I love the smell of freash baked bread in the morning

My woman knows how to throw down. Keeping me fat & happy on Christmas Eve.

Polly Lucke making Potato Latkes on the firts night of Hanukkah 2019

It only took us a few nights to realize that we were lighting the candles from the wrong side of the menorah.  C'est la vie. We know now and are doing it correctly.

Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, or whatever you celebrate.  Peace

"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana."

Happy New Year!!! A week into the new year and life moves on full force. So much has happened in the last year and strangely I have less to say these days. The biggest news of 2010 is that Polly and I bought a house in Van Nuys! That's right, we're homeowners! Exciting news! Polly and I have decided to live happily ever after. We love our 1953 house in the valley. It's been exciting unpacking all our stuff that was in storage for over a year.

I'm such a lucky guy to be in such a fulfilling and healthy relationship. Polly rocks my world. We've known each other for 30 years (met when we were both 15, attending the School for the Creative & Performing Arts). She lived down the street from me growing up. We've been together for almost 5 years now and not one argument. . . I shit you not!

Here we are in the entertainment capital of the world, both doing our thing. She's does Hair on CSI:Miami and I'm a Magician. We have two cats who we love dearly and spend as much time as we can with each other. Life is strange, wonderful, crazy, stressful and magical all at the same time. Finding someone that can love you fully and that you can love, be with, admire and adore is what it's all about. Cause at the end of the day. . . . it can be lonely. . . no matter who you are. We all want to be loved and accepted. Polly takes care of me and I take care of her. I don't know how I got so lucky.

Other good news of 2010 was getting back in with the Magic Castle in Hollywood. Jack Goldfinger booked me for a week in July and then bunch of dates in December. I hadn't worked there in 18 years and it felt good to be back on the bill. Although I had been visiting the club for the last 4 years; it wasn't till meeting Jack that I felt so welcome and appreciated. I have a handful of friends at the Castle but like most magic scenes, the community can seem cliquish (is that a word).

So, I'm settling in to the second half of my life. Looks like were digging in to stay. I'll find my way in this town and carve a piece out for myself. Yesterday I spent 2 hours at the gym, 3 hours on the golf course (w/ Alfonso and Wally), an hour running around getting things done and a few hours working in the evening at the Universal City Walk. Lots of opportunity to advance my career. Might be time to get serious about it. Yes it is!

Peace

Creative Arts Primetime Emmys

Here in LA there are two award ceremonies, celebrating the achievements of the fine folks who bring you all of the television programming. There are “The Primetime Emmys” which award the writers, directors and actors and the “Creative Arts Emmys” which celebrate and award the “Below the line” trench workers.

We met Dennis Parker and his partner Paul, at the Nokia Live Theater downtown. Dennis is the Hair Department Head on ABC’s Dirty, Sexy Money and does a great job. He’s an excellent hair dresser and has always been very nice and supportive to Polly. He brought Polly in as his 2nd when the show came to LA to re-shoot parts of the pilot and then got picked up.

HBO's miniseries John Adams and AMC's drama series Mad Men were the big hits at Saturday night's Creative Arts Primetime Emmys in Los Angeles. John Adams earned eight awards, the most for the evening, while Mad Men took home four, including awards for hairstyling, art direction, cinematography, and main title design

After the lengthy awards ceremony we walked across the street to the convention center where the dinner party was getting underway. The room was dressed beautifully with hundreds of round 10 top tables, hanging chandeliers, hot and cold running women and plenty of good food and booze. Polly looked absolutely stunning in her new dress and I put on my tux for the first time in a few years. We got all dressed up and for the most part fooled everyone into thinking we were real grown ups, not the fake ones you see on TV.

It was a lovely evening that ended with a glass of scotch and a cigar. I wish Dennis, Polly and their department would have won for the standout hair design on the nominated episode, but as everyone always says “It’s just nice to be nominated”.

The new TV season is upon us and we’ll just have to tune into out favorite shows and see how they do. Endless hours of work create these shows for our entertainment. For all those in the television and film industry, I say. . . “Keep making the magic!”

Click pics to enlarge

Pics from Pollywood

A few nights go we attended a nominee party. If you didn't know, my girl Polly was nominated for an Emmy (for her work on ABC's hit show Dirty, Sexy, Money starring Peter Krausse, Donald Sutherland & Jill Clayborn). It was a lovely affair, serving among other things and endless stream of Cosmopolitans. Hair and Make-Up Artists from the Local 706 all excited about their nominations and looking fabulous. The party was at the Academy in NOHO (North Hollywood. . . minutes from where we live).

