first first first!s

ha!

now i have to read the post.

laughing SO HARD at the 90210 flashback.

you always make my day. :)

I want to be a tourist and melt down into a shimmering puddle on Hollywood Boulevard...!

Laurie, I run into Dr. Tony Jones of General Hospital fame every so often in my little Texas town. My sister who lives in the North (brr!) is jealous, lemme tell ya.

laughing SO HARD at the 90210 flashback.

you always make my day. :)

oops, sorry about the double comment. internet brain-fart or somesuch.

patti, the techmology often messes up, not your fault!

Nancy-- Dr. Tony Jones!!!

that was awesome. now I want to go to L.A. even though I never had this desire before.

plus, great 90210 reference.

BUT even better -- your awesome table cloth (or is it a runner?) very nice.

Ha ha!! Dylan and Kelly kissed in the Pool -- don't forget that she dated him *first*. And, Brenda was off in Paris speaking in a 'orrible French accent to Dean Cain. (Why he couldn't use his superpowers to detect that she was an American, I don't know).

We used to call it "Bev" in college and I would write up little show summaries/rants for my friends to read in my plan, which was sort of a blog precursor.

I always wondered how in the world you ended up in L.A.! You seem like a cold weather person to me-what with the yarn, the furry cats, the scarves, the sweating, you know. Now I know the truth-it's all about the GLITZ AND GLAMOUR.

It's nice to see that Lake Encino-Adjacent has dried up.

When your candle melts onto the table and starts to bubble that's exactly what I look like in the summer. With eyeglasses, of course.

I always people watch when I'm in L.A. because of the 'obscure reference actors & actresses' that you run into (or you might catch a glimpse of).
It really is a thrill when the people you "know" from tv are suddenly 3-dimensional and you are trying to act cool and process the separation between actor/character - if you even recognize them in the first place.
I saw the 'Big Fat greek Fiancee' and Jamie Kennedy at a restaurant in We-Ho one random night, and was thoroughly entertained at their low profile. (My sister had to point them out)

Too bad the Encino River in your backyard dried up, it would have revived that poor candle in no time! Or not.

The tourists like to wear shorts when they come here in the summer because they think, "It's California." We laugh hysterically as that wind comes in off the water and they freeze their hindparts off.

Ah, but 90210. The summer I worked in L.A. I had a coworker whose younger brother kept offering to introduce us to the cast. We were holding out for the Keanu Reeves intro though.

My candle looks just like that too.

(The one I have on my patio here in Houston people... keep it clean.)

Poor candle. That's how I felt yesterday.

Thanks for the "yay LA" post. Perfect timing. I'm heading down to visit my mom there this weekend! Let the celebrity stalking begin!!!!! :)

I have my days when I feel like the candle too. I forgot all about the 90210 stuff. Thanks for the memories. Btw: there's a "where are they now: article on the 90210 gang in today's LA Times.

Oh I can't wait! I'll be making the trek to downtown LA this afternoon for 4 WHOLE DAYS! Not really a tourist excursion because the trip is work related but I can't wait to stand and gawk on a street corner. :D

I thought Kelly was a real ho-bag for taking up with Dylan. You don't go out with your best friend's boyfriend! Now I think Tori Spelling is a ho-bag for stealing Mary Jo Eustace's husband! (You have to be a Canadian to know who Mary Jo from "What's For Dinner" is)

i get the same little rush each time i drive into san francisco. it's hard to be blase about cable cars. ding ding!

I loved me some Dylan. I hated her because I wanted him for my very own....*insert evil laugh here*
I would be starstruck if I saw stars on a regular basis.

Or you could have had my morning, which consisted of Grandma Secretary regaling Crazy Cat Lady Secretary with tales of Charlie Sheen's childhood, because OF COURSE they used to live across the street from the Sheens and her husband coached Charlie in baseball.

Wow 90210! I was reading and hoping that these flashbacks were NOT real, but I have to admit to savoring the trip. Thanks!

You gotta stop making me feel so old. Who ARE all these people?

Thanks for your "Yay! L.A.!" post. Being Northern California born and bred we have a genetic thing against L.A. I think deep down we feel inferior because y'all never notice us up here where our candles don't melt. Anyway, we spent the last couple of weekends down in L.A. and I felt this sort of hope and dreams kind of feeling everywhere. Like people actually hoping that their outrageous dreams might actually come true. An optimism if you will. It was refreshing in the Surface Temperature of the Sun weather we experienced while there.

