UNTITLED CHAD DARNELL PROJECT

AIDS WALK 2009

The NYC Marathon

So you're probably wondering about the NYC Marathon.

I flew to NY on Friday, October 30th.  Stayed with my beloved Dasha and Sonora in their spectacular Upper West Side pad.  We went to see ROCK OF AGES (thanks to Jillian Armenante and Constantine Maroulis).  Met up with my buddy, Yvonne for cheesecake.

Woke up the next morning to do an "easy"  run with Lance at Niketown.  And ONE BLOCK from Niketown, got stopped by a commercial shoot.  Lance and the runners took off.  

(You can't tell in this picture, but that's Lance getting into a cab after the run.)

Picked up my present from Livestrong.  Walked back through Central Park.  Saw the finish line.  Met up with Dave Holmes at the expo to collect our packets.  Walked around Chelsea.  (There's a three hour story about trying to find Gu... but whatever.)

Saw my friend Greg Endries and his new place in Chelsea.  Saw the amazing photos he shot of my friend, Michelle Clunie.

Made it back to the upper west side.  We went down to the Village, where we met up with my dearest Laura Berrios and her husband, Sean.  Great fun at a party.

Went home.  Got a great night sleep.

Woke up.  Got dressed.  Went to the train station, where apparently subways don't come as often on the weekends.  A HALF HOUR LATER the train came and took me to the ferry.  I walked in, hopped on the ferry and off to Staten Island I went.

It was extremely emotional all morning.  I cried on and off for the better part of three hours before the race.  It was exactly a year to the day that I had discovered the lump and now I was running a marathon.  And I was going to finish it by any means necessary.

And it was DAMN COLD.  I was blue - like Rebecca Romijn in X-Men, blue.  Like a giant Smurf, blue.

And we waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And somehow I wound up next to Sal Masekela from E! Daily 10 for two hours.  I would go to the port-o-potty, and somehow his camera crew was right there.  For the first three miles, I couldn't shake him.

But finally we started.  And I couldn't stop tears for the first two miles.  I was so happy to be here and doing the marathon.  And before I knew it, I had clocked 3 miles.  I kept my pace.

Next thing it was 8 miles down.  And my right foot started to ache.

Then 9 miles... and I thought... you know, something's not right with my knee.

Then came 10.  And that was it.  My left knee and my right foot turned against me.  With 16.2 miles to go, I knew I wouldn't finish it.  I could walk it, but I would seriously injure myself.  I knew that I had to fly back to LA the next day and the flight would kill me and I knew that IF I did attempt to finish it, I wouldn't be able to walk for a week.

So I quit.  It was the hardest thing I did all year, but my body just would not allow me to finish.

In the medical tent, (where you had to check out, or be expelled from any future ING Marathons), the medic said my IT band had snapped and he was surprised I was still walking.  He wrapped it (which is awesome, having a leg you can't bend... going up and down stairs in subways all day long...) and I was on my way.

After showering and resting, we cabbed it Cafeteria in Chelsea, where my body decided it wanted a bacon cheddar burger, fries and macaroni and cheese.  Combined later with a red velvet cupcake (or two), my body would decide later it did NOT want all of that.  And blessed be, that was 3,500 calories I didn't have to work off

The next morning, Laura invited me to the set of 30 ROCK, where I saw my old friend from high school days, Jack McBrayer (who plays "Kenneth") and his co-star for the day... an up and coming young talent named Al Gore.  I met Tina, who was so kind and sweet.  And I met Cheyenne Jackson. 

Eventually I made it back to finally see the Bethesda Fountain, after many failed attempts over the years, then did the subway, to the train, to the airbus, to the airport to the bus, to the terminal to the gate.

I was wide awake on the plane.  Landed.  And then went straight to the hotel and worked for 8 hours.

All I did this week was work, sleep, and pass out.  There was some eating at times.  On Friday, I gorged on a large bacon pizza from Pizza Hut and discovered my body processed that amount of food much easier after vomiting all day from chemo.

I got a text message from Pauley after the marathon "the sermon was about you today!"  Which had me nervous.  But I finally heard it this week (on-line here.. the sermon on 11/1) and I'm so honored and flattered.

