three day weekend...

And a busy one it was. On Friday night, should've rested, because it started fairly quickly. On Sat. evening, we visited Steve & Barbara Leopold in their Seal Beach home, good time, great conversation, we drank & enjoyed the wine - we brought! I found out she worked on an anti-gambling broadsheet in Bell Gardens, and she's an artist. Her son & daughter in law were there and we talked, drank & ate. Good time.

One point: I always thought Leopold was Jewish, but when we talked about Moskowitz & his casino, he asked me several times, what is Zionism? Coulda been provoking me, but he's not the provocative type, which could be the most provoking type of all. Did he know or not?

Sunday, on to the O.C. Record Show. I was there at about 8:30, too late to see many good 45s, until Randy Freed showed up with boxes of 45s. Richard Gibson, Jim Cooprider and Richie Rosen & others were there, lots of ass grabbing, and really good conversation. Robbie Russell showed up just as I left, quite a time was had.

Came home about 12:30 a.m., Sylvia and I watched Indy where a woman almost, but didn't, won. Then on to Paul & Judy's for a BBQ at 3:30, Carol, Michelle and others were there, very nice time, relaxing, drinks, ribs, tri tip and great conversation. Got home about 7.

Monday, mayoral candidate Doug Drummond arrived and we talked for about 2 hours about all things L.B., his council likes, dislikes, Colonna, Oropeza and others, very informative. Thinks that one J.W. won't live past 55. Lot to ponder. This evening, Dick Weber, a neighbor from '95 called, out of the blue. Looks like he'll be moving back to L.B. with new Korean wife, what a surprise. We caught him up. He's been to Korea, Brazil & Savannah GA in past ten years, plus doffed one wife, too on another and wants us to help find him a rental.

This evening, Shea & Rick came over to Chinese food, lots of fun for about 2 hours, then Shea got shrill and too loud, ears hurting type of loud, with Sylvia and she arguing about some wine-drenched point of nothingness, and I had to leave the room where I am now writing this. Bye, before she comes to get me.

forward into the weekend....

...and when we get there, where mightest we be-est? Theoretically, there'll be a new top veggie-loading, bottom freezer-loading refrig in our kitchen and the old one outside waiting to meet the man from Edison by this time tomorrow when Brian gets here to spend the nite.

The newest community activist in-the-making, Debbie Crews wants me to come to a meeting of her neighbors to talk about another house slated for her block, Dale Whitney wants us at a potluck, and I betchum wampum that neither might happen...or one, at most. It's all refrig, all the time around here.

Today, Tony Allen arrived for the final of my two hour show with Gary Peterson & Al Archuleta waiting for him, sorta, but not great fun. Both Al & Tony lost mucho weight. I drove Tony home to his 7th & Olive, LB, halfway house....halfway to the ghetto, actually most of the way. Pretty exciting neighborhood.

Tomorrow, being so busy in the past few days, I hope to do as little as possible, truth to tell. Hot, hot, hot, unseasonable heat wave after a rainy winter & spring.

much adieu about saying goodbye

That title has absolutely nothing to do with this post, but it was so cute, I should've resisted.

Yesterday, I was running around L.B., taking photos, dodging traffic - there were Toyotas & Fords too, not just Dodges - the Shore, Heights and LBCC where I picked up some Vikings. Doesn't sound exciting, does it? Well, you're right, it was all pretty much mundane.

Didn't work out because of a bad boil on my back, but I'll go out today and get my flat tire fixed also.

Just got a call from the councilman with whom I've not been feuding, but assumed he was not happy with my last story on him, and he wasn't, believe it. But like any good politician, he knows he can't avoid speaking with me, so he goes along with the program, like he's smart to do. Others have ducked me - Richardson & Lowenthal - and frankly, that's more fun.

But you takes them like you gets them.

weekend in Temecula

Friday p.m., we took Rick & Shea to the L.B. Airport for their weekend Seattle adventure. They are to return Sunday p.m., after 9. Rest tonight, big day tomorrow.

