To the Getty and Back

The research trip to the Getty was quite productive and agreeable. I was able to examine a fair number of books that I had not been able to locate yet in Prague--evidently the Getty has done a good job of seeking out items relating to Czech modernism--and John examined transcripts of some lengthy interviews with the composer John Cage. The most significant things for my purposes were the catalog for the sale of Toyen's estate (surprisingly small and limited; when were her other belongings sold?) and a set of letters written by Heisler.
We quite enjoyed being at the Getty, and were disappointed that we didn't end up having time to see any of the museum itself. The evenings were filled with visits to various of our friends, all of whom one or the other of us had known for at least 25 years (well, except for the juvenile contingent). It's always a great pleasure to meet and like the friends of one's friends. We also got to see remarkable performances by Molly, who is six years old. She began her evening's entertainment by reading two chapters of a book to us and then proceeded to sing and dance until dinner-time, when her attempts to pry John away from the couch resulted in much laughter among the three of us. Another evening we met two chihuahuas who immediately recognized that if they sat on my lap they would receive much petting. John was much amused at their ability to spot a Petter.
To our dismay, we did have to return well before we had worn out our welcome, but we enjoyed the drive back. The conversation was good, John decided he likes driving my car, and we found a radio station in Pismo Beach that played a stellar selection of hits from our earlier years.