Since I usually go down to the O.C. on Thursdays, Lisa has been watching Chazz and he's been pretty good.  The last two weeks however, she was busy so I had to make alternate arrangements, as I'm usually gone 12 hours.  I called a couple of doggie day care places and they were all about the same price, $35-50/day.  On a whim, I called a new place on Santa Monica & Highland called, "The D".  It's like "The W Hotel" but for dogs.  I thought it would be ridiculously expensive, as that's where all the A-List Hollywood celebrities take their dogs.  Surprisingly though it was only $35 for 8 hours and $45 for 12 hours.  Before Chazz could go though, he had to have a "temperament test".  I felt like I was trying to get him into an elite private school!  I coached him before we went in..."No humping Chazz", "Keep your nose where I can see it", etc.  Needless to say, he passed the temperament test with flying colors.  Then the gal at the front desk gave me a tour of the place.  It really is like a luxury hotel for dogs.  When she told me that every room had a flat screen television (with remote), I didn't know whether to laugh or ask the obvious question! (Do they watch it?)  Then she told me that they play a dog friendly Disney movie in the common area every night at 7:00.  They also have a spa, gym (for dogs) and a grooming salon.  I kid you not...see for yourself:

Deluxe rooms complete with queen size beds and flat screen TVs for your dog!

So that's where Chazz went the past two Thursdays, and yes I've officially become one of "those" dog owners (and he's not even MY dog!).  I'm not one to gossip, but I will say the names of the owner's of the dogs that Chazz hob knobbed with the past two weeks, rhyme with Donny Repp and Lennifer Caniston!  So fast forward to yesterday when Lisa said she would be happy to have Chazz for the day.  She only needed to leave the house for a few minutes to pick up the boys from their last day of school.  Since we all know that Chazz doesn't like to be left alone, she figured he'd be OK in the backyard for 20 minutes with her two dogs.  Guess again:

Who knew that Chazz could fit through a doggie door made for a shih tzu?  He can...and he destroyed Lisa's blinds in the process!

Andy reprimanding Chazz

Poor Chazz and his abandonment issues!  Needless to say, we'll be going shopping for new blinds soon.  In the meantime, Andy and I took him on a nature hike last night and saw all kinds of imaginary wildlife and made some new friends as this video will attest:

"Coyotes & Crocodiles...Bye blog readers!  See you later!"

After we made it to the park, Lisa & Tommy picked us up and we went to dinner.  It was a beautiful Southern California evening!

  

Best of the rest...

Oh, and speaking of flat screen TVs, I went on Best Buy's website the other day and noticed that the new TV I bought 2 weeks ago was on sale for $200 less than what I paid for it.  So, I went to Best Buy and demanded my $200 and got it!  Time for a Blu-Ray??

 

Ever since I got this text message from Paul a couple of weeks ago, I've been nervous about how this week was going to go:

  

As the proprietor of a world class, luxury, fake boutique hotel, I want my guests to be comfortable.  But, needless to say, Chazz comes first...so if they don't like the dog, they best call the aptly named Ramada Limited!  Admittedly, when you see some of the damage that Chazz has done, you might think he's a little wild.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  He just doesn't like to be left alone!

Well, I'm happy to report that Chazz has cured Emili's canine phobia.   In fact, they're becoming the best of friends.  Prior to meeting Chazz, she would never have gotten this close to a dog!

In fact, Emili has been making friends all over town!

We've had a few great dinners and the weather has been nice, despite June Gloom!

French Canada & Vietnam meets Guatemala, meets America!

A peaceful dinner with Chazz the Uniter

Joelle left yesterday, just in time for the next wave of visitors to the H.C.  Former Xangan Paul and his friend are here for a week from Montreal and so is the circus!  No, not Ringling Brothers, but the annual Gay Pride Festival, where the fringe of gay society descend on West Hollywood for a weekend of debacle and debauchery.  (I can't tell you how much puke there was on the sidewalks.  I'm really "proud" of all the visitors for that!)  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for "pride", but the event's organizers have turned into an all out spectacle.  Corporate sponsorships everywhere you look, ridiculous "anti terrorism" security, $25 admission fees and hideous fencing covering nearly every inch of grass in town.  Not to mention the fact that on every single corner there's some young fresh faced activist asking you to sign a petition to support gay marriage.  Sorry folks, you were asleep at the wheel the first time.  Asking for my signature 50 times while I walk my dog isn't going to repeal Prop. 8.  It should have never been on the ballot, and now it's too little too late.  Why don't the organizers of these events focus on the next phase of the fight, not the bidding war between Starbucks and Budweiser for who will sponsor Fantasia's concert?  While the first gay pride marches were meant to commemorate The Stonewall Riots of 1969, modern Pride events have lost site of that historically significant event.  That said, it was pretty funny seeing the crazy Christian protesters clash with the leather queens and hey, Chazz got to meet Chelsea Handler and Gavin Newsom!  (Now he's met Barack Obama, the mayor of LA and the mayor of San Francisco...and probably the next governor of California!)

