Hooray for ...
Well, as the Oscars have just finished on the telly here, my mind turns to the most glamorous carpark I've ever seen (above), at The Grove shopping centre in Los Angeles - this is where you wait for the lifts. It was Christmas time, hence the fabulous arrangement of poinsettias. But the chandelier is always there! (Don't forget you can click on the pics to see bigger versions.)
Earlier that day, I'd been in Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, with Dace, checking out the ritzy shops and gawking at the cars that drove by - and the facelifts that staggered past.

:: I've had an extremely idle day - we walked the dogs, read more weekend papers (Helen Mirren's house is listed in the LA Times real estate section - you can lease it for a staggering $40,000 a month), and I successfully turned the heel on my stripy sock and am now roaring towards the toes.
Then the Oscar brou-ha-ha started at about 3.30pm and I am such a sucker for it all that I watched the lot, from the red carpet to credits.
The commentators noted that some of the women who had recently ditched their menfolk were looking particularly glamorous - very true for Cameron Diaz and Reese Witherspoon, who had the best dress as far as I'm concerned.

:: The lovely Kate Winslet corrected the minuscule Ryan Seacrest when he referred to her friend Ricky Jarvis. "You mean Rickey Jer-VAY ," she winced.

:: From Hollywood to a wilder and altogether less artificial part of the west coast ... here are a couple of pics that Simon took on Lily's glorious and very appropriately named college campus.
Above: Mack, Marnie and Lily on the path to the campus beach, about three minutes away from Lily's dorm building. The forest is dense and has an atmosphere all its own.Above: This is what those two signs on the tree say! Lily speaks very fondly of the campus cops. They are extremely diligent, and competent, and love their work.

:: Just thought you'd like this one - Lily and I on the moving footpath at the San Diego Zoo. The zoo covers the side of a deep canyon, and by the time you've walked down to the very bottom - where the pandas all live - you are very glad of the moving footpaths that take you back up to the top.