Taught on Saturday morning at the Lotus to a group of VERY receptive yogis. (And so appreciative of the lovely Alisa who makes my life so happy because she loves Belle and therefore watches her at the front desk while I teach.)
Signing at Acre was sweet and simple and highlighted by two fantastic reunions (Lisa Yamamura and Chris Ryan) and two new friends (Yofe and Clark) appearing and a stranger off the street who bought a book for her dog Francesca.
Post nap, the evening signing at Jeffrey’s 9th Annual Halloween Party was trippy fun. So extremely grateful that Elissa showed up at the opening of the night. Otherwise it would have felt tragic and lonely.
Let’s face it –– this was a weird moment. Not quite D-list but sort of in that the focus was 99.999% on people’s puppy costumes for their dogs. Thus it felt odd to be standing in a corner with a stack of books by the counter when everyone was downstairs being evaluated for their costumes (the winner: a guy in a gorilla suit who dressed his small dog as a banana — very cute, but so not something any tasteful author can compete with).
I did feel, however, after all those years of my job in NYC theater being to “pack the house” — aka “put asses in the seats” — there was a huge sense of relief in that I couldn’t/didn’t have to do that here in San Francisco where I have lived for only six weeks. It was all just happening and a puppy party and not really my responsibility or even my goal to have lines around the block for autographs. [It is a little weird though to be upstaged — ie made invisible — by people dressing themselves and their pugs in matching bumblebee outfits. Does Armistead Maupin have to deal with this kind of thing?]
And — in case you haven’t read my unauthorized bio (and I suggest you do) — I do have my “famous” anecdote about being nearly thrown out of my own YOGA IN BED event by security and then heralded as a “legendary yoga master.” IE, these publicity things often have roller coaster ups and downs.
Afterwards, stopped at Park Tavern for a glass of wine and some raw vegetables and fish (VERY delicious) and was seated next to the most in love people in history. Sitting down, he got up, starred at her for a full 30 seconds and just said, “You are so gorgeous … Really you are” in full-on Daniel Day-Lewis “I’m looking at you” movie star mode.
They were both sexy and well-dressed (Chanel bag, expensive suit) and somehow it was not obnoxious but intriguing. Planning the rest of their lives together and yet still asking basic questions (“So when you were with Evan’s mother you were still living in ____”) about each other. A bottle of expensive wine. Splitting a rare steak.
I felt compelled to steal a photo of them discretely — although they were too busy being in love to notice.
It’s heartening to know that even if I am being upstaged by gorillas and bumblebee costumes, at least I can still appreciate romance.
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