Chelsea Handler and her assistant, Chuy

Ross the intern was also on the float

Gavin Newsom...might be president some day


The parade at the bottom of my street

A gay butterfly

The year was 1949.  World War II had been over for four years and America was entering the baby boom.  McCarthyism and the Second Red Scare were in full swing, and "Riders in the Sky" was the #1 song in the country.  On June 11th of that year, a pretty, doe eyed girl from Iron Mountain, Michigan named Lucille; married a dashing, brown eyed sailor named George.  60 years later my Aunty Lulu and Uncle Georgie still remember more about that unseasonably hot June day, than I remember about last night!  They even recall (and recount below, much to my shock), some of the more sordid details (at about 4:15)!  I love it when my relatives regale me with stories, and tonight, in  honor of their 60th wedding anniversary we had dinner at their favorite Mexican restaurant and they reminisced about the "good old days".

Their love story actually spans more than 60 years.  They met in junior high school when they were about 11 years old and they're 81 and 82 now.  The early years of the romance consisted of country drives in Model A Fords (back when American car companies were profitable), and countless letters sent overseas when my uncle sailed for the Navy.  Through mistaken love notes and broken beds, they raised 3 kids, who went on to have 8 kids of their own, who went on to have 4 kids of their own (Tommy, Andy, Cole & Tressa; my aunt and uncle's great grandchildren, who are regularly featured here).  So Happy Anniversary Aunty & Uncle.  I hope to be listening to many more stories for years to come!

Click Play, Above Right.
"Now don't forget, this is going on Internet."  "That's all right!"
My aunt called today to correct a detail about the movie they saw on their wedding night. 
It was "In a Lonely Place" starring Humphrey Bogart. 
The ticket was 50 cents.  How did she know? 
She found the ticket stub in her scrapbook!


June 11, 2009 - Lu & George's 60th Wedding Anniversary

Happy Anniversary Aunty & Uncle!

Aunty LuLu as a baby and Uncle Georgie, still a stud back in the day.

The copious tradition of Indian theatre boasts the rich folklores of India. Indian drama is as old as the Indian convention and has its rich history deeply associated with the Vedic Era. In the ancient days drama or plays were mainly an illustration of the Vedic ritualism and were mainly manifested amidst the artistry of "mudraa", Lasya" and Natya.  However, the change came after the gothic period;   the "larger than life" aspects of the Sanskrit dramas were rationalized. The depiction of the ancient Gods, mythological characters and celestial beings were for the first time mellowed out. That was the very beginning of the new form in the Indian theatre, which gained a marked diction during and after Indian independence. Indian theatre witnessed all the major production during this time, which not only marked the change in Indian Natya but also carved it as an art form to illustrate the naturalistic and realistic facets of daily life. The timeline of Indian theatre unfolds the verity that all the major productions in Indian theatre did occur during and after the British Rule. Theatre was then the weapon of protest against British colonialism and quite ideally therefore all the major productions in Indian theatre portrays the pain, agony and frustration of the common people during British Raj. Theatre was then just not a media for entertainment but was lot more. The Major productions in Indian theatre after independence further became the exemplifications of the socio-political and economic conditions of independent India. The leftist movement, the political scenario, the burning questions of unemployment all found an answer in the varied productions of Indian theatre after independence.

Evam Indrajit (Is Nirmal Normal?):
One of the major productions in Indian theatre, "Evam Indrajit" ("Is Nirmal Normal") is the eloquent projection of fears, tears and frustration of the cultured bourgeoisie of the early 60s. The term "crisis" finds an articulate diction in the play where the melancholic existentialism of an individual weaves the magical plot in the play. Indian drama gained the most modish dash amidst the artistic presentation of Evam Indrajit. Although the play comes to an end yet it leaves a questions to which there are hardly any answers.  With its artistic articulation and with its burning questions Evam Indrajit is reckoned as a milestone in the history of modern theatre in India.  Source:  Indianet Zone.

Joelle and I were lucky enough to see one of only 2 performance of this masterful play in Santa Barbara this past weekend because our friend Eva was one of the stars.  She was utterly brilliant, as were all of her castmates!  Here's the message I sent out to our "GLY" mail group Sunday:

Carey Anthony

Move over Angelina.  Head for the hills Meryl!  There's a new actress taking Hollywood by storm and her name is Eva!  The LA Times called her performance "riveting".  The Hollywood Reporter says, "Eva is an ingenue for the new millennium.  Her raw unbridled passion oozes through ever pore of her electrifying essence!!"  But don't take my word for it!  See for yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlFPxzHD-U8 and for those of you not on Facebook, see the spectacular stills here:
http://careygly.smugmug.com/gallery/8481606_TTJ8e/#557820789_QL7Xh

--Carey--

A sample of Eva's breathtaking performance, with fellow actor Jason.

