EastGirlsWest

“Well, forty is the new thirty. And fifty is the new forty.”

“Yeah, right. And cellulite is the new tattoo.”

From today’s SignOnSandiego. Make particular note of the last sentence:

Fashion Valley mall is quickly becoming San Diego’s version of Rodeo Drive.

It used to be that if you wanted to check out a Jimmy Choo or Hermès boutique, you’d have to hop on a plane to New York or at least drive up to Los Angeles or perhaps Orange County.

That is about to change, as Fashion Valley, already known for its ritzy lineup of stores, plans to bring in a raft of high-profile retailers. They include Barney’s New York CO-OP ($245 for men’s loafers), Jimmy Choo ($885 for women’s knee-high boots) and Hermès ($325 for a silk scarf) – as well as cheap chic powerhouse H&M.

H&M. Finally. Praise the lord! (I’m not sure how or why they are lumping H&M into an article about new luxury stores, but whatev.) For so long we have been suffering here in San Diego, unable to buy chic, cheap, trendy clothes at a store that doesn’t have “21″ in the name (you know who you are). We’ve have zero opportunity to drop cash regularly on the celebrity-designed discount duds of Madonna and Stella McCartney. Frankly, it’s a huge handicap to live in a town without an H-ampersand-M.

Whenever I leave town to visit a friend who lives in an H&M blessed city, my desperation is palpable. What do you want to do today? they ask. Museum? Walk in the park? Take in a play? Yeah, it’s nice to see you and that all sounds great, but what I really need is two uninterrupted hours at my favorite Swedish shopping hole, because who knows when I’ll see one again.

But now. In my own backyard, right here at Fascist Valley. Bliss.

Angela, there are better days ahead!

“I can’t believe you’re working this many hours! Are you getting paid overtime?”

“Yeah, right. It’s more like undertime.”

We go to the beach. Trooping across the sand with bags, chairs and blankets. We finally settle, sunscreen on, eyes on the waves, magazines in hand. She announces:

“Not only did I make turkey sandwiches with hummus, avocado, cheese, lettuce and tomato - but I also made us each a to-go mimosa! Here’s yours.”

Madeleine L’Engle has died.

Above all writers, she is the one I always wanted to meet. A Wrinkle in Time was the first book to make me sob, and understand how much I could come to love and identify with characters on the page. The parent of a childhood neighbor met Madeleine once, and got my paperback copy autographed for me. It says, “To Jessica, Tesser well”. I still have it, treasured and carefully stored in a safe and important place.

At 88 years old, she had lived an extraordinary life, one that included love and devotion to music, family, theatre, and of course, books - those written and read. Maybe I’ll find the wrinkle and get to meet her someday. In the meantime, tesser well, Madeleine. Tesser well.

Check it out - the best of our fair city this fine weekend, as discussed on These Days this morning. I’m liking John Vanderslice and Joan As Police Woman at the Casbah (Friday and Saturday, respectively), and had fun telling Tom about dining in the dark. That’s right, as in: you can’t see your food.

David recommends the Ocean Beach Jazz Festival, some hard core musical nostalgia, and this wacky play about time travel. Communicating Doors is playing at Cygnet Theatre, and we (me, The Husband) went to see tonight! We enjoyed, and definitely endorse a trip to The College Area to enjoy this show.

Listen here. And plan your weekend carefully! There’s much to do and you must be judicious.

UPDATE: Check out Angela’s review of Communicating Doors over at her blog. I agree with every word, and would only add that this play piqued my interest in finding my own time portal almost as much as the film Sliding Doors.