Sometimes I have to remind myself of this.

It’s a beautiful morning in Los Angeles (what else is new), and I'm sitting on the porch, eating a leftover slice of pizza with the perfect sunny egg on top. In a little while, I’ll get dressed and go to the farmer’s market. Spend the thirty-odd dollars I’ve got in my wallet on greens, radishes, brussels sprouts, cucumbers. Tomatoes, if they’re showing up yet. Might splurge and buy some chorizo from my favorite meat guy.

Life is good.

I wrote a whole other draft of this letter two weeks ago, on the plane from Florida, where I was visiting my mom who’d just had a surprise hip replacement, to NYC, where we were holding casting calls for Project Runway. I should have typed the thing up and sent it out the instant I checked into my hotel, but instead I took a walk and took a nap and fell into a vortex of work and friends and cocktails.

The gist of it was: My mom fell down and broke her hip. And man was she cheerful about it. She would not stop pointing out how good the timing was. I just mailed my tax return. I have edits to make on my novel… And I’ve been wanting you to come for a visit! 

She’s a Silver Lining Lady, my mom. I am not. I am more of a How Do You Not See That Dark Cloud Lady. I can’t help it, especially in the face of her relentless optimism. It’s like I’m constantly scrambling to balance her out. 

Dark chocolate's so good for you!

Right, but aren't you supposed to get the kind without sugar?

So cool that Reese Witherspoon's creating more parts for women!

Yeah... But why doesn't she hire female writers and directors?

I'm so lucky the previous owner fitted out the condo for her wheelchair! Look how wide the doorways are, it's better than the hospital!

Um. I guess I can't argue with that.

I do this to Ricky, too. Though, as he pointed out recently, I balance his lows as well as his highs. Like, lately, when R gets down about politics, I keep insisting that the world is not about to end. That it’s a better place to be than it was, say, 400 years ago. Or even 40 years ago. And this, um, moment we’re having is a blip. The last gasp of the OLD WHITE GUYS? I’d truly like to believe that.

Maybe I’m not a Dark Cloud Lady so much as I’m a Gemini.

Anyhoo.