Day 5: for Maurice

Today would have been my dad, Maurice Goldenthal's 83rd birthday.  It's been fifteen years since he died, and I really miss him.  Our birthdays are one week apart - I was born on the 2nd and came home from the hospital on his birthday, November 9th. I was remembering today how hard it was for him when I moved out here.  I guess at the time I didn't understand what a big deal it was, but now that I am a parent I know it must have been very painful when I announced I was moving to California.  To top it off, a few years after that my sister Lisa followed, and also moved to Santa Monica.  Maurice came out to see us often, and I decided today to do some of the things he loved to do when he came to visit.  I'm going to drive down the California Incline while listening to the Doors.  Every time the Doors were played on the radio he said the exact same thing, "That music is so damn good, it still sounds great."  If the fancy new Santa Monica Place hadn't been renovated, I would definitely go to Hot Dog On a Stick in the food court.  He loved the tacky outfits the girls wore, and was inexplicably entertained by the way they jumped up and down so dramatically while pumping the lemon juice out of the lemons to make that lemonade.  I will go to Hama Sushi and raise a toast to Maurice (even if it's just hot tea, as I have to go pick up the kids soon).  He loved walking in that place - the way the waiters and maitre'd shout out greetings just kind of makes you feel really welcome.  He bought me a mug from there once that has no handle, it's just kind of this big cup with a sketch of a Japanese sushi chef on it.  I still have it and think of him every time I use it.  He was my biggest fan, always encouraging me in my writing.  When I landed a meeting with Norman Lear he told everyone he knew I was a Hollywood writer.  He thought I looked like Julia Roberts (!) which was an outrageous stretch, but it still cracks me up and sort of flatters me to this day.
The last stop on the tour/soundtrack:  I'm going to play In My Life.  My dad was a huge Beatles fan, also in the 70's he went through a Judy Collins phase, and he really loved her version, so I will try to find that.

All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all.