Good Times, Good Times

I'm back! A much needed vacation on the west coast did the body good. And for the most part I didn't see much in the way of news, which was also good for my body/mind/soul. I was extremely happy to find out that, after almost two weeks away, they still haven't confirmed that ass-hole to the U.N. And wow, Deep Throat revealed. I'm a little disappointed it wasn't Pat Buchanan, because that was the only chance in hell I would have ever had any respect for him.

Anyway, since don't have any news to rant about I'll just share some thoughts from my trip, just in case you're not bored enough.

So my trip was to L.A. and Phoenix. L.A. was to see friends and Phoenix was for family, so make whatever assumptions about how I felt about each portion of the trip and you are probably just about right. More about the family at a later entry (maybe), for now I'll talk about my trip to LALALand.

Now I went to L.A. to see friends. I don't have any particular love of the place as a city, and I've been there before so I had no desire to do the tourist things. I just wanted to get out of Boston for a little while and see some people I absolutely adore and haven't seen in a while. In some cases a real long time. Most are old college friends. I was a little afraid of this trip making me feel old, or becoming one of those pathetic trips down memory lane that drives everyone crazy. But you know what? It didn't make me feel either way. Sure, there was the usual "remember the time...", or the "One time when we were so fucked up...", and the bagging on people we hated and shit. But for the most part it was just hanging out with people that I really love hanging out with. And boy was it a good time. A little run-down of the attendees that I so loved seeing again:

My buddy Armando is one of my favorite people. I'd seen him more recently than everybody else, and he put me up for the time I was there. Gotta love friends who have an open invitation to crash at their pad. Armando is also the best cook of all the people I know and has the most infectious laugh.

Matt, who I hadn't seen in probably ten years, is one of the coolest cats I've ever known. Just about everyone I know has a story that starts "So one time I was getting fucked up with Matt...". Always a good time when Matt's around. A master of wit and the best cocktail mixer I've ever known, Matt is also always the perfect host, even when it is someone else's place. On a night of card playing and drinking cosmopolitans, my glass never reached empty as Matt kept mixing 'em up all night long. One of my favorite actors of all the one's I've worked with.

Tony, probably even longer since I'd seen him, one of the nicest and funniest guys around. And I mean really really funny. By the end of the night of cards at Armando's my side hurt from laughter and several times barely averted having cosmos come through my nose. A killer improviser with the greatest talent for non-sequitur humor. And he can hold a cigarette in his chin. Hours of fun.

M. Scott. Well, we're still trying to figure out what it is we like about this fucker. The spunkiest shit you'd ever meet. Talks shit more than anybody I know. That probably is why we like him so much. That, and he's cute as a button.

Big D. Fuck that guy. No no. I kid cause I love. That big funny teddy-bear tries to act all tough and shit, but we're on to him. Big softie. And I guess he got to tackle people a lot in the new Longest Yard movie.

Chuck. Really don't like Chuck all that much. I'm just nice to him with the hope that he'll someday introduce me to the AFLAC duck from the commercial he was in. Then I can kick Chuck to the curb and run with the cool Hollywood crowd. That'll be sweet.

Mike will laugh at everything. Really, it's like taking a friendly audience with you wherever you go. When Mike's around even I seem funny. He's also a really successful car salesman. So that whole laughing at your jokes thing is probably just a ploy to weaken your defenses so he can go for the throat. I'm on to you buddy!

Brian, who since the last time I saw him figured out he was gay, so I'm really happy for him. Biggest music lover of anybody I've ever known and I've always been in awe of his music collection. And now that he's out of the closet he gets a lot great DJ gigs. Brian is also a fine stage actor, so of course I wish he would get the fuck out of L.A. and go back to a real theatre town.

And I shouldn't leave out the ladies. First there is Megan. Smart, funny, laid-back, and exudes sophistication. So we're still trying to figure out why she married Matt. Just kidding there buddy.

Heather. If I'm in a bad mood I can talk to Heather and it will go away. She's so bouncy (but not in the bad annoying way) that when she's in a shitty mood she still looks happier than most people's good mood.

Stacie. An angel. Great actor, beautiful soul, compassion and empathy you can't believe. She can also talk like a sailor. Love that.

Giannine. Besides me, the most opinionated person I know. So that kind of makes us kindred spirits. And unlike most of my friends who moved out there, she hates L.A. Place isn't real enough for her. Not really a surprise if you know Giannine.

There's also my friend Thor from my Seattle days living in L.A. But describing him would take a long time and several footnotes, mostly from Freud. Just think of him like we all do as the God Of Thunder and leave it at that. He is an international man of mystery.

I'm sure I forgot somebody. A great trip. Lots of friends and lots of fun. Later I'll write about what I actually did while I was there.