Month: April 2010

  • Eating Worms and Spitting Out Germs

    As I was packing today for a trip to my childhood home of Chicago, I came across a poem I had written as a child of 7, in 1972.  It was in the same suitcase I stuffed it in when I last found it two years ago.  (I’m such a packrat!)  It’s good to know that my poetry hasn’t improved much in all these years.  (Exhibits:  A, B, C, D, E, F)


    Toot toot indeed!

    It was a busy week at The Hotel Careyfornia.  I was dog sitting Roxy all week, and she garnered a lot of attention in West Hollywood!  A pregnant Christine, with her husband Drew and cutie pie Lance checked in on Friday.  We had a wonderful visit.  On Wednesday, we had a mini Xanga/Tumblr meetup with Sion, Jimmy, Brian & Jedd.  It was fun hanging out with all of them.  On Tuesday, Mica and I went to a free screening of a film called “Mother & Child“, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Naomi Watts and Annette Benning.  It was a really powerful film, and I highly recommend it when it opens in May.  Samuel L. Jackson showed up for a Q&A afterward.  Oddly, he didn’t remember me from the Vanity Fair party on Oscar Night.  LOL.  Thursday, Lisa and I took the boys for an earth day dinner at Dove Canyon.  When I asked Andy and Tommy about what Earth Day was, this was their response:

    No mention of eating worms!

    Some photos from the week:


    Mica fell in love with Roxy, and I thought she might dognap her before Dar & Gary returned from their honeymoon last night!


    Mother & Child screening with Sam Jackson at the LA Film Institute


    Xanga Ramen Night!  More photos here..


    With Tommy in Dove Canyon


    Burger night


    I like cherries!


    The last time Drew & Christine were here, Lance had just been conceived.  Who knows what will happen this time?


    Bottle brushes!


    At the Pacific Design Center, before we were asked not to take pictures.  So stupid.


    Our favorite breakfast spot


    Lance & Roxy squared


    Come back soon with your new baby brother Lance!


    Best of the rest…and more photos from the week here

  • I Married My First Cousin!

    OK, let me rephrase that.  I officiated a wedding ceremony for my first cousin yesterday. 

    The event went off without a hitch, save for me forgetting the exchange of the rings before I pronounced them husband and wife.  Minor detail.  Since I was busy performing the ceremony, there’s no viral video of the event.  (I’m usually the one video recording and snapping photos at family events.  I did threaten to attach a “preacher cam” around my neck prior to the ceremony, but in the end opted for decorum.  LOL.) 

    The wedding was at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach and the whole thing took about 5 minutes.  I was warned to keep it short, as I have a tendency to be loquacious.  Even so, I did manage to work in a slight jab at Sarah Palin, by explaining to the assembled guests that because of the groom’s upper Midwest vernacular, if he said “You betcha” instead of “I do“, it was NOT a nod to Caribou Barbie.  I also managed to give Apple some free advertising by pulling out my iPod Touch for the official part of the ceremony, joking “There’s an app for that” and hoping apple would give me a free iPad once they got wind of iVows. 

    I also threatened to sing “A Whole New World” from Aladdin…in Italian and quoted from “Rent” and La Boheme.  The reception was on Lake Mission Viejo and afterward the newlyweds checked into The Hotel Careyfornia for a 2 hour nap before their 5 AM flight to Cancun.  Today everyone is resting after a whirlwind few days.  I’m readying for the next wave of guests next weekend and then I’m off to Chicago for a week.  Congratulations to Darlene & Gary!  Thanks for asking me to marry you!

    Apologies to Clement C. Moore:

    The “favorite cousin” joke started with this trip to the same beach a few years ago.

    Some photos from the weekend:


    Friday night family party


    Tommy showing off his dance moves


    Me, filling out the marriage certificate


    Leaving for the beach


    The bride exalting in my Sarah Palin joke!

     
    Tommy, Cole, Darlene & Athena


    By the power vested in me…


    With Rebecca


    The kids loved the  limo


    With the blushing bride at the reception


    The fun table


    Cousins, aunts and Grandma


    Oreo, Shadow and Roxy were pooped


    The Honeymoon Suite of the world famous Hotel Careyfornia


    More Pre-Wedding Photos


    More Wedding Photos

     

  • Move Over Barney Fife

    …There’s a new deputy in town.  This weekend my cousin is getting married and I was honored when she and her fiance asked me to perform the ceremony.  So recently, I was “deputized” by the state of California.  This Saturday, by the power vested in me, I will pronounce them man and wife.  I had to take the following oath to become a deputy:

    As an officer of the state of California, I couldn’t be seen driving an 8 year old car, so this weekend I bought a new 2010 Honda Accord EX-L.  My old Honda was never the same after that girl hit me two years ago and it’s been getting progressively worse.  I don’t care much about cars or how they look, but I think this suits me pretty well.  I’m having fun with the navigation system too.  I like being able to say “Find sushi” and have the car show me all of the Japanese restaurants in the area.  Now let’s just hope my new deputy status can get me out of some speeding tickets!