Again, I can't thank everyone enough who sponsored me and Team Livestrong.  I gave it my all. I did the best I could do.  My body just didn't want to go any further.  And finishing the additional 16.2 miles wouldn't have really changed the journey.

I discovered today that the documentary I worked on last year apparently premiered tonight in San Francisco.  I would be lying if I said I was pissed that a) I was not invited and b) I didn't get credit for it.  I did my job.  I fulfilled my duties.  But for whatever reason, the producer/ director decided to withdraw my name and credit.  Whatever.  Onwards.  Upwards.  Karma is a bitch.

I'm really looking forward to this next chapter in my life.  I'm not sure what it is just yet.  But I'm looking forward to finishing my script (the producers read the first act and love it).  

I'm looking forward to new adventures.  I made a conscious decision earlier this year to rid my life of drama and complicated people.  Amazingly, those people fell from life like water, dripping off a sleek raincoat.

Maybe it will be casting in Atlanta.  Maybe it will be casting in Los Angeles.  Maybe it will be something all together new.

But for this week, I'm all about the rest.  The naps.  And the quiet.

TRACKING

So my wave starts at 10:00 AM EST.  (Which means, LA... I'll probably be halfway done by the time you wake...)

After 9:00 AM EST (as of midnight, the actual link is not live), go to  www.nycmarathon.org and enter my number 56167 and just hit refresh.

Again, thank you to everyone who has supported me.

xoxo

-C

This Is It (Or When Testicles Go Rogue)

At one point Sunday, Jillian Armenante grabbed my hand during the performance of THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER.  It was a nice, calming moment, because with this brilliant woman, the help of Pauley Perrette, but most importantly, the support of the entire staff of Hollywood United Methodist, we had pulled off a miracle.  We had pulled off a full scale production to benefit the Matthew Shepard Foundation in under three weeks to a sell-out audience with a tremendous cast.

She grabbed my hand and I thought, "this year has really sucked."  I looked over and I saw two men in nice suits and sunglasses, staring out at the crowd.  

On Sunday, it will be a year to the date - 365 days or 525,600 minutes since I was lying in bed and found a large lump on my testicle.  

For the weeks leading up to discovery, I wasn't feeling "right."  I had pain "down there," which I assumed was from lugging camera equipment during the documentary shoot.  I couldn't run as fast as my marathon training group.  I felt sick.

Finding that lump in the wee hours after Halloween scared the living crap out of me.  My heart started racing.  I leaped out of bed, grabbed my laptop in the living room, returned to bed and googled to WebMD.com (which one should NEVER, EVER do to self-diagnose) and discovered that whatever this "thing" was, it most probably was cancer.

Just a day or two later, I went to visit my friend Ryan Green.  He was one of the first people I told and told me that most probably it was a cyst.  

All of my friends tried to cushion it.  There isn't a class to take on "what to say when you know someone who might have cancer."

I was put on antibiotics that made me sick, attempting to reduce it.  (It did not.)  I was sent for second opinions and told "I'm 95% sure it's cancer" (which would be the first time I would hear the word "cancer").  I was told the only sure fire way to know was a biopsy, which would mean removing "Henry" (the sad little testicle)  from my scrotum and cutting him open.  Whatever it was, it was a tumor.  If it was cancer, they would take the testicle, otherwise, if not, they could stick it back in and I would just have a "lumpy" testicle.  (That could turn to cancer.)

I had been training to do the Honolulu Marathon with the AIDS Marathon folks and the only reason I did that was because Ryan was coaching.  Of course, three weeks before I was set to do the marathon I knew I wouldn't be able to participate.  I had surgery exactly 7 days before my friends collecting their finisher medals.

I opted to evict Henry, kicking him out of the scrotum, and of course, but it turned out to be what I thought it was in the early hours of November 1st - cancer.

I walked with a limp for three months (even hiking weeks afterwards... because I'm stubborn), went home to Atlanta for Christmas, and discovered that the oncologist who missed my initial phone call, should have started me on chemo weeks weeks earlier.

Chemo.  That was fun.

I quit/ "the job ended"/ my presence was no longer wanted on a documentary that I had been producing for the past six months.  On cancer.  

