So I went to LA, on a lark, really. The boys I blog with out there snagged an invite to a party at Arianna Huffington’s house. How could I miss that?

The party was great, very swanky and geek-star studded. I met some LA bloggers and got to meet Arianna herself, too. She is lovely and utterly elegant. Turns out it was a launch party for a joint venture between Gawker Media and Yahoo. I spent most of the evening wandering around the enormous but not ostentatious manse like the (relatively speaking) star-struck hayseed I am, drinking Arianna’s vodka and marvelling at the artwork on her walls. (Jasper Johns! example)

The trip also gave me a chance to meet Rodger Jacobs, whose blog at 8763 Wonderland has become a regular stop in my RSS rounds. We had a nice lunch at the bar, complete with gin & a tasty roast beef sandwich, and we talked about blogs and stalkers and histories and many other things. He very graciously gave me a copy of his book, too – which I’ve already read and enjoyed thoroughly.

And if that wasn’t enough, I also got to meet Lance and Doc Cocktail, my compatriots over at MR. It was a highly enjoyable gathering, with many anecdotes and laughs all around. Doc also gifted me with his book, which may just force me into a life of crime. There must be a way to smuggle things like orange bitters into this backwards state. Doc’s cool vendors of hard-to-find ingredients can’t ship to Michigan!

And last but not nearly least, Joseph and I headed out to catch a few races at Hollywood Park, a track I hadn’t been to before. His pony picks turned out much better than mine, but I had a great time. Also went to see some art and then consume some ‘art’ at The Shack. I love Krazy Jim’s, but man, The Shack does a mean burger.

My ears still hurt from the plane and my body still has no idea what timezone it’s in, but I’m not too much worse for the wear. I’m sure I’ll head back soon.