Yearly Archives: 2012

Karen And Aaron, A Love Story

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I wanted to officially document the greatest love story of all time that just happened to take place in the consumer electronics business. Since I or others may never get around to writing a book about it, I thought my blog would be the most appropriate platform to tell the Romeo and Juliet story of Aaron Neretin and Karen Fisher. 

Aaron Neretin

Aaron was for decades a well known and highly respected editor, writer, and researcher in the consumer electronics business (Home Furnishings Daily, Fairchild Publication and Merchandising, Billboard); and Karen was a celebrated super agent for interior designers (Designer Previews) and a magazine and book author (Home Furnishings Daily, Cosmopolitan,  American Home and Esquire). They both received numerous industry awards.

Karen Fisher

They were as opposite as day and night except for their love for each other. She was tall, very thin, very statuesque, wore designer clothes, played tennis several times a week, and did the round of elegant parties in the most exclusive of places. She was never married, never had children. He was tall, big, and round. He loved the horses, Las Vegas, his children and grandchildren — not necessarily in that order. Aaron was well-read, a brilliant speaker, and loved being the life of the party. You often heard his voice before actually seeing him in a crowd. Karen was more reserved. 

They both died last year. She from brain cancer in her early 70s and he from a broken heart in his early 80s. While they became a couple late in life, they still had close to 25 years together.For a good many of those years they maintained separate apartments. They did live together most weekends and more often at the end when she was helping to take care of him after some heart issues. The irony was that she became terminally ill and he ended up taking care of her.Then he just didn’t want to live without her. He suffered a massive stroke and died a few months before her. 

The purpose of this story is to let you know their love affair can only be described as   some thing larger than their distinguished careers. Most industry people only really  knew the surface of it. I was there when they met back in 1966 at Home Furnishings Daily.We all worked together in the city news room and our desks were literally back to back. I was also lucky to have known them decades later when they reunited as the most loyal and devoted life partners. Eliot and I spent many joyous times with them both in New York City and Miami Beach where we all split our time. Karen and Aaron introduced us to a Turkish restaurant in NYC on 10th avenue in the 50s called Taboon. We still go there and start every meal with a toast to them.

It is so interesting to reflect on how these opposites expressed their true love. They shared a devotion that only the most brilliant and practical could manifest. Their life together was simple.They stuck to the true basics that can only make the most grounded happy: tons of laughs, good company, great conversations, and a steamy love life. I think they both confided in me. The thing that intrigued me most about them was the way they spoke about each other. He praised her for building a fantastic business and she praised him for just being fantastic. How refreshing!

 

 

 

Working Virtually From The Adriatic

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Croatia

Here I go. The countdown has begun. In just four days I will be traveling to Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro with Eliot and friends Ruth and Howard Greenberg. We planned this trip months ago. Little did I know that in addition to keeping up with my PR work for HWH, I would have a daily blog post to write.

Montenegro

I think this is my 43rd post. As I mentioned before, writing is the easiest part of this endeavor. Researching the facts, finding related links and photos, proofing, and finally posting, is very tedious. Maybe it’s quick and easy for others, but everything takes me a little longer. 

Slovenia

I am not looking for sympathy. I am looking for suggestions. I want to  post every day, but the rigorous schedule of touring with a group is not going to leave me a lot of time.

However, I am determined to post every 24 hours because that’s what serious bloggers do. I am enamored of Joanne Wilson, the Gotham Gal, because she  manages to post everyday no matter where she is. Wife to Fred, the super VC, mother of three and an investor herself, she writes a blog about  women entrepreneurs, food, and art.  Every morning when I wake up, Joanne’s blog is waiting for me in my email box. I am waiting for her to slip, then I can too. 

Joanne Wilson

Even though we don’t leave until Wednesday, I am all packed. At least everything is laid out on the dining room table. I learned a long time ago when we started traveling around the world not to wait until the last minute to get my things together. You can’t combine work and play without being totally organized. I have done this so many times before, but this time it seems totally overwhelming. I must get through this. I have made lists, My lists have lists. “Don’t forget iPhone, IPad, iPod, chargers, netbook, iPhone tripod, Bluetooth earpiece, Fitbit, Fitbit charger, spiral notebooks, and pens. I have to check time differences and wireless capabilities at each hotel we are staying at, My worse fear is traveling without wifi.

