Saturday, September 18, 2010

Seeing Stars

After Kevin and Melissa’s wedding Randy our middle son came home with us to visit for a week, Friday was his last full day here and when asked if there was anything he wanted to see before leaving California he came up with several suggestions that we just could not accommodate, so without going into all the suggestions a 23 year old young man can come up with I’ll just say he really wanted to go see the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For those of you who have never been there this place is loaded with history and the performers, whether you are speaking of music, film, or TV is just scratching the surface of the talent that has walked down Hollywood Boulevard, we arrived and I was truly amazed at the names I read on the stars lining the sidewalks, I could list a whole page but will only say that it was really impressive.
Our second celebrity so to say that we ran into the last couple weeks in addition to Mike “Mighty Mike” Murga aka our mini Elvis was Jimmy Kimmel we actually saw him taping an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live standing on Hollywood Boulevard doing a meet and greet, he was talking to a woman and was playing with her small child, there were so many people around him that I only got a few shots with the camera and Cindy made a dash back when the crown thinned some to take one more, Sorry Ron I didn’t get an autograph but did make eye contact through the crowd, it was either eye contact or he was thinking “Great another camera” it was pretty cool to watch this going on and amazing at how many people walked by without even looking to see what was going on.

Another celebrity that gets very little recognition is a man named John who is disabled and works very hard cleaning the stars on the walk, he is missing a leg and each time I have been down here so has he, he is always down on the ground with a rag, brasso, and a brush making the stars shine, dragging his supplies and crutches from star to star, I really wanted to get a picture of him but when we saw him a young man was kneeling down talking to him, John moved his stuff to the next star and this young man stayed right in front of him and continued talking, about the time I got to him I heard him say to this young man “I really have enjoyed talking to you but really wish you would leave me alone right now as I still have a lot of work to do” I figured he had most likely been harassed enough and gave him a smile and respected what he had asked the young man, by not interrupting him again. He appears to be a great guy and I just wanted to give him a shout out and hope any of you who go to Hollywood will say hello to him and appreciate the good work he does.
We stopped by Grauman's Chinese Theatre to see the many foot and handprints out front, there are over 200 hand and footprints here and they include personalities from the 1920’s to current day celebrities, it was neat to see Cindy place her hand in the same spot Natalie Wood had hers the same year Cindy was born and felt pretty good to place my right foot in the exact same spot Jimmy Stewart had his back in 1948, no big thing to a lot of folks but the quality of talent that has walked these streets is impressive to me.
Heading back up the street we went through the Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and the Guinness Book of World Records, the Wax Museum was really nice and the quality work made you wonder if they were real or not for some.

Randy Ran Into Rambo

Cindy was Kicking It with Charlie’s Angels

Randy and I saw the Governator back before he got into politics.

And I had to sit down with some joker I ran into but his rambling about things I didn’t understand led me to think it was going to be a Dark Night, he kept interrupting me wanting to know why I was so serious and wanting to put a smile on my face, I was kind of glad to leave this guy sitting there talking to himself.

We really had a good time and on our way back up the street we stopped in a souvenir shop, imagine that someone selling souvenirs in Hollywood, but while looking at all the goodies Cindy picked up a large sucker and said Hey Jimmy take my picture I want a sucker shot, a man standing behind me popped off “looks like it’ll be a picture of two suckers” we got a good laugh and he agreed to make it three suckers and stood with Cindy for a picture, he was visiting from Ohio and was a really good man to meet.

I could go on and on but wanted to share some of our last full day with Randy in Hollywood, We saw stars from yesteryear and today, ate at Mel’s Diner, bought a few t-shirts and drove in LA Traffic which was not anything I would wish on any of you, if you ever get a chance to go and visit Hollywood it is worth it if for nothing else but to see the different people walking the streets that will make you remember how diverse and also exactly the same we all are. It is so eerie you will definitely see stars.

17 comments:

  1. Hooray for Hollywood!!! geez you were not so far away from my office. I am in downtown LA. I wish you guys could have dropped by. I love Hollywood Blvd. It is so eclectic and full of so many different characters. It has really improved in the last years as they are trying to clean it up to make it more appealing to the tourists. My dad grew up right there and went to Hollywood High. I think it really depicts how the movie industry was back in the day. Anyhow, I am so glad you had a great time with Randy. And as far as the traffic goes...well welcome to my world. This is the traffic I contend with everyday going to and from work. Yikes!!!! Enough to make your blood sugar rise.

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  2. *jumping and down; clapping*

    OMG...you have no idea how MUCH I enjoyed this post, Jimmy! Being the starstruck person that I am, I've always wanted to experience Hollywood Blvd. and Grauman's! There's an old I Love Lucy episode where she and Ethel go to Grauman's and steal John Waynes footprints, it's hysterical!