Industry chit chat about the benefits of "day checking" over the grueling 80 hour (5 day) week of episodic shooting. I love being in the middle of all this. They get to do all the hard work and I just get to show up when I want and eat good catering and see how TV shows are made. After schmooze/cocktail hour there was a short ceremony where certificates were presented to the nominees.

I love Polly so much. . . I wish I had words. She just finished up 5 weeks on "Merry Christmas Drake & Josh" for Nickelodeon and with barely a break is getting put back into heavy rotation day checking on "Big Love". She's off today so that means lots of hugging and kissing. What have I got to complain bout?

One Year Anniversary with Polly

It was a year ago today that I got an e-mail from an old friend. I was happy to hear from her. We exchanged more e-mails,, then talked on the phone and. . . now, here it is a year later. We been living tohether for the last 8 months. Polly and I hooked up at the right time. I was tired of being emotionally beat up by my ex wife and her lawyer and was ready to stop the pain and start living again. I was thinking about moving to China at the time when Polly came back into my life. China. . . LA. . . hell. . . I was just ready for a change.

There's a certain comfort in being with someone who has known you since you were a kid. We went to high school at the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati and both lived in Hyde Park a fashionable Cincinnati suburb. We held hands and took walks when we were 15. She let me kiss her and hold her and nibble on her neck, but not much more. I would have to wait till I was 21 before our hearts and bodies came together again. . . just in time for me to decide that I was moving to LA (the first time).

I love my girl, and she loves me. I've been divorced twice and she's been run through the relationship wringer as well. Life is strange. Sometimes when you want something, you just think it up and manifest it. Could it be that easy? We think so.

Who knows what the future holds for us? If the last year is any indication; I can predict an even better year this year! Life is full of challenges, pain, joy and success followed by more pain, confusion the changing of the seasons and the natural ebb and flow of life. Dig in deep and experience it all fully. I know I am.

Zoom

Days are flying by, as weeks turn into months.

Day after perfect day, the sun shines in the blue sky and it's usually in the 70's by 10 or 11AM.

Really so much has happened in the last week or so, it's been busy in paradise.

Polly's good friend Dack was here. He was visiting from Northern California. They've been friends for two decades and at one point lived together in Hawaii where they were both hair dressers in a Salon. Polly had to work while Dack was in town, so we got a chance to get to know one and other. Nice guy and strangely familiar. The more we talked, the more things we realized we saw eye to eye. . . . which is strange, cause on some things. . . I'm coming from left field.

So, that was fun.

Polly had a birthday. She was celebrating the 21st Anniversary of her 21st Birthday! Way to go Polly! Happy Birthday Baby!

Other News in Pollywood



She's done with Big Love and not a moment too soon. A show season is a grueling period of time for someone stuck on set or on location for 12-16 hours a day. It's inevitable that by the end of the season people are stripped to the bone and on edge. Tension in the last week made things awkward in a bunch of different departments, both interdepartmentally and across the board. I went out to the Studio in Santa Clarita on the last day of shooting and enjoyed a delicious lunch of prime rib, shrimp and crab. Lots of good grub and a feeling among the cast and crew that it was over for the season.

Show business ROCKS!!! So many different pieces of the puzzle. I feel so lucky to be here.

Lunch on the set of Big Love

Wednesday I was treated to lunch on the set of Big Love. Polly gave me a nice tour of both sound stages, the Kraft Service Truck, the Hair and Make Up Trailer and the dining area. I love my girl and it was fun to see her in her natural habitat. Her boss "Big Daddy" Scott made me feel very welcome and greeted me with a big smile. It seems like a great cast and crew.

I enjoyed some delicious lamb chops for lunch and was luckly enough to sit and chat with # 1 and 2 on the call sheet (Pill Paxton & Jeanne Tripplehorn).

Last week I watched an episode of Big Love on HBO and thought it was a good show. I love being around the magic of movie making. By the way, they shoot this TV show in 35mm film. Before lunch I got to watch them shoot a few takes of a scene. All very cool. I love my life!

Big Love Welcomes Polly Lucke!!

Summer vacation is over for my girl. Her clock is set for 4:15AM, she will leave at 5:15AM for a 5:45AM Call Time, North on the 5 out by Magic Mountain. We ran out there yesterday so that she could load in the trailer. I was real happy to meet her boss and friend or as she calls him, "Big Daddy". His name is Scott Williams and he is the Hair Department Head on Big Love. A charismatic man with an infectious smile who offered to show me the set that they will be shooting on.

