Fasten your seatbelts, it's been a bumpy ride

July 16/12.

It's sometimes difficult to write when life is filled with heavy drama and emotion. A lot of this past week and a half has been taken up with visits to hospitals to see Aunt Ettie (my Mum-in-law's sister), and Auntie Ray (my late Mum's sister and our "surrogate Mother").

Sadly, Ettie Pelchovitz passed away on Sunday July 8th.

I went to Sunnybrook to visit her and her two daughters, Linda and Sharon that afternoon. Just four hours later, we learned she had died. I'm glad I got to say goodbye. She was a lovely lady and I have many fond memories to look back on over the 30 years I knew her. We'll all miss you Auntie Ettie. I'm sending good thoughts to my mother-in-law, Jean Bornstein, who loved Ettie so much.

Have also been visiting Auntie Ray as often as I can 

at Toronto Western Hospital. 

She is such a special part of our family. (left to right, Carrie Loring, Kevan Staples, Ray Staples and me).

A few days before Ettie's passing, we invited Mum and Dad B over for a barbeque dinner. It was fun to have them pay us a visit on a hot summer day. That's my son, Max, greeting them on the sidewalk.

Sam cooked up quite a feast for his parents, (and all of us), barbequing ribs, hotdogs, burgers, chicken, salmon and corn on the cob!

My Dad-in-law, Ben Bornstein enjoyed the ribs, but liked dessert better!

Max and Kate provided the entertainment (here with their significant others, Robyn and Damian). They played The Beatles' Should Have Known Better and their version of Stop This Train, which I love, but it always makes me cry.

Kate also performed her Bubie's favourite original Kate Sloan song, Normal People, (at her special request).

Another day, I visited the Eaton Centre for two great sales.

Hit up The Body Shop for their half price July deal,

to get bottles of my vanilla-scented cream for $6 a bottle instead of $12! Bought three, (which was all they had left!)

Then over to La Senza (where else?) for their semi annual clearance - $3 panties and $6.99 bras!

Didn't expect to run into Max and his girlfriend, Robyn! She happened to be looking for deals at exactly the same time I was. We both walked away with a couple of pretty, lacey/racy items.

Later in the week, my lifelong friend, Joanne, (right) flew in from L.A. for a visit. She wanted to head directly to The Friendly Greek, as always, for a fabulous fresh Greek salad lunch. That's Joanne's sister, Valerie on the left. We've all known each other since we were young teens.

We were also joined by another old friend, Karen (right), who lives blocks from The Friendly Greek. We're all huge fans of their salads! Joanne has taken off for a while to help a pal move from Moncton back home to Toronto, but I'll see her again soon, when she returns later this week.

My week wrapped up with a trip past the old Ontario Place property,

 - so pretty,

and over to the Molson Amphitheatre

to see Alice Cooper in concert. We got there early and had great seats in Row F.

An old high school friend of mine (who prefers to remain anonymous), has known Alice for many years and got an all-access pass. (fun to wear!) This was taken just after 7 p.m. so seats weren't filled up yet, but by 7:30, the place was jammed!

At age 64, Alice still puts on a fabulous, dynamic & exciting show.

He was opening for Iron Maiden,

performing a 50 minute set jammed with everything an Alice fan could ever want!

the infamous snake,

the guillotine and beheading,

giant Frankenstein,

and of course, SCHOOL'S OUT!!!! It's impossible not to sing along! 

SCHOOL'S OUT FOREVER!!

After the show, it was a blast to have the chance to go backstage.

I loved the table cloths made to look like spiders webs!

And the red roses were real.

Alice grabbed a quick shower and changed into red plaid pants and black t-shirt to meet some fans,

including me! I've had the opportunity to interview him several times over the years, but hadn't seen him since the late '90s, so it was beyond great to catch up with him again. He is SO nice. He posed for pics

and signed autographs and couldn't have been any friendlier.  When he signed my son's CD, he asked me, "Is he a musician?" I told him, "Yes, a drummer." He quipped back, "Oh, so he's NOT a musician!"  Ha ha! Max laughed when I repeated the joke for him.

