funny bone

The first thing I put up on my freshly painted bedroom wall when I moved in, was a square piece of art with the word “kaboom” written on it in neon colors – and sparkles of course.

This little gem was a gift from my best friend and soul mate, Rachel, who moved away from Los Angeles to go live a normal and peaceful life — a non-actress life — one that includes marriage and two beautiful babies and green trees everywhere.

The night we met the lights in her apartment building had gone out. As it was a relatively sketchy building with a super creepy old landlady who left her door ajar, I convinced my new friend that we needed to go get candles to de-spook the situation. So we returned with supplies.

As we lit the candles, the details of her charm came to life…

• A Chinese lantern
• A perfectly mod living area
• An old-fashioned vanity table with
• Jewels splattered about

We painted one perfectly chosen wall HOT PINK and were inseparable ever since.

She inspired me on so many levels. First, her fashion sense was to die for. She had little money so she was forced to be creative and I swear she predicted trends before they happened on a regular basis.

We loved the same Portland-esque rock bands: Pavement, Built To Spill, P.J. Harvey and of course when Liz Phair came into Sushi Roku where she hostessed, Rachel called me immediately to see if i wanted to sit at the sushi bar in her presence.

We laughed at the same things, cried as often as two girls could, and spoke the same Piscean language. Everywhere we went, people would ask if we were sisters. We dreamed of one day opening up a bar with splashes of fuchsia everywhere that we’d call “Hot Rock.”

When she started to talk of leaving I knew she meant it and of course that broke my heart. The only thing keeping her here by the end was me and I believed she should find a full life elsewhere, where she could start a family and find peace of mind.

But she still colors each of my days, whether it’s the embroidered antique pillow she sent for my birthday that rests on my modern chair, or the Wallace Stevens poem she wrote out for me that is pinned to my massive picture board, or the Polaroid of her in her vintage yellow sweater with a big smile, giving me the finger — ahahahaha.

Missing her…

3 responses to “I Miss Rachel”