Oh Brother (Warner, That Is)

Last Friday’s meeting at Warner Brothers went as well as could be expected. We schmoozed, pitched and basically tried not to look like horses’ asses. It helped that the person we met with was very easy to talk to. As it turns out, she is Valley gal like myself who lives right around the corner from me. Like, oh my god! The coincidence! She, like, even went to Chatsworth High! Bitchin! Not to be fooled by her surfer blond looks, this woman actually had some interesting things to say (which we can't say is true of all Hollywood decision makers). After an hour she asked for us to email her two of the five pitches (which we did today). This was either a good sign, or a cue for us to leave the office. Either way, I made it through the meeting without vomiting on her pumps, so it was a success.

And the highlight of Friday’s meeting? I had an hour to burn before heading home to the babysitter. What to do? Go food shopping? Pick up cleaning? As good as those options sounded, I opted for uninterrupted relaxation, so I kicked off my shoes and walked through the Glendale Galleria (where Warner Brothers Animation is located). The weather was balmy and breezy. I sipped on a Starbuck’s coffee as I checked up on the love lives of Angelina, Brad and Jen at the local newsstand. Later I slipped on some sunglasses where I could people watch without getting caught. And the winner for Andrea's Favorite Character of the day goes to...... The 80 year-old botox number with uneven tan cream and cigarette hanging out of her mouth, poodle peeking it's matching hairdo-head out of her knock off Gucci bag. It crossed my mind that perhaps this cartoon was an artist’s sketch from the Warner Brothers building that got away, but as I got closer, I saw that she did move, cackle, and responded to the name Evelyn. I secretly hoped that she was going home to a lovely Sherman Oaks condo that she shared with her lover and husband, Biff. I pictured their wooden floors, their office resplete with black and white photos of their acting days, some yellowed pictures of their kids on an upright piano, the keys worn with showtune wear. Unfortunately, this picture gave way to a more realistic portrait of Evie as a midwest transplant who'd been living in Van Nuys for the past twenty years. She once was a waitress at DuPars and now does a little extra work here and there to pay for her Marlboros.

Time passes fast, and I certainly hope that when Evelyn's gone she's not replaced by Andrea. After all, it seems like a blink of an eye that this beautiful outdoor plaza was once the legendary “Galleria” of “Valley Girl” song fame. Just yesterday I was a teenager being dropped off in front of its outdoor escalators, promising my mom I’d meet her in a few hours in front of Spencer’s Gifts. I can see my cousin Adina and I now, each wearing striped off-the-shoulder miniskirt dresses, our less-than-tan shins covered in alternating black and white leg warmers as we cruised past Hot Dog on a Stick, wondering if the blond cutie near the elevator was Ricky Schroeder or just a “to die for” freshman.

How did thirty five years go by so fast for me? How did eighty years go by so fast for Evelyn? I suppose if time is going to move, I might as well spend it doing what I love. And with who I love. And Evelyn, if you're reading this, I hope it's from some fancy laptop in your Sherman Oaks condo where you plan on making love like an earthquake to your husband of fifty years. And when you're done, light up a Marlboro for me.