I'm a terrible celebrity spotter. I don't even notice famous people when they're standing right next to me EXCEPT when they're wearing their stupid sunglasses and floppy hats indoors.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves LA - everyone up here in NoCal thinks I'm crazy.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who loves LA - everyone up here in NoCal thinks I'm crazy.

Laurie, Dr. Tony (Brad Maule) even held the door for me one day. Thought Sis was going to blow a gasket when I told her. She had it bad for Dr. Tony. Me, I prefered Frisco.

I'm still a tourist in Los Angeles and I WAS BORN HERE! This marvelous City never ceases to amaze me...the beauty, the history, the people, the weather..I love it all, even the slums and bums.

Even though I'm in a different age bracket than most of your readers, I used to love watching "BH 90210"...my childhood hometown. I grew up with one of the writers on the show and he was always putting in real names of people we went to HS with in the show...very entertaining!

Countess Shell, speak for yourself. In my neck of the woods, we were raised to dislike SoCal because they sucked up our natural resources. ("Hey. We're not the ones who chose to live in the middle of a desert.") Nope. Never met anyone around my way who felt inferior to the folks in SoCal.

As a fourth generation angeleno, who now lives far, far away...thanks for the reminder of how wonderful LA is. And how shockingly difficult the place can be.

Best LA star-gawker day for me, ever: In line at the archlight in front of Quentin Tarantino... then out on the patio where I bummed a smoke from Jenna Elfman. After the movie, went to the Dresden room, where I almost got into a fight with a drugged-out Stephen Dorff.

Awesome.

I soooo love to take the out-of-state visitors to Hollywood. I don't know what's more fun, watching them watch the "different people" or watching the "different people."

As a Native Southern Californian, I have to say that most of the stars I've seen have been at concerts--at a distance, of course, cause I'm in the cheap seats and they're not. Kimberly Williams-Paisley (before she married Brad), Teri Hatcher (after Superman and before Desperate Housewives), and Chris O'Donnell (him I saw up close in the lobby and yes, he is that cute in real life). And don't forget the musicians. Oi!

Back east in Charm City, we don't get to see too many stars. It must be kinda surreal to bump into those Larger than Life figures.

Every now and then John Waters pops up at the same dive(s) that I frequent, and Edith Massey once sold me a necklace and earrings from her shop in Fells Point. But that probably isn't quite the same as seeing stars buying TP at Target.

LOL
I miss LA-

My one major close encounter with a celebrity was when I flew back home home from Boston and shoved this good looking balding man out of the way at the baggage claim at LAX- and I mean shoved. Hard. Because my bad was coming around on the carasol, and I was in a hurry and didn't look up to realize it was Hector Eliazando (Pretty Woman, Chicago Hope- you know...). He just laughed at me and moved out of my way and after I grabbed my bags and hustled back to my parents, my embaressed father said "You just shoved Hector Eliazando" and I said "Who?"

Thats one thing I noticed about living in CA. Traffic is made by the constant yeilding to pedestrians. Its like the stop lights are all off kilter or something.

They should right to another state and see how to properly time lights.

Dagny, I agree with you on the fact that as a Central Coast 'Nor-Cal-gal' I am not as much jealous of the So-Cal-ers (except that their ocean is warmer) but I'm also not pissed at them for sucking up my resources. I can understand the different 'feeling' that Countess Shell mentioned, but I am more convinced that it's the image based scene that drives that energy and excitement for everyone looking for their 'big break'. It's a different world, that's for sure.

Good post! But you can keep LA, they don't call California "granola" for nothing. It's full of fruits, nuts and flakes. HA! Love the kitties!

Pauly Shore came into the restaurant I hostessed at last summer. Except, I didn't know he was THE Pauly Shore, I just thought he was some dude who looked like Pauly Shore which is kind of a lame celebrity to resemble, so I made fun of him. Oops...Well, it's Pauly Shore so I guess it's fine.

But, oh, 90210. In my heart.

Love your blog!
Went to LA, hated it. Only NYC smells worse.

