This Weekend

Not too exciting. Watched HITCH last night. Kevin James stole every scene he was in. The woman he was after, Amber Valletta, is a client of my boss. In fact, I updated her insurance info on Friday. Isn't that thrilling? Boring weekend, except for a trip to the beach tomorrow. I did a little writing. Finally. Raul returned from Puerto Rico today. The windows in his mother's house were not properly installed. So he has to get that resolved. Oy. Next week, the bathroom in NJ is being replaced. Think marble tiles. I can't wait to see it!

Drama

Spoke to Raul in Puerto Rico today and he is mad because I’m not writing yet and feels I should look for a different job. Well, hello, I’ve only been in California for about two months. And some would say I’m doing pretty darn well. However, things are finally starting to settle down and I’m getting used to my new environment. Time to get back into my writing.

He was also annoyed that I was considering house sitting for an independent producer and taking care of her dogs. At first it was only for a weekend and then it turned into two and half weeks. Now it will be three nights over two weekends. I really don’t want to do it. How am I going to get out of this one? To be continued.

Surprisingly, I received a check in the mail today for my morning job with the producer. I was concerned because I didn’t know how often I would be paid, nor did my boss know, as his boss is in Vancouver and they are paying cash. So I’m pleased I received payment and didn’t have to wait several weeks. Speaking of work, my two bosses (husband and wife) went to the set of an infomercial Tim Conway is doing for Dean Martin’s music. Don’tcha think it would have been nice had they invited me? Oh well. Then, my morning boss the producer had to rub it in further when he decided to go to lunch with actor Robert Forster. Okay, so it’s Tim Conway and Robert Forster, but still.

At home, my roommate’s friend was staying with us because he was kicked out of his apartment. I feel sorry for him because he only has a part time job, no apartment or car. I thought for sure he was going to be staying with us for a while to save money. In fact, I became paranoid and thought maybe my roommate was trying to drive me out because before this happened, he was being rather cold and aloof toward me. However, that quickly changed when he vented his frustration about his friend staying with us. He was adamant that he wanted him out as soon as possible. So tonight, his friend moved on to a co-worker’s place. I can't imagine being in that situation.

No celebrity sightings lately, though a co-worker saw K.D. Lang at Whole Foods this morning.

Blow Up

The condo that I liked didn’t work out. Well over our budget. But, I looked at another place on Saturday that had an updated kitchen and bathroom. However, it only had an air conditioning wall-unit in the living room and nothing in the bedroom. Gee, you’d think for more than a quarter of a million dollars you could get A/C. The realtor insisted the brief 90+ degree heat wave we had last week was unusual and air was not necessary. I beg to differ. I need my A/C!

Anyway, to make a long story short, Mr. Realtor pressured me into making an offer because there were, supposedly, three other offers on the table. I really didn’t feel comfortable with the idea, or with him, and my gut instinct was screaming NO! I called Raul hoping he would put the kibosh to it, but he didn’t. He spoke to the realtor over the phone, who actually mocked him in front of me. That should have been my first clue!

So I delayed my plans to meet a friend at Paramount Studios for a party and I drove to Beverly Hills to make an offer. Signed the 26 page thing and come to find out if we pull out, we’ll lose a $300 inspection fee. Not a big deal, so the realtor says. Well, it is for me! I sign Raul’s name and we call him to fax a power of attorney when he finds out we have to put down a huge chunk of change, like $10,000 (3%). Raul and Mr. Realtor get into it over the phone and before I know what happened, the psycho realtor throws my cell phone on the conference room table, proclaims we’re wasting his time and snatches the paper work and storms out of the conference room! I kept Raul on the phone while I located the realtor and told him we are retracting our offer, that’s it, we’re done and goodbye. Amazingly, the realtor leaves me a voicemail insulting me and Raul, etc. Can you believe that? And here I thought buying a place was supposed to be a fun experience. Ha! But don’t worry, he and his office at, ahem, Coldwell Banker, haven't heard the last from us.

So I ran home, changed clothes and arrived late for my party at Paramount. Come to find out my friend had already departed. So I went anyway to grab some grub and a cocktail, because Lord knows, after that experience, I needed one! Scene: Wilson Cruz (again) and Peter Paige from “Queer as Folk”.

Sunday, I finally went to the beach with my new beach chair and read this God-awful script for work. That evening I saw my friend Brad perform in the play “Mommie Queerest” (also starring Dan Pintauro – remember him from “Who’s the Boss?), which was an absolute laugh riot.

Oh, and Friday, I went to the Hollywood Bowl for the first time to see the LA Philharmonic and the USC Trojan Band do the 1812 overture with fireworks. Absolutely fantastic!

My new favorite place is going for a walk in Runyon Canyon. It’s a hike, but worth every huff and puff to see the view from the top.

Wisteria Lane

Went to dinner Friday at Dough Boy's on 3rd St. Very hip and cheap salad & sandwich place. Saturday, I attended a "Desperate Housewives" panel at the Director's Guild through OutFest with the creator Marc Cherry, the producers and some of the actors, including Marcia Cross (who is skinny as a toothpick), the guy who plays her son and the guy who plays Justin the gay gardener. Then, I ran to the Grove to see FANTASTIC FOUR, but it was sold out. So, we saw MR. & MRS. SMITH instead. Not bad. Wanted more cool action like the scene where Angelina Jolie jumps out of the building. Though she and Brad had great chemistry. Personally, I just wanted to see them have sex. Angelina is sex on a stick, and well, Brad is just a stud.

