11 06 pm pdt   [ spur ]

It was all very spur of the moment. Charles e-mailed me at work and asked when I was free for dinner. Tonight sounds good. I talked him into picking me up on his way and after we had hugged our hellos we set off for the hotel. Charles' parents are best described as being very Jewish. They immediately began picking on him "to show their love." Other peoples' families are always so amusing, mostly (I suppose) because you're glad you're not being embarrassed by your own.

It took absolutely forever for the valet to bring the car and then we piled in and made our way into some heavy evening traffic on Wilshire. Complaints were flying. I said but we have air conditioning, a baseball game on the radio, and such wonderful company. My uper-positive attitude was actually appreciated!

By the time we made it to the restaurant (Benihana's), Charles and I were in agreement that it was high time for some sake. Charles' cousin Wayne had met us at the restaurant and I seated myself next to him at the bar. Tell me yor life story. He started with where he was born and then skipped right to college. Fresh from New York, this graduate is in LA to break into the film business. He was sweet, but very young. Between Wayne and Chales' parents, I couldn't decide who's cheecks I wanted to pinch more. The meal was stuffing.

After the parents had been safely returned to their hotel, Chales invited me to accompany him to Encounter at LAX. I was up for the adventure. As we sang along to classic rock, I could feel Charles' embarrassment melt away. We forgot about his mother shouting at spotting Ross Dress for Less and that his parents had bought him underwear and hangers while in town. Events that I found aborable were certainly mortifying to Charles. It would have been the same for me if the tables were reversed.