Poolman

Dear Erin,

Happy New Year!

Isn't it fantastic to be alive?

Today I'm back at city council,

fighting to make Los Angeles a better

and more beautiful place to live.

Jack and I are still making our documentary.

I want to inspire people just like you inspire me.

To top it all off,

I have the world's best girlfriend.

Susan and I gel because we listen to each other, Erin.

It's as simple as that.

Love's alive in Los Angeles.

How are you? Yours, XX, DB.

- My arm. - Oh.

Thanks.

Stop stealing the blanket.

I'm not. Just--

Stop stealing it.

Whoa. Yeah. Cozy.

Yeah.

- Darren-- - Susan--

- No, I-- - Sorry.

No, you go first.

I was just gonna say...

I really think Vitors has lost something since Samir died.

Not the chicken, obviously, it's the rice, Susan.

Oh God. Samir.

Quite frankly, it's over salted.

- Can we talk about something? - Yes.

Apologies for bringing yesterday New Years Day

and I failed and I own that. - Darren.

But, salty rice is no reason,

those corporate schlocks behind Salad For Days

should get the Vitors' property.

They've been there 30 years, Susan!

The Vitors escaped a genocide for this.

This? A second genocide?

It's hateful.

Fucking burns me.

Still or sparkling?

Still, please.

While supplies last.

This fucking drought.

My heart hurts. Ah.

Well, let's get you hydrated.

Samir.

Preacher, choir, Susan. I get it.

His death was a blow to one of the best chicken restaurants

in Los Angeles.

He was never the best lover

but he was always a great friend.

I did not know that.

Really? He and I were--

Uh, no. Not friendly with you in that way, no.

I thought for a second we, we might get married.

This is Samir, right?

Like, chicken Samir? Dead chicken Samir?

We talked about moving to Palm Springs.

I'd get my own pilates studio.

He'd buy a food cart.

Desert council did widen the permit market down there.

Could be a great thing for the city.

- Maybe we should visit him. - Samir?

His grave.

We could bring lunch. Make a day of it.

Uh, I don't know if--

- Yeah, nah. You're right. - Can you, like,

I mean, even eat at a cemetery? - Yeah, yeah.

Nah. Yeah. You're right.

It's just that he really loved you.

I...I liked him, too.

- Darr? - Yeah, Sus?

Should we get married?

Uh...

Yeah. I mean, we could. Definitely.

Oh.

We have tickets to Descanso Gardens.

But the camellias had to be replanted

and the mondo grass died.

It's this drought. It's just so tragic.

Tragic.

Oh.

10:30 a.m. call time with Jack and Diane.

Hair and makeup.

My documentary.

Pivotal scene.

C'est la vie.

Oui, cherie.

We'll always have Paris.

Sorry about Samir, Susan.

It's okay, Darr.

Is this Italian?

- What Italian? - The song.

Oh, yeah.

It really lifts the spirit.

Yeah.

Teddy Hollandaise.

That's all the equipment.

You gotta be gentle with it.

You stick it right in the back there.

Put that one on the bottom, 'cause it fits.

Leave that one. Put that one back.

So, anyway, listen. Let me go back to my story.

Two steaks, a couple of lobster tails.

Oh, it's New Year's Eve for Christ's sake.

What am I gonna do, have rotisserie chicken?

Just so we're clear, I love rotisserie chicken.

Yes you do love rotisserie chicken,

but I was down to get the surf and turf,

but I went to a Japanese restaurant

because that's what Diane-- - Oh, here we go.

She loves the jalapeños with the sashimi.

- I do. - You know, the appetizer, right?

So, first of all, I've gotta park.

You ever park on Colorado Avenue?

Colorado Avenue is an absolute nightmare.

Have, have you, have you seen Susan, honey?

Of course I have. She's my girlfriend

We're going to Descanso Gardens.

It, it-- Colorado is an unadulterated

- You have schmutz. - catastrophe.

You wanna park? You go to Wisconsin.

They got the long-term meters.

So I'm at the restaurant.

What's-- what's it called?

- What's what called? - The restaurant.

Omakasa Tomaya.

Omakasa Tomaya is where we are.

I'm telling ya Darr,

don't get old because it's a drag.

Uh, the guy gives me the bag, so I look in the bag

and there's the jalapeños and the appetizer very nice,

just the way she likes it.

- You're a little shiny. - But other than the appetizer the food is frozen solid.

It's uncooked. - Um, it's a Japanese restaurant.

Uncooked is kind of their thing.

No. Uncooked meat.

Di-- Diane, uncooked raw meat is nobody's thing.

Plus, I got these two giant lobsters staring me in the face.

- Lobster tails, Jackie. - Tails. Right.

- Yeah. - So I say to the guy,

"What's up with this?" He says, "Well at the moment,

we're acting as a-- as a wholesaler.

We're giving you the food in bits and pieces. So they--

Yeah, they're trying something new.

You can't blame them for being innovative.

Innovative? Innovative is a ball point pen.

This is six o'clock traffic on the west side of Los Angeles.

I don't know how to sashimi.

- Okay. - I gotta do it myself?

Plus, I couldn't understand a word he was saying.

- That's not-- no. - What? He's Japanese.

- Do not go there, Jackie. - What are you gonna put there?

No. You're going--

Diane, did you pack the peanut butter and jelly?

- It's on the table, sweetheart. - He had a lisp.

- He did not have a lisp. - These PB and J?

- Yeah. - Diane, he had a big lisp.

Okay. Let's go. We're gonna be late.

Oh my God. - Plus a battery went out in my hearing aids.

I could only hear him on the left side of my face.

Oh. He says it was the battery,

but really, he gets just-- he gets shy, you know.

But truth be told, we had a great meal.

- We did. - Yes, we did.

Babe, what was that meat called?

- Wagyu beef. - Wagyu beef.

Darr, they, they massage this beef.

There's so much fat on it it's scary.

Somebody adjusted my mirrors.

- I, I moved the car before. - Just stop doing that

every time you get in my car. - Alright?

I moved the car a little bit.

Hold on, Diane! Careful!

- I am being careful. - Go, go, go, go easy.

- That's my outbox! - There are two men

telling me how to drive. - You almost hit my outbox!

You would think I never drive by myself.

That's a great shot.

- Hey, Reggie. - Hey, Darren. How you doing, man?

Happy New Year.

Happy New Year to you too, buddy.

- How's your family? - They're good.

- Did you talk to Dr. Rosenbach? - Yeah, thanks for that, man.

He's a nice guy.

Yeah, he is.

Thanks.

You want your thing?

- I got it. I got it. - Mr. Barrenman?

- Just be careful. - I am being careful.

- Hold on one second. - Mr. Barrenman.

- Mr. Toronkowski. - You're early.

Well of course I am,

I take this city seriously. Do you?

We're off to a great start I see.

So, what is it today?

The trolley line on Broadway?

Uh, you'd like to bring back Broadway.

I would like a functioning low-cost