Bliss

The theme of Friday night's party was "bliss." We were celebrating the recent marriage of one of our colleagues, and she and her new husband were to receive gifts from us that somehow represented something that brings us bliss. You know, to go with the whole "wedded bliss" idea. People brought various objects, such as wine and food and movies and even tickets to the theater (all great ideas).

Choosing an apppropriate gift was difficult, though. I toyed with the idea of bringing a particular wine that I like. I did bring a bottle of pinot grigio that was recommended at the local Trader Joe's, and even our most knowledgeable wine connoisseur said it was a good choice. It didn't take long for the entire bottle to disappear, that's for certain. People were still asking about 30 minutes later if we had any more of it. I guess I'll have to remember that brand for the next party.

Then I thought about some music. I have several artists who are favorites, but I couldn't choose one that I thought would be really a good fit for a young (mid-20s) couple. All of my musical tastes seem to skew somewhat older. Streisand is my favorite, but she's a bit too "mature," I think. I've already loaned all of my Rufus CDs to the young bride, so she has all of his music. The other options included such artists as Jamie Cullum, but I don't even know if they are aware of who he is. Without a "sampler" CD, I was just at a loss for a musical.

Last weekend, I was browsing the Barnes & Noble at the Westside Pavilion waiting for the start of my movie (this year's Oscar nominees for Live Action Short, to be specific) when it struck me. Living in the city of Los Angeles brings me a feeling of bliss (well, most of the time). Living in this region brings me a feeling of bliss. Even just being in the state of California brings me that feeling. So I headed to the section of the store with guidebooks and choose a couple that I thought would be fun and interesting.

The first one is a guidebook to places that are "off the beaten path." That's even its title, or close to it, anyway. One of my favorite things to do is act like a tourist. I've lived here almost 19 years, but there are still so many places to see in this area. I never grow tired of finding new spots to explore, and I hope the couple will enjoy spending time together looking for new places as well. Over the years, I have used the guidebooks I own to find the Doheny mansion in Beverly Hills; it's been used for lots of movies and TV shows. It also led me to the location of the Eagle Rock that lends its name to the city. (I don't think it really looks all that much like an eagle, but once you're there, you go with it.)

Just as an aside, one of my favorite Spring Break weeks involved a guidebook adventure. I was trying to save money on travel, and I hit upon the idea of going to a different area museum each day. Even without going to the more popular destinations like the Getty Center and LACMA, I managed to have an incredible experience. I went to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and now it's one of my favorite places in all of California. What a collection they have. And I also went to several of what are dubbed "ethnic" museums, ones like the Japanese American National Museum downtown. It too has a remarkable collection and is filled with a sense of history. This city, this region, has a lot of art to be enjoyed, but sadly, too many of the museums are almost empty when I visit them these days.

Back to our story... In case the newlyweds are not adventurous in the same way that I am, I also bought them a book of romantic destinations for either an evening or a weekend. The key to a successful marriage, I think, is keeping that romance going. I hope there are lots of options for them to consider and that they take advantage of any chances they have to continue showing their love for each other. That would, of course, be the greatest form of bliss.