I can’t stand not being connected. I remember when we traveled on the Oceania Cruise Line’s Nautica to Southeast Asia six years ago, We rented a Satellite telephone so I could call the office every day. We would have to stand on the upper deck, face the sun, and tilt the phone in such a way that the call would go through. The cost of that extravagance was over a $1000. Today, I just download an app called Line2 so I can call home free wherever wireless is available.  

Working remotely from anywhere in the world now is possible, No more excuses. Maybe that is what scares me the most.

Internet Isolation Is Not Necessarily A Bad Thing

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Yesterday I hinted that many of my friends are very worried that the world of the Internet is making their children and grandchildren totally anti-social. They believe that the adults of tomorrow will be incapable of relationships, both personal and business, because they haven’t spent enough time learning interpersonal skills.

I have one girl friend who absolutely can’t stand sitting next to a family in a restaurant, where young children are watching a movie on an iPad or playing a video game on a smart phone. As a former elementary teacher, she honestly feels that parents should be engaging their children in dialogue during meals rather than using technology as a babysitter.

I have been very curious about this subject for a while because I am the mother of an adult child who spent the better portion of her life in front a computer screen. In recent years I have often heard my daughter say she doesn’t want to be anywhere near a computer when her work is done for the day. Too bad her work is never done.

In order to get a proper perspective on this, I decided to ask people under 40 how they feel about the their isolation. Here are some of the things they told me:

1-Most people piss me off. Their conversations are a waste of time. I prefer to talk online where I can instantaneously cut someone off.

2-The Internet has made me more social than ever before. I have friends all over      the world. We talk about “things,” not “people.” We see each other a few times a year, and when we do we pick up where we left off online. We are all interested in the same things. I don’t have to hear about their kids, their money woes, or their sex lives. I spend way too much time with egomaniacs who only want to talk about themselves. None of them are really interested in what I do and how I do it.

3-I am a homebody. I have many hobbies. I go out with family and friends a few times a month. I love them but they are so boring.

4-I have never been happier since the advent of the Internet. I am busy all the time doing things that I like to do. My mind is being stimulated every waking hour. I used to sit around reading comic books and watching TV.

5-Before the Internet, I spent most of my time partying and getting drunk. Now I have to stay sober because I am an app developer. I have never felt better in my life. I even got married to a girl who I met online.

6-The only one who is worried about my interpersonal skills is my mother. She nags me all the time. She needs to learn interpersonal skills. Nag, nag, nag

7-My parents’ universe is so small. My universe is so big. I love them but they are clueless about the business world and personal relationships. Most people are like me, not them.

8-My father watches sports on TV all day. My mother yaks on the telephone. They are not exactly role models.

I have to admit that there are many times that I love sitting at home alone in front of my computer. Have I found the Fountain of Youth?

You Need A Digital Personal Assistant

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Julie Lesser

You go to a dentist when your tooth hurts. You go to your hair stylist when you hair needs a cut. You go to a masseuse when your muscles ache, and you go to a therapist when you are at your wits’ end. Then why shouldn’t you go to what I call a Digital Personal Assistant when you need help with the wonderful world of technology? A DPA is someone you can hire on an hourly basis who will help you figure out Twitter, set up iTunes, show you Audible, explain whatever apps you are interested in, and even go shopping with you for your tech needs.

Let’s stop this insanity. Why should we be held hostage to our technology fears when there are so many youngsters who are out of work and willing to introduce us to a world that is beyond our comprehension? We lead vital and productive lives. Why should anything stand in our way of experiencing the latest in innovation? We should be a part of the digital revolution and learn as much as we can. Most of us rely on our children to help us. I think we all agree that they have little time and no patience for us. A friend of mine recently told me, “My son is the last person I would ask. He talks jargon and when I ask him more than once to show me something, he almost gets violent.”

The simple truth is that your children are the wrong ones to teach you this stuff. You need someone to call who knows there is a financial reward that goes along with it. I used to pay $25 an hour to a young friend of mine to teach my girlfriend how to use Skype, send multiple emails, fix her printer, and explain the wonders of scanning. It was my birthday gift to her. She has now used a Digital Personal Assistant several times.