I began writing a script the day after Henry was extracted for a producer who would end up not paying me for services rendered.  And hurt me in ways no other person ever had, personally, because I was friends with this person.

I wrote for a website that never seemed to be able to pay me on time, even after breaking stories for them - which recently went under.  I was considered a "loose canon" because I wanted my money.

I was on unemployment for six months.

My pilot deal died.

I fought weekly with insurance companies.

I was nearly hired for two shows as a writer, but because I wasn't in their fellowships (which pay for the low level writers) ended up not getting hired.

I was up to cast VAMPIRE DIARIES in Atlanta.  Practically promised the job, then not hired.

I had another cancer scare.

I lost a few friends to deaths by mysterious circumstances.

I was practically told I would be in the Warner Bros. fellowship, and then didn't make it past the first level.

I (thanks to Catie) finally found employment at a hotel.  That has turned me into a vampire.  But I have a job and for that, I am grateful.

And then three weeks ago I got what Pauley calls "the God tap" to produce THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER.  

And here I sat.  Amazing cast on stage and I watched as two men in suits scanned their eyes right passed me.  They were here, because of a potential threat from the outside.  Because Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptists decided to come play.

We prepared for them.  We assembled the congregation with umbrellas.  We built angel wings into the wee hours of the night before.  We were going to face down this hate from the outside in the biggest, baddest, silent way Hollywood had ever seen.

And they didn't show.

Part of me was relieved.  Part of me was pissed.  No one likes confrontation, but I wanted these people to face off against my people.  The media was ready for it and no one would ever question that on October 25, 2009 - three days before the Matthew Shepard Act was signed by President Obama, that we silently, profoundly and eloquently blew these idiots to the other side of Franklin Avenue.

They didn't show.

The pictures sent to me and the message "remember these pictures" of Matthew Shepard's funeral were considered a threat.  Everywhere I went, people followed me.  I felt safe, but at the same time, I felt uncomfortable that people were following me for my protection and the protection of my cast.

And as I sat there, watching Zachary Quinto and Helen Shaver reenact a moment as Moises Kaufman and Judy Shepard - in that moment when I thought, "this year has really sucked" - I realized I started off the year with my body trying to kill me and now there were Baptists trying to kill me - physically, emotionally, psychologically - whatever.

And for the first time, I started crying.  Couldn't stop.  Helen's performance, mixed with the men in suits and the fact that every time my blackberry started vibrating during the performance, I feared it was the text, "Westboro is here."

If I can make it through today, I'll be fine.  Then I remembered... "WHY DID I EVER SIGN UP TO DO A MARATHON!?"

On Sunday - 365 days or 525,600 minutes after discovering a lump, I will run.  I will run for 26.2 miles through the street of NY.  I will run for Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Organization - which was a huge support and education for me over the past year.

Not long ago, I went back through my 12 of 12 pics in January and I remember telling Zen, "I can't believe I tried to hike Runyan a month after major surgery and I was pissed that I had to stop three times to catch my breath" and she told me that all of my friends knew that they wouldn't be able to stop me, so they just let me do my thing.  I remember dragging that right leg (where they cut into muscle for the removal) for three months and on Sunday, it's going to be running all over New York City.

I haven't trained properly.  We had fires.  We had heat.  We had rain.  I had a crippling cough.  I work at night and couldn't sleep due to the heat.

If you haven't followed the entire story - read in reverse, HERE (though, I actually - out of concern for my family and friends, didn't start talking about it until mid-November).

I'm thankful and grateful to everyone who has supported me financially to support Team Livestrong and emotionally.  I couldn't have done it without you.

And come Sunday, come hell, come high water - if I have to crawl over that finish line, I'm going to finish it.  I'm going to finish and as God as my witness, next year is going to be the best year of my life.

FIRST LOOK: THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER

THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER. TOP: Jim Parsons (BIG BANG THEORY), James Cromwell (SURROGATES, BABE), Helen Shaver (THE L WORD, THE 4400), Pauley Perrette (NCIS) , Christian Clemenson (BOSTON LEGAL). BOTTOM: Michael Weatherly (NCIS), Johnny Galeck (BIG BANG THEORY)i, Barrett Foa (NCIS: LOS ANGELES), Lisa Edelstein (HOUSE), Zachary Quinto (HEROES, STAR TREK), Julie Benz (DEXTER) 

Hate on Me Hater

I need to be in bed.  In less than eight hours, all of my actors will be reporting to the church parking lot for the read-through.

