2003-05-16 - 4:57 p.m.

I watched it from the patio of the W hotel, from the Vox Vodka Style & Design Awards party. It was one of the most fun parties I have been to in LA. Besides the girls, I hung out with friends from Larissa's work, who have become my friends. I showed off the Eric Clapton underwear to them. Everyone at the party was busy drinking free martinis, when La rounded people up and pointed to the sky. It was such an experience to be with so many strangers, huddled together with cocktails in hand, staring at a dark sky . . .

The kicker to the surreal atmosphere of the evening, were the minor celebrities there. Larissa had a terrific 20 minute conversation with Heidi Fliess ("The Hollwyood Madame") and had no idea who she was talking to. I watched the eclipse standing next to Vincent Schiavelli (the crazy homeless man in the subway in Ghost) who was delightful.

The last time I saw an eclipse was 3 years ago . . . I was in Atlanta, and had just met Brandon. La and I and Brandon went to Billy's, and watched the entire thing in the parking lot of his apartment complex. It was February and freezing and we were so friggin cold that Billy's other friends stayed indoors. Billy was so cold, he wrapped a shirt around his head with his spiky hair poking up the top!! We were all taking turns drinking shots straight from a Jack Daniels bottle. I got so drunk, I actually got warm and took off my coat and my shirt and watched the eclipse in my leather bra! Ahh those were good times. I miss Billy.

3 years later I guess I've come up in the world. This time we were dressed to kill and drinking martinis at the Vox awards in Los Angeles. I do like my life.

And tonight Leslie and Chrissy and I are driving to Santa Cruz and staying with Dean. ROAD TRIP!! They've never seen Santa Cruz. I couldn't be happier. I'm off work in 30 minutes, and then we leave in 2 hours!!!

But the most exciting thing happening to me lately, is that the dream I've always had, the biggest dream in my heart of hearts (besides falling in love) is coming true . . .

I've never wanted to be famous, like movie-star famous, or political famous. But I have always wanted to be remembered as a part of something important, a movement, a group that influenced culture -- like the impressionists, the surrealists, the algonquin circle, the beat writers -- I've wanted to be a part of a group of friends who shared thier ideas, who acted on their ideas, who collaborated, who identified with each other, and who, in later life, would be known by their collective work as well as individual work.

So Chrissy and I were sitting around drinking wine on the patio the other night, and she tells me that she's had the same dream. And that Leslie has a name for the artistic group she wanted to start - she called her movement "The Luminists."

WHAT A GREAT NAME, HUH?

So I told Larissa, and we all discussed it, and we made a pact, to be "The Luminists."

Our devotion to each other, with or without the pact, is unquestioned. Our dedication to the pursuit of our own artistic goals is not compromised. But this thing inspires us. It makes us want to do more, and work together more. I'm thrilled.

As a second thought, La told us later she liked the name "Liminists" instead beause allthough luminists talks about bringing light, liminists would be a new word about liminal moments. We are as of yet undecided -- Luminists is our first choice but Leslie was dissappointed to find out that it had already been used to describe a group of 19th century american realist painters. Bah. So I'm not sure what it will turn out to be. But whichever, the idea is the same. A rose by any other name smells as sweet.

And then in couple of months we're going to do a website togehter. How very post-modern!

So my lifelong dreams, of experiencing the miracle that is falling in true love, and being a part of an artist's collective, are coming true . . . I couldn't be happier!