Glenside, PA

"Comp rooms for the Keswick Theatre?  Why, yes, they ARE ready."

Attended Dave Werner's memorial at the DC Press Club last night

Very nice. The place was packed. He was a funny, private,  unknowable guy. We'll never know what happened with him.  He certainly was beloved,  whether he thought he was or not.

Newport Beach Marriott Resort and Spa

One is a view from their Luxury Suite. The other is from my room.  Guess which is which.  "Oh? You're a visiting artist?  Your room is ready. "

This was a show for the California Association of Pawnbrokers, btw. Lots of bald heads, goatees, and ponytails. At 10am. 

Clearly, I am at Dulles again.

And clearly I am flying to California. And clearly I will be back here by 10pm tomorrow.  And clearly, I will have near-terminal case of "plane ass" for at least two days. 

Hmmm...palm trees, I-95, and cranky, carping, leathery-skinned retired New Yorkers everywhere. ..

Yep. I'm in Boca Raton. 

Don't know if I sent you this before

Me and beautiful Jo.

The Star's Dressing Room Experience is not what it was...

The Homestead resort in Hot Springs, VA

First built in 1766, it is regal, stuffy, and boring as hell if you don't have Mr. Monopoly type money.  I believe George Washington got a high colonic here once in pre-Revolutionary War times. Back then you used a funnel,  a length of sheep's intestine,  a blacksmith,  and a horse-powered pump.  Not easy like today. But GW was a hell of a guy. 

The 405 in Brentwood/Bel-Air

4:30 am. Looking out from room 700, the Hotel Angeleno. Off to LAX.

Porn star mayhem

On July 1, 1981, the most famous male porn star probably ever, even to the present day --John C. "Johnny Wadd" Holmes-- was forced against his will to let several men into this charming Laurel Canyon residence at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in L.A. He then was forced to witness --and in all likelihood participate in upon pain of death-- the violent bludgeoning of the fIve people within, four of them fatally. 

He was forced to do this because 3 days earlier the murdered crew --drug dealers Holmes owed heavily-- had forced him into letting THEM into the home of a notorious gangster named Eddie Nash, whom they proceeded to beat, rob, threaten, and generally disrespect. Eddie did not take this well and next thing you know there's poor ol' Johnny  Wadd --biggest dick in the world-- crying with a gun pressed against his temple being forced to beat the young wife of one of the drug dealers to death with a threaded lead pipe. Don't do drugs kids.

John Holmes was acquitted of the murders in 1982. He died of AIDS in 1988.

FOR YOUR SAFETY...!

...in modern parlance translates directly to 'This is Bullshit' or ''To Save Us Money...'

The sun sets slowly over the John Wayne International Airport

From room 824, the Irvine/Orange County Airport Hilton.  

Lake Berryessa, CA

Drove to Napa today.  Went to the most famous Zodiac murder scene -the Lake Berryessa slaying site- it's the small island behind me that is  in bright sunlight.  The water is very low now; it's usually not an island. 

On September 27, 1969 a man crept up on a picnicking young couple on that little piece of land, bound them, and repeatedly stabbed them -- the young woman fatally. The man barely lived and provided this terrifying description.  Even 44 years later this place is surprisingly remote.

Guess who I got to visit!

In beautiful Donner Pass.

Folsom, CA

Jon and I are in Folsom so you know where we're headed. Johnny Cash's picture is plastered everywhere. 

Luggage sculptures in the Sacramento airport baggage claim

Neat!

Coming home from Grayslake, IL.

Got the cool seat with no one in front of me!  Everyone is soooooooo jealous.  Excellent. 

An El Marko works even better than a pastry brush

And who was El Marko, anyway? A Spanish nobleman who freed the peasants from the tyranny of erasable markers? Cause El Marko's ain't erasable.  You draw a penis on a passed-out drunk guy with one of those,  that s--- is on for good: tattoo in a stick. 

Pinkie driving me insane today

Yes. It's a pastry brush.  What of it? 

Returning from Wisconsin to a scarily deserted airport

Yes. I'm in Wisconsin

In Winnecone en route to Steven's Point. Woo!

TW being mad

He hates being caught with his own row. On to Milwaukee! 

Out with the old; In with the new

Old

New

Carol bought this place in 2003; the place was built in 1989.  As far as we know, the refrigerator was the original.  It had been dying for some time.  It's made of lead, probably laced with radium, radon, and asbestos, didn't seal tightly at all, and --as you can see from this picture-- would only stay shut, in the loosest sense, if you propped a heavy stool against it.  This is a little too trailer even for me.

So we went shopping and picked up a floor model KitchenAide frig, almost exactly the same size, stainless steel (brushed satin), french doors with lower freezer drawer, ice-maker, water filtration, blah, blah, blah.  The price seemed excellent (perhaps too good, as my dickering on another appliance was met with a stoic resistance and I left unsatisfied and desiring a new stovetop) the delivery was prompt, and I have never felt so sorry in my life as I felt for the two guys trying to get the old, neutronium-constructed fridge, down the stairs and out.  They were young men, and strong.  But I'm sure at one point I heard them cry.  On the other hand, they whisked the new, slightly larger one UP the stairs with nary a problem.  It seems they make refrigerators lightweight and energy efficient anymore.  I'm thinking our electric bill should go down significantly 'cause, let's face it, a stool holding the door shut is not your best first line of defense against expensive oozing cold air. 

The first piece in the eventual replacement of all 1989-era appliances in the kitchen is now in place.  Cause we can't climb these stairs forever.  :)

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Death and the Capitol Steps

A sad weekend.  Former Capitol Step Dave Werner was found dead in a Maryland hotel room not far from his home in nearby Virginia. Facts are sketchy but it seems on the surface he checked in for the sole purpose of being found dead there.  Sad.  He was one of the funniest Steps ever; the best Bush Sr. impression I've ever seen; a gentle, warm, funny, generous, closeted, mysterious man. Very, very sad.

The same night -Saturday- Brian's father gave up his long struggle with polio.

Things come in threes: I'm driving cautiously the next few days.  Love you guys.  Take care.