I've had an amazing and exhausting week or five.

There's a much longer story here, but I'm producing THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER.  It is the epilogue (sequel) to the THE LARAMIE PROJECT.

I have an insane cast.  Zachary Quinto (HEROES), Michael Weatherly and Pauley Perrette (NCIS), Julie Benz (DEXTER), Jim Parson and Johnny Galecki (BIG BANG THEORY), Barrett Foa (NCIS: LOS ANGELES), James Cromwell (BABE and like 10,000 other movies), Lisa Edelstein (HOUSE), Christian Clemenson (BOSTON LEGAL), and Helen Shaver (THE L WORD).

I have an amazing director in Jillian Armenante.

I have volunteers and other workers at the church that have anticipated my every move.  I've dealt with PR, cast, everything.  It's been a lot of work.  In fact, I SHOULD have spent the past three weeks on the script, but this is more important at the moment.

Today I got an e-mail that the Westboro Baptist Church was coming.  (God Hates Fags).  Over a series of e-mails, they told me, "We are like so there, you won't even believe how there we are.  I'm on my way to the airport.  And watch for our beautiful flier."  

We decided to counter their arrival with an impromptu "angel action" recreation of the angel wings as organized by Romaine Patterson.

This was followed up with an e-mail that said:  "We'll def be there!  Your "angel wings will be as useless as they were at the actual funeral, though.  =)  Remember these photos?..." and then sent me photos of Matthew Shepard's funeral.

I just spent four hours with Jillian, and an amazing team of people constructing about a dozen angels.  Jill and I are so tired we can barely stand up.  We will be joined by a sea of umbrellas to block the protest as well.  The umbrellas are an homage to actual funeral (the wings appeared at the trial... you would think the Phelps family would remember that since they were THERE).  See the story below from our Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma.

I don't take threats lightly.  And if you know me, I don't scare easily (unless mice or rats are involved).

Tomorrow is going to be an amazing afternoon.  President Obama has the hate crimes bill (The Matthew Shepard Bill) sitting on his desk for his signature, which he promised to sign.  With Judy Shepard coming at 4:00 (after the show) to speak and sign her book, and the Westboro Baptist Church attending for their protest, it will certainly be a history making afternoon.

Please think of us tomorrow afternoon.  It's going to be intense.

And Fred Phelps, you picked the wrong fag, dude.  You picked the wrong fag.

From Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma:  

From a conversation I had Thursday evening with Dr. Lynn Evans, retired; he served as the United Methodist District Superintendent over Laramie and Casper Wyoming in the late 1990s.  Our Bishop, Mary Ann Swenson, suggested that I call him.

 

Dr. Evans was profoundly moved to hear of the staged reading and our invitation to Judy Shepard.  Here are his remembrances:

 

 

The day before Matt Shepard’s funeral service in Casper, the pastor of the First UMC of Casper called him, worried.  He told Dr. Evans that he was certain that Fred Phelps was going to come to the funeral, and bring folks with large and offensive picket signs.  The pastor was certain because the police chief of Casper was a member of his church, and he had told the pastor that he was terribly worried about the disruption of funeral service.  He had obtained an order that the protestors had to stay a certain distance from the church, but the order also said that they were entitled to be within sight of the church.

 

So, the chief gave them a park area across the street from the church.  The city had put up snow fences,  but they were still worried.  The Shepard family was loved and well-respected by folks in the town, and no one wanted this idiot to disrupt things.  (as a caveat, he said that Wyoming residents are very conservative, but they also are equally respectful of individual rights.)

 

So, Dr. Evans suggested that the pastor call together all the clergy and religious folk of the town, and he would call all his contacts too; the plan was to stand on the sidewalk in front of the church and just be present, not carry signs, but to peacefully block off the area between the family and Fred Phelps and his group.