Julie is a digital whiz

Last night I was talking about this concept with my much younger girl friend Julie Lesser who lives in Westlake Village, California. Julie is an Internet expert even though that is not her day job. She is just one of these natural talents who intuitively knows her way around software, hardware, social media platforms, mobile equipment, and apps. She spends six or eight hours on the net every day researching, reading, and learning more and more about how our lifestyles are being influenced by the tech world. It is not unusual for younger people to spend hours at their computers. In fact, it is what makes them much more sophisticated and specialized in a world that we don’t realize exists.

Julie was answering questions I had about Facebook and why there are so many format changes. She enlightened me as no one else has had the patience to do. That will also be another blog post. Meanwhile, we discussed the concept of the Digital Personal Assistant and decided that we would both venture into starting a small business that helped others. We were on the phone for two hours discussing all of the possibilities. That is a lot of time for someone to be offline, so I truly want to officially thank her now.

We would like to begin by helping any DigiDame readers. Email me at Lois@digidame.com. any time you have a question. If Julie or anyone else we add to our virtual staff can’t help you via telephone or email, we will get you someone in person. Don’t be shy, call. I know that the biggest challenge for this business model is getting the 50-plus crowd to make that first call. We either have a tremendous fear factor or we are just too lazy to learn. I don’t know how to get through to you other than to just keep saying it over and over. Technology is just not that difficult to learn. Once you learn it, or even part of it, your life is going to go in to a positive spin. Don’t you deserve it?

I Am Finally In My Comfort Zone

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This is what I wear to work everyday

Walking on the streets of Manhattan

The other day I posted a picture of myself on Facebook with two 23-year old app developers from Chile who came to visit me at my office. Within seconds my California girl friend Sheri Lesser wrote a message on my page that said, “I have never seen you in jeans. You look good.”  The truth is that most of my career I was required to wear a business suit to work. I spent thousands and thousands of dollars on clothes each year just to sit in my office, get an occasional visitor or go see a client once or twice a week. Oh yes, luncheons. I needed the glamorous suits to walk from the coat closet in the restaurant to my table where I sat covered for one or two hours. 

Online for our coffee in the Flatiron District

Check out the shoes

When I think back to those days, I realize how silly we all were dressing up to impress each other. I have to admit that I was one of the most vocal bosses about people not properly dressing for work. I even scolded several people on my staff when I saw them dressed in warm-up suits traveling to the CES show in Las Vegas. I told them that the aircraft was filled with industry people judging their appearance. I even went so far as to say that what they wore had a direct reflection on the agency. 

Muscles and tatoos are the status symbols

Those were the days. Today if you wear a suit in the digital community in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Boston people will think you are going to a funeral. Everyone wears casual slacks or jeans, a shirt, top or sweater, comfortable shoes or sneakers and hopefully clean underwear. We are all non-descript. It’s all about creativity and not the surface BS. I may be 30 years older than most, but I better conform if I am going to be taken seriously. Truth be told, I never felt better about myself.  I love working in this environment and I love being so comfortable today without my tight-fitting pantyhose, my tangled slip and my aching high heels. I will leave that to the lawyers and bankers who still feel they have to impress someone. 

I must say that some of the younger folks do take advantage of the new accepted attire. The young women wear short, short, short, skirts and short, short, shorts on hot days in the summer and their male counterparts wear loose cargo shorts. I urge you not to look up on the subway steps. You will see more than the X-rated channel on your TV sets.

My New Life As A Blogger

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Andrea Hein

My girl friend Andrea Hein asked me at dinner Sunday night, “Lois, how are you going to keep this up?” She was referring to writing a blog post each day. “Are you still going to do PR?”  Yes, I am going to keep my day job. It is a perfect fit for a blogger. PR gives me the ammunition I need to stay in the action. How I am going to manage both is another story.

Writing the copy for a blog is the easy part. The part that is so

WordPress Template Called A Dashboard

time-consuming is proofing, finding images, researching related stories, highlighting links, tagging, and checking and rechecking before you click to post. For those of us who are not technically inclined, the most fascinating part of a blog is the way it is laid out and designed. Unless bloggers have their own art department, how do their posts look so professional? I could never understand that. I have come to learn that there are software programs created and designed just for bloggers. The one I use is called WordPress. I find it absolutely amazing that you can insert your copy, photos, links, and tags and WordPress does the rest. Each time I post a blog, it takes about three or four hours from start to finish. That includes everything from the writing to the rechecking. I am sure some bloggers do it faster but I am still a beginner. 