Pauly Shore came into the restaurant I hostessed at last summer. Except, I didn't know he was THE Pauly Shore, I just thought he was some dude who looked like Pauly Shore which is kind of a lame celebrity to resemble, so I made fun of him. Oops...Well, it's Pauly Shore so I guess it's fine.

But, oh, 90210. In my heart.

I still trip out seeing David Spade in the building lobby (lots o' fat cat law firms) or Clint Eastwood driving down Olympic in his convertible. And then I'm slammed back to reality. . .

*love* your candlestick. Another Tarzhayz purchase?

Nice macramé plant hanger! Love that! It takes me right back to my childhood in SoCal.

You knew I had to comment!!!

As a 3rd generation Angelena, I've got to say that I still absolutely love this place, 3 bazillion degrees or not.

I love the randomness of the architecture, which I understand does not occur elsewhere

I love the vastness - 4,084 sq. miles,

I even love some of the people that came to live here - though I wish they would drive in the slow lane so I could get by...

Brianne, I am not pissed off with them but there are definitely some around here who are. These would be the same folks who say the state should be split into two. They figure everything from Big Sur north is the NorCal.

Dagny...love that someone else wants a Keanu intro! I get made fun of all the time for being a KCR fan.

My husbands aunt and uncle work in the entertainment biz in LA/NYC and do you think even once they have been able to get me some Keanu love? Nope. But I do have the guitar from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey!

The latest prop/shwag was crew fleeces from The Apprentice. (They worked on the show for two seasons.)

Omigod y'all I completely forgot! Speaking of the aunt and uncle in showbiz and 90210...

We got to sit in Dylan's porsche! It happened to be the car of one of the producers or something who also happened to work with the uncle...

LA is a weird and interesting place.

No worries Dagny, I'm 4th generation Santa Cruz..So I feel smack dab in the middle of the NorCal/SoCal civil war. I was even interrogated by someone who asked which I 'claimed'. Riiiight.
I just want everyone to get along...(so does that make me a nut or a flake?)
I frequently visit both directions and I truly love the diversity...of the coast that is, I don't venture very far inland... ever..... ;)
(For those unfamiliar with California - Santa Cruz is about 8 hours South of the Oregon Border and about 8 hours North of Mexico - without traffic of course)

90210 is such one of my guilty pleasures. The rerun the whole million seasons on Soap Net, and yes, I actually DVR (TiVo) it for myself every day. Right now I am watching the whole Brenda, Kelly, Dylan Saga start (Brenda and Donna just got back from Paris). However - I have to say that Kelly didn't officially end up with Brandon - they dumped each other at the alter. The very last episode was where Donna and David (Finally) got married, and it was left that there was possibly a Dylan/Kelly reuniting....

*Gulp* Geek Moment.

YEAH LA! As a native Southern LA girl who was stupid enough to move out of state TWICE, i'm so happy to be back home. There's nothing else like it. Star sightings...Barry Manilow in Palm Springs at an Aaron Brothers years ago (he was very rude) and scarred me where I will never ask for another autograph....JERK. Cheryl Tiegs at a Dodger game. The funny guy with the faces in 3rd Rock from the Sun at a San Marino restaurant, very cute. Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake in Bishop, CA (of all places, and at the bakery). She's really beautiful, even with no makeup and my niece thought Justin was 'Da Bomb...Can't remember his name but Mel from Mel's Diner, saw him at North Woods Inn Restaurant after the horse races years ago, nice man. They are everywhere. And it's fun to see them.

Loved the candle pic, poor thing.

For about two minutes I thought I was going to move to LA, and I tried to get myself psyched up for it. It didn't help that we saw Training Day in a theatre there, and then outside saw some guy get busted in the parking lot right after.... Coming from Oregon where the biggest crime was bike theft, I was skeered! I did see Richard Fish from Ally McBeal in Santa MOnica and of course that made my day!

