FREE STUFF

So I went to the Office Depot to replace our Canon copier and they didn't have one. The cute sales guy talked me into getting a Hewlett Packard "all-in-one" even though I had no use for a scanner or fax. It's a lovely little machine, but not what I need. So, as I should have done in the first place, I went on line and got what I wanted delivered in a smart two days in spite of holiday traffic. 
Sooooo. If anyone in the Los Angeles area wants a practically new copier etc. email georginasworld@gmail.com and we'll figure out how to get it to you. I'd like to see it get a good home.

Speaking of good homes - Mr. Welsh has notified me that his mourning period for our dear departed cat, Bubba, is at an end and he is ready to audition a replacement. If anyone has a spare cat, preferably with all the shots and stuff in place, let us know. 
 
The rain continues. The garden if loving every minute of it.

GOOD NEWS AND BAD NEWS

First the good news.
My buddy and fellow Gypsy Emeritus, Miriam Birch has made it to the finals in the Great Cabaret Idol contest!

We'll be in the house cheering her on Sunday night. Looks like it may already be a sold-out house, but you can go to www.facebook.com/cabaretidol.
Once there, "like" the page, and get updates on show times, dates and guest judges for the week.
If you message James on www.facebook.com/cabaretidol, give (1) your name (2) how many tickets you would like and (3) that you are coming to support Miriam Birch.

Now the not so good news.

John Leslie Passed Away Monday, December 6, 2010

John was a major adult film actor appearing in close to  300 films and one of the first adult film actors who made a successful transition to director. John unexpectedly died at home of an apparent heart attack. Friends were not aware of health issues and remarked he had reported to work shortly before his death.

John was also known for his skill as a blues musician, cook and artist. John was a youthful 65.

I loved those guys - as did my best bud, Howie aka Richard Pacheko. Here's what he had to say.

John Leslie - Extra Crispy
Just returned from the crematorium where I stood next to John's wife, his best friend Joey, and his dog Holmes as we all held each other up, said good-bye and then watched as they loaded his shell into a very big oven.  It kinda looked like an industrial, working-class, MRI machine.  Never saw one of those ovens before.  Don't really care if I never see another one again.

On the way back across the Bay, I listen to the John Leslie Blues Band on a CD. It's very comforting to hear John's voice again.  I will have to get used to the idea that there will be no more new conversations.

John will be missed by family, friends and fans.

Terri Childress, a delightful lady from Virginia, requested a review copy of my book, The Devil Made Me Do It. Of course I sent her one. Here's her response:

Hello Georgie!
I've posted my review for the book:
http://bodicerippernovels.wordpress.com/2010/12/04/the-devil-made-me-do-it-by-georgina-spelvin/

http://bodicerippernovels.blogspot.com/2010/12/devil-made-me-do-it-by-georgina-spelvin.html

http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Made-Me-Do/product-reviews/0615199070/ref=cm_cr_dp_hist_4?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addFourStar
I'm 'alphalover'

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Devil-Made-Me-Do-It/Georgina-Spelvin/e/9780615199078/
I'm 'Stormie'



Thanks again for sending me an autographed copy. I'm still tickled
pink over it. Have a wonderful weekend,
 

Had a lovely visit with my book doctor, David Sterry!

Got to meet his adorable, talented, wife Arielle (nee Eckstut), mother of the amazing Olive. 

We had lunch at the cafe.

 

Then explored the garden.




Olive entertained us with pithy observations

and wonderful stories. Yes, she comes by her lively literary skills honestly, of course, but I'm always amazed at how much they know when they still look like such recent arrivals.




Thanks much for fitting us on your packed dance card.

They grow up so fast...

When I did a steamy scene with Howie Gordon for a film called The Dancers back in the dim dark dawn of time, his lovely wife was right there on the set, holding their infant son in her arms. It was the best experience I ever had on a set during my long and checkered career. 

Here's Howie - then known as Richard Pacheco - and me at the Adult Film Awards ceremony that year. 

