.
.
Quite a bit has happened since I last made an entry.

Mom came to visit for two weeks, so I've been on a bit of a vacation from the real world.

We shopped (Mom got shopper's elbow). We dined. We beached. We Mystic Tanned. We took in a show (Mamma Mia is awesome, I recommend it to anyone wanting to leave a show smiling and laughing). We trekked up a mountain to get an up close and personal view of the Hollywood sign. We rented a PT Cruiser Convertible. We pedicured. We manicured. We grilled. We shoe-shopped (or shoe-hoarded). We did laundry (but only 'cause we had no clean roos). We drove through Malibu Canyon. We took in the head-turners of Venice. We walked the pier in Oceanside. We drank Margaritas in Old Town of San Diego (Mom's one was one too many). We Stone-Cold-Creamery-ice-creamed.

All-in-all, we had a great time.

So, Meryl Streep is a new addition to my favorite celebs list. No, I have no encounter or story to tell about meeting Meryl. I hope she doesn't mind if I call her that - Meryl - her first name. But, you see, we are among the same class. Yep. Meryl and me. We have common ground.

We both got pulled over and ticketed for having tint on our side windows.

Go, Meryl!

Stupid California laws.

Something kinda funny happened last night. I stumbled upon Petal (the baby skunk) as he was rooting. I stopped and looked at him. We stopped and raised his tail at me.

Nothing new. We do this all the time.

What was unusual was the fact that I dared to pass him. I had no choice. I had to get by him on the path. So, when Petal decided I was no threat and returned to rooting, I put my own tail in high gear and ran past him at full speed. Just as I got even with Petal, he lifted and sprayed.

No kidding. Petal sprayed!

Lucky for me, I am a pretty quick runner and was able to outrun and the mist before it hit me. Well, actually... Petal is still a bit amateurish with his tail and sprayed the wrong way.

So, the baby skunk. Mama helped me come up with a name.

Petal.

Petal works... since it is a small part of Flower.

Cute, huh?

I see Petal quite often. He seems to have claimed the ivy-covered ground outside of my building... right next to the golf course. I assume he goes over to the golf course at night as well, when the golfers aren't there. Cute fellow. But Petal has yet to understand that he doesn't need to lift his tail at everybody and every noise and every critter that comes near. Gotta work on that.

So, I spoke with Martin Sheen on Sunday afternoon. Yep. Read it again. Spoke with Martin Sheen. Not about anything in particular... just casual talk. But it was huge for me, just the same. He was at a party that I was working for John Wells (West Wing). Friendly guy. He comes up and talks just like he's known you for years. "How you been doing?"

Very impressive personality.

He's just been added to my small list of fave celebs. For those who follow this journal, you will recall an encounter I had with Bill Paxton a while back. Awesome fellow. And Ricki Lake for that matter. Very nice, normal lady.

I'm rambling. Been a long day.