In the end, I must say, the vastness of LA to me just says, well, sprawl and pollution and traffic. But it is fun to visit - usually via Ms. Purl's posts. :-)

My hubby's aunt and uncle lived in Chatsworth years ago and I LOVED visiting them and traveled under those signs more than a few times! We lived in Healdsburg at the time but have gone back since we moved to Connecticut. Ok,ok, brush with fame: Frank Langella in Cafe California in Santa Monica. Sat facing him in separate booths, hard not to stare but couldn't remember his name to save my life. Most recent brush with "fame": Judd from previous Survivor season, doorman at our hotel in NYC last two trips. That season of 90210 was my FAVORITE! Oh the pain, the anguish - I loved Kelly Taylor and hated,hated,hated Brenda Walsh. But I had the biggest made crush on Dylan - me a 30-something woman at the time!

I live in Berkeley and am so out of touch with pop culture that one of my neighbors appears to be famous and I don't have a clue who he is. I was behind him at the coffee joint down the street and some guy said "hey, I just wanted to tell you I'm a big fan. I really enjoy what you're doing," and I wanted to say "What? What is he doing?" Then another time he was walking in front of me and a guy yelled out "Hey, what's your next project?" and the guy stopped to chat with him about it, but I couldn't conveniently eavesdrop without being totally obvious.

He's this late 40 something guy with long dark curly hair and he wears cargo shorts & tee shirts all the time (like December.) All I can say is that he looks a lot like the bus driver on The Simpsons.

Who is this guy??

Even though I'm breaking the "the more famous they are the more you ignore them" rule of cool angelenos everywhere by even admitting this (I once firmly told my visiting cousin that if she tried to approach a SINGLE celbrity while we were in Beverly Hills- I was leaving in the car without her.) I'll admit that it IS really fun to say, see John Lithgow walking his dogs across UCLA campus as I'm heading to an evening class.

But my Favorite, Adored, Best-Ever "Meeting a Star" story happened to my adorable friend Jess in a LA dive bar called "The Lava Room". Jess was just standing there, a wee tad tipsy, looking for a light for her cigarette (this was pre-smoking ban) and Keanu Reeves sidles up, proffers a light, and in a an obiousely-I'm-so-very-famous-but-since-I-know-I'll-be-in-your-pants-the-second-I-say-who-I-am-so-I'm-trying-to-act-modest-way says "Um, hey, yeah, hi..I'm Keanu Reeves" and waited expectantly for her to swoon with adoration. Jess then grinned, shook hands him and with cheerful breezy politeness said, "Hi! I'm Jessica G________, Now you can tell all your friends you've met me!" and trotted back to the bar to hang out with her friend as Keanu stood there with his mouth hanging open. That story always makes me giggle.

Susan, I was with you until you said Jess was Jessica. I'd heard Keanu was more into the Jess type.

Does anyone want to take a stab at my celebrity question above?

My celebrity siting was a high school classmate. She's mostly done television and broadway, but Bebe Neuwirth (of Lilith on Cheers fame) was in my class. Damn if she wasn't talented back then, too. Oh, I've also met Robert Duvall at an Argentine Tango workshop. He's a very talented dancer. Neither of these events happened in LA, though, even though I lived there for five years.

I once ran into Willem Dafoe outside a plane bathroom. I'm 5'8" and he was maybe an inch shorter. That surprised me.

And unfortunately, Mr. Britney Spears is from my city....

rb,

Do you live in the Rockridge area of Berkeley? It could be the writer Michael Chabon.

That's a CANDLE!?!
I think my crockpot in smaller. Where did you find that monster? Why did you get that monster? *puzzled frown*

You can tell how ignorant I am - who are these people you are talking about?

As a native Angeleno, I'll gladly declare my love for the city anytime, anyplace, anywhere. Well, except for the traffic, because that kind of blows, but you deal with it because the traffic is what makes Los Angeles Los Angeles.

My most recent Celebrity Sighting was Adam Arkin at the Farmers Market right before last week's SnB. Hee!

I love L.A....(we love it!)

Dagny,

From my 37 years in the Bay Area it seems like those on the outskirts of San Francisco have issues with the L.A. basin using up our natural resources. Although it cracks me up that most of the people I know doing the complaining have irrigation systems that keep their front and backyards full of lush green lawns.

Those in S.F. proper seem to have an inferiority complex about not being L.A. Much like L.A. has a complex about not being NYC.

Just my opinions.

LOL Countess Shell. As a native of the Bay Area, I have found that folks in SF much more want to be NYC than L.A.

I miss Hollywood.

