Coal or Train?

It's Christmas Day. Will Warren and I get coal or an electric train today?

I've been awake, of course, since four am. Right now, it is 7:30 and I am waiting for my laundry to get done so that I can walk the seawall to pass the morning in ecstasy. Today has broken in stunning fashion. The sun will shine and there is a sweet, sweet smell in the air. The prospect of walking without burning and sweating has me all atingle. The walk guarantees me some glory today if we get coal.

Warren is coming today at 2:30 - 3:00. Will we know by then? I know we will know today. If we get the train, I have champagne in the fridge.

The only thing I have ever won is a belt. On the other hand, I built a successful theatre and made a startling success of a public art gallery with absolutely no training—now that is lucky. And when I tried writing a book and then a play, both did far better than I ever expected. That too is lucky, if you believe in luck. But I don't. I believe in work, and I love work—especially writing—and I worked hard and continue to work hard on the screenplay so that's why I have champagne in the fridge.

Oh, and what kind of champagne? I am so glad you asked. 

It's Gaston Chiquet and this is the coolest thing…. My friend Paula ran a commercial wine club. It was her job to constantly source new wines and they had to be good for the store's customers or heads would roll. So it was Paula who found Gaston Chiquet (CG). It is a boutique vineyard. 


GC grows the same grapes in the same region where other Champagne grapes are grown in France, but this vineyard bottles and markets their champagne themselves so from them you get the same high-wuality champagne, but without the inflated prices of the big brands with their global marketing budgets. Plus, when Paula buys them for me, I get her staff discount so I get remarkably delicious wine at ridiculous prices! I got 20 bottles.



The next post will tell you coal or train.