On Sat. a.m., about 9:30, we left L.B. for Lanie's weekend in Temecula, coincidentally, the same place where they live. When we got there, instead of going directly to the ranch, we went to the Pechanga Casino for bkfst. Big mistake. Too much food - all u can eat in my case - not enough time before the bbq when I'll eat all over again. The casino wasn't overwhelming, but big and colorful, hardly overused, many a parking place in place, food was okay, not great, attractive bldg. and setting.

Not too hot, not too cold, not too humid, not too perfect. The day was fine, about 30 folks were there, some from last time, one family who came in from Texas for the event, many from Hemet and Mentone - nice couple, Jim Wheaton, I believe, a believer in the conspiracy of Cheney et al, as the Twin Tower perps, gave me a DVD all about this. His Mexican wife Petra was nice, I took her on a go-cart ride, then took Sylvia, got pretty good at that. That was the event of the day...last time it was swimming. Also, James, David, Daniel and oen of Phil's granddaughters gave a recital.

Relatively easy drive, about 80 mi. one way, traffic flow was in our favor, heaving coming in as we went out, opposite when we came back along the 91 between the 55 and Corona.

Today, I bought about 15 45s, 10 Lps for $40, got some interesting sides and a few duds. Bob Taylor on Yucca, Glenn Glenn on Era, several Jimmy Reed LPs, stereo Fats Domino. Guy I bought them from played with Glenn and Ricky Nelson in his early & latter years!!! I think. He
also knows about my Internet radio shows. Somebody's listening!!

This week, I've got a few juicy stories lined up, we'll see where they take me and mine.

Sylvia picked up Shea & Rick at the airport at about 10, everything went fine. To bed.

week in review

On Friday, Dawson stopped by on his way to meet with Sammy Yates aka Count Yates at M&M Soul Food. I wanted to see Sammy, didn't realize it was a bd mtg of Regalado's/Dawson's concert production co., so I stopped by and hung with Sammy, Ray, Dawson, Eddie Lewis, another couple & Maria & son. I'm not sure whether I was welcome or not, tho everyone acted like it was just the greatest thing since soul food...which was just okay. Okay?

This weekend has been very low key, but Sylvia is starting to dip into the Y's jacuzzi more, which makes me think it might well be worth the costly cost.

Other than that, then what?

Jesus & the Five Stars

Our weekend. Sylvia wasn't feeling like walking, so we passed on the East L.A. documentary/concert at L.A. State on Sat. a.m., did my show instead, then went home, watching racing in p.m. Robbie Russell came over in p.m. with some R&Rs and we spoke for a while, a little while. The time I have to guard the R&R's is just too short

I spoke with Ray Peavy in Philly twice from his cell. Went to visit Val, met a very unfriendly fate, "what are you looking for?" "Soundtracks? Those two shelves, nothing under $15, now get the hell out..." The standard East Coast rejoinder.

Sunday, I went to 2 different homes with records - nada, nuttin', waste o'time, gas & mileage. At least I got to meet a very disagreeable old guy at 337 Termino, who insisted that I should be collecting his big band 78s and not what I like, and he likes the dissonance program on the Wave, and his churchmouse wife who just couldn't part with her 45s. Bye, hope to never see you again, ever. Then I went home, and guess what, watched racing. Grudt came over to get some o'those very R&Rs.

Meanwhile, Sylvia was at a baby shower for Sally Flicker and on the way, went down Gardendale, the wrong Gardendale and almost got in the middle of a sheriff action where they were seizing guns & bombs (no bombs found) from a home, so she backed up and got out of Dodge....actually Bellflower.

Heather wrote about taking Camilla to visit Berlin. We just wonder how much Camilla will recall and how much of Yosemite Heather recalls when we took her there at about that age, and she fell out of our VW van - Heather, not Camilla. They think they sold their condo, made a ton of $$$ to finance a N.J. home purchase when the move there in c.August.

just learned today that Lanie & Dennis are going to Israel "to walk in the footsteps of Jesus and stay at a 5 star hotel." Thought those hotel ratings were more contemporary...not back to biblical times.

They busted their water line, so Lanie had to go shower, shave & depiliate at Ruth's, with Dick, or course. Plenty of Dick, I guess, Dick 24 hours a day and night, if she can arrange it.

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