 

The day of the funeral was rainy, snowy and cold.  Just an awful day.  As luck would have it – or, perhaps it was the Holy Spirit at work.  That’s what Dr. Evans thinks.  Everyone had brought their umbrellas, and so as they stood around the church their umbrellas created a virtual shield of the church, the hearse, and all those attending the funeral.   You couldn’t see a thing around the umbrellas—the media couldn’t see Fred, and Fred couldn’t see anything at the church.   The media asked the church folks to move apart so they could get a shot of Phelps and the protestors.  All of the church folk said “no.”

 

One of the best moments happened when a group of Wiccans came and asked if they could join.  According to Dr. Evans, they said sure!  And they remembered the words of John Wesley:  if your heart is with my heart, give me your hand……. That was the day the Methodists stood with the Wiccans, proclaiming that goodness is always stronger than evil, and love will always overcome hate.

 

After the service and the Shepard family and the hearse had left, the TV people did swoop in and get some footage of the protestors.  However, Phelps didn’t get nearly the media attention he wanted.   

THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER

Sorry for the delay.  No idea when I will have time to update links on 12 of 12, so check the comments.

Here is why:  I'm producing THIS.  Check out my amazing cast.

12 of 12 IV: October 2009

PLEASE list your day as first name - parenthesis - city - comma - state (or country) - end parenthesis. 

Once your day is complete and your links are set, please reply in comments in this order: Your name (City, State (or Country) VERY IMPORTANT!! Please be sure you leave the location!!

Please leave the PERMALINK - this is the link to your entry - not just a link to your website (so that when people go back to the page months later - they find the post).

Links will be updated until October 15 for the month.

Click HERE for the Entire 12 of 12 archive (January 2006-September 2009)

I will update when I can... it could be Wednesday.  I'm in the middle of producing a reading and working on a script.  Please check the comments for links.  Please do not e-mail me links.

Team Shirt!

All Clear!

The blood markers came back and I'm still clear!  Which I guess means I really do have to do the marathon now.  I have to say... not a day goes by, nay, not four hours a day goes by that I don't think the cancer is back.  And with the cough, I was convinced it had metastasized in my lungs.  I've been so tired and lethargic.  I guess it's just the fact I wasn't getting any sleep.

But, still in remission, which is awesome.

Ran the Silver Lake Reservoir and made the mistake of leaving my iPod at home.  Won't ever make that mistake again.

Had a very busy day dealing with the cast of the top secret thing, dealing with the artwork, talking to various people.  Between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM I had over 300 e-mails.

I also made a decision today - that I'm going to let play out till the end of the year.  

I'm going to go back into casting.  

I know.  Peel yourself off the floor.

I've officially given up on television.  I'm not going to wait another year for another fellowship.  It's difficult with television as a new writer.  There are limited ways in.

You either sell your own pilot.  Which I came close... but no cigar.

You start as an assistant and get bumped up.  Which again, would have happened, but I came in on JORDAN's last season.  Had I taken an assistant job on HEROES, I could have been a producer level writer now, assuming I got bumped up.

You enter through a program or fellowship - but the only program that I'm technically eligible for is Warner Bros, since all the others are "diversity."  I'm not black.

You fit an ethnic quota the studio needs to fill.  (Again, diversity hires.  When I was in casting, we also had to do weekly reports on ethnic breakdowns as to who we hired.  And keep in mind... it's all based on STORY... I never understood these reports, but I guess it was a way of tracking.)

Or you are sleeping with the right people, and apparently, I am not.

I gave it four solid years.  I'm disappointed, but I'm not giving it five.  I can still write features and still do casting.  But as Joni Mitchell said, "I've seen both sides now."  And I'd rather be back in casting and doing something I'm really great doing, then working as a vampire in a field I don't care anything about.

I don't have a time frame.  I'm not pursuing anything until the end of the year.  I have to get passed the marathon and then shows start to barrel down toward the end of the year.  So maybe the first of the year.  If something were to give way sooner, I'm all for it.

It's funny though.  I was talking to a friend the other day and I was talking about the level of stress that I went through in casting while I was in it - as opposed to where I am today and that's really a lifetime ago.  The sheer insanity of the documentary last year made casting look like a propohol induced dream.  And after going through cancer, I really feel like I can do anything.  

So, we'll see.  I'm putting it out there.  We'll see if it bites.

