429 Reading through a favorite magazine

Except for the issue on exotic homes, I love reading Architectural Digest. It can amuse, amaze and appease me for hours. For instance, in the September issue there is an ad for a 10,000 sq. ft. Tuscan Villa in St. Louis for $1.6 million. It is gorgeous--built in 1912. Built around the same time was a cottage on our street with a fraction of the space and no permanent interior walls or heating system. It is really cute as cottages go and has a view of Lake Erie. Its price is $850,000. Per square foot, the Tuscan Villa is certainly a better deal.

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"We didn't speak a word of English when we came here". . . the first year was rough. . .he got over the language barrier through television. "I had no friends. . .I'd choose certain words and practice them in front of the mirror. My role model was Ricky Ricardo." Samuel Botero, b. 1945 in Colombia, an immigrant who rose to be a top international designer, pp. 136-137. It's fortunate that modern education theorists didn't get ahold of him and cripple his initiative and English. I love inspiring stories about immigrants.

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One other thing gay men have in common with straight men is the "trophy" partner. Looking through AD, I often see gay partners (both in work and life) where one is about 20-25 years older than the other, just like their straight clients. Some of the women designers appear to do it in reverse, and have a wealthy older husband to cuddle up to and to finance their business.