Springtime For Los Angeles.

Nothing like a roaring fire on a 76-degree night in West LA. Especially when you’re snuggling on the leatherette at my favorite pub: the Wellesbourne. Great drinks, great staff, great music. It’s like being at home – if you’re an 80-year-old British dude. By the way, could whoever named the fireplace be any lazier?

Way To Ruin Dessert For Me, Japanese.

Feasting My Eyes.

Maybe it’s just me, but reading books on an iPad Mini makes me really miss the smell, the heft and the traditional reading experience of an iPad Pro.

But I’m going to go extra old-school with a hardcover edition of Alec Baldwin’s new book. I’ve been looking forward to him finishing it, and it’s finally out. I think he’s insightful about the business, and apparently he gets pretty honest about his public incidents.

It’ll take a little bit for me to get to it – I’m still reading Martin Short’s book, after taking time off from it to read another book. Plus I’m not a quick reader as it is, and I only do it on the elliptical at the gym. I’ve shared too much.

Either way, I look forward to being your proxy and posting all the best passages here.

You Lookin’ At Me?

This photo, featuring me staring into camera while everyone isn’t, could have worried me that I see dead people. But really, I don’t see enough dead people.

The shot (click on it to enlarge) was taken by friend Tj La Manna, a multi-medium artist, and I think it’s amazing. In fact, Tj’s style is completely unique, to the point in which I finally appreciate photography. Apparently it’s a lot more than taking eight selfies and posting the only one you look good in.

Everything Tj does is in camera – nothing in post. Check out his work here.

Best Ballpark Concession There Is.

You can learn a lot about your niece and nephew by turning off the TV and talking. For example, I discovered they are boring.

So make it a ballgame, and I’ll be there. It’s nice to have baseball back, so Ricky and I can get out to my nephew’s little league games every Sunday afternoon.

Much respect to my big brother, the team coach who takes care of everything, including having a big chewy in his equipment bag for Ricky.

An added level of coolness. On the mound: my nephew. Coaching third for the opposing team: former big-leaguer Nomar Garciaparra. Sure, he had the cool career and has a cool wife (Mia Hamm, who was at the game), but my brother is 3-0 against him.

Winner.

He Inadvertently Gets It.

When I order food on Postmates, in the “special instructions for the driver” box, I put “Tell me I’m THE MAN”. And they do. And I am.

I wasn’t always this self-assured, but then I realized the key to happiness: always have something to look forward to. Try it – make a list of five things you have coming up that excite you. No need to thank me afterward, but you’ll want to do so anyway. Trust me.

My credo was recently enhanced by an interview with Judd Apatow in Esquire about the gym he set up in his office but never uses:

“My workout room is a land of hope because it could be used one day, so just keeping it there means anything’s possible. That’s the key to being a hoarder, like myself. In the back of your mind, you always think that at some point you’re going to read that giant stack of newspapers, but you never do. But you always have hope. All hoarding is hope because you just think, “I can’t die because I have to watch that stack of DVDs. There’s no way for me to die without re-watching every single episode of ‘Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman’.” Makes you feel immortal, having too much stuff.”

 Slight detour, but enlightening. Having something to look forward to makes you feel immortal. Again, try it. You’ll see.