xtcian

"I drove home down Rossmore ... clutching a fresh bag of sour gummy bears, wearing a stupid grin. FUCK YEAH!"

This reminds me of my favorite movie sountrack. http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/teamamericaworldpolice/americafuckyeah.htm

Congratulations!

I think that there is a certain James Frey-ish quality to this story!

Wow! that is a great pic of Tessa and Lucy.

Your story reminds me of a time, on Xmas break from the U, when a gf and I attened a NYE party in good old VA.

When we arrived, we asked for the location of the "coat room." I guess the music was pretty loud, as we were led into a room where people lined the walls nervously awaiting the clandestine unveiling of something that sounds like "coat." They were silent, all eyes on the same spot in the room. Truly weird.

At the time it was hysterical (we could not imagine anyone could have thought THAT is what WE! had asked), but in hindsight it's a bit frightening and sad.

Same story minus the kobe steak, models, expensive scotch, and the fabulously famous. Your version is much more worthy of retelling.

Did any of them have lice?

I have had the same experience before at a party, although mine was much much less interesting. Basically I bowed out of a party early one night in grad school, totally skipped the really expensive house provided gins and vodkas so I could go home and read another chapter of a book I had gotten into. I thought I was the only person in the world to leave a happening party to go read a book. Something happens around your early 30s where you have partied enough and experimented enough and experienced enough of that life where it just becomes less interesting than a good book or audio book.

so, that's what the Hollywood intellectuals do with their free time

Books > drugs.

Especially the Aubrey/Maturin books.

PS Tessa > skinny cokehead models by a gazillion miles.

Although I wouldn't call Tessa UNslender. :-)

Good story! I like your detached-observer quality in relating it.

At this Hollywood party, were there any nude bungholes that were suspiciously pale? If so, you know how they got that way!

That story conjures up for me scenes of Less Than Zero...totally different world than mine, but that's fine by me.

That's right--the Hollywood intellectuals favor books in their free time. J. Boogie got one right for a change!

Great story, Ian. Especially the dollar bill and the gummy bears.

Yeah, I edited some when I woke up. Same gist, but this entry felt kind of ugly when I read it today, and our experience here in the business has actually been quite wonderful, so I just stuck to my own feelings.

"I really really really had zero interest in stars, drugs, and ogling gorgeous models."

...except just enough to write a whole blog entry about them. And, about how my interest in an overhyped pop fiction book elevated me above them.

For the record: if ever I drank Sun Country wine coolers [shudder], it was as a chaser to Bacardi 151 or something like that.

Oh, and this entry was *awesome*.

"not from la": Consider this a written, engraved invitation to go read someone else's blog.

Seriously, what the fuck is it with people and anonymity?

Becoming a grownup means realizing that A) while no woman is less than you need, one woman is likely full well more than enough. and B) Cocaine is a drug whose principle effect is to make assholes feel good about themselves.

I forgot to mention earlier that my first experience with drinking was also at eighteen and with Sun Country wine coolers. Must have been something going around college campuses at the time.

And for the record, what exactly is an overhyped pop fiction book? (Heh: *that* actually puts me in mind of James Frey. No offense, LFMD.)

tooooootally.

the business of art is just like any other business, full of pretentiousness, shallow interactions, posturing, fleeting alliances and politics, and the industry's drug of choice in its particular scene. i think with the entertainment business it's just really obvious and transparent.

but if your heart is in your art then really it seems like this aspect is just something to be tolerated and held at a distance. if you get too caught up in it, it's a real distraction.

when you're younger i think that scene is more emotionally unsettling and also attractive and captivating because that's the period where you're more uncertain and you tend to seek more external validation.

what a good feeling to realize you are simply comfortable with who you are and what you do from the inside-out rather than the outside-in. it totally rocks.

Cool entry. It made me smile.

It's too bad 1979-Ian couldn't have known, but then if he did he wouldn't have become the 2006-Ian.

Not to change the subject, because I love that I know someone who knows *stars*, but could you New Yorkers make a few suggestions of places to go, see, do, eat? My husband and I are staying at the Waldorf over Memorial weekend for our first extended baby free trip. We fly in Friday and have tickets to "Spamalot" Saturday night and the rest of our time is wide open. I've been a few times as a child to New York and my husband has only been on business. Any suggestions?

I've got no stories about "coat" or drug rooms, but I was the happiest person around when they started selling Sun Country Coolers in 2 liters. The red flavor was my favorite, peach my second favorite and the orange was only when all else was sold out at the Zip Mart. Very scary thought.

i recall a good friend dressing as a sun country wine cooler two liter one fine halloween night down at ECU... ah. those were the days...

Salem's Little Sister,

If you haven't seen it before (and even if you have), I highly recommend the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Amazing, world-class art collection. In nice weather, they have a roof terrace with a bar in the evenings that overlooks the park (check their website or call them first to see if the roof terrace is open yet for the season). Very romantic. While you're in the neighborhood, check out Central Park.

Union Square is crowded and busy, but good for shopping and people-watching. You can walk south from there and check out the East and West Villages, both of which are loaded with interesting stores, restaurants, and bars.

If you're into science and nature, check out the American Museum of Natural History. They currently have a live-butterfly exhibit that you can walk through. The dioramas and dinosaur exhibits are legendary.

Brunch and then strolling is a popular weekend activity on the Upper West Side. There are many good brunch places. Sarabeth's is the most famous; in my opinion, it's overrated and too crowded and expensive.

