Our flight is early: 7:15 am on Virgin America. I like to fly early when going from LA to NY because of the time change. You lose five hours of the day flying and when you go from west to east, you lose even more time, three more hours to be exact. We’ll get in at 3:50 p.m., just in time to wash up and have dinner at Gino’s, a mom-and-pop Italian restaurant in my hometown. They have THE BEST food. What they lack in sophisticated service and atmosphere, they make up for ten-fold with their yummy pastas.

I can’t wait to get home. We’ve been here a year and a day. I’m ready to start a new chapter of our life. I’ll be directing a musical this year, working with Preston’s administration, finishing my book and securing an agent (fingers crossed on those), and probably starting back at Fordham. I have five classes of my second Master’s completed so I want to finish. Hopefully, all of those credits are still good. My first Master’s, also from Fordham, is in English. Now this one will be in Adolescent Education. I believe it’s an MST (Master’s of Science in Teaching). Didn’t think teaching was a science though. I’d say it’s more of an art form. But whatever.

It’s no coincidence that I titled this post “Escape from L.A.” Kurt Russell is one of my favorite actors. Overboard. Captain Ron. Backdraft. Big Trouble in Little China. He’s been in some classics. I know Kurt Russell would want us to escape from Los Angeles. He seems like a a good egg.

Afterwards, some of the ladies from the class took me out to lunch. They also gave me Good Night, California (a new regional version of Good Night, Moon for future “Samplers.”) I totally lost it. I don’t even know why–the tears were flowing. The gesture was so sweet. I will truly miss Jill’s class and those ladies.

If you’re ever in LA and looking for a great jazz class, be sure to take Jill’s class. Her Luigi-style jazz class is a great workout, a great workout to say the least. She’s a phenomenal teacher. I credit her with teaching me that I can do this for the rest of my life as long as I take care of my body. Some teachers don’t push self-preservation and feeling how your body is different each day. A little twinge in your lower back should be attended to, not ignored. If you ignore it long enough, that little twinge becomes severe pain and all of sudden you can’t wear high heels anymore or sit in certain desk chairs for long periods of time. I think I’m over the whole self-inflicted punishment makes you better. I got a bad right ankle from that attitude.

I guess that’s why every now and again you’ll see a homeless person with an item (or wearing something) that generally someone who couldn’t afford shelter wouldn’t have. Case in point: A homeless guy wearing new Uggs boots. And how about a homeless guy texting (or pretending) on a blackberry? I’ve also seen a homeless guy with an iPod and a homeless guy on one of those razor skateboards.

Perhaps this is a statement about how disgusting rich and wasteful some Angelenos are. If these homeless guys are getting these items from good will or dumpster diving, someone is throwing them away. I would never throw away a pair of boots that cost $200. If I didn’t like them, I would give them to a friend with the same shoe size. I would certainly give old boots to goodwill–but not new ones. And these were clearly new.

As for the phones, give it to a charity that can use it. Don’t throw it out. There’s cellphonesforsoldiers and another one (the name escapes me) that’s run by the police department. They give the phones to abused wives.

We didn’t get those hideous pillows either. However the glass nesting tables I think I will get at some point. They could be a windexing nightmare though.