Who Would You Want To Be Today ?

"We have each of us a secret. Let me know yours and I shall tell you mine."
-Oscar Wilde
"The Portrait of Dorian Gray"

A few days ago Alan and I went to one of our favorite breakfast haunts in Santa Monica known as Cora's Coffee Shoppe.
http://www.corascoffee.com/
We always order the "prosciutto egg panino" but ask the waiter to replace the prosciutto with crisp bacon. It's delicious.

While enjoying breakfast I saw an article in the LA Times about Dennis Hopper filing for divorce during this period of his life, fighting prostate cancer. I actually recall being at Cora's Coffee Shoppe one time while Dennis Hopper was there, eating alone. No one seemed to recognize him. I certainly did.

In any case, Alan and I got to talking about how no one would want to be President Obama right now as the Massachusetts Republican Scott Brown seems to be the shoe-in winner for State Senator. This will be replacing Senator Edward Kennedy's seat that has been Democratic for some forty plus years.

The other headline of the day was how foolish NBC looks with having to pay Conan O'Brien a parting salary package of $40 Million dollars 'just to get rid of him'. And so...the topic came up between Alan and I. Who would you want to be today?

Alan said, "I just want to be me."
Of course he would say that but I managed to get him to give me an answer. I told him I would tell him who I would want to be today only if he told me his answer first. Somehow he managed to get me to tell him first.

My answer was author, J.K. Rowling. She is sitting pretty with her Harry Potter riches and continues to write and not be bothered.
I said, "I bet she can come to the USA and dine in a restaurant and no one would know who she is...I love that."
Alan finally confessed that he would not want to be Obama today but he wouldn't mind being "The President of the United States".
I have to admit. I really believe Alan would make a great US President.

Twenty-five years ago today:

January 22, 1985
Tuesday

My workday was all right despite my low sales figures for the day. There was nothing exciting to report at the office today. There was a funny moment as I was thinking of Bob Umland he just happened to call on Earl Kirk's customer call-in line. I telephoned him and confirmed that he will be coming over this evening to Alameda. This will be a change of pace.

I went straight to Wilkes-Bashford after work and ended up leaving the shop as quickly as I had arrived. I happened to be holding a huge shopping bag filled with Wilkes-Bashford clothes for Bob. The value of the clothes was $6000 and Bob only paid about $280 with his American Express card. While I was waiting for Bob to come outside there were a few folks staring at me. I assumed I looked like some rich guy who could afford to buy all of these clothes from Wilkes-Bashford. I laughed silently to myself, "If they only knew...it's not my stuff."

We departed via taxicab to Bob's pad where he changed clothes. We were soon in his BMW en route to Alameda. He blemished his car on a Santa Clara driveway near my Great Western automated 24-Hour teller machine. I withdrew a little cash and then we went to the Fruitvale BART station parking lot for my car. We stopped at SAFEWAY before heading to my place.

"I like this area," Bob exclaimed, "It's a nice change from The City."
We picked up some dessert at SAFEWAY and chose to eat at the Royal Oak Pub. We had a great talk while we were there. We both tried to learn more about one another. We discussed our 'first time' experiences, our astrological sun signs, our hectic day, the waitress, the cook (or dishwasher) who seemed to be flaunting and the simple aura of the restaurant.

"I'm impressed," Bob said upon walking into my house.
As he was checking out my pad he blew me away when he said, "You know...you look twenty-two and you've got a lot for your age."
That line came out of left field. I just laughed and gave a 'Thank You'.
Why does he feel so much older than I? He is twenty-seven.
Bob continued. "You know, all of my life everything was given to me. My ma and pa are really rich."
I changed the subject as I pulled out my TAROT cards. As we ate the Butter Brickle ice-cream dessert the TAROT reading outcome gave some pretty uncanny results.

We were lounging in front of the television, watching the Miss Teen USA Pageant when Paloma telephoned. I exchanged a few words with her.
"Did you just call me?"
"No."
"Oh, I thought it was you who called."
"No, not me--but we're still working out together on Saturday, right?"
"Yes, okay."

It wasn't long before Bob decided it was time to go. I obliged and gave him directions written on a slip of paper. We each had a "climactic" experience. He made some envy moans and groans at some of the fella's in my International Male catalog.
"Listen, I will write you a good dietary program to go with your workout schedule."
"That will be great."
I wondered when I would ever see that (somehow I did not feel our connection was everlasting). We did have a nice evening though. I was going to call to make sure he arrived home safely but I fell asleep.

Oh yeah, Gordon (aka Marty Feldman) caught me on BART this morning and gave me his business card and home telephone number. I doubt I will call but one day I may just visit his mobile home, classic car and dog.

Questions that received no answer filled his mind. Above all, what was about to happen between them? If his love was to be without hope, it was not without curiosity.
-Honroe de Balzac
"Seraphita"