Breakfast: 2 pumpkin pineapple mini muffins

I went to Manhattan Beach for the day to write. Of course, I left the hard copy of my story I was going to work on at my apartment. I don’t like to bring my laptop with me. I see it as the anti-creativity machine.

Did you know that playwright/screenwriter Beth Henley handwrites every draft and doesn’t type it up until it’s finished? That woman has patience. I don’t even do that for my short stories. My first draft is always handwritten, and then I put it on the computer and print it out. I edit from my hard copies and type the changes for each draft. I guess if I ever start meditating daily (like my acupuncturist suggests) I could write all my drafts by hand. Beth thinks creativity is the most ripe when the hand actually writes the words. I’ve had a psychic tell me that, too. Maybe a psychic told Beth?

So, I was annoyed I left my story at home, but let it go. Stress=illness. When I got to the main strip of Manhattan Beach, I did my Goldie Locks move: Usually I venture to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but it was too cold to sit outside or inside. (Note to coffeehouses: Don’t blast the air-conditioning when it’s freezing out. I know it’s California, but still.) I checked out Peet’s across the street. The store obviously didn’t want loiterers. There was only one table inside with wrought iron chairs—very bad feng shui. I sighed and trekked down the street to Starbucks. That’s when my luck turned.

Starbucks was warm, but not too warm. There was a long banquette with space available. I’m not partial to sitting in the middle of rooms in wooden chairs.

I was thinking about ordering my usual mint tea when I realized the holiday drink menu was up. I was so happy I felt giddy—like when I go to Disneyland. I rarely drink coffee, even though I love it. The acidity and caffeine don’t agree with my system. However, I have a holiday addiction: eggnog lattes. It’s too bad I love them so much.

I know I can go to the store and just buy eggnog, but it’s not the same. (Smotlock, am I grossing you out?) I also don’t like eggnog with alcohol. For some reason I think it’s just wrong to mix the two. I feel the same way about Dr. Pepper and Diet Dr.Pepper. Diet Dr.Pepper should go by a different name because it’s so inferior to the original.

My best eggnog latte memory happened in NYC when I was working at Sony. In the morning (along with my egg on a bagel) during the holidays, I would get a venti eggnog latte. One day, I ran into one of my co-workers at Starbucks and she was ordering the same exact thing— it was even a venti. I didn’t feel like a freak for liking them anymore.

At the Manhattan Beach Starbucks, I ordered a tall eggnog latte and asked the woman how long the holiday menu had been up for. She turned to her co-worker, “When did we get the new drinks?” I got a bit embarrassed for being such a nerd. I admit, I would’ve been upset if I’d missed a week. He turned to me, “Not even a day.” Phew.

I sat down and happily read my ENTIRE “New Yorker.” This was a cause for celebration--reading the whole issue, that is.

At the table next to me, a guy was bragging to his girl friend about his first cell phone, “Do you remember how clunky that thing was? I paid $3,000 for it.”

On the other side, a witty man observed that “My friend worked with Rosie O’Donnell. She’s either shoveling food into her mouth or yelling at someone.” Rosie needs to meditate way more than I do.