A Visitor Comes to Monster A Go-Go Headquarters

I get a lot of visitors at the Monster A Go-Go Headquarters (aka my house). This week, I had a super special guest stop in; John Gomez.

John is one of my favorite people. He is a decent guy and I always have fun with John. I just don't get to see him that often.  

As many times as I've asked him just HOW I know him, I NEVER remember the answer. Perhaps it was just osmosis. The first time I ever met John in (gasp!) REAL LIFE was back in 2011. I don't remember any of our conversations leading up to our meeting, but I was in the habit of making day trips to Hollywood and doing touristy things. (I still do this--just not as often and will probably never do a one-day trip again. I'm too damned old and then there are the leg issues...). I actually had seen John briefly on my trip to L.A. this past April on my "Super Duper Road Trip," when we met at one of the has-been celebrity shows. (Click HERE to see that post-a-go-go. ) In fact, it was one of those has-been celebrity shows that was part of that first day with John (and probably the reason I met up with him in the first place). My memory is murky on so many things (which is why I take photos/video of EVERYTHING!). However, that first day meeting John is fairly fresh in my mind---because I made a pair of videos about it (and recently re-watched them). These represent one of my typical day trips. Watch or DON'T. Here is Part 1:

Here is the 2nd half...when we finally get to the celebrity show. Susan Olsen (best known for being "Cindy" on "The Brady Bunch") is in this. I used to know her somewhat (sorta kinda), but we have lost touch over the years.  She's in this and...well, if you chose to watch it, she'll have you laughing. But, if you DO watch, watch it all of the way to very bitter end--even after the "The End" and the fade to black for some bonus hilarity. Here is Part 2 of my first day with John. Watch or DON'T:

Anyway, aside from that bit of background/lengthy digression, for whatever reason (I didn't ask why), John was off work until the end of the week. I had some days off and I invited John down. I told him I'd be happy to have him (and his animals) for several days, but he only wanted to make a day trip of it. Wisely so. I think he wanted to check out the space to see if I could accommodate his pets. Beyond that, as it turns out, there is absolutely NOTHING to do here and it's HOT. I am amazed he came at all.

He left his place early, about 6 a.m. and texted when he turned onto the freeway that was near my house. I waited...and waited...and waited. Where was he? Ha! He had driven past my house in search of a market...and ended up driving all over the place in a foreign town looking for a market. He wanted to surprise me with a Mr. Goodbar (because, I suppose, like Diane Keaton, I'm always "Looking For Mr. Goodbar"...even though I'm not quite entirely sure I know what that movie title means): 

And---based on my recent trip to the ER scare due to low potassium--a bunch of bananas. (They were even organic. Zowie! VERY thoughtful. ):

Following hellos and a little chat, we headed out to breakfast. We planned on going to IHOP, as they were celebrating their 59th anniversary in business and were having 59 cent pancakes that day.

But, of course, everyone else and their grandma was there for bargain pancakes, too... So, off we went to Batter Up Pancakes, instead.

Although I tried to convince John that he should go for the Grand Slam Challenge breakfast (a 10-egg omelet with a giant pancake. It costs $50, but if you can eat it all in 45 minutes without leaving your seat, it is FREE, you get your photo on the wall and you get a nifty free T-shirt), he declined. We did end up coincidentally ordering the same exact thing, though; veggie omelets. Of course we had the pancakes on the side instead of the toast or biscuits.

The restaurant was touting that they featured coffee from Kuppa Joy, which is a local Christian coffee shop. So, golly! I guess you could say it was almost like we had breakfast with God. ...Of course, you'd expect God to have better-tasting coffee. Whatever... The "hoscakes" were good.

After breakfast, I didn't know what to do. I decided to show John around town. He'd been here once before back in 2012, back when I was still living in the Shack-A-Rama. We had actually done a LOT that day. We'd visited Storyland in Roeding Park (I think I had to go back and get some photos for an article I was doing on it's 50th anniversary), had lunch at the retro Triangle Drive-In (here's a video of John's visit---watch to the very end of this one, too...should you chose to watch):

We also had gone to (I think) the Underground Gardens (did we?) and went bowling at Cedar Lanes, a bowling alley that was in its last days and is now gone forever (Here's a video with John from that as well: 

After such a full day that last visit, how could we possibly top it? We COULDN'T! Ugh. I drove down through the Tower District, which is the hip part of town. It was dead. We drove around Chinatown and Downtown. Jeepers, when did the place become even more of a PIT than it already was? My stars. This town has just gotten so, SO UGLY. (Besides, had I driven him all around back in 2012? Hmm..) Going to someplace like Yosemite or Kings Canyon was out because it was so flippin' hot and, in the middle of summer, there would be a ZILLION tourists.

So what did we do? We went home. BLAH!

But that was okay. It was nice to just sit and visit. John had never been to my house (aka Monster A GoGo HQ), not even when I lived in it BEFORE I went into the Shake-A-Rama for 6 years of hell. While I still have a ways to go unpacking (and I've been back in the place since September. Oops!), I have gotten some of my framed movie posters up and he thought they were kind of cool. He took several photos. The one below features me in the poster room (which is a MESS at the moment):

He also took a couple of snaps of me holding some posters that weren't framed. Hmm... "PEEPING TOM"? "THE LONELY SEX"? Is this a theme developing or was he implying something...

As the day wore on, it was getting closer to the time John would have to leave. But first, we'd go out for a late lunch/early dinner. We opted for Red Robin, which John had never been to before.  Here is a little video of John's experience losing his (gasp!) Red Robin virginity. Watch it or DON'T:

It was getting pretty late in the day when we left the restaurant. It had cooled somewhat and was only 103 outside, perfect for John's trip home...without air conditioning. (GEEZ! So dang HOT!!!!!)

We got home and John gathered up his things and was soon on his way back home.

Here's a little video of John saying goodbye and heading out. (Yes, I really DO photograph/tape EVERYTHING.)

Bye, John. Thanks for the super swell visit. I only wish it had been more interesting and adventurous. He may be coming back in the fall. If so, we'll do Yosemite or something. It won't be so miserably HOT then.

CHEERS!