owen wilson in winston-salem.

The buzz in Winston-Salem this week is that Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis and Amy Poehler are in town and Mr. Wilson in particular is living it up. "Living it up" in Winston is a bit of an anomaly because it's a very small city with fewer than five good bars, two exciting downtown streets and pretty sparse on live entertainment, but I think what everyone means is that he is here, in fact living on West End Boulevard for a few weeks while filming the movie You Are Here, and that he is not staying sequestered with other famous folk, but that he is choosing to explore our fair city, try our restaurants, chat with our bar tenders and get to know the people here, if only for a little while. It kind of makes me happy, less for us and more for him, that Winston will offer him a little southern hospitality, a probable great distinction from his normal routine. I keep thinking, "I hope he goes to Camino and his diet allows him to try the lemon rosemary cookies," and "I wonder if he has heard of the trampoline park," and "I wonder which house is his on West End and if it's got a great city porch," and "I hope he bumps into someone who tells him to go to the Olive Tree if he likes Greek food, but that he has to have some cash or a checkbook...." and to try the Gimlet at Tate's if he's a gin drinker... and to go see a movie at the indie film theater a/perture on Fourth... and to take a walk up through Reynolda Gardens if it isn't raining because the roses are so fabulous right now... and to have a cup of custard from Wolfie's... It's absurd the amount of thought I've given to Owen Wilson being in Winston-Salem, and I think it's probably because I have developed a certain pride about this place after having lived here for four years and I think the A-listers will find it charming if they give it a chance. I have lived in so many cities I've learned how to adopt a place as my own more quickly, and this one feels like like OURS - Mark's and Sidney's and mine, and that's a first. It feels good and comfortable. It's the THIRD Spring we have watched bloom outside the windows and I knew when the big old gnarly tree out back would be covered with green leaves and the temperature that would kill the impatients if I didn't get serious about watering them. We know the sidewalks of our sprawling neighborhood pretty well, and our neighbor has become quite fond of our dog and we finally decorated our guest room so it's really pretty and inviting. I love to run in this town, and get take-out from the Mexican place near the Indian grocery store, and I love the little second-hand shops and the twenty minutes or less rule that ideally describes every in-Winston trek you might make. This is a good place to live, a really really good place. Owen Wilson, of all people, has me thinking about this all rather idyllicly and I do hope he and his gang can soak it up while they're here. And I hope they order the the Moravian Cookie Crusted Salmon if they hit up Milner's for dinner.