How to lose friends and customers

Gail’s new totem, by Donna Billick

Remember a few weeks ago we went to Davis to see the art? Gail saw a piece she had to have, so I started negotiating with the gallery owner. I sent him an email:

John

Gail really likes this piece by Donna Billick. Could you deliver it on Tuesday evening May 13 and stay for dinner? We’d have a small dinner party.

That seems pretty clear to me, and the dealer agreed.

So we planned the party. Invited people. Made food. The day came, and the dealer showed up 90 minutes early, announced he had places to go and thing to do, placed the sculpture, collected his cash and hit the road.

What about the dinner he agreed to? He never heard of it. Muttered something about being “set up”.Couldn’t wait to get out of the place.

Nobody is indispensable, especially not John Natsoulas. We had a great party without him. There was food:

Cooking an enormous pan of paella on my super duper paella maker

There were people:

Buffet line

There was friendship and conversation:

The best of life is friends around the table.

The 20 of us had a wonderful time, enjoying the dinner and the conversation about art, politics and what a jerk John is. I suppose if he’d stayed we would have had to talk nicer about him, but he saved us that problem.

So I recommend you all have parties as often as possible. Just don’t invite John.