    More photos here…


    Here’s what it’s like to drive down Fountain Ave. at sunset

    Later that evening Leslie and I went to The Grove to watch the first episode of the new season of Glee.  The cast showed up and it was kind of a zoo.  The episode was really good though.  I thought the show’s writing was hit or miss last season.  They never quite lived up to the pilot in my opinion.  But this season does look promising!


    The cast led by the incomparable Jane Lynch.  She had the best line in the premiere episode we saw:
    Sue Sylvester: “You’re the stupidest teenagers I’ve ever met and that’s saying a lot; as I once coached a young cheerleader named Sarah Palin.”


    Corey Monteith – “Finn”


    MY favorite character, Mike Chang as played by Harry Shum Jr. of LXD and Apple commercial fame!


    Click for the best of the rest…


    Spoiler Alert! Here are a few rough, unedited scenes from the premiere of the new episode of Glee airing Tuesday. Songs include: Give You Hell, Hello Hello & Don’t Stop Believin’ over the loud speakers at the end. More info on the episode can be found by clicking here.

    I also ran into Raquel Welch earlier in the week.  She looks pretty damn good for 69 years old!  As someone said, she’s the “original Silicon Valley”.  LOL.  She was promoting her new book, Beyond The Cleavage. 

    Just another beautiful week in L.A.!

  • A Man’s Gotta Do What A Man’s Gotta Do

    Apologies to Clement C. Moore:

     

    It’s amazing how much the kids have changed from just last Easter.  Chazz however, hasn’t changed much.  He’s still as rambunctious as ever.  Though I’m pleased to inform you that the reports of the Easter Bunny’s death, have been greatly exaggerated:

    We had a nice weekend.  Andy climbed his first tree on Friday and in the process created the title of this blog entry:

    On Saturday we colored eggs and on Easter Sunday we hit Laguna Beach to scout the spot where I’ll be performing Darlene & Gary’s wedding ceremony in two weeks.  It’s a beautiful location!  Just after we left the beach, the earthquake struck.  Though it wasn’t The Great Quake of ’09, it was long and rolling.  I’ve never felt an earthquake while driving.  It was like going over hills even though it was flat.  I thought my transmission was dropping out!


    More weekend photos, here, here, here and here…

     

  • It’s Time for ME to Retreat and Reload

    Today, April 1, 2010 is a big day for me.  It represents a paradigm shift.  A change of hearts, of sort.  Since August 29, 2008, the day Sarah Palin was announced as John McCain’s running mate; I have dedicated more than 25 blog entries about the dangers of this woman ever holding public office.  While we’re not exactly dating yet; the times, they are a changing:


    Thanks to Tony for another excellent movie poster.  Date Night opens April 9th!

    What you don’t know is that exactly one year ago today (not to be confused with two years ago today) I received a letter from Ms. Palin’s Political Action Committee, SarahPAC.  Due to a mutual non-disclosure agreement, I’ve had to keep that letter and its contents secret for the past year, but today I’m ready to announce some big news that I alluded to in my last blog entry: 

     

    After much meditation and prayer; and consultation with clergy, I have decided that Sarah Palin WAS RIGHT!!  We are all Americans and we must stand together to fight tyranny and embrace our common values.  This was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make, but in the end I know it was the right decision.  I am in New York City today to begin production consulting on a new, bipartisan production of Sarah Palin’s Alaska.  This isn’t the same show you’ve heard being shopped by the Discovery Channel.  The show I will be part of, will be simulcast on The Learning Channel and the Food Network.  We’ve put together a teaser promo.  It’s rough, and we still don’t have the laugh track worked out, but you get the idea:

    Initially the show will be targeted to the 20 states that Sarah herself has identified as needing a more bipartisan bang for their buck, as shown in this map that she also used to shoot off her radically innovative health care initiative.  I like to think of it as an Al Quaeda Christmas card :

    “We’re aiming for success in these markets and many others.” Palin said, and I for one am on board!  YES I CAN!  I hope my loyal readers understand that this is really for the good of the country.  By showing America that a liberal atheist like myself can cross the aisle and embrace our common AmeriCAN-ness, there’s hope for all of us.  Are you listening Glenn Beck?