I love doing all the work and then checking it in draft form. There is such a sense of accomplishment. I feel very competitive with other bloggers who have been posting every day for years. If they can do it, why can’t I? I figured out a formula. I start thinking about the topic I am going to write about after dinner. I start the copy on my iPhone while watching TV. Once I get the general theme written out (and that can be just a few sentences), I feel so comfortable that I can fall asleep pretty quickly because I know that the pressure is off. In the morning I finish the copy in a half hour and then the drudgery begins—–the posting process. I am sure it will go faster once I start using the WordPress app on my iPhone and iPad. I still don’t have a sense of trust yet. 

Memo to Andrea and husband Ron Hein: Have a great trip in South America. I am not saying where you are going to protect your privacy. It was great seeing you at The Palm on Second Avenue in NYC. Don’t forget to sniff the cocoa leaves. Oops !!!!

1010 WINS Gives Me The World

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By the time you read this you may already know the verdicts for John Edwards and Dharun Ravi. But as I sit here anxiously awaiting the fate of these two guys on this rainy Monday morning in New York, I am wondering how you receive your news in the age of the Internet.

I have been relying on New York’s all news radio station 1010 WINS for as long as I can remember. I first listened to WINS on my clock radio, then my boom box, then my shower radio, then on my laptop when radio went “live” on the Internet and today on the apps on my iPhone and iPad.

I don’t leave home without access to 1010 WINS. WINS is the nation’s oldest all-news station in the country, broadcasting in that format continuously since 1965. Known on-air as “Ten-Ten Wins”, the radio station is now owned by CBS Radio. I used to feel sorry for people who lived in cities without an all news radio station. It is just so uncivilized. I grew up in New York where 1010 WINS was around as long as I can remember. Their slogan, “Give us 22 minutes and we will give you the world,” basically sums up what the station does. You can tune in any time of the day or night and within 22 minutes you know exactly what is happening in the world of politics, sports, weather, entertainment, business, music, pop culture, crime, traffic, accidents and deaths. They don’t miss a beat.

Alan Freed, an icon in Rock n Roll, got his start on 1010 WINS

I could never understand when someone claims they get their news from The Today Show. The Today Show? You have got to be kidding? The Today Show doesn’t give you the most up-to-date information on every topic. It gives you the side story after the news happens.

Now through the Internet you can experience what I have all these years. I listen to the station wherever I am in the world. Yes, sometimes it is disconcerting when I am in Europe to listen to the weather in New York, however, this is still the most efficient way to get world news. From the minute I wake up in the morning, to the time I go to bed at night, I tune in every few hours from my app, from my computer, from my bathroom radio. Remember, all you need is 22 minutes.

Even in the age of the Internet, 1010 WINS still beats out any other form of news including CNN, Associated Press, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. By the time they put out the alerts, which are pretty quick, I have heard the news on WINS. News happens all day long. WINS reports it almost instantaneously. I am willing to debate this with anyone who wants to challenge me. In fact, I am pretty sure that Internet aggregation took its cue from 1010 WINS because the radio station was the first to rely on other news formats to gather information. They have original reporting, plus they find important and interesting stories from TV and print publications. The whole premise is to be the centerpiece of news delivery. That is the same platform that Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Yahoo, and everyone else has adopted.

If you are an Internet baby or someone who is trying to reinvent yourself in the digital age, I really urge you to tune in any way you can. You will be one of the most informed people in any conversation you have. I am sure you have heard from anyone who is involved in the Internet that “Content Is King.” That means that without meaningful information, your Internet site is meaningless. The same holds true with how people perceive you. I am spelling out the easiest way to multi-task and be informed. You are welcome!

Facebook For Pets

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This blog post is dedicated to everyone who has ever owned a pet or who owns one now. This post is also my first time blogging on the WordPress app directly from my iPhone. So if I “F-up,” excuse me.

Blondie and Coco

The last dog I owned, Coco Hess, was the nearest and dearest to me because of her temperament. I took her to work everyday after her sister Blondie died at 11 years old. Coco lasted till she was 16 and my first dog Gucci died at 11. I miss them more than I can ever express here.

