Numero Uno

So I have completed the first appearance of my comeback. This was at Mickey’s in LA. I must say that this experience exceeded my expectations. The venue, the owners and the audience were great. I felt both welcomed and at ease. In speaking with Chris (my contact and liaison) I had an idea of what the format would be. I was told that the night would be relaxed and not involving any dancing. I would be upstairs on a small intimate stage interviewing with Scott. We would discuss many things including the past and what I was currently up to. This would all be recorded and posted for viewing. I must say that when you are told something, you do not necessarily comprehend what the scope of what is being said. Luckily in my case the scope was perfect.

When I arrived in L.A. I immediately began to reflect on the many times I had flown into this city. Some of these times were during my good days and others were not. While waiting for my Super Shuttle I tried to understand these times as an outsider with my mind today. This was interesting. Not interesting in the sense that they were amazing, or tragic or meaningful, but interesting in the sense that I was looking back at a kid who was missing a piece of the puzzle. I could not help but think that if I were to be back in any of the situations that I was reflecting on, everything would be different. It was almost like when you’re a child and you see a movie that was so scary and so real to you that it formed some of your views on people and current events in your life. As you grew older and view this movie again, it seems benign and almost absurd. You can not believe that this had any impact. This is the way I felt.

Once the Super Shuttle arrived I tossed this line of thought and decided to focus on the experience now. Now the first experience was not that exciting. I had forgotten how long these shuttles take. For the love of god, 2 hours, maybe this is proof that patience is lost with age. My next experience was great. Chris, who I mentioned above, picked me up from the hotel and brought me to Mickey’s. The remodel was amazing. They really hit the mark. I was greeted by James, a kind gentleman with a gift bag filled with chocolate, t-shirts and a hat with my name on it. This was quite the treat. He immediately made me feel that people were happy that I was there. I also met Scott at this point, who was right up my alley. I new right away that it would be a fun interview. After getting my scotch I turned to see Lana Luster, a friend from the past. He said that he had seen my name on the bill and had come to see me. This was awesome. Now I had old friends here. For the next half hour we all sat at the bar and had a drink like any friends at any bar. Before I knew it, I was on. James, Lana, Scott, Chris and I headed upstairs to start the interview.

Now, I said a scotch, well as the interview went on, it turned into scotches. This made the interview fun. We all have had the pleasure of having a few drinks and spending time bullshitting with your friends. This is what is felt like. There were easy questions and hard questions, but none that left a bad taste in my mouth. During the breaks I walked around the audience and talked to people. This was just as enjoyable as the interview. I felt like I had walked into a group of people that I had already known. Now I know that they knew me from the movies, but it still had that hometown feel to it. You will have to watch the interview. It is available through Mickey’s website. I think that if I were to try to describe it I would not do the interview justice.