Okay, if the picture above doesn’t make you smile or laugh, then you need to get on medication because this is the most hysterical picture I have ever seen.  Laura found this picture in her closet.  It’s from a San Diego magazine from 1992 that featured Laura and me. First of all, I had Flock of Seagulls hair in the early 90’s?  What was I thinking?  Look at that hair.  Holy balls, I was a mess.  I love the fact that we can all joke about ourselves and laugh at each other.  That’s what I like about working for Jeff and Jer and all of us on the show. You have to give me a bit of credit for not deleting this picture, because this picture will show up on a few lovely radio websites.    

I had a great time at the Oscar’s Sunday night and the entire weekend up in Hollywood.  I was at this after party Sunday night and I asked this guy if I can take a picture of him and his Oscar that he just won and he said to me, “How about if I take it of you holding my Oscar?”  I said, “UH SURE DUDE.”  I think it was the guy that one for UP or a sound guy or something. He had blonde hair and was totally cool.  That’s a real frickin Oscar!

This is Jen!  She goes with me to the Oscar’s and Emmy’s all the time now.  She’s a longtime family friend.  Van Wilder liked her.  She gets this famous hot dude all over her and now the next picture will be the one celebrity that wanted me.

QUEER EYE AND THE STRAIGHT GUY!?  Yep, this is Carson right after the Oprah taping on Monday.  He was totally cool.  I like this guy, but was hoping Sandra Bullock would have walked up to me instead of Carson, but the dude is totally cool. He liked my shirt, but not my beat up Nike’s. 

Today, I’m going to bed!  I haven’t slept in 4 days.  It was sure fun being at the Oscar’s over the weekend and watching Oprah tape yesterday was pretty cool. I have never been to an Oprah show.

Most likely by tomorrow, I will have some really cool news about the Jeff and Jer Showgram and a new addition to our family.  Also, I will have updated information on the RUN FOR CHELSEA.

I wanted to leave you with this:

Last night, I was thinking of Amber Dubois.  I wanted to know more about her, because we haven’t really heard anything about what kind of kid she was.  So, I found out:

Amber was a shy and quiet person, but when she got to know you, she was silly and playful. She loved to read. She was an avid reader.  Her 8th grade teacher told me that she was a deep thinker. She loved wolves and everything about them. She was in her FFA at school which  is, FUTURE FARMER’S OF AMERICA.   The morning of 2-13-09, she woke up happy because her parents gave her a check for 200 dollars to take it to school to give to her FFA teacher.  Amber was going to buy a lamb with that money and raise it. Amber never made it to school that morning.  God bless that sweet girl.   

I found out last night that another student bought that lamb on Amber’s behalf and the lamb was auctioned off and the money that was raised was given to Amber’s family.

Amber and Chelsea together brought us all together to change things and prepare ourselves and to not ever have to go through this again.  We all are praying for peace and closure and healing for both families.

The search efforts is a testimony and the legacy of Danielle Van Dam.  We need to all get together and fight back.  We need to change these laws and be more protective and safe with ourselves and our loved ones.

I’m here at the Reinassance Hotel in Hollywood.  I was at the Oscar’s and going to Oprah’s taping this morning, but during the entire show last night and as I woke up this morning, my mind is on Amber Dubois and her family along with Chelsea King and her family.  San Diego became a little different over the last week and a half.  With Chelsea, came the reminder of Amber.  Finding Chelsea, reminded us about Amber and brought all that back up.

Personally, I was a bit confused and I felt for Amber’s family, because they wanted to continue search efforts, but it was haulted.  When volunteers searched for Chelsea, they were also searching for Amber.  Amber’s search event that was going to be on March 13th was having to be scheduled around Chelsea’s service.  I wasn’t sure how to feel about that.  BUT, it is irrelevant now. 

I was texted by many people the moment, it was released yesterday about Amber.  I don’t know what the word is that can describe how I felt instantly, but I immediately told all the people I was with from San Diego what just happened.   To say, we were happy to hear she was recovered is not correct, but we were relieved that she was found and her family, all 4 of her parents, can start having their closure and start their healing process.

Chelsea did lead us to Amber in a way!  Thank you and God bless the hiker who found her.