We watched Iron Maiden too, but it was Alice we really went to see!

Thanks to my very private friend for taking me along to the show and allowing me to shoot the pics & use them on the blog. It was a terrific evening and I won't forget it!

Davy Jones

February 29/11.

I was so very sad to hear today of the death of Davy Jones at the age of 66.

Hey Hey! I loved Monkee Davy! In fact, I loved them ALL!

This was the first album I ever owned! I still remember when my friend, Pam Gorman, gave it to me at my
11th birthday party. I opened it up, having no clue what LP she would have chosen, and burst into tears with excitement when I saw it was The Monkees first record! I had a tiny little GE record player and this album got played on it hundreds of times till it was worn right down!

Davy was known as "the cute one", and almost everybody's favourite. (as for me, I loved Mickey Dolenz, because I ALWAYS adored the funny guys!) But I DID idolize Davy for his singing voice, gentle nature and signature dance moves, (which I tried to do over & over again, and never could get just right).

 
 The flowing bell bottoms he always wore made the moves look so easy! (My fave parts are at
1:10 and 1:59).

Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, Mike "Woolhat" Nesmith, Davy Jones. I couldn't wait to watch them every week.

Even now, I have copies of the 58 episodes and still watch them from time to time on VHS.

I'll never forget seeing them in performance at the old Forum at Ontario Place, (it was a blast),

and while working at Global TV as entertainment reporter, getting the chance to meet and interview Davy and Mickey several times. I remember being saddened by the bitterness Davy lived with from day to day. He told me in our chat that he (and the other lads) should have been much better compensated for their work back in the days of The Monkees. He felt cheated. But those feelings never seemed to come across on stage, when he always had a smile on his face and played to the crowd.

Said to be Davy's last performance of Daydream Believer with the other Monkees, (except for Mike, of course), June 16, 2011. I don't want to believe that sweet singing voice has been silenced.

He remained as handsome as ever till the end of his life. I miss you already Davy.

 
And what teenager in the '70s could ever forget when Davy sang "Girl" on The Brady Bunch??????? Outasite!  And "Marcia Marcia Marcia" was the lucky one to get up close & personal with him!
I ask you, what girl in this universe wouldn't like to hear the man she loves sing THESE lyrics to her?

Girl, look what you've done to me,
Me, and my whole world,
Girl, you brought the sun to me,
With your smile, you did it girl,

I'm telling you girl, something unknown to me,
Makes you what you are,
and what you are is all I could ask for me,
and its good to feel that way girl.

Thank you girl, for making the morning brighter
Girl, for making the night time nicer
Girl, for making a better world for me.

I'm telling you girl, something unknown to me,
Makes you what you are,
and what you are is all that I want for me,
and its good to feel that way girl.

Thank you Girl, for making the morning brighter
Girl, for making the night time nicer
Girl, for making a better world for me.

Thank you Girl, for making the winter warmer
Girl, for making the music softer,
Girl, for making a better world for me.

Thank you Girl, for making the morning brighter
Girl, for making the night time nicer (fades off here)
Girl, for making a better world for me.

 
Marcia Brady (Maureen McCormick) meets Davy! I remember wanting to be Marcia that day!
Sigh.

Thanks for sharing your talent with us Davy. My heart goes out to his wife, four daughters, all his family and friends, - and especially, to the other Monkees, whom I'm sure are very sad today.

My boy Bill - (with thanks to Rogers & Hammerstein)

October 6/11.

Today I'm writing about a special friend of mine. Bill Brioux. I met him when he was 17-years-old and working as a busboy at the Blockhouse Restaurant at Ontario Place in the summer of 1974. I was a waitress there.

Was he a doll, or what?? - Answer is yes.

Me, at 18, slinging beer at The Blockhouse. (Charming striped uniform).

My sister, Carrie, believes friends come in and out of our lives at different times for a reason or purpose. Sure seems that way with Bill. Can't count the ways he's stepped up to help me with a slew of bizarre problems throughout the years.

