutouts – white leaves and fluttery – really terrific.  But in general for a museum with a fine reputation, I didn’t think they had anything going on that was more than ordinary.  Perhaps I am spoiled by what it takes to make a exhibition outstanding, but in Sonoma, we are very lucky to have a small museum that works on a shoestring but produces terrific shows.  The Hammer has lots of assets and many people including guards, security, store folks, and curators, as well as mucho marble stairs and fancy lighting, but this time it  disappointed from the electric moments that can occur when it all works. 

The next day we trekked north along the coast to the Getty Villa.  It always meets my highest expectation with its remarkable and scenic setting, fantastic presentation of Greek and Roman treasures, concise narratives about the work and peerless decoration.  It never disappoints. 

The weather in LA started turning the day before New Year’s Eve so we headed back up the 5 in big time traffic.  The wind was blowing and the cars were playing bumper tag at about 80 MPH.  No fun, but doable, and home to our own bed.  As usual, my patient partner probably didn’t like So Cal as much as I did, but oh, that Paddle Tennis. 

At my age, it goes without saying that we will continue to lose friends, pals, public figures and relatives.  2014 was a tough year with some very big losses.  One can only hope that they are no longer in pain or at least their friends have made a little peace with their absence.  I have mentioned some of them in earlier blogs, but the loss of Stuart Scott, a seminal sports reporter and announcer at 49 was way too early.  As to Kent Larson, Nancy Tracey, and Arnie Scher, I take their loss personally.  It is my hope that I will remember to take each and everyday as a gift.  It is important to be here now, be mindful, and savor each intake of our breath.