We took a brief tour of the sound-stage where they shoot. The set is three houses in a subdivision that share a common back yard with a pool. The very same pool and sound-stage that was used for the TV Show Melrose Place. Scott pointed out that it's interesting to look at this backyard. It's easy to allow the attention to detail to fool you. When you see weeds around the trunk of a tree, or dirt or leaves, someone put those there for exactly that effect.

The walls of the houses don't really come off, the rooms are big enough to accommodate all necessary equipment. Ceiling panels can be removed for supplemental lighting wen needed.

Next we went to the adjoining production office. There was a hustle and bustle of of a high school office on enrollment day. It was cool seeing what it looks like from the inner workings. All scripts given out to cast and crew are personally coded for security purposes and must be disposed of properly when updates and rewrites are released.

On the way out we visited the Kraft Service Truck who was also loading in on the day before it's show-time. This whole notion of snacking and catered dining appeals to me greatly. I helped myself to some peanut M&M's and felt like I was getting over on someone.

Back in the Hair and Make-Up Trailer Scott and Polly set up their work stations. On the far end of the trailer were two make -up artists also setting up their stations. Looked like a nice trailer, AC felt good on a hot day. Fridge, Stereo, VHS & DVD Player lots of comforts to make everyone feel relaxed and work hard in what can be a challenging industry.

Thanks Scott for everything, taking such good care of my girl for years. I'm sure you know how much she appreciates your friendship and support. And thanks for the tour.

Pic du Jour • Polly & Me 1986

Photo by Chris Richardson

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

A beautiful afternoon in Malibu

My morning started as as most of them do these days, with Polly waking me up with a kiss. She told me that breakfast was almost ready and that I needed to get up and make the eggs. We both love to cook and help each other in the kitchen. We had a great breakfast and discussed what was on the agenda for the day. Polly does so much for me and is an efficient administrator of my schedule. She called Buster's new school for me and arranged for us to make the short trip from our house to pick up his enrollment packet. Damn I love this woman!!



We worked around the house today. I researched portable sound systems and Polly hooked me up with a friend of hers who is in the audio end of Film and TV production. As he is also a musician, he told me of some local resources that might be able to help me out with my audio needs for the street. I also spent some time on the Magic Cafe reading magician reviews of various portable PA's.

Polly asked me what I wanted to do in the afternoon and I confessed that what I really wanted to do was to take a nice cigar walk on the beach. She thought that sounded like a great idea and off we went to Malibu. Through the Santa Monica Mountains we drove, my mouth open wide with the splendor and beauty of our surroundings.



When I said I wanted to go to the beach I had no idea what a great time I was in for. I had never been to Malibu before. When I lived in LA back in the day I lived in Orange County and Huntington Beach was was my cigar walking beach. The day was turning out even better than I had expected! Mansions on the hill, perfect 77 degree weather, a wonderful breeze, a cigar in one hand and Polly's hand in the other. We walked along the beach for a half hour or so then, on the flip side got the blanket out of the car and enjoyed the rest of my cigar on the beach.



It's so nice being in love. Truly I never thought it would happen again. But here we are, having know each other for a quarter century, enjoying our new life together. We get along so well, that most people upon spending any amount of time with us, immediately excuse themselves to throw up. That's love for you!



On the drive home we stopped at on overlook to take a picture. Moments after getting in the car, I smelled something awful. At the overlook I had stepped in something before getting back in the car. My God! It smelled like something died.



At the first opportunity Polly pulled the car over, let me out to try and clean the crap off the bottom of my brand new sandals. She got such a kick out of the situation, that she had to take a picture of me. So, here it is, me wiping poop off my sandal on the side of the road. The rest of the drive was much more pleasant and we had a great day.

Playing house, before the grown ups get home

After living with each other for a week now, I am more in love with her than ever. It just seems to get better each and every day. I feel my self returning to my old self, happy, confidant, excited and full of dreams and ideas.

She does so many things for me, she jokes that not only do I get a girlfriend, but a personal assistant as well. She is so efficient and smart it boggles my mind. She set me up an appointment today to get my car registered and my California drivers license. I did very well only missing two questions, one of which I forgot to answer.

My new license will come soon and all the pieces of the puzzle are starting to align with the stars. Far out dude.



You know the best thing is, that when I'm done on the computer; I get to curl up next to her, put my arm around her, fall asleep with her and then in the morning I get to wake up with her kissing me on my lips. Now how's that I ask you? FUCKING FANTASTIC THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!