-C

Mother of All Updates

I could write a beautiful flowing post about where I've been and what I've been doing.  But I promise to start updating daily now, thanks to the fact the NYC Marathon is less than a month away.

1) I didn't get into the Warner Bros. Fellowship.  This pisses me off to no end.  Neither here, nor there.  Onwards, upwards.  Warner Bros. can suck my ball.

2) Waiting on second round blood tests (tomorrow) to make sure I'm still "clean."  Went in for blood work last week.

3) Handled Chaka Kahn on Saturday with Diana and Monica at the "Flying High/ Good News" event in Santa Monica.  Chaka Kahn.  Chaka Kahn.

4) If you are in Los Angeles on October 25th, make no plans.  Pauley and I are producing an event at Hollywood UMC which will be amazing.  I'm blown away by the talent we already have involved.  I can't talk about it until October 12th, due to an agreement.  Amazing.  Judy Shepard will be there.

5) Working on a new script.  (Maybe I already talked about it...)

6) Training for marathon.  Must go run in Silver Lake.  Haven't touched mileage.  I'm hoping for a miracle.

7) The CROSSING JORDAN family lost a member of our family.  Dan Vivanco, our beloved art director passed away last week.  It was very sad.  We're expecting a memorial service next Sunday.

8) The temperatures have finally dropped in LA, though Saturday at the event, the tarmac was like the surface of the sun.

9) Apparently sheep have not started a fire.  It's Sheep Canyon.

More later.  More on training and hopefully good news tomorrow on my blood work.  

-C

p.s.  Michael Jackson... still dead.  Still buried.

Project Angel Food Angel Awards

Barrett Foa, Marianne Williamson, Pauley Perrette

Pauley, Barrett, Haviland Stillwell

Kim Coles

12 of 12 IV: September 2009 - Me

12:00 PM

Barham

I hate these ads for SURROGATES.  It just reminds me that THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES was canceled.

12:45 PM

Runyan

Haviland and I hiking Runyan.

12:46 PM

Runyan

She survived.

1:00 PM

Franklin Blvd

Flowers.  Duh.

3:00 PM

My house

Research for the new project.

3:30 PM

Working on the new project.

 

6:45 PM

Project Angel Food Angel Awards Gala

So I couldn't very well take pictures while I was running red carpet and photos during the awards.

So this was Pauley Perrette, Barrett Foa, and Haviland Stillwell.  Barrett is on the NCIS spin-off.  Haviland and Barrett knew each other from theatre in NY.

7:00 PM

Angel Awards

Lots of people.  Needed Marianne Williamson for photos.

8:45 PM

Angel Awards

From my terrible blackberry... Marianne Williamson on stage.

8:30 PM

The Bathroom

I HAVE A STYE!  It is so freaking disgusting.  It's red and leaks.  Completely disgusting.  Hoping it's finally finishing the course.

11:00 PM

ArcLight Cafe

Pauley, her husband Michael, their friend Kevin and myself went to the ArcLight, since I couldn't really eat or drink during the show. 

12 of 12 IV: September 2009

PLEASE list your day as first name - parenthesis - city - comma - state (or country) - end parenthesis. 

Once your day is complete and your links are set, please reply in comments in this order: Your name (City, State (or Country) VERY IMPORTANT!! Please be sure you leave the location!!

Please leave the PERMALINK - this is the link to your entry - not just a link to your website (so that when people go back to the page months later - they find the post).

Links will be updated until August 15 for the month.

Click HERE for the Entire 12 of 12 archive (January 2006-August 2009)

Janelle (Russell Island, Australia)

Patty (Manila, Philippines)

Pete (Lymington, UK)

Myriam (Oldenburg, Germany)

Gauzzel (Manchester , UK)

Joe (Mesa, Arizona)

Regina (Langendorf, Switzerland)

Stephen (Cambridge, UK)

Collin (Fareham, United Kingdom)

Tony (Hobart, Australia)

Eliane (Glengarriff, Ireland)

Ticklebear (Montreal, Canada)

Britta (Cologne, Germany)

Colin (Hobart, Australia)

Jill (Marilla, NY, USA)

Dave (Hanover, MD, USA)

Tony (Asheville, NC)

