In which I am a cover girl

Previously on Rich and Fancy, I pined over the loss of my Los Angeles hair salon and stylist.  Before I left LA, I asked Thy how I should find a new salon.  Since she is Sassoon trained, she recommended I try the Sassoon salon here in NY.  

"Stop by there," she said, "and ask if you can have a consultation with someone.  If you like them, make an appointment."

After brunch last Monday, my friend and I were going to look at furniture when I noticed we were right by the downtown salon.  I convinced her to stop in for a second.  We went in, and before I had even asked about a consultation, Vidal Sassoon himself* walked up, gasped and said "You are the most beautiful blonde I have ever seen!  You must let me do your hair!**  And then!  Then you must model for me.  You will be my cover girl - my supermodel.  Work it, girl!" 

 "Oh, Vidal,"***  I said, "of course I will!  I would be honored to represent your work on the runways and in magazines!  I'm a bit shy, though, but I will get over that for the joy of working with you."****

Then Vidal*** asked me to come back on Wednesday night for a runway show***** to show off his new gorgeous model.******  I went back and walked the runway through a flurry of flashes, the audience applauding me and cheering my name.*******

I waved at the crowd and took in their love.********  Then I slipped out the back door into my limo and drank champagne all the way home.*********

* A stylist named Ericka

** "Can I bleach your hair for my training? I would do it for free."

***  Ericka

**** "Uh, ok."

***** A training class

****** My platinum blonde hair to the new trainees from the uptown salon.

******* Sat in a chair while Ericka talked about how she made my hair the color it was.  The trainees stared at me like I was a bug.

******** I tried to be funny, but no one paid any attention to me.  (Their loss.)  

********* Couldn't get out the front door because it was locked and had to wait for one of the trainees to let me out.  Walked home in the rain.

In which I give you my top five

Without further ado, here are the things I will miss about Los Angeles:

#5.  Do I really have to explain this:

Or this?

Yeah, it's pretty.  

#4.    My apartment and the building in which it resides.  

The courtyard is really beautiful and my apartment was truly my refuge - it was the only place I felt completely safe and protected.  

#3.    My neighbor - she is from New York and is wonderfully able to exist successfully in LA while being genuinely kind and friendly.  A great friend to have so close by.  You know my New York neighbors probably won't even talk to me.

(A parenthetical pause to note how gigantic my head is.  Wish I could have left that in LA.  It's like a Frankenstein head.  Yikes.)

#2.   My hair salon.  I know, I know, that sounds really shallow, but don't forget I lived in LA for nearly three years.  Shallow waits around the corner from the Coffee Bean so it can take over your soul while you are busy drinking your organic beverage.  But seriously, ChopChop, is the very best salon I have EVER been to.  Every single person in the salon makes you feel like a rock star from the minute you walk in the door.  All of their stylists are exceptional, although my favorite is Thy (pronounced like tea) because I can tell her I want a concept, and she understands exactly what I'm looking for.  I told her I'd never find that in NY, and she was all, "don't be Negativa - you'll find someone!"  I don't believe her.  

#1.    My therapist.
I really don't even know what to say about her.  I would not have made it without her help.  She was the perfect balance of compassionate friend and challenging teacher.  She helped me begin to change a part of myself that I didn't like, and most importantly, she laughed at all my jokes.  Although I am not completely sane, it was well worth the co-pays.  

In which - sigh - whatever

I'd forgotten how busy New York is.  You leave home in the morning, go to work or run errands or what have you, and you don't get home until everything is done.  In every other city, home can be a pit stop between work and the grocery store and your laundry and your dinner date, but not here.  Either you live too far away from all the things you have to do, or you have to walk too many stairs to get to your front door and want to keep those trips to a minimum.  By the time you get home, you are too exhausted to come up with anything to blog about.

You see where I am going with this.

I do have stuff I want to talk about, such as:

A) The things I miss about LA.  They are few, but they do exist.

B) The fact that I have been in town a week and I am now a Vidal Sassoon model.

C) Really swollen feet.

I am too tired to write about these things right now.

I will tell you that I got quite the welcome at work.  I got Welcome Home signs and cookies and cupcakes and cakes in animal shapes.  I got hugs and welcome backs and a crapload of work.  I've been out for dinner or drinks virtually every night this week, mostly with work friends.  I had brunch (brunch!) today with a friend I haven't seen in months.  My life has completely changed.  I love it.

In which I wonder whose idea this was

Oh, hi.  I am in New York now, in case you were wondering.   I've been meaning to post something, but my feet hurt.  I know that has nothing to do with typing a blog post, but it is hard to focus on anything when your feet hurt.

My first day here I walked myself nearly to death.  I wanted to check out a particular neighborhood and go to Crate and Barrel to see if they have the glassware I want (never mind that I don't have an APARTMENT yet) and then to H&M to see if they have the earrings I like, because while I don't have my own place, I do have my own ears and I like to decorate them.  So I ended up walking about 100 blocks.  Ish. 

When I got back to my friend's apartment, I told her that I was too old to live in New York and what was I doing here, this was a huge mistake.  She reminded me that most people who live here don't walk 100 blocks at a time, was I crazy?  I conceded that she had a point.  

It feels weird to be here.  It is both familiar and strange.  A lot of things have changed, but some are exactly the same.  My bank is in the same place, and right across from H&M, thank you. Some of the train lines are different, but I can still find my way around.  The place where I love to go for lunch is still in business, but right across the street there's a new Starbuck's and a bank.  My old friends are here, but I have met some new people already.  We went for a drink after work today to a nicer place than we used to go and spent a lot more than we used to spend.  

It's not the New York I used to live in, but it is still New York.  

In which I thank her

Dear Sandy,

Thank you so much for flying to LA to drive across the southwest with me.  I really appreciate you helping pack my suitcases, running to Target with me at 9:30 pm to buy another suitcase, for talking me out of the suitcase, talking me into space saving bags, packing my clothes and then talking me down so I could sleep.

Thanks for waking up at 6 am, cleaning out my fridge, packing my car so brilliantly  and then helping me carry my mattress across the street.  Thanks for folding yourself into my tiny, fully packed car and keeping me company with good humor and so much patience.  

Thanks for the hospitality of you and your lovely family when we finally reached Albuquerque.  Thanks for taking me to Target to buy that suitcase we so easily dismissed on the first night.  Thanks for helping me pack my suitcases and the car again.  Thanks for telling me to keep everything I'd use in one suitcase so that I wouldn't have to take all the stuff out of the car over and over again.  

I couldn't have done this trip without you.  

Love, 

Liz

P.S. Do you happen to know where my red flats are? 

P.P.S.  And also, can you come here and help me re-pack my suitcases and my car?

In which I move Part Deux

Yesterday's drive with my friend took us first to the Grand Canyon, where we walked around a bit (and when I say walked, I mean drove the Rim Road to the places where we could walk five yards to an overlook) and took a lot of pictures - more to come on this later, as I left the camera in the car and I just don't have the energy to go back out and get it.  

After the GC, we went on to Flagstaff, seeing this view along the way:

A good introduction for me to the cold weather of New York.