It was Chazz’s second birthday on Friday, and he celebrated in grand style.  Payton & Taylor were nice enough to send him a new “diamond” collar and doggy sunglasses.  LOL:

We had a photoshoot up in the Hollywood Hills and he even got a doggy cupcake.  Over the weekend we saw “The Social Network” (loved it) and enjoyed the cooler weather after last week’s record heat wave courtesy of she devil Sarah Palin.  Speaking of the weather, the heat brought some amazing clouds last week, and even a couple of rainbows.  Below is a video from my roof and the rest of the week’s photos:

Thanks to everyone who made my 45th birthday yesterday, so special.  The festivities actually started Thursday night when I had dinner with my family and then drove up to Oxnard to celebrate Claudio’s birthday.  This is our 20th year celebrating our birthdays together.  Last year I made him sit through the Rodger’s & Hammerstein retrospective at the Hollywood Bowl on my birthday.  This year, we celebrated in Santa Barbara on Friday and had a big Brazilian barbecue on Saturday.  The parties continued through yesterday, and I must say I am exhausted…and so is Chazz and his friend Blanca:

I’m starting to get the hang of my new camera, and like it more each day.  Yesterday, we celebrated Colby’s 9th birthday at Knott’s Berry Farm (America’s first and oldest theme park) and the kids really had a great time.  This was my favorite shot of the day:

Recently, my cousin told me about some people who read my blog regularly but don’t really know me that well.  They remarked to her that, “Everything with Carey is an event!“.  I chuckled when I heard that but laughed even harder this week when I watched the TV show “How I Met Your Mother“.  If you haven’t seen it, it’s a great show that stars Neil Patrick Harris and an ensemble cast.  It’s basically a 21st Century “Friends“.  In this week’s episode, Marshall is derided by his wife Lily for creating another photo montage that drove his friends away.  It seems that Marshall was addicted to creating photo slideshows with music, documenting the most mundane events in his life; like pet-sitting or ordering Chinese food.  LOL, remind you of anyone??    Take a look at this clip, it’s hilarious: 

Heck, I admit I’m a narcissist, but isn’t every blogger to an extent?  (By the way, it’s not narcissism if you truly are better than everyone else!)  It’s baffling to think why total strangers should be interested in looking at my pictures and videos, but yet I post them and expect feedback like any good narcissist.  So I guess Marshall and I have a lot in common.  (I could be in worse company.)  Though, if I start adding my own signing to too many of my videos, feel free to tell me to stop.  I’ll try to spare my readers that indignity!  So without further ado, here are the photos from Lisa & Shelby’s birthday celebration tonight (hardly a mundane event!), set to the tune of Lisa’s favorite singer (and a narcissistic song!).  (YouTube wouldn’t let me post the slideshow with the music, so you’ll have to look at the pictures and listen to the music the old school way!)  Happy Birthday Lisa!! xoxo

 
Click the photo for the best of the rest…

Five years ago this very second I was in the hospital in Mission Viejo filming the first video below of a crying baby boy who would come to call me “Ca-wee”.  Five years later, little Andy is the light of all of our lives.  In ten years I’m going to show him the second video and wonder if he still has his soap and ketchup bottle collection?  Let’s hope so!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDY!! xoxo

For his birthday, Lisa hired “The Lizard Wizard” and Andy’s dream of holding an alligator came true.  He even liked the tarantula and the cockroach (unlike some of the kids…and adults)!  What a brave little boy!

In August, less than 2 months before he died, my Uncle George visited his hometown of Iron Mountain, Michigan and went fishing with his brother.  To say my uncle loved to fish was an understatement.  I think the only thing he loved more, was his wife, his grandkids and his brother!  Despite a cold rain that day, my 81 year old uncle and his brother hiked more than 100 yards through the woods, carrying a heavy canoe to a secret fishing hole.  They had quite an adventure that day, and his brother wrote a story about it that was published in the local paper:

Oh, brother, can we fish …

By JIM SNOWDON, for The Daily NewsI’m staying with my aunt this week, and obviously there are reminders of Uncle George everywhere.  I smell his cologne in the bathroom when I shower.  I’m sleeping on his pillow, which I find comforting.  Tomorrow, friends and family will gather to celebrate his memory.  We’ve been trying to keep this week as normal as possible for the kids.  Last night we made caramel apples which they loved:


Obviously I can’t be with Chazz on his “special day”, so Ryan just texted me this picture of his first birthday cake:

I couldn’t let today pass without acknowledging a birthday.  Chazz turned 1 year old today!!  In that year, I’ve taken over 700 photos of him:

Obviously I can’t be with Chazz on his “special day”, so Ryan just texted me this picture of his first birthday cake:

And so, this weekend, I did revisit that infamous story, known so well to every American high school student.  I’d forgotten the power of Lee’s potent words as intoned by Atticus Finch; and I was reminded, in light of a recent spate of bad behavior, that we still have a long way to go.  The play was great though, and Donna, who was in town for the weekend from Portland, celebrated her 52nd birthday in grand style:

Also, congratulations to Franky and Isabela on the birth of their new baby boy, Caleb.  My little buddy Colin is going to make a great big brother!!

Here at The Hotel Careyfornia, we pride ourselves on offering the finest accommodations of any fake luxury boutique hotel in Southern California.  This past weekend however, we were filled to capacity, and our guests had to resort to sleeping wherever they could find a spot. 

Of course there wasn’t much sleeping going on at all.  I don’t think I got more than 4 hours sleep since Friday, as these photos show:

Hugo, Claudio & I have been friends for nearly 20 years.  As a child, Hugo had an dream that, without going into detail, prevented him from ever visiting the state of California.  When Claudio moved here last year, we both lamented the fact that our good friend would not be able to visit us here.  Fast forward to Thursday, when Hugo bravely flew from New York to Los Angeles, to help me and Claudio celebrate our birthdays; and a new tradition began.  Then Friday, Marcelo & Emily flew in from Portland and we headed up to Ventura County where we had a big Brazilian barbecue with Eva & Bassam in attendance.  Later tonight we head to the Hollywood Bowl for the Rodger’s & Hammerstein spectacular.  I’ll let the videos and pictures speak for themselves.  Ciao!