Being from Ojai there's not a day goes by I don't see someone famous there. Hell, Tim Burton came to my high school carnival. And we all screamed when, on 90210 Dylan's mom wanted to take a trip to see a school and he said, "Mom! I hate Ojai!"

I need to move home. Your post is a beacon of light amongst the grungy dark light so many of my friends who live there cast on the city. I have always been enamored with it and I know it's where I belong. Now how to tell my live-in boyfriend I'm moving....

Kelly did NOT dump Dylan at the altar! Brandon and Dyaln both wanted to marry her and she was trying to decide between the two until, in a very dramatic scene in the alley behind the Peach Pit, Kelly told them both, "I choose me!" And left both fiveheads standing there, mouths agape. It. Was. AWESOME.

Anyway, I can't believe that Kelly Taylor shops at Target! It's probably the only place she feels safe from being raped, shot, burned alive, raped again, sucked into the world of illicit drugs, or screamed at by Brenda.

And NYC doesn't have an inferiority complex about anything.

Maybe you could realign your candle by reheating it (under controlled conditions) by dipping it into hot water and straightening it out?

ROTFLOL... I would never want to live there, but I get the point though - I always had a minor dream to live in Franklin, TN as a teenager (what can I say - I grew up obsessed with Contemporary Christian Music (somewhere in my parents basement is like 7 years of the magazine of the same name that I refused to throw out back then) - therefore no place could be cooler than Franklin, TN where you could bump into Michael W. Smith, or Steven Curtis Chapman, or...and who knows who else...

um...yes I was a very strange child...lets leave it at that...

Beautiful post, CAP.

Do you really read all of this fan mail?

Love ya baybee.

Sorry, I'm too old for "90210". "Dynasty" is another story. Fave celeb story? Walking down College Street in State College PA (home of Penn State U) in the mid-80's with the CatMan and Lawyer Friend. Paul Young (Every Time You Go Away) and entourage walking toward us, looking all EuroTrash and leather. Walks past us and I hiss, "That was PAUL YOUNG!" Lawyer Friend loudly says, "WHO THE HELL IS PAUL YOUNG?". Mortified, I look over my shoulder to see Paul Young looking over HIS shoulder, laughing and throwing me a wink.

Pssst Drew? You crack my sh*t up!

My theory is that as America was discovered, only the really strong folk made it to California - (think Donner Party) so 200 years and several generations later, everyone in LA is a good looking, strong, healthy competitor. Us Jews - we got off the boat in New York and said, "Oy, I think I'll just stay here."

Kelly Taylor was in TARGET??? What's next, Lisa Turtle at a thrift store? Oh, the illusions that are dashed in the City of Angels...

Having been transplanted to SoCal many many moons ago, I've have lots of Celeb sightings.

Most amusing: getting hit on by Scott Baio. Favorite: George Clooney.

Now if only George had been the one hitting on me instead of Chachi, THAT would have been a story! (Did I date myself enough for ya?)

I LOVE that sign, Laurie. And I personally want to meet the guy who crawled up there and lovingly recreated the sign for the 5 north for all of the people who are not familiar with the craziness of the highways in downtown L.A. Now, if he could only magically tell the people that they don't need to get into the left lane for something like three miles and cut down on the @#$^*( back-up there!

:)

Laurie, Erin and all those interested:

Here is a link to the website of Richard Ankrom, the artist who created the 5 Freeway north sign.

http://www.ankrom.org/freeway_signs.html

Now THAT'S public service!

hahaha MARILYN

It's totally him. I Google Imaged him.

Yes, I live the Elmwood (Rockridge is Oakland, Elmwood is Berkeley, something Berkeleyans get all fussy about that Oaklanders don't even notice, much like the SF/LA/NYC debate raging above.)

Anyway, thanks! Now I know who he is & won't think of him as the Simpsons guy anymore.

the times i've been to LA in the past few years, not one celebrity sighting. not one. and i looked.

on my last trip, the only celebrity was will ferrell AT THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AT LOGAN AIRPORT IN BOSTON!!

i once sang "i'm in the mood for love" with steve tyler of aerosmith at an anthropologie.

As a New Englander, celeb sightings are less frequent here, but are happening a lot more now that Hollywood is discovering it's cheap and easy to shoot in Providence.

