yes

Julia called me today. I was still in bed with the curtains closed, behind which Gego was snoring loudly. Outside, the world was burning.

She said, of my good friend and former intern Elina the Estonian Girl, whom I had brought to her birthday party last Saturday: “Elina is cool. I understand now why you’re friends. You two talk and joke around the same way. She bullies you but in a loving way. And she’s not fake or pretentious.”

All of this is true. Julia is always very perceptive in that way. I’m glad these two important people in my life finally met.

I reckon I just wanted to once again pay tribute to my friend and surrogate little sister. Elina has always been a good and loyal friend to me. She is truly unique. And despite our substantial age gap, we understand one another. As she is Estonian, she is naturally adverse to sentimentality and vulnerability. They hate that stuff! I could never say these things to her in person. But as I am a sentimental and vulnerable American expatriate, and an embarrassing fool also, I will say here publicly that I love Elina and am lucky to know her. She can bully me anytime, which she absolutely does. It is an honor.

(I took these on her birthday last year. We spent all day together. It was a cute day!)

PREVIOUSLY . . .

My father:

he’s back!

for now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face

Dear Julia turned 30 and threw a big party at her place in Wedding . . . and of course Elina and I were there to lend our combined celebrity.