Goodbye, Max

I was very sad to hear about the death of my dear friend Max Gold and my thoughts are with his beautiful wife Kimaree, his two beloved children Grayson and Georgia and his parents. Max was a quiet shy guy but through our love of film, popular culture, cigars and a good steak, we became unlikely friends in college and better friends during our early days struggling in NYC. Never one to admit a movie made him cry, Max would always say that he got a little "dusty" if the film was sentimental or sad. I have some really awesome memories of my times with Max over the past few years which only make sense in the context of our friendship and to our core group of Rat Pack friends but I'm going to share them anyway in his memory. Like many of you, I get so caught up in my life I don't have the time to tell all those out there how much they to mean to me, and Max was someone very special in my life--a constant person of sanity, generosity, fun and serenity and the namesake for Maximillian Cat. I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye. These are some of my favorite moments with my friend Max:

1. Donna Martin graduates party and his devout love/hate of Tori.
2. The night Max got his first paycheck and treated me and Al for steaks at the The Palm when I was dirt poor.
2. Seeing Lost Highway together 4 times in the theater and always making time with me to play video games prior to the film.
3. The crazy El Paso lobster dinner with my mother, sister and other random friends where we insisted that the guitar player serenade my mother with Light My Fire since she hates that kind of stuff.
4. The Five-star day where Max took me to see the Oscar red carpet, ate fish tacos for the fist time from a stand on Venice Beach and then watched the show at Randy Newman's lover's house (don't ask). Max didn't want to drive me downtown for the red carpet part, but when I got a little "dusty" he took me out of sympathy. He, however, did drive me without hesitation to the exact spot where Biggie got shot.
5. The George Clooney Dr. Ross bar incident
6. Every Rat Pack/Swingers night we ever had with Phil, Al, Dupes and Ro. It was fun to be the girl in a group of such boys.
7. Max's beautiful wedding to Kimaree that hot August day in New Orleans and the fun we had that awesome weekend when we were all together in NOLA.
8. Driving around LA in Max's car singing Sugar Ray when he moved out west and I visited him for the first time. That song Every Morning was on the radio every five minutes and we couldn't get enough of it and I still think of Max when I hear it.
9. Smoking cigars on the street to celebrate me and Kimaree's 30th birthdays.
10. The week that Max lived with me before he moved to LA and how annoyed I was that he had to watch Sports Center hogging the TV before bedtime but when he moved away, how much I really missed seeing him all the time.

Rest in peace, gentle friend.

My Bucket List

It's been awhile since I posted, but I've been busy crossing of things I want to do before I die and to honor the memory of my friend Timothy who died two years. In his honor during the month of May I live freely, happily and without fear. You never know when one day you are going to sit down to watch Nova, drink a diet Shasta and never wake up again.

Here's what I accomplished in May:
1. Performed onstage with a rock band (English Beat)

2. Spoke at a professional conference to a bunch of strangers about what I do for a living.

3. Booked myself for a weekend at the Chateau Marmont an entertained friends in my room.

4. Rode up the Pacific coastline on the Amtrak.


Here is what is next:
1. Run for public office
2. Swim with dolphins
3. Go to the Italy

Decade on Morton

This weekend marked my 10th anniverary in my tiny West Village apartment. I can't believe I still live here and while my life seems different it also seems the same. In 1999, I didn't have a cat, worked as an assistant, had a website on Geocities, didn't know Pepe, wasn't afraid of terrorists and had red hair. The neighborhood has definitely changed but I love the new West Side Highway and the Christopher Street pier. I am lucky and grateful that the Risotteria came into my life giving me a job and a good friend named Joe when I really needed both of them. The only thing I really need to change is my old TV which I've had since I moved here. It's time.

I LOVE ADAM LAMBERT

It's been a few seasons since I have been excited about American Idol but thanks to Adam Lambert, I'm Idol obsessed! He killed tonight with Mad World. Once I get the video to that, I'll post but in the meantime, watch his amazing performance of Tracks of My Tears from Motown week!

Chinese Medicine

Today I spent the day in Chinatown and went into a strange Chinese medicine shop. The old man there took close photos of my eyeballs, took my pulse and examined my tongue. He told me I had trouble sleeping, stomach issues and congestion. He was so dead on, I asked him what I should do so he whipped me up a strange package of herbs and some kind of mineral that he crushed on the floor. I had to soak it, boil it and then simmer it for 45 minutes. It tasted terrible but right after I drank it, my nose cleared out and my stomach feels settled. I wish my insurance covered this.

Goodbye Blogger, Hello Tumblr?

After many long years blogging here on blogger, I've decided to move to a new hosting system for awhile called Tumblr. I'll still be updating this blog for big blog events so read both in the meantime until I finalize by nycbabylon blogging strategy.

nycbabylon.tumblr.com

Groundhog Day

Man, I've been in Vegas and being a terrible blogger. I'm kind of like Punxatawney Phil and have been hiding out in my hole. I didn't see my shadow today so perhaps I'll be inspired to write more here or mabye I'll just start a new babylon blog.

Thoughts?

The 2009 Golden Globes Madame Award

It's that special post-awards show moment where I name the celebrity that most embodies the glamour and spirit of the greatest puppet of all time-Madame!