Is Anyone Doing Lent This Year?

You know, I've complained before about this nutty Gregorian calendar we follow but it didn't do one bit of good, did it?

The holidays are never on the same date. None of us can keep up. And the whole thing is so imprecise that we need a leap year just to get back on track. Julius Caesar (back in the BC's) and Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 gave it their best shot to work this calendar out. But it's still so messed up.

Last year Lent began on February 22, right? But this year really takes the cake!

It began on February 13, the day BEFORE Valentines! How messed up is that? What if you were planning to give up champagne and chocolates for Lent? The day before Valentines?

It's just too much!

I don't know about you but this year I don't have the heart to go through Lent anyhow. And to make matters worse Pope Benedict has announced he's going to bail and a new Pope has to be elected. So he won't even be around during the whole blessed event.

Have been toying with the idea of giving up Lent for Lent. It's a technicality, of course, but follows the letter if not the spirit of the law. Do you think that would work, or is it a sure-fire way to spend a little time in Purgatory?

My rich employers are not Catholics, so there's no pressure around here to participate. But they do get all done up for Easter Sunday services at their local rich-people church.

If you are doing Lent this year, remember it's only six days a week. In fact last year I brought this up in an essay entitled "The Truth About Lent".  On Sundays we can party down and briefly get back to business.

To my Protestant readers, I know you don't understand this or have to deal with Lent at all. But you're still obliged to get done up in your Eastern bonnets and go to church on Easter Sunday, the last day of Lent, right? So we're all in this mess together.

Just wanted to drop in and see if anyone's doing Lent this year or not. I'm reeling from guilt at not participating, but there's always next year. 

All the best,
Andrew

     

The Package from Bijan: Mystery Solved!

Last week I told you a package for the Mister had arrived from the House of Bijan and that no one was home to open it! Ester and I have waited quite impatiently for almost a week to find out what's inside, and finally our employers returned this morning, around ten-thirty.

Right next to the elevator there's a long narrow side table where things are placed that need to go upstairs, including the daily mail and packages.

In fact, it's my job to separate the mail each day into His and Her piles, further organized by their personal letters, cards and invitations on top, business mail underneath that, and overnight letters from Fed Ex and UPS underneath that. Next to these two stacks, magazines are separated into those the Mister has subscribed to, and those the Missus wants to receive. Department store magazines and other junk mail are next to that, which are usually ignored and destined for the recycle bin. And at the end of the table is where we place packages.

When they arrived this morning they left the luggage up to us, picked up their respective piles of His and Her mail and went straight upstairs to their separate offices.

Ester and I looked at each other with fallen faces. Apparently packages were the last thing on their minds at the moment. But then at one o'clock they came down for lunch. I was out running errands at the time, but Ester sent a text that said the Mister had taken the package upstairs right after lunch.

She is the Upstairs Maid after all, and as soon as appropriate she scooted upstairs to snoop around. By the time I got home she was full of news!

It seems the package was a gift from the Mister's sister - which was somewhat of a disappointment since we had hoped the old cheapskate had actually been shopping there himself. And while we had been hoping to see some exquisite accessories, it turned out to be just a shirt and tie.

Having said that, Bijan's shirts are limited editions, of course, and can cost anywhere from $350 on up! And the tie, also a limited edition, is signed and numbered. Only God knows the cost of that.

So the big mystery's over. And while we may have been disappointed, at least now we can say there are Bijan labels in the Mister's closet. And no one needs to know it's only two.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you're not as disappointed as we are.

Andrew

Bijan - Beverly Hills!

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Earlier today in a post entitled "Rodeo Drive" I told you about a package that had arrived with a Rodeo Drive return address.

I also told you there's no one home to open it! And that Ester and I are on pins and needles, dying to know what's inside!

What I failed to mention is the name of the shop.

You see, the package (addressed to the Mister) is from the House of Bijan - renowned haute couture for men.

This boutique is so exclusive you can't get in the door. Literally! 

It's by appointment only, and I have a feeling designer Bijan Pakzad himself decided who might cross the threshold. While his client list is not well publicized (except by the paparazzi, of course), he's said to have dressed over thirty heads of state, including US presidents, European Royalty and the rich and famous from all walks of life.

In addition to couture, he's also known for his fragrances, sold in major department stores worldwide. And he has a line of exquisite jewelry and watches for both men and women.

To top it off, he also designs the exterior and interior of  custom-made Rolls Royce's and Bugatti's on a per-client basis. How awesome is that?

Here's a link to Bijan's amazing world.  And get ready to be enthralled! 

More than once, even by the designer himself,  the House of Bijan has been billed as "the most expensive store in the world!"

And then you'll understand why Ester and I are so agitated!  (lol!)

Again, thanks for stopping by today.

Will let you know what's in the box the minute the Mister gets back next week.

Good night,
Andrew


PS: You may know that Bijan, as he liked to be called, died just recently in 2011. But his legacy and shop lives on, under the direction of his  partner and the world-famous designers who continue to showcase their wares in the inventory.

Where Rich People Shop: Rodeo Drive!

A package arrived this afternoon with a Rodeo Drive return address. There's no one home to open it and it's driving me and the upstairs maid Ester crazy! We've considered ripping it open and blaming it on Fed Ex. But I'm afraid we've done that too many times to keep getting away with it.

In north American speech and in cowboy movies the word rodeo is pronounced row-dee-o. But in Beverly Hills the original Spanish pronunciation is employed and you'll hear them say row-day-o when referring to the world-famous shopping district known as Rodeo Drive.

Cowboys on Rodeo Drive are few and far between. And the only horses around would be found under the hoods of Ferrari's, Bugatti's and Lamborghini's. Remember the film Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts gets a makeover and goes shopping for a new wardrobe? That's Rodeo Drive.

It's full of high dollar shops and boutiques that attract the rich, the famous and the powerful from all over the world. From Fendi and Frette to Valentino and Van Cleef, the worlds finest designers display their wares in one small but exquisitely glamorous area of Beverly Hills

If you think this would be a good place to star gaze, you're absolutely right. But to see your favorite star up close you'll have to wade through a small army of paparazzi, valet parkers, doormen, security guards, personal assistants and sometimes body guards. 

Just take a look at this link to Google Images to see what I'm talking about.

So without an x-ray machine, I guess Ester and I will just have to wait it out until our employers get back next week. Which is not an easy thing, mind you. During this boring time of year in between social seasons things can get pretty dull around here.

Thanks for stopping by. And will let you know what we find out.

Andrew