My closest brush with fame was backing into Stephen King in a bookstore when I was 14. I almost knocked him over, and was so mortified I couldn't get it together enough to ask him to autograph the book (by him) that I was about to buy.

L.A. is sounding like a place I want to visit... And thanks for the AWESOME 90210 flashback.

The candle is talking to me and it is saying, "I want a swing at the pinata!" Send Corona.....

Ahh! rb, sorry I mixed up Rockridge and Elmwood. But now whenever I read a Michael Chabon book, I'll think of Otto, the Simpson's bus driver...

oh and, does anyone else think of Clinton when they look at Laurie's bent candle?

OMG...Kelly Taylor at TARGET! I LOVE IT!

The closest I've ever gotten to a celeb moment was waiting on CHEAP TRICK when I used to work at Aunt Mary's after HS. We'd FIGHT over them and one time, they autographed my tip! LOL!

That melty candle reminds me of the Egyptian paintings of their own Beautiful People sitting at parties with cones of scented wax on their heads, which melted in the heat and dribbled down their wigs to, supposedly, help keep them cool.

They've got everything else in L.A. Why not a revived melty-wax-head-cone fad?

Thanks for the pic of the Southern California freeway. Reminds me why I LEFT!

Hey RB-
Whew! I'm glad Marilyn bailed me out- I'm totally hopeless at celebrity spotting--the John Lithgow one was a rare time when I DID recognize who is was! Most of the time I think "Hey- you look familiar- did I go to high school with you? Or are you a parent of someone I went to HS with???...." So just useless I am. I've actually been making faces at someone's toddler to keep them from crying in the check out line or chatting with folks at the coffee shop (I am a hopelessly friendly person- it's the southern roots, I'm telling ya) and then my husband or friend I'm with will tell me later "Did you KNOW that was so-and-so from that thus-and-such hit TV show?" And I'll be TOTALLY surprised!
And actually, yes, Jess DOES go by "Jess" (she just introduced herself formally, being a good, well mannered girl from Long Island NY and all) so I guess Kenau totally lived up to your expectations! The funny thing is,I suspect that if he'd had enough of a sense of humor to laugh, Jess totally would have invited him to hang out with her and her equally funny and delectable buddy. Too bad Reeve, you totally bummed out there!

Oooo, I love celebrity spotting!! Unfortunately for me, in the town I live in, my best chance is to run into Tom Wopat (Luke Duke from The Dukes of Hazzard) in the supermarket. Not *quite* the same as Kelly Taylor in Target....*sigh*

Susan, I think you know what I meant by the Jess/ Jessica thing!

I'm laughing at Marilyn thinking of Otto henceforth when reading Michael Chabon. Funny thing, I was more familiar with his wife's work, and I guess she's my neighbor too!

So my sister was in line for a movie a few years ago and she's in sales and meets lots of people, so when she recognized the guy in front of her she said "Hey, I've met you. Where do I know you from?" and then she starts naming some of the companies she calls on. He was kind of trying to blow her off, but finally he said "I'm John Lithgow. The actor?"

Small world, I guess. :)

Purl Needlemeyer, do not forget the I-can't-take-the-cold-anymore factor in fueling the great Western migration.
I had no idea who Ankrom was; can you ship him out here to Boston to work on the street signs? Fine line between elaborate graffiti and art...

There's always someone seeing someone around here in CT (especially toward NY), but I never seem to see them.

While I was performing at The Cloisters (a medieval history museum and park in NYC) for their one day Ren Faire last October, the excited buzz among the cast for the faire was that one of them gave directions to Mandy Patinkin. INIGO MONTOYA, MAN!!!

I have, however, met 3 out of 5 members of Duran Duran...AT the concert afterparty. Roger Taylor is a lovely man, I must say. I couldn't really tell about Simon le Bon because he doesn't talk at parties to "preserve his voice." Heh. Nick Rhodes was the third, who came to the party, but he's a really quiet guy. At another afterparty at another DD concert we got to see all five of them up close and personal. I could have talked to John Taylor, but I reverted to age thirteen and completely chickened out, lol.

I love LA and if I didn't love San Francisco more I would move down South in a heartbeat. I used to hang out in Venice and surf at Sunset beach and drive the great drives and get a thrill each time I did so. Dylan wasn't the only one who could drive the PCH.

