Speaking of pink, this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so you're gonna see alot of people wear that color frequently, even guys will sport it also. I don't personally know anyone who was diagnosed with that disease but the only person that I can think of was Gilda Radner, who was one of the first ever cast members of Saturday Night Live as the "Not Ready For Primetime Players" group. She was one of breakout stars on that show in the 70's, but then her personal life was much deeper than her television career. In the late 80's Gilda Radner was supposed to host the Season Finale of Saturday Night Live in May of 1988 (two months after I came here to this thing called life) but it didn't happen cause the writers were on strike that year, shortening the television season just like it did in 2007. The following year she died of ovarian cancer, on the same day of the season finale of the 1988-89 season of Saturday Night Live. That lead to the start of the recognition and awareness of the disease that cause Gilda Radner's passing.
I wrote this cause I was a huge fan of Saturday Night Live 9 years ago in Junior High school. I watched all the repeats they aired on Comedy Central and E! that time and did extensive research on the show's history at the public libraries and by talking to people who watched the show back in the 70's. ABC aired a television movie in April 2002 called Gilda Radner: Its Always Something. I recorded it when it aired, and the VHS tape all of a sudden broke when I tried to play it back the following week. I was really upset that day, cause that was the only time that they would air that movie, and it wasn't out on home video, even to this day.
Anyway I just recap the past week day by day. It wasn't a very great week for a lot of people. There were a lot of deaths that happened among other personal problems. I, for one hand, didn't have any problems this week, cause I made it great.
SUNDAY
Spent the previous Saturday night at South Bay covering a Nigerian party with my uncle at a hotel on Torrance, mostly taking photos of the Nigerian women there who should be models, seriously. I wanted to drive back home since it ended at 3 in the morning, but my uncle freaked out since he didn't want me driving that late (I've done it many times before), so he got me a hotel room in Gardena because we have to be at a Baby Christening on Sunday morning. Then the following morning we drove to the Church, took photos and video of the event, and I left with $200 that he paid me. I then drove to Samy's Camera to buy some rolls of film, and then ventured to the Grove a block up Fairfax. I chilled at the bar inside the Cheesecake Factory there and ate Onion Rings along with their side salad and Strawberry Lemonade. I met this black guy there who was new to Los Angeles and I told him about some of the other sports bars in the Southland. He told me that works for the government and that he came from Florida. Dude was chill to talk to. Then he gave me his business card as I left.
I drove back to the valley cause there was an House warming party/Art showcase at a band members house show just moved into in Granada Hills. I didn't stay too long cause I had to go to Frank's house later, so I just took some photos with the Nikon N70 film camera and gave them $5 as a to show support as a donation. After that I got home, took a quick shower, bought pizza from both Dominos Pizza and Little Ceasers Pizza so that Frank and I can feast at his place while watching Sunday Night Football with the New York Jets against the Miami Dolphins.
MONDAY
The infamous, surprisingly, self-proclaimed "hottest record breaking day in the history of Los Angeles". I so happened to be near downtown Los Angeles on that day taking care of some business and I was wearing my black Nike t-shirt I got from Santa Monica the week before, which was a bad mistake. Before that, I was at Nicole's place to chill for a bit until she had to step out with her kids. Then I drove to the University of Southern California to pick up a T-shirt at their book store. I haven't been inside the campus since I worked at their graduation as a photographer's assistant back in May. For some reason, it felt like a regular blazing Southern California day, since I didn't notice any 113 degrees feeling as I walked around USC. The book store has a lot of pricey stuff there, including USC colored Hawaiian T-shirts for $90. I think certain people call the USC acronyms "University of Spoiled Children" for that reason.
I then drove to Samy's Camera again, taking the same route as I took the day before cause I drove by USC yesterday from Gardena. I went to pick up my film prints that were dropped off the week before to be developed. They came out VERY nice. I then went to the Grove again to take some photos of Tori Spelling and her family for the first time at Barnes and Noble for a meet and greet that night. There were too many mothers and little rugrats screaming in the bookstore while she was signing autographs, but Tori is nice and chill. Finally took a cruise up Mulholland Drive afterwards, which is hella nice to drive at night. I totally recommend it if you're going through some shit or wanna start creating a family by parking at a cliff to glance an overview of the Valley.
TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY
I didn't do that much on Tuesday, except dring all the way to Fry's Electronics for an interview that I applied at back in June. I completely forgot that I applied there. I talked to one of the other candidates for the job. Her story was very sad to hear, that she and her fiancé of 9 years both got laid off from their jobs and they have a kid to raise. I felt sorry for her so I had to give her a ride home cause she was planning on taking the Metro and walking to her place, which is in the Canoga/West Hills border, on triple digit weather. On Wednesday, I spent the entire day with my friends from high school Arlene and her sister Darlene taking photos of one of their close friends at different places from Simi Valley to Zuma Beach to a park in Malibu. Shot the whole thing on film. We were gonna go to Fairfax, but it was getting late so we just went back home. The whole experience turned out great. Thanks Arlene and Darlene.
THURSDAY
Spent the latter first half of the day working on my updated Flickr profile. Then I jetted to a studio in Reseda to watch my friend Nicole's band practice for a show they got coming up the next day. It was really hot in there, with the band members practicing without their shirts. The practice lasted for two to three hours and its was great. I wanted to come with them to an afterparty at one of the member's house, but I had to stay and help these other dudes who either work at the studio or must be part of some band group cause their car wouldn't start. I took my jumpstart kit and tried to jump their car, which is a Saturn sedan from the late 1990's. It wasn't the battery but it turned out to be the starter after one of the dudes jammed it with some type of bar, which got the engine to start.
FRIDAY
Went to go see Nicole's group called Darger De Milo perform at the Tribal Cafe in Echo Park near downtown Los Angeles. The place looks like a general store straight out of Laurel Canyon, with a Hawaiian/African theme in the exterior and inside the place. There were alot of underground bands that performed there also, which was excellent. I met this random Nigerian woman in there who forgot that it was the 50 anniversary of the country's independence from the United Kingdom, so I had to remind her. She told me that she does just about everything, from filmmaking to photography to producing and booking acts among other things, and she lives next door to the Tribal Cafe. I wish I got the Darger De Milo performace on video instead of just stills, cause it was just too damn brilliant. Then we chilled at one of the other band memebers place in the West Valley. I known her from Kennedy High since the 11th grade. Thank you Nicole for the ride to and from the performance.
SATURDAY
Was supposed to go to an album release party for this underground band, but I had to take my brother to a Nigerian 50th anniversary Independence youth party in Ontario. Was supposed to take my brother there, but I had to go help with my uncle take photos at a party that night. Was supposed to help my uncle, but he called me in the last minute to tell me that they hired another camera crew to cover the event, so I spent the night watching College Football highlights on ESPN. The Stanford/Oregon game was the most impressive game of the day, yet USC lost against Washington courtesy of a botched field goal kick from the Trojans. Just another stale Saturday. I could've made money that night.....from helping my uncle, not from College Football games.
Well, that was how my week went. If I wasn't doing anything, then there wouldn't be alot to write. Make this month great for yourself, cause there's two more before the end of the year, and it'll be gone within a flash.
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