Gucci with me circa 1975. I am the one with the perm

I just heard about a new app called Klooff that can help me reconnect with them in a meaningful way that only the digital world can provide. The app was created by Alejandro Russo and NicolasTrajtman from Chile. They’ve known each other since preschool. They were also partners in a previous startup.

Alejandro and Nicolas attended Walkabout, the digital open house I wrote about yesterday. They are visiting New York to introduce Klooff to the American marketplace.  They sat across from me at Business Insider and we struck up a conversation. Almost immediately I learned about Klooff. I knew then and there that Klooff was going to be a part of my life. I downloaded it this morning and posted my beloved dogs’ photos and info. I have much more to do.

Hanna’s invitation

I told Alejandro that on June 23rd I was attending my cousin’s Bat Mitzvah in Los Angeles which is going to feature dogs as the theme for the Saturday night celebration party. Hanna Young is creating her table centerpieces in honor of dogs loved and cherished. You can’t imagine how special I felt when Hanna asked me for pictures of Gucci, Coco and Blondie. Alejandro told me to take pictures of Hanna’s Bat Mitzvah and they would post them on Klooff.  What a woof woof experience that is going to be.

I thank you Hanna and Klooff for making my babies close to me again.

Nicolas and Alejandro minutes after I first spotted them

Here is more about Klooff:

Hi Lois, WELCOME to KLOOFF!

YOU are the newest member of Klooff, the app for pet lovers.
We’re excited to have you onboard and we can’t wait to see pics of your pet!

A few tips to get the most out of Klooff:
Start by creating a profile for your pet.
Upload some nice and fun pictures of your pets.
Follow your friends and connect with other Pet Lovers.
Earn Klooff points and Badges by interacting with your pets and other Pet Lovers!
Turn your pics into cool products!

Go to the app store and type in Kloff. You will find the app.

…..The Klooff creators are supposed to visit my office tomorrow. If I learn more I will let you know.

I Am A Digital Voyeur

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I spent the afternoon yesterday visiting two Internet centric companies in the Gramercy Park, Flatiron districts of Manhattan. I had no idea that Business Insider and Tumblr were steps away from my office on 21st and Broadway. Yes, I should have known, considering my company has been located in the area for a year and a half. I have been so busy working that I never considered canvassing the neighborhood. I knew that when we moved across the street from the Flatiron building we were in the heart of the NYC digital world. That is why I became intrigued by an email I received a few weeks earlier, asking if I wanted to participate in an open house program called Walkabout NYC.

The email said that “Walkabout NYC is a celebration of the technology and entrepreneurial culture in New York City. On Friday May 18, 2012, tech companies behind some of our favorite products will host a citywide open house. Stop by and check out their workspaces, see how they work, and meet the people leading the technology movement in NYC. This is about meeting new people, seeing awesome office spaces, learning about how people work, and having fun. The companies are thrilled to have you visit, and we hope you have a great day exploring!”

Walkabout NYC was founded by Danny Wen and Shawn Liu of Harvest HQ, a time tracking and billing company in SoHo servicing thousands of customers around the world, from freelancers to small businesses to departments within Fortune 500 companies. Danny and Shawn have always enjoyed taking tours of creative and entrepreneurial workspaces. No matter what size, they found that the spaces always fostered inspirational energy. Today, Harvest HQ has become a gathering point where the founders invite others to visit their workspace and share their tools of the trade. Walkabout is also expanding internationally. Voxel, an Internap Company, started a Walkabout in Singapore. The philosophy is the same, inspire people in the local technology community of Singapore to explore the spaces, culture and unique energy of digital companies.

We never had anything like this when I was in the earlier stages of my career. I guess the local Chambers of Commerce had the same premise by gathering businesses to meet each other. Walkabout NYC was different because you got to visit a lot of companies in one afternoon. Most of the people in the hosting companies were busy working, so the visitors actually got to see a true business day. I am still stunned that I spotted Henry Blodget, CEO and Editor-In-Chief of Business Insider, sitting right in the middle of the news room (in my days they called it a city room) typing away. I had just seen him on a TV news show with Eliot Spitzer, the former NY State Attorney General. Both of them were commenting on the recent financial troubles at JP Morgan Chase. Before they started the report, Henry said something like “Nice to be with you under different circumstances” and then got right in to the topic. I thought Henry was referring to the downfall of Spitzer’s political career a few years ago due to his womanizing. If you Google Henry Blodget you will see it was an entirely different situation.

