Beverly Hills

Swimming Pools
Movie Stars (name that TV show)!

(A little background before I tell you about Beverly Hills!)

Bryce is a fundraising machine for his cancer. He's trying to get enough money to pay for his surgeries and travel and living costs while he's in Europe. He's hoping the insurance will reimburse him, but because it's an overseas procedure, they may not. Anything he earns OVER what the insurance company reimburses him is going into a fund he's starting for ASPS cancer patients since there is literally NOTHING out there for them yet. (He's also documenting every experience on video so he can have that information for people who don't have it.)

I keep telling people how special he is...!

ANYWAYS!

Bryce used to intern for an online fashion company and the owner, Michael has a new hot find in Jonathan, a jewelery designer from Quebec. Jonathan's company, Lolipop, is AMAZING! Every piece Jonathan makes is uniquely hand-made by him. He uses special glass that is made mostly of quartz, so it's incredibly strong and clear - like pyrex glass. Celebrities have worn his stuff to award ceremonies. He makes belt buckles, money clips, bangles, earrings, necklaces, cuff links, rings. He also makes HUGE artwork. It's expensive, though...far too rich for my blood. I was looking at this beautiful pair of earrings that I wanted SO bad, but they were $500.

Bryce is having a silent auction in Beverly Hills at The Aqualounge and the things up for bid are geared more toward the wealthy. He's gotten donations of items like box seats to the Lakers (including parking), box seats to the Pantages (including parking), box seats to the Hollywood Bowl (including parking), backstage passes to American Idol with a meet and greet with Ryan Secrest...you get the idea, right? Well, Jonathan is donating a few pieces to auction off.

Back to Beverly Hills.

Jonathan's friend David knows a lot of high end people because he's a screenwriter/producer, so he invited Jonathan into his home in Beverly Hills to showcase his pieces to some wealthy people and get the word around. David was very welcoming as we walked into his house and even told us his house is haunted by LOTS of spirits. Well, Bryce and Jonathan hadn't ever met. So Jonathan invited Bryce to the showcase. Bryce invited me and a few other people, but it ended up being just Bryce, my new friend Scott (MOUNTAIN MAN!), and I.

We were in the heart of Beverly Hills surrounded by photographers, actors, movie producers, screenwriters, and some of the people I didn't even meet. It was a great opportunity for Bryce to tell people who have money about the auction on Thursday and they can tell their friends and hopefully, he'll get enough money to pay for the surgeries.

David is a screenwriter/producer and he had fliers and cards out about his newest project called, The House at the End of the Drive. A horror film from the executive producer of The Amityville Horror.

Here's the kicker, though. We were getting ready to leave, and a new group of people had come in and as we're walking out the door, I heard David (the host) say something about Charles Manson. (If you don't know who that is, google him...famous murderer. You won't understand the rest of the story unless you know who he is.) We got in the car and started heading down the ridiculously long and curvy driveway and Scott said he saw a room that had framed pictures and newspaper clippings of Charles Manson. Odd decorating choice. But combined with what I overheard, we decided to call David (since we had his business card) and ask what the deal was.

The house we were in...that we had been in for over an hour...was the actual site of the Charles Manson murders of Sharon Taye and her entire family!!

...We survived though.

Things that induce laughter/smiles/happy feelings in me today:
1. Bryce selling me out to the French Canadian, telling him that I spoke French. It sounds funny because it didn't happen to YOU!
2. Having the Mama Mia soundtrack still stuck in my head from Disneyland.
3. Jake. He is the oddest dog in the world.
4. All of the memories I'll have long after Bryce is dead.