From the sun roof on the way to Santa Barbara.

Brunch before the show!

Manasi & Indrajit share a tender moment.

And the Academy Award for best actress goes to...

Chazz & Joelle in front of Claudio & Ryan's house. We checked up on it while they're in Brazil.

Best of the rest...

Yesterday, my TV in the living room died.  It was 7 years old and huge!  I bought it right before flat screens started becoming affordable, so it was about time for a new one.  So today I went to Best Buy and got a 40 inch Sony Bravia.  Chazz really likes it!  This is the second TV I've had to buy in a month.  The one in the bedroom went out a few weeks ago before Daniel & David arrived.  I replaced that one with a cheap used TV from craigslist. 

 
Chazz and his new flat screen...and the view of the accident from The Hotel Careyfornia Terrace!

So while I'm setting it up, all of a sudden I hear a loud screech and tires squealing.  Fearing the worst, I ran to the patio and watched as this woman backed her car into a concrete wall then plowed up the sidewalk, then backed into the wall again, and then went head first into a tree...airbag deployed!!  Sadly, this is an all too common occurrence in front of the Hotel Careyfornia.  First there was the dumb wombat who pulled the garage door off with her truck.  Then there was the Bulgarian woman who crashed into my front yard and got yelled at by her husband.  And who could forget the Porsche vs. the Garage Door?  Now this.  (There have been a few other pre-blog accidents on this street too.)  These crashes were ALL CAUSED BY WOMEN DRIVERS !!  Women do not belong behind the wheel in West Hollywood!!  Stay home women!

Had she been parked on the other side of the street, her car would be in my living room!

The paramedics carried the poor woman away.  I thing she was OK though...just in shock.

You can see how she crashed the back and the front!

At least she wasn't this woman!

Joelle arrived tonight.  She's left Chile for good and is back in the State for a few months before moving to Delhi.  This is her second visit to The Hotel Careyfornia this year.  She's really hoping for that Executive Platinum card!  After I picked her up from the airport, she wanted a malt, so we walked down to Millions of Milkshakes.  There were a lot of paparazzi on Santa Monica Blvd and a red carpet event for All American Guys.  They must have heard Chazz was coming!

Chazz looks like a jack o lantern here.  LOL

 
Joelle takes in the local flavor on Santa Monica Blvd. on Saturday night...and enjoys a malt!

I have to wake up in a few hours to drive up to Santa Barbara.  Eva is in a play that we're going to, and I'm going to take Chazz to the dog beach!

I've got a few days until my next wave of visitors.  People often ask me if I get tired of always having friends visiting, and the answer is no.  It's messages like this that make it all worthwhile:

	Voicemail You'll Love Share this ...

Since Claudio & Ryan are in Brazil, I've got Chazz all month.  So far he's really enjoying his summer vacation (just like he enjoyed his spring break).  We met up with C.J. today and he even taught Chazz how to solve the Rubik's Cube in under 30 seconds!  C.J. is an excellent teacher...and is just as good with dogs as he is with kids!  Chazz was too shy to do it on video, but here's C.J. showing him how it's done:

Opposable thumbs be damned! (Click HQ to watch in High Quality. If the video doesn't play in your country because of stupid copyright...click here for alternate video source.)

Recent Rubik's trophy winner C.J. with recent Rubik's canine Chazz.

Here are some other photos of Chazz's summer break:

 
Chazz & a child actor named Felix...and more kids at The Grove

 

Best of the rest...

With the recent California Supreme Court ruling upholding the ban on gay marriage, the city I live in, West Hollywood, has mobilized once again.  Just like last November, before and after the election, rallies have been held the past two nights.  Last night's star studded rally featured the likes of Drew Barrymore, Kathy Griffin (and her mom, a gay icon), Perez Hilton (yuck!), Emmy Rossum, Debbie Gibson (I got lost in her eyes),  goofy Gloria Allred, George Takei (of Star Trek fame, and his husband) and many more.  Tonight, the rally moved to the Beverly Hilton, where President Obama was holding a fundraising dinner for Hollywood's A listers.  My dog Chazz and I walked the three miles to the Hilton to meet with President.  Here's how the meeting went in my my mind:

Of course, we couldn't get that close to the president tonight (unless Chazz and I paid the $30,400 price tag per couple), but we did rub elbows with Drew Barrymore and Kathy Griffin last night, as shown below.  Chazz even upstaged Los Angeles Mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa.  As I was photographing the mayor, I told Chazz to go sit by him.  He actually sat on the mayor's shoes while the "his honor" was giving an interview to a Spanish TV station.  The mayor looked down and started laughing at Chazz.  Then the reporter started laughing and Mayor Villaraigosa reached down to pet Chazz.  What's next?  Deputy Mayor Chazz??