    Enjoyed ALL these wonderful photos! Especially the ones of Cindy with Natalie Woods handprints (I loved Natalie Wood), and you with the Joker. How COOL!

    "Sorry Ron I didn’t get an autograph but did make eye contact through the crowd..."

    Awww....that's okay, at least you got to see him!

    Thanks for sharing such a fun and interesting post, buddy! Thoroughly enjoyed!

    Have a super Sunday!

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  3. WOW! I loved this, especially The Joker!
    What a fantastic place to visit...I am so envious.
    Cindy was great as one of "Charlie's Angels" and I really admire the guy who did the cleaning. You just never think that someone must do it, I reckon that it's just taken for granted.
    Agree with Ron, thanks for sharing a fun and interesting post!
    Big hugs to you both.

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  4. Hey Susie, I told Cindy on the way down that we should look for your office to see if you wanted to see a couple new patients Ha Ha, you never know we just may show up one day, I can’t wait till we get it figured out when we can meet.

    We have been to Hollywood before but I did enjoy it more this time, there is so much history there but you know this better than me being from the area, the LA traffic is a bit much for me but it’s all in what you are used to, fighting it would probably drive mine down and that would only make matters worse Ha Ha

    Hey Ron, I am so proud you enjoyed the post Buddy and hope one day you can go and see Hollywood for yourself because I know you would Love it.

    I remember that I Love Lucy episode and you are so right about it being so funny, John Wayne himself had a bit part in it if I am not mistaken

    It was a cool trip and worth doing again one day.

    Alice, Thank You my Dear Friend, I am really impressed with the man who cleans the stars, you can actually look down and see where he has been by the looks of them, it’s sad that people like him are taken for granted as there is a special place in heaven for folks like this.

    Big Hugs right back to you.

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  5. How fun! We were there not too long ago. My 21 year old son had never been there. Looks like you made the most of it. I will certainly say hi to John next time I in there!

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  6. You guys were in my corner of the world. You should have sto[[ed in and saw me. I fit right in with all of those strange looking characters. lol I am happy you all had a great time. I will think of you as I sit in that traffic, lol :cool: Hope you all stay well and happy. Thank you for the wonderful story. I really got into it. :cool:

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  7. All the years I lived in LA and I never went down there to take pictures because I didn't want to look like a 'tourist'...and now I wish I did!

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  8. Glad your son enjoyed the Hollywood Blvd sights. There are some interesting people around there. Have you been there at night? Yikes.

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  9. Hey Betty, This was Randy's first time as an adult going down there, we took him once when he was a kid but I think he will remember this trip better :)

    Luisa, It looks like there are a bunch of us pretty close here, it would have been nice if we had all been able to meet there, one day maybe if we can get through the traffic Ha Ha.

    Hey Joe, There are so many cameras down there that it looks funny if you don't have one, I got a lot of random shots while there, next time you go looking like a tourist will be worth it.

    Hello TB, I can just imagine it at night, we were there until late evening and you could actually feel the mood of the whole place changing, that's when we headed for the van, glad to have you stop by and hope to see you again :)

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  10. Sounds like an awesome day of sightseeing!! I have never been to Hollywood, so thank you for bringing it to me (in words and pictures)!! Glad you all had such a good time.

    ♥Spot

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  11. Hey Spot, It was a good day for us and maybe one day you and Mike can make it out here to see it for yourself, that would be cool.

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  12. Loved this post and felt like we were there with you. I know what you mean about the traffic. We went to Hollywood several years ago and they made me drive and I wouldn't want to do that again. I loved looking at the stars and handprints too. Great post.

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  13. Glad you came along for the ride with us Peg, after that ride through the traffic just makes me appreciate the rural area we live in.

    The Hand and Foot prints really amaze me and the stars would keep me occupied for a long time.

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  14. Wow, so much fun! I always wanted to do that while I was out there but never did. Thanks for sharing such an adventurous day. Loved the "Sucker shot"!! Oh and Jimmy Stewart, oh yeah!

    Does Glen Ford have a star? I wonder...

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  15. Thanks Heather it was a blast, the Sucker Shot was a lot of fun too, it is amazing the good people out there when you least expect it.

    I did a little research and it appears Glenn Ford's star is on the "North side of the 6900 block of Hollywood Boulevard" Now we know huh :)

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  16. Wooww... how fun Jimmy!! if I lived over there.. I wanna go there too and take many pictures...
    I love all those photos, especially Cindy when kicking with the Charlie's angels..

    Hope you always have a blessed day, my friend!
    nensa

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  17. Hello Nensa, Trips like this are a lot of fun, I know you would have a good time in Hollywood as there is a lot to see.

    Just think you and Cindy both could be kicking with Charlies Angels :)

    Good to see you my Friend.

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