That Ontario Place experience made for a magic summer. Bill has told me bussing there was his favourite job ever and swears it's the truth (despite the fact he's had a fantastic career as a writer!) He actually worked at The Blockhouse for three summers in a row. His last one was when we met. He was very shy, but always quick with quips and I still remember him tossing a few zingers my way when he cleared my tables!

Soon after we met, Bill introduced me to his best pal, Pat Bullock.

They were working together as the comedy team Bullock & Brioux, playing Yuk Yuks and any other gigs they could scrounge up. I thought they were hilarious. And SOOOOOOO cute! I instantly fell in love with Pat (even though I was an "older woman")! Pat was 17 and attending Michael Power Catholic high school. I was heading for Seneca College. We dated for quite a while and I tried my best to lead him astray, but his Mother wouldn't let me. (As for Bill, HIS Mum never met me, so we were able to remain friends for life).

(surrounding Santa, left to right), Bill's pal Dave Kerwin, best buddy, Pat Bullock & Bill

Bill always jokes that their fame as Bullock & Brioux spread borough-wide, over several streets in Etobicoke and claims they sometimes got pelted with flying ashtrays during their comedy club days. Once, a reviewer stated, "Bullock & Brioux are to comedy, what a grapefruit is to parallel parking"! Yet they were good enough to win a comedy competition. The prize was a trip to Acapulco. They even had their own community cable TV show called Etobichannel at MacLean-Hunter! I was a huge fan of standup comedy (still am), and was thrilled to have two new hysterically funny friends I could watch in action.

Bill and I share a lifelong love of The Three Stooges. (Nyuk nyuk nyuk)!

Whenever I've turned to Bill for help, his response is always, "Why, soitenly"! LOVE it!!

Who knew, years after that Blockhouse summer,

Bill would become a TV writer/critic/pop culture specialist for TV Guide, The Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, Starweek, TV Times, Hello! Canada, CP and too many other publications to name, and also writes his colourful, news-packed daily blog,

Click here to visit Bill's blog, TV Feeds My Family.

and I would join Global TV as an entertainment reporter - (working here on Entertainment Desk with the late, great Bob McAdorey)!

That's where we crossed paths again, when Bill was invited to be part of the Entertainment Desk team, dropping by most Fridays to talk TV with Bob. I always loved yakking with Bill in the makeup room. KNEW he'd be cracking people up in there, and then I'd watch his interview, LIVE in the studio to catch the witty repartee between him and Bob. I remember Bill was always warned NOT to discuss shows that weren't aired on Global - NO CROSS-OVER PROMOTION FOR OTHER STATIONS! And then, the second the red light flicked on, Bob would start asking Bill about shows on ALL the other networks! Ever the pro, Bill would just go with the flow, leaving irreverant Bob chuckling. (Bob was always a rule-breaker).

I can honestly say I've never had a conversation with Bill, be it by phone, via email or in person, when he hasn't had me in stitches at some point. There aren't many people you can say that about.

I even think he's funny when he¨PRETENDS to be serious!!

Two months ago, while on Facebook, I noticed Bill was online and sent him a pop-up message shouting, BILL!! He answered immediately, but little did I know, he was writing from Dawson City, Yukon, the farthest set visit he's ever been to in Canada, (4,326 kms), to interview Yannick Bisson & other cast members of Murdoch Mysteries, and also to play a bit part as a miner! Once again, he had me laughing, as I sat in the dark, in the middle of the night at my computer,

and he typed messages to me about having his teeth painted yellow for the role! (he has the picture to prove it!)

After bothering Bill for years, asking his advice on how to write a blog, how to go freelance, how to shop my writing around town, how to be an editor when I got hired at Tribute, (the movie magazine), and on and on, I FINALLY got the chance to do ONE small thing for him, It was a blast, and to top it off, I also got to work with my sister!

Bill with my sister, Carrie

In 2007, Bill contacted Carrie & me to invite us to be part of a crazy video he was making called Girls Gone Wise!