Meg/Max (Homewood, IL)

Bob (Millville, NJ)

Cully (Ivoryton, CT and New York, NY)

Joni (Hapeville, GA)

Beth (New York, NY)

Sunny (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

~TuxBaby (Amarillo, TX)

Bellacantare (Berkeley, CA)

Gavin (Silver Spring & College Park, MD)

Bill (Hollywood, CA)

vuboq (Washington, DC)

Brian (Phoenix, AZ)

Laurie (Boston, MA)

Christina (Phoenix, AZ)

Heather (Oakland, CA)

Tammy (Gilbert, Arizona)

Allison (Augusta, GA)

Roz (Claremont, CA)

Julia (Burbank, CA)

sabine (Fuerth, Germany)

Bodynsoil (Burlington, Vt)

Hibe (Philadelphia, PA)

Chris (Round Rock, TX)

Matt (Seattle, WA)

Dave (York, PA)

Kelly (Richmond, VA)

Teamvoyagr (Kitchener, Canada)

Paksen (Denver, CO)

Darryl (Troy, MI)

Scootersville (Seattle, WA USA)

Chris (Louisville, KY)

Abby (Brea & Anaheim, CA)

Amanda (Los Angeles, CA)

Aimee (Seattle, WA)

KC (Los Angeles, CA)

Art (Denver, CO)

Genevieve (Rosamond, CA)

BU (Sterling, VA)

Rebecca (Des Moines, IA)

Sue (Livermore, California, USA)

Bon (Hollywood, CA)

Sheryl (Auburn Hills, MI)

Mike (Tulsa, OK)

TripCyclone (Grandview, MO)

Andrew (Smithfield, NC)

maiderndl (bavaria/germany)

Liz (New York, NY)

Snuva (Hobart, Australia)

Shelley (Tucson, AZ)

Alanna (portland, Oregon)

Ole Kristian Valle (Tórshavn, Faroe Islands)

Rob (Greenwood, SC)

 **Links updated as of 309AM 9/16**

My New Neighbor

Well, they buried him.

It has been hotter than hell in Los Angeles the past few weeks.  I come home, sleep till about 2:00 PM, whereupon, I wake up covered in sweat.  I watch television before passing out from heat exhaustion and that usually takes care of me for another four hours.  So naturally, I'm getting VERY restful sleep.  Not.

The Weather Channel is a liar.  I hate the Weather Channel.  For weeks it will say, "High today of 88 Degrees.  It is currently 96 degrees."  ISN'T 96 HIGHER THAN 88!?

And today was like a well organized three ring circus.  I came home just in time for all the street closures.  In case you missed it, they buried that guy in my backyard.  Literally.  Like if Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house, I can see crazy from my deck.  

A helicopter swooped over the house all morning and afternoon long.  

The street closures were not bad.  Residents could get through.  If you knew how to take the long way around, you could move just fine.  It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be when you have the entire world watching your backyard.

I went to dinner with my friend Scott at Tart in West Hollywood and came home as the funeral was ending.  There were lots of people at the barricades, but again, we were able to drive straight through.  It was VERY disconcerting, however, to see grown men dressed as Michael Jackson.  For a split second I thought, "oh great!  He's not even dead!"

And of course the family arrived an hour late.  I can't believe it took them this long to bury him.

From what I understand, you'll never be able to visit the grave.  The Holly Terrace mausoleum he is in is the same one where Nat King Cole, Red Skeleton, Carole Lombard, Clark Gable and Jean Harlow rest and it's not open to the public.

The Jackson family apparently bought 12 plots at Forest Lawn.  I've lost count, but there was the Jackson 5, 3 daughters, Katherine and Joe... I guess MJ's kids will be buried elsewhere or it's a "first come, first served" kind of thing.

On my way home, I heard someone rattling off names on the radio:  Lisa Marie Presley, Macaulay Culkin, Barry Bonds, Chris Tucker, Corey Feldman... and at first I thought they were listing off next season's D-List contestants for THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE.  No.  They were the guests.

We're all hoping that our neighborhood doesn't turn into Graceland.  People can get right up to Marilyn Monroe's grave in Westwood and whenever I've been there with friends from out of town it's always empty.