Tearing it up in Hollywood...

speeder · 04-12-2009, 10:40 AM

I don't get out to the clubs much any more at my advanced age but last night was a special occasion. We had a mission, to show three U.S. Marine Sergeants a good time. Two were just back from Iraq, (2nd tour each), and the third was their buddy and our friend who's been out for a year. We had a ball, they're all great young guys and really fun to hang out with.

The three are Jesse, a cool Mexican surfer dude from the OC and his buddies, Ryan from Oregon and Alex from Louisiana. My friend Billy met Jesse at Sundance film festival last year, he's an actor now and has a couple movies in the can. The bond he has with his Marine buddies is something that any guy would envy. They are like the German Shepherds of human beings; ie. nice, intelligent, loyal almost to a fault and would die for each other w/o batting an eye. They are going to know each other for life.

The last member of our party was Daniel, a young friend who is a walking miracle. He got hit by a car walking in a crosswalk on Jan. 11th by a drunk hit-run driver who first struck him at 30 mph, launching him 30 feet through the air onto pavement. The guy slammed on brakes during impact, then ran over Daniel again while fleeing. Broke nearly every bone in his body, coma for 2 weeks, massive head injuries, etc... Total nightmare at the time, only reason I didn't post it here is that I just could not handle discussing it. We thought he was going to die. He rents a room from my friend Billy, his parents came in from GA. and stayed in Billy's house for months, etc.

He's made what can only be described as a miraculous recovery, now walking/talking/thinking fine and getting better by the week. Half is body is titanium rods but he's happy as a pig in shyt. Told me last night that his balance is still terrible and that when he rolls over in bed he gets dizzy for moment+ slightly car-sick every time he rides in a car. Still, he's grateful and so are we.

Anywhoo..., I actually remembered camera to record dinner at least. Ate at El Compadre in Hollywood, old place on Sunset. Ryan and Alex have been staying w/ Jesse in Laguna, learning to surf and picking up hot Latina chicks.

In this pic, I'm the old gray-haired guy, (obviously), clockwise it's Jesse, me, Billy, Daniel, Ryan and Alex:

We talked about everything under the sun at dinner; the current situation in Iraq, (great according to them), firefights, metaphysics, videogames, humanitarian work, you name it. They all are snipers and went to sniper school together in HI. (A nightmare, they said). I REALLY want to keep this out of PARF, since I don't go there anymore, so please let's not talk politics and I'll keep that part of our conversation out of this. Just 3 great young guys who unselfishly served and made it home to have fun in Hollywood for the night. I wish like hell I'd brought my camera into the clubs, we had a ball and they met lots of girls.

speeder · 04-12-2009, 10:42 AM

I'll post more later, gotta run out the door.

KarlCarrera · 04-12-2009, 12:04 PM

Nice pic's. Please thank them for me. Glad there home safe. Good to hear that Daniel is getting better. Must have been very hard. That man must have a hell of a will to live! I hope they caught the guy that hit him and throw the book at him!

Karl
88 Targa

speeder · 04-12-2009, 01:00 PM

Yeah, they caught the guy. His front license plate was stuck in Dan's leg. He's been released on $20k bail, (he had to put up a whole $2k), guy had minimum coverage insurance and apparently no identifiable assets. Dan is afraid now that if he shows up for the guy's court appearences, it will give the impression that it was not that serious because he's healed so miraculously. He was smashed like someone who fell out of a 3rd story window onto concrete.

speeder · 04-12-2009, 01:59 PM

My photo journalism chops need some serious work, I really eff'ed-up not taking my camera into clubs. The first stop was a record release party for my friend who is engaged to Carmen Electra. She was there with her girls and the guys got to hang with them for a bit. When I told them where we were going and who would be there, one of them said, "I need to shake that guy's hand."

We went to another spot by the Kodak theatre, some new place, (I'm way out of the loop), they ended the night on a couch with two tall, hot blonds from Laguna named Erica and Erica. Made it easy to remember their names after many drinks. They got some phone #s. All of the Hollywood chicks were refreshingly nice to the guys, they were a little change from the typical douche bags that they usually meet in clubs. It was fun.

Dottore · 04-12-2009, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speeder

they ended the night on a couch with two tall, hot blonds from Laguna named Erica and Erica. Made it easy to remember their names after many drinks.

...last time I ended up on the couch with two hot blondes with the same name, it turned out I was pissed as a newt and seeing double, and the blonde was my wife...