...And I Shook My Booty For Laura

Well, this weekend was quite a great time. Friday night we took Smoochy out to dinner for her birthday...mmm...sushi. Saturday morning we woke up and drove out to Palm Springs for Coachella. It wasn't too hot when we arrived, but it steadly warmed up. Overall, we had a great time. Seu Jorge was awesome, Gnarls Barkley was pretty cool, Depeche Mode was a trip back to my younger days and Madonna was...well, Madonna. The best quote of the whole experience was hers: 'Don't throw water on my stage, Mother Fuckers.'

We saw a buncha famous people too...Danny DeVito, Laraine Newman [from SNL - who we talked to at length and was waaay cool], Sophia Coppola, Alessandra Ambrosio [a Victoria Secret model who was pretty, but not amazing in person], Vincent Gallo and Sean Lennon [they were together...yeah...that's what I said], Babyface, Marsha Thomason [the English girl who was on Las Vegas]...and a few others that I can't remember right now.


The festivities were broken up on Saturday afternoon when I received a call that a friend from college had just passed. She was only 30. Laura found out she had a brain tumor a few years back and was going through different methods to treat it. In March I received an email from her best friend letting everyone know that Laura's health was very poor and her doctors thought it would be best to forgo all treatment until it improved. We went by to visit Laura the Sunday before last. I'm so thankful that we did. We sat with her for a few hours, talked and ate lunch with her and promised we would visit and/or call soon. Again, I am at a loss for words. I respected her drive to create [she ran her own theatre company for quite a few years] , her go-get 'em attitude, and her endless talents. She will be missed by those who had the opportunity to know her.

Please keep Laura's family in your prayers. Her mother and sister have lost both their mother/grandmother and daughter/sister within the span of a month.

Madonna was one of Laura's favorite singers, so needless to say, when I was watching her perform, I danced for Laura.