He wanted to pay tribute to his lifelong friends, Pat and Dave,

(left to right), Pat Bullock, Bill & Dave Kerwin

on the occasion of their big milestone birthdays, (which shall remain numberless!) Carrie had briefly dated Dave. Bill's idea was to return to the scene of the crime - Ontario Place, where he would shoot video of us,

reminiscing and story-telling about our memories of these two guys when they were teens. We immediately agreed to take part and did nothing but laugh together that day,

recalling aloud the zany antics of our energetic young pals, Pat, Dave and Bill.

Carrie (longtime Polka Dot Door TV host), and I even brought along our old Sunshine Girl newspaper pictures to remind the guys how hot we were when we first teamed up with them back then! LOL.

Girls Gone Wise?

I was so jazzed to work with Bill and take a stroll down memory lane at Ontario Place! After Carrie and I thanked him for the opportunity, and told him we're his biggest fans, Bill sent this sweet email message:

"Had to stop and tell you what a delight it was romping around Ontario Place today, most fun I've had there in 33 years. The two of you are the happiest, most well adjusted, coolest chicks. You have so much spirit and take such pleasure in each other, it is really a joy to see. This will blow those dudes away. The fact that you also arrived with love letters, Sunshine Girl photos, great stories plus are both such expressive and entertaining story tellers, well, what a bonus.
Know that I'm a pretty big fan of both of you, too.
Thanks again for a really fun day at Ontario Place and for the good vibe that got this whole deal off to a great start. You two are the best.
I think there is a very sweet story here. Again, thank you for both being so generous with your time, spirit and inspiration".

Bill at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

So many times, Bill would send along funny, frank, heartfelt, kind messages, always upbeat, positive and encouraging.

Bill on the set of Raising Hope.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in March, Bill was among the first friends I called. I knew his wife had survived breast cancer a few years earlier. After hearing my tale of woe, he helped me in a series of email exchanges. One said:

"Keep your chin up Elaine, get all the facts about YOU and your best course. Always a phone call away if you want/need to talk, happy to be here to support you in any way. Be strong, kick ass, feel the support. If you can survive THE BLOCKHOUSE you can survive anything"!!

He put me in touch with his wife, Cathy, who spent an hour on the phone with me, giving me straight answers to all my cancer questions. To this day, some of the things she said have been among the most helpful I've heard from anyone.

Upon launching my blog to talk about the cancer experience, Bill wrote:

"Congrats on your blog. Love the pic of you with your dukes up--fun and feisty, spirited and combative.

Keep writing from the top of your head and the bottom of your heart, it is a great gift for your readers".

"And hey--THANK YOU for the hubba hubba string bikini shots--ay carumba"!

"Your hotness shines through the years. I'm ordering a calendar. Pat Bullock was a fool to listen to his mother"!!

Even in the face of cancer, Bill made me laugh.

April 27/11 - Hours after my lumpectomy, makeup done!

Once I began to recover from surgery and found myself living with what I called "Intensity Entity" (a revving energy that suddenly inhabited my body, wreaking havoc with everything), I told Bill, his wife was right. Cancer DOES fuck with the mind.

I was over-the top, losin' it and my brain seemed outta conTROL! (thankyou Regis). I felt completely OUT there,

ready to explode - like when the Roadrunner uses TNT on Wile E Coyote! Unfazed, Bill shot back;

"Your awakening is natural and while it might bewilder you and your family at times, being out there is better than not being out there Elaine, be as out there as you can stand. You're on a mission. Fasten your seatbelts. Your family has to give you the space to explore and express. You will come back down to earth, but enjoy the view from inner/outer space, most of us never get to experience it. Any time you want to talk: Operators are standing by. Let your freak flag fly Elaine--losin' it is good, you have everything to gain".

The flag is still flying Bill. Thanks for everything!

P.S.
Looks like Bill & I may cross over yet AGAIN with a new project involving our late friend, Bob McAdorey. Will keep you posted!