Look closely. Henry Blodget on the right typing away

Henry is someone to be admired. He is a great role model as to how to reinvent yourself and always be of significance. I loved that he was immersed in whatever he was writing and didn’t even know there was a room filled with visitors. Someone from BI confirmed that the workspace he was sitting in was his office. He has two computer screens, one where he sits, the other where he stands. I have never seen anyone stand and write but apparently he does. My friend Adrian Rice from Steelcase should pitch him on their workspace treadmill, which is now a big favorite for those who want to get some exercise while they work.

I was so enamored when I saw Henry working away, I couldn’t wait to get back to the office to write my blog and handle several of the hundreds of tasks I have to do for my PR clients every day. The list is always endless. We all need to be motivated as often as possible. I can’t wait for the next Walkabout NYC.

The Past Is The Future

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Recently I found myself wondering whatever happpened to a certain from a friend who grew up in the same building as I did in Hollis, Queens? In the digital age you don’t have to wonder anymore. It wasn’t Facebook, but somehow, some way, Ellen Gershoff Jaffee got in touch with me. She is now one of my regular readers and often makes comments. 

Not only have I met the beautiful Ellen, I have also reunited with her brother and mother after 40 years. My mother died seven years ago this June,so when Ellen’s mother attended one of my parties in Miami a few years ago it was like being with my own mother again. We talked about people in the neighborhood that only my mother’s generation would have been interested in. 

Nadia, Mel and Lois

Then there is Mel Matza, my first boyfriend when I was 13. I didn’t see him in the decades after he moved to Bologna, Italy to attend medical school. He ended up staying there and getting married. Through email and Skype we were able to reconnect. Now, even though we see each other only occasionally, we are able to stay current online. I never would have thought we would have been so close at this point in our lives. 

Maurice de Hond

Two former clients whom I adore, one in Jerusalem and the other in Amsterdam, still keep in touch frequently. Harry Fox now lives in Israel and is a part of the tech industry. He was an innovator 25 years ago when we worked together and he’s still inventing today. I met with him when we were in Israel. He and his wife hosted a BBQ for Eliot and me plus three other friends. I also see Harry at trade shows, and occasionally we will work together on an assignment. The client from Amsterdam, Maurice de Hond, was our supervisor on a computer project. I have been in constant contact with Maurice as well and have participated in several assignments including a murder mystery, book and film projects, and how tablets and other devices are helping young children to create their own virtual school. 

Larry Hymes

Then there is Facebook. I searched for a fellow named Larry Hymes who I was friendly with when I was 17 years old. He lived a few miles away from me but we saw each other often and he dated a number of my friends. I think we talked on the telephone every night for two years. He now lives in Los Angeles and is in the menswear business. At first he didn’t answer me and then finally sent back a message after a few weeks. This is what it said: “Tell me more about yourself. You sound familiar but I can’t place you.” I was floored. I was thinking about him for years and he was clueless as to who I was. He spent two years of his life talking to me every school night and on weekends. We went to dances, movies, bowling and Diner hopping all over Queens, and this guy couldn’t remember me. It wasn’t a case of my being offended or that he could have been faking it, because he kept writing back. He talks to me on Facebook from time to time but can’t remember any details of our relationship. He blames it on drugs. I blame it on some other disconnect in his brain. 

Adrian “Ace” Rice, rocker

There are a number of other stories I can tell you about, but the one that is the most recent and the reason why digital communication is such a wonderful tool, came via a phone call from a stunning guy I met at the CES show many moons ago. Adrian Rice (nickname Ace) lives in southern California, works for Steelcase, and is a rocker. He is a little younger than me, married ,and yes we found each other on Facebook a few years ago. His smile can light up a room and I am not even sure why he even wanted to maintain a relationship other than he must be a very friendly guy. If you look him up on Facebook, you will see him rocking away at many venues with shis band. I picked up the phone when it rang and Adrian said, “I have been reading DigiDame, and making comments, so I just decided instead of typing something something else, I would call.” It was so lovely. We spent about 20 minutes going down memory lane, then made a date to meet up for breakfast or coffee when Eliot and I will be in LA next month. I haven’t seen him in years. How do I quickly transform myself from a good old broad to the perky young gal he met at the Curtis booth decades ago? Ouch, the years do accumulate quickly.