Last night, after a long weekend in Provincetown, where I had the Mercedes cab company on speed dial, and Martha's Vineyard, I arrived at Boston's Logan Airport to discover that my 40-minute flight to New York was delayed at least four hours. I pondered the prospect for three or four minutes, canceled my ticket, and checked into the Harvard Club for an idyllic evening and one of the best night's sleep I've had in ages, after staying up to read M.F.K. Fisher's tale of coming across her favorite restaurant in Switzerland: 'The chaffeur was sleepy after a night spent in a hotel filled with unusually pretty kitchen maids, and he lost the way.' (From Endless Feasts: 60 Years of Writing From Gourmet).
I took the train, first-class, where I should have been all along, today, straight to two back-to-back meetings and then a dinner party at a secret restaurant, up the stairs, and down the stairs again, on a little patio way out of the way. Extremely glamorous people (sommeliers, cheesemongers, French perfumers, fashion people, finance people, et al – like the Noah's Ark of chic, especially when it poured for a bit) there, although I was too tired to be especially clever. I was with dear friends, lovely and bright, who want to start a new festival. I told them what to do next.
Wish fulfilllment is one of my specialties. The key is to break down your fondest dream into steps. Anyone can start with a step. After ten years doing what I do, you can tell me something that seems impossible, and I'll tell you how to put in motion by tomorrow at 10. My next step is to work on my own for a while.
The Grindstone wrote about careers in public relations, and me.
Tomorrow I'll unpack my new fur cape, from Mother's, and my caftan from Miss Mizepah's and make arrangements to pick up the bracelets that Estate Jewels found for me (pictured). Nurture a relationship with people who know your taste, and look after you. Say exactly what you want, and it will materialize. This works for most things. Essentially: when you're exhausted, sleep.
Good to have you back.
Posted by: Mish | July 27, 2011 at 09:55 AM