Ah Kelly Martin -- Oh the heartbreak of magazine shoot, the awful fire that artfully burned her face - but not too freakishly, and wasn't there a pill addiction tossed into that season for her too? Glad to hear she was keeping it real shopping at Target following her exit from California University...

I heart you LA, too! I can't believe what a total LA dude Peter Facinelli looked like, either. The sunglasses, the open shirt. LA is SO WEIRD.

I miss L.A. at least with my job I get the occasional kelly/target moments away from there. Like tonight - karaoke with Vicki Vale - if my 15 yr old self was here I would be SOOOOOO dying of jealousy. I loved Batman.

Hey your candle is like mine! All 5 of them, drooped over from the heat in a small cottage in the west of Ireland. Learned from it and removed their successors when we left next time

Oops. When I saw the candle I thought you were doing some voodoo on mr x.

I once dined in SF next to Frank Bank (Lumpy from Leave it to Beaver). He was arrogant and nasty to the waitress. We weren't quite sure it was him until he left and we read the name off the credit card slip he tore up and left in the ashtray (it was 1986).

Nick from Duran Duran?!! I LOVED him! LOVED him!
The part when Simon and that funny looking chick were rolling around on the ground in the video for "Hungry Like The Wolf" made me feel funny. I wanted to roll around on the ground with Nick.

Pretty tablecloth! I love it when you can enjoy your neighbors outside entertainment without actually having to go socialize with them.

Donna Martin Graduate!
Donna Martin Graduate!

You know, I'm not a big fan of SoCal, but this post kind of makes me wish I was...

so who was the "simpson's guy???"

Laurie...I think you need to make a chat room attached to your blog...and a forumm..... the CRAZY AUNT PURL group....

love the candle... totally cracked me up to see it going limp.... reminds me of some of the plants I put in....

did the watermelons get planted???

That is seriously crazy.

Before I read a word of your post...I saw the PICTURE...and my stomach got that butterfly sensation! I love driving (riding in passenger seat, honestly), into L.A. (Fairfax for Canter's Deli!)and getting to THAT point!
I've had my share of celebrity encounters (I just met Angela Cartwright as a matter-of-fact, it's on my blog). I live in an O.C. 'hood that has many 'a celebrity (a lot of pro athletes too). I think they live out here because their 'ordinary' neighbors are richer than them, therefore, not making a fuss over their celebrity status! :)
However, I always end up striking up a conversation with 'em about Wal-Fart, or "24", or how my boobs ARE real.
Also, I'm always blasting the Evita soundtrack...but mostly the ALBUM with Patti Lupone as Evita.

Oh my gosh. The picture of the first fatality of summer reminds me of when my air conditioner shot craps in August (in Kansas). I came home and all of my candles were slumped over.

And weirdly enough, it rained today, or sometime last night... but only in downtown, it seems. Apparently the "molten surface of the sun" atmosphere in the Valley just dries up the rain before it even falls ;)

And yes!! Of course I read every comment. I also stalk each one of you secretly when you give me links to your blogs. me = stalk stalk

One of my celebrity experiences was when I worked the front desk of a resort and convention center in BFE, Illinois. Norm Crosby flirted with me while he would wait for his limo to take him the 1 1/2 drive to eat in a Chicago restaurant or do what ever celebrities do in Chicago when they are a senior citizen with a Viagra-fix. I was in my twenties at the time and thought it was funny but complimentary at the same time. Another experience was when I worked at more uppercrust hotel and when I picked up my paycheck, Michael Jordan was standing right next to me (children, can you say "tall"). He was there to eat in the restaurant. Then one time I was waiting for a plane in Akron/Canton and there was a WWF wrestler waiting for them to give him a seat that would fit him ("snicker").

Now I want to drive along the entire coast of CA. Is there a highway that follows the entire coast north to south or south to north (don't want to show a preference)?

Note that Al Pacino also shops at the Target in WeHo:
http://www.defamer.com/hollywood/sightings/hollywood-privacywatch-special-edition-scarface-goes-to-target-179187.php

Continuing the stalk-arrazzi-defaming-gawk:
I smoked pot with David Space once. While not entirely amazing...I mean, who hasn't Spade gotten high with...I'm just proud to say I've gotten stoned with somebody who has ben in Heather Locklear's pants.