If you plan to have dinner before the theater, you will most likely need a reservation at the more popular restaurants. Becco is a good one, but there are countless others.

Have fun on your trip!

SLS: echoing claudia re becco -- good theatre-district italian and not too pricey.

love union square, and also, madison square park further north and west -- a bit trendy at the moment, but a good people-watching situation...

also, not a bad idea to go online and check out newyorkmag.com, villagevoice.com, timeout.com and thenewyorker.com [i think these are the correct web addresses!] for their "listings" sections, where you might find something totally up your alley. for example, if you'd be interested in attending a reading in the east village... or, doing a walking tour in washington heights... and, in nymag and time out's case, also ideas for interesting restaurants, etc...

if you are a museum person, i would also recommend the new MOMA in midtown... for modern art enthusiasts and/or those who love architecture... [layout of the museum is interesting...] plus, they have a fantastic spanish architecture exhibit right now... AND you can stroll right on up to rockefeller center/nbc studios if you are interested in checking out that scene...

of course, there is ground zero. no idea if you are into going down there, but everytime i have guests visit, they want to see it for themselves... if only for a few minutes.

spamalot is a superb choice for your show, by the way. doesn't get much better than that these days...

i defer to this site's host on the must-do stuff in brooklyn... so much out there that i havent explored yet!

there is so very much you can see and do, wherever you end up spending your time. and the best moments you will just "fall upon" as you stroll about... just wear comfortable shoes, and you'll be set!

Salem's Little Sister - I just got back from visiting my brother in NYC for Easter, and I went to both the MOMA and the Met. Both were fantastic. And I'll also recommend that you check out Madison Square Park at the corner of Madison and 23rd, because the Shake Shack they have there has great food and the scenery is beautiful.

Thanks mcf and Claudia!

I think I saw the unexpurgated version. I didn't think it was ugly. I guess it verged on narcing on unnamed but potentially deducible influential people, which I suppose might have come to be a source of regret, in a chickens-home-to-roost kind of way.

I had a little "LA experience" myself yesterday. Did anyone watch "Beauty and the Geek"? If so, remember Josh and Cher, the winners? Well, Josh is a Museum Critic (WTF?) and yesterday I took my kids to the Natural History Museum in LA, and he was there! He was so thrilled when I spoke to him, and then later I asked him to take a picture with me. I thought it was hilarious. And for all you skeptics, here is the photo. Yes, that's me with Henry. Have a great weekend!

http://static.flickr.com/44/132514749_7c360f95f9.jpg

(I also put it in the URL below, just in case.)

Salem's little sis - I love heading down to South Street Seaport. The shops and sites are great, and you can then walk over the Brooklyn Bridge. Grimaldi's brick oven pizza is on the other side, so you can put the pounds back on. The views are all breathtaking.

It's also a short walk from Wall Street and Ground Zero.

first of all, it seems like the older one gets, the more one wants to just go read a book. this is applicable at all sorts of times. just got to work on a monday morning? it's more satisfying to go read a book. invited out to drink and hang out? it's more satisfying to go read a book. someone wants you to sky-dive, do coke, climb a water tower, watch a david lynch movie, go see a band known for their mind-blowing (read: EAR-blowing) techniques? it's more satisfying to go read a book.

secondly, salem's little sister, please go see the cloisters, and please let yourself get lost in central park. all of my visits to nyc have been so hectic with trying to see this and that. and while this and that are fun, fulfilling, and not-worth-missing, they are overwhelming. you have to allow yourself time to calm down and, as my grandmother would say, "just be good." don't try to see and do everything. you'll get back there again. just make sure that you don't stress out so much that you'll never want to go back there again.

oh, and junior's cheesecake in brooklyn is really worth all the time puff daddy made those reality tv almost-stars put into it. get it if you can.

as one of the someone or others of whom you speak of said night at said trendy place with said friends...

i never found the drug room. and the "less than zero" comment...that comparison works in certain "hollywood" situations but this one was far too benign.

but i think i know what you're talking about, ian, when you mention, as i paraphrase, the "who cares" part of the experience. that's a good place to reach, one where you know you are on par, not insecure, not jaded necesarily, but not the same guy who i may or may not have lived with at some point in time.

all of the people you met are amazing, humble, darling. and the friend who saw your baby pictures...she just loves babies. and you too, as i have mentioned you a number of times, but i don't think she particularly morphed upon hearing you are a father. though i don't doubt that happens. men become harmless when they have a one year old's photograph in their wallet. oh, pardon me, TREO (not to get to hollywood on you).

i am working today at ARTWALK at THE BREWERY, why i am up at this ungodly hour (well, not for you, probably). so bring your baby (and friends with babies) and visit all the artists and me(also happening on sunday, same hours). i will be working at the restaurant in the middle, never thought i'd do that again (sling drinks and food for cash) but now i think it's funny. and only fun during artwalk (interesting people and raging lunatics). so bring the lucy and tessa. goes until 4pm.

oh, artwalk begins at 8, i believe, and as i wrote above lasts until 4 (parties and such commence at 4:01). but you are welcome to come early and watch as i stock, fill tubs with ice, yawn, complain. you know, hollywood actor stuff.

Good for you pal.

BTW, I'm almost done with "Thirteen Gun Salute". Killick has my toasted cheese and pot of coffee ready, G'day! No tincture of laudanum for me!

b2

Actually, my trendy skinny girl, this happened *before* I saw you guys the other night. Totally different person, although your friends were awesome!