 
Chazz with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the faces of gay marriage, 2009.

   
The delightful Drew Barrymore (with George Takei & husband looking on) and 80's pop princess Debbie Gibson.

Phantom of the Opera's Emmy Rossum.

Comedienne Kathy Griffin and her lovely mother.

I lifted Chazz up on the state with Kathy  & her Mom!

Chazz on stage!

Lt. Dan Choi, an American hero and an eloquent voice in this struggle.  Watch and learn.

No, I don't want to marry my dog! (Or Claudio & Ryan's)

The repugnant, Perez Hilton, sans Miss California, with a little taste of his own medicine coming from his mouth.

Chazz, preparing for same sex marriage.

The L.A.P.D. on full alert.

Lt. Dan Choi addressing the crowd outside the President's hotel.

President Obama's motorcade at the Beverly Hilton.


Best of the rest...

It's been great having Daniel & David here with their parents.  Since they're Korean and German it's the best of both worlds.  Every morning, Mom & Dad head to the bakery for fresh bread.  At 7:30 we have a traditional European breakfast with meat, cheese, vegetables, bread & fruit.  Then I start my work day and they head out to see the sites, but not before their Mom makes my lunch.  In the evening, she cooks the most amazing Korean food.  I'm telling you, I could really get used to this. 

The other night we went to a great little Korean Barbecue in Koreatown called Tofu Village.  Have you ever noticed how a lot Korean & Chinese restaurants play cheesy American 70's music?  When David and I went to the bathroom to wash our hands, I heard an old Captain and Tennille song I hadn't heard in years and it reminded me of a story that I relayed to my guests about the first time I went to Paris 15 years ago.  Obviously this was pre Xanga and pre Internet, so when we got home, I pulled out my old diary to re-read the story and refresh my memory:

Since I know you can't read that (I can barely read my own writing...thank goodness for Xanga), I'll paraphrase:

December 31, 1994 - I arrived in Paris at 7:30 AM on the train from Barcelona.  It was New Year's Eve Day and all of the banks were closed so I was having a hard time exchanging my currency.  (This was well before the Euro!)  I only had about 23 francs and I was very hungry.  I tried eating at a few places but inevitably didn't like the food and kept giving it away to stray dogs.  Finally I found an ATM machine that worked.  I phoned Claudio, who would be arriving the next day and coordinated our meeting place (again pre cell phones).  By now I was starving, and it was about 8 PM on New Year's Eve.  I had planned to go to the Champs Elysees for the midnight festivities, but I had to find something to eat first.  Just then I spied a Chinese restaurant with a buffet in the window.  I was elated!  A Chinese buffet is the same world wide!  I quickly went in and discovered that it was also a karaoke bar, "that was playing American 70's music on 3 television monitors.  If the proprietor of the restaurant saw someone mouthing the words to a song, he would run over and give them a microphone."  The place was crowded with pre New Year's revelers dressed to the nines.  At the table next to me there was a group black French women, with glitter in their hair and fancy dresses speaking with thick French accents and the same gesticulations of African American women.  It was really interesting to watch and listen to them, though I didn't understand a word they were saying.  Suddenly, one of them was handed the microphone, and I don't think I'll ever forget the scene.  Paris...New Year's Eve...Chinese Restaurant...and a black French woman singing The Carpenters hit, "I'm on the Top of the World" in a heavy french accent.  It sounded like this:

"I'm on zee tope of zee woold, lookine down on cweeashoe und zee only expleynashone I can find, ees zee loave zat I found aver seence you've bean awound, your love poots me at zee tope of zee woold."

She actually had an amazing voice and the whole place applauded.  It was a surreal moment!

Fast forward 15 years.  I'm telling this story to Daniel, David and their parents at the Korean restaurant.  Guess what song started playing??  You guessed it.  The Carpenters, "I'm on the Top of the World".  I probably hadn't even heard that song in 15 years.  I kid you not!  We all couldn't believe it!!  It was one of the craziest coincidences of my life.  To make it even crazier, Claudio called my cell phone later as I was reading his name from the diary above.  Cue the Twilight Zone music, on second thought, cue The Carpenters:

Here are a few more photos from our week:

 

Chazz & Daniel

 
Daniel ready for the beach with his "Hotel Careyfornia" towel, and the family in Koreatown.

Outside the world famous Hotel Careyfornia (note the sign).  We rebuilt fast, huh!?

Best of the rest...

P.S. Thanks for all of the nice comments about the American Idol photos.  That post has already been viewed more than 4000 times.  I appreciate the kind words.