For some reason, the thought of a blogebrity like Laurie reading my own blog makes me nervously happy. 'Like having Hemmingway read one of my short stories from college.

hah hah jason, I am not a blogebwhatever. Just your regular intenets weirdo. I loved the Paris Hilton piece you wrote. See, I do stalk. I just do it all stealth like.

rox... you can take Highway 1 all the way (mostly) and it's the most beautiful drive in the world, you really do get the feeling you are at the very living edge of the continent! The coast is awe inspiring, especially around Big Sur. Breathtaking!

Yo, Laurie! (Your ghetto slang is rubbing off on me!) Is there a new blog entry thinger comin' today?

So how did Kelly Taylor look? Was she pretty in person?

Wow...that one paragraph makes me really glad I never got into 90210. :)

Kelly Taylor was very pretty in person ... she's pregnant! Tiny body, little cute belly.

No new entry today, sorry! I am being run somewhat ragged at work. bleh.

Just in case you're in a stalking mood today here's my new blog address. I just can't figure out how to resurrect my old one so I'm starting over.

I hope your having a good day. Did you start the scarf yet??

Hi Liz! I will stalk you after my lunch meeting, thanks!!

I have not started the scarf yet. I have actually been out having a ... uh? I think it is called "social interaction" or something? LOL Maybe tomorrow I will write about the surprising new development in my life called "unhermiting" (!!!)

Unhermiting??? That's great Laurie!! Let me in on your secret....the only time I've left my house since Sunday was to walk 30 feet to my mailbox and back. I too have a problem leaving the house. A serious one.

"Stalk" to you later!!

Laurie doing social interaction!?!? I can't wait to hear all about it!

Hi Laurie! I'm back! I've missed you.

Hi Laurie!!!

First time reader!!! Love your BLOG...I think I'm hooked - In a matter of 3 hours I read your entire page including archives!!! LMAO Your blog is like crack....LOL Very addicting!!

Lovin' Spoonful- "Hot town summer in the city" Do you recall the other tunes - "Nashville Cats - playin' clean as country watah', and "Do you believe in miracles" - sigh, and now we have same old stuff. Making new noises. I think Sinatra had a song or two about that. Check the man out. HE's totally worth it.

ok, so this last paragraph is the "thrill"? okay girl...u need to go live in other parts of the usa, cause those things just dont add up to thrill...*smirk*
btw, the cats are looking quite good, so u must have been a good nurse! :O)

I LOVE LOVE that candle (as sad as it is): ( and your table cloth material!VERY BEAUTIFUL!!

I spent the afternoon with Dean Cain once (I was babysitting his niece and nephew for the day). He is friggin' HOTTTT! : )

STEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVE!

Lovin the celeb sighting stories. I would add my own but they are a bit numerous. Guess that's what happens when you party too much. My fave would probably have to be the evening I got to party with Mick Fleetwood. He kind of crashed our party. The joke was, "Well we opened the door and Mick Fleetwood was there asking if he could come in. We let him in but only because he had brought a 6-pack of Corona." What really impressed me though was that we did not have a bottle opener so Mick cracked my beer open on the edge of a dresser.

I must learn how to do that. Oh yeah. I don't have to anymore because now I have bottle opener on my keychain.

Sounds like lot of fun craziness. But I think I will give big cities a miss and stick with my city that is more like a big country town!
Mia

Dagny! Geez, if someone like Mick Fleetwood would crash a party, you would think he would have enough class to bring TWO six packs, and bring something better than Corona - like maybe Duvel, or Chimay... :)

WORLD CUP SOCCER starts today!!!!!!
Love me some international men in shorts!!!

I came home one day to all my candles looking like that one .. after the heat mysteriously turned on in the dead of summer, and the house thermomestat stops reading at 99 degrees.

I just had an interview with LA county libraries, and I was thinking about ACTUALLY moving to the LA area, and what that would mean. In no particular order:

Mountains/ocean/warm!
Coupla good friends
Coachella
Crazy Aunt Purl! I can stalk her now!

Alas, I kind of effed up the interview, but hey- it's practice, and now I know I can make a list of 4 things straightaway that I like about LA.