October 28, 2026
To: Jeremy Stanford, Studio City, CA
Dear Jeremy,
Yesterday I spent 2.5 hours in the dentist’s chair. Over the next two weeks, I’m looking at five more hours. No, I’m not a masochist. But the gear they had me in might have led you to that thought.
I was having my teeth cleaned and…whitened. Next week, I’m getting bonding and a crown, and the week after, another whitening, because apparently these old teeth did not take the bleach well.
Now I’m all about aging gracefully, but I’m so self-conscious about my smile, I don’t like pictures taken. And when I saw that one of my TV hosts had her teeth “brightened up,” I was all in.
And of course, while strapped into the chair, I’m getting the upsell, unable to respond because of the flexo-grid and two pounds of cotton in my mouth. “Bonding, sir? Or the super-duper, pretty, expensive veneers? My, how white and clean they look. Why, you’d have the mouth of a 25-year-old.”
“A mouth of a 25-year-old,” I thought, “surrounded by the whiskers of a 67-year-old. I’ll pass.”
Truthfully, I’m generally a sucker for an upsell. And there are some people who are REALLY good at it. Graham Chavoustie, who sold me my new boat, is one. Sterling Garlock is another.
He’s the reason I got a new seawall two years ago…and a new dock this year.
Five years ago, Robert Fisher first imagined a grand new entrance at Comfort. There hadn’t been one there before, but I loved the romance of the idea.
Sterling Garlock is one of those people who can catch the flame of what you’re imagining and feed it. “You know Steve, you could probably put another boathouse right there as well.” I did consider it…for a minute. The thing is, he is extremely capable, like Paul Milsap, who restored the house on Comfort and its outbuildings.
They are both enablers.
Sterling is an earnest, honest, hardworking, good-looking man. He has a firm handshake and is always ready with a good conversation about work, the River, or hunting. That’s how I ended up with a massive seawall and a dock, bigger than I thought it would be, but apparently exactly what I needed.
Here’s the thing about Comfort. There’s nothing really wrong with the property, but there’s always a project that could make it better.
We can now accommodate up to 13 boats at Comfort.
And with any luck, I’ll be smiling for pictures again when I see you in Mexico.
Much love to you and Paul.
Stephen