I think we won something.

Now - that infant is all grown up

 and presenting a unique take on the porn world that I have every intention of seeing when he brings it to Santa Monica in the spring. 



Meanwhile - if you're in the San Francisco area - check it out. 

Tickets and further information.
I just know it's going to be a very moving performance.
As we say in the Biz of Show, Dear Bobby, please know I wish you a warm hand on your opening. 

The review: 
In Debbie Does My Dad performance artist Bobby Gordon uses spoken word theater to tell the bawdy and beautiful story of his experiences growing up as the son of a former adult film star.
Gordon’s father, Howie Gordon (Stage Name Richard Pacheco) won Playgirl Man-of-the-Year Honors in 1979 and had a Hall of Fame X-Rated acting career appearing in over a 100 features.
Having spent his childhood “in the shadow of his dad’s erection” Bobby Gordon dives into his experiences dealing with overly excited friends, meeting (or really failing to meet) unreasonably high expectations from female classmates in school, his own sexual development, confronting and rebelling against his father, and
ultimately working to redefine manhood for himself.
       Nothing is what you’d expect in this show where the words “sensitive” and “male porn star” go together as easily as “masturbation” and “inevitably getting walked in on by your parents.” Gordon offers an intimate window into his journey
to come to grips his father’s former career, and create a world where a man can be an emotional and a sexual being; a world where fucking and feelings can co-exist.

    "Bobby Gordon plunges into the creative rhythms, images and sounds of spoken word poetry with courage, honesty and sensual delight to talk about sex, porn and fathering. This is a must see show." – Warren Nebe, Director of Drama For Life

The HAT

"I LOVE that HAT!" said I to my friend Margie - aka Big Mean Lady of Lopez Land.
"Did you knit it?" 
"I did," she replied. "OMG, you've got to give me the pattern!"
Now, I did used to knit - a lot - mostly leg warmers and mostly during the five minute breaks every hour that are required by Actors' Equity dance chorus contracts. But that was several lifetimes ago. Still, I thought this looked like something I might be able to handle. If I had a good, easy to read pattern. Right?
So - a week or so later, I get an unexpected package in the mail. When I open it, sitting upon an inflated red balloon is THE HAT! Never mind sending me the pattern, the lady made me a hat! Just like hers! She says she will send me the pattern anyway - when she has time to write it out. It was easier to knit the hat? I guess so.

What a Big Mean Lady. 


How lucky am I? 

Halloween

So this is Halloween. Sunday, October 31^st. Not last night, Saturday. Tell that to the parents of the wee ghosties and goblins and the long-legged beasties that go bump in the night (most notably at the many parties along our block). 

Halloween should be on the last Saturday of October – like Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday – last or next to last depending on geography. But Halloween, like Christmas, being based on the Christian calendar, not the public school system, is variable. I say Christmas and All Saint’s Day should both be on Sunday.

So Halloween eve – last night – Elen, my pal going all the way back to pre Woodstock days – made a birthday party for our mutual friend Laura featuring tandoori chickens with all the proper Moroccan trimmings and rituals and to hell with Halloween. 

Here's pal Elen at Woodstock.

She can be seen at 1:34 into this clip, on the right screen.

See, like this.

Well, yeah. We have a pot of pennies by the door to bribe any goblins that make it up out hill tonight, but my days of baking and decorating cupcakes for the little beasties are long over. Let them buy their own cavity creators. Bah humbug. OK. Make that Boo humbug.

Wrong Wrong Wrong

I got it all wrong.

My appointment with the eye clinic last Wednesday wasn’t for the surgery, just for the tests (and tests and tests and tests) that precede it. 

The surgery will not be until December 14^th.  But I’d like to thank artist Steve Lopez for sending me this encouragement.

And thank you to all the folks who emailed to wish me good luck on the surgery. You don’t have to do it again on December 14^th. I’ll just keep them all and read them again with my one good eye.