Sunday, I went to brunch and then ran off to several condo open houses. Found one that I really liked in West Hollywood. The next step is to talk to a mortgage broker. Keep your fingers crossed, I really want to find a different place to live and this place would be great.

While walking to one open house, I passed some guy I met in Palm Springs and saw an actor from "Will & Grace" (one of Will's friends who has a partner; and he was also the weatherman who got smacked by a billboard or something in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW) walking his dog. And it doesn't get much more exciting than this: I talked to Jackie Collins when she called the office last week and spoke to Bruce Boxleitner today, who called my other boss about attending some Clint Eastwood event this Wednesday.

Anyway, that's my excitement for the week. :)

Shattered Glass

The other day when I stepped out to go to lunch, I discovered my car's front windshield had been shattered. My office asked if I had parked out front underneath the large pine trees. Why yes, I replied. Why? Well, they've had a problem with pine cones -- yes, pine cones -- falling on cars and denting them. Except this time, one broke a windshield. Well, gee, thanks for telling me. I was wondering why nobody parked on the street right in front. Now I know.

It looked like a baseball had smashed it at the point of impact, then it splintered across my windshield. I found several pine cones on the street, and sure enough, they weigh a ton, are pointy like a missile and are about the size of a grenade. My office offered to help out with the cost of replacing it. Though it's actually not as expensive as I thought it would be. Only $165 and that includes the glass, labor and taxes. Not bad, if you ask me. It's being replaced as I type this.

Celebrity sighting: Just rode the elevator up to my floor with Justin Guarini. He cut off all his locks and is much taller than I thought he would be.

Cha Cha Cha

Had dinner tonight at this Caribbean restaurant with my friend Susan called Cha, Cha, Cha. Yes, Cha, Cha, Cha. Don't you love that name? :) Cha, Cha, Cha! Makes me want to do a little Mexican dance, or something.

Raul returned to NY last night on the red-eye. :( I was so sad to see him go. We did everything I said we were going to do in my previous entry. While we were out on the sailboat, we saw dolphins and seals. The seals were laying out on this buoy all piled on top of each other. So cute! Monday we went to Solvang, CA just north of Santa Barbara. Beautiful drive up the coast and a cute, little Dutch town. Like right out of a story book.

Monday night we saw WAR OF THE WORLDS. It was very intense and disturbing, to say the least. Although the ending sucked. Not to mention, many things were unexplained. Oh well. It was neat to see the ferry scene, though, because they shot it in Athens, NY, this tiny town in upstate NY where Raul and I recently sold our lakefront property on Sleepy Hollow Lake. In fact, there's a shot of a b&b where we stayed called the Stewart House during a scene where the crowd pushes to get onto the ferry. It's also the part where a fiery train races by. Well, there's no train tracks there, but a road in front of the water. And there's no ferry station there either. I think they shot that in Catskill, the next town over. Plus, they also digitally added in the hill in back of the crowd where the alien robot-thingy stands looming over them.

Anyway, work has been okay. Today I had to research a yoga video for Shirley MacLaine, although I didn't get to speak with her, only relay the info to someone else who talked to her on the phone. Also, my TV producer boss pitched a series to Showtime today. Don't know the results yet. While I was helping him hang some pictures before I left, the actor Robert Forster called him and I had to hear how my boss spent his Fourth of July -- with Ryan O'Neal and Farrah, of course, among others out in Malibu. Well, ain't that special?

Oh! And guess who finally called me back?! Mr. Movie Star's producing partner! He left me a message yesterday, now I have to return his call.

Celebrity sighting: Ed Begley Jr. yesterday at Whole Foods.

July 4th Weekend

Raul flew into town last night. Tomorrow we're meeting friends for lunch in Laguna Beach. They used to be our fabulous neighbors back on the East Coast, but then moved to San Diego. Since then, they've had a baby, so it will be nice to meet their newborn, Riva.

Saturday night we're staying at Raul's sister's house in Laguna and Sunday we're going out on their sailboat. I've never been out on the Pacific Ocean, so I'm really looking forward to it. Monday we want to drive up the coast to Santa Barbara and tour the wine country. Happy 4th of July, y'all!

Frustrations = my morning boss the TV Producer asked me to come up with a treatment for a remake of a film. Well, I stayed up until 3am working on it the night before he was going to pitch it to MGM. That morning he reads it, likes it, says he's going to use it, has one minor editorial change. Tells me to edit it while he changes clothes for his meeting. Put everything together for his meeting, including my change, but then he says he's going to save it for later. WTF? So I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning for what? First he likes it, then he says he'll use it later. Wah! But it's a good idea. Easy to shoot with one location. Oh well, hopefully he'll use it in the future. My highlight this week was making a reservation for him and his wife to have dinner at the Palm with Jackie Collins tonight. Yes, as in the sister of Joan Collins. :D

Celebrity sightings: Actress Krista Allen the other day at my office; Justina Machado who plays Vanessa on HBO's "Six Feet Under" at dinner tonight.