Today, I have many calls and meetings about the RUN FOR CHELSEA.   We are working hard to make this event happen.  Hopefully, it will be on March 20th at 9am at Lake Hodges.  I will know more each day this week.  We’re going to finish Chelsea’s run.  Todd Velasquez from Roadrunner Sports and his  running friends and the people he knows from Zoot Sports are leading this and making things happen to make what was suppose to just be a few friends getting together to Run For Chelsea, into a bigger event that will be Chelsea’s Light and Chelsea’s parents first step to their commitment to change laws and to start their healing process.  Susan and Fiona with Chelsea’s Light and the parents are concentrating on the service this Saturday at 2pm at Poway High and then will start their support with this run.  Together, we will all work hard to make this event happen.

I don’t know the interests of Amber Dubois, but I would sure like to find out and learn about her and perhaps do something in her honor.  I will make sure to find out that information.

My heart goes out to both families and their friends and schools and our community.   Something happened to San Diego over the last week or two. 

We got a bit pissed off and stronger somehow.

Let’s respect the families and help bring healing and closure for them both.

We need to honor and remember both Chelsea and Amber together!

I’m in Hollywood for the Academy Awards.  I’m up here with a long time friend of the family and her daughter.  Paula was my brother Ray’s high school girlfriend back in 1969 and 1970.  He was the quarterback and she was the cheerleader.  Paula has been telling me stories about Ray and my family almost every hour since I’ve been with her.  It’s so amazing.  I’m hearing stories from her when I was 5-6-7 years old.

There are holes in my life that she is filling in.  I always knew that my brother lived in Carmel and Monterey and LA and went to Jim Brown’s house for a big party in the 70’s, but that’s all I knew,  just the simple facts that he was at those places.  Paula, has  spent the day yesterday telling me stories of all those years. 

My brother Ray is 13 years older than me and died in 2004 (March 18th is his anniversary).  I miss him so much, but Paula has been just filling in the “never known pieces” I had of Ray in the early 70’s and it’s been so special to me.

Last night at dinner, she handed over a large stack of envelopes of letters that were written to her by Ray and from her to Ray and from my mom to Ray and from Ray to my mom.  Ray was only 20-21  years old during the time of those letters and my mom was my age that I am now.

When she told me what they were, I quickly said, “I can’t read those right now, I will cry”.  But, as the dinner went on, I couldn’t wait, so I asked for them and read them. 

I cried instantly.

I read letters from a woman who missed her son that just lost her husband and was raising little kids and telling Ray everything about her day. 

I know that you know I  love my mom, but I love my mom even more after reading those letters to Ray.   My mom was struggling and missed Ray and her husband, MY DAD.  She spoke of me as Tomas and how I just started going to school.

I don’t know, why this is all happening in my life where all these missing holes are being filled.

I’m crying as I write this, but it’s a good cry.

I don’t know why I was  handed those letters.  I don’t know why I have even more love for my mom.

I can’t wait for the Oscar’s to be over and Oprah’s taping, because I just want to drive back home and go down to Chula Vista and give my mom a hug.

Yesterday afternoon, I was running some errands in Rancho Penasquitos and I was at a red light near Black Mountain Road and then all of a sudden about 50 kids grouped together were running towards me.  It was the Mt. Carmel High School Cross Country team and the first group were the guys and the 2nd group were the girls.  It hit me hard, because those girls were the same age and enjoying the same sport as Chelsea.  I said to myself, “That should be Chelsea.”

I noticed the pack was tighter than usual and nobody was left in the back or took off out front, they were all bunched together proud and inspired by Chelsea King.  They were running and if anyone got in their way to mess or hurt any of them, they would simply run right over the creep.  It was the first red light that I prayed stayed red as I watched the kids run pass me.

It was a moment that I will never forget and inspires me to help set up on March 20th (as of now):   RUN FOR CHELSEA (Lets Finish Chelsea’s Run and Take Back Lake Hodges). 

I blogged about wanting to finish her run and almost simultaneously, Todd Velasquez at Roadrunner Sports and his running friends were thinking the same thing, so together we are all working on making this event happen.

Our intention is to simply FINISH HER RUN.  Todd went to Poway High School himself and ran cross country and his coach was Chelsea’s, so they will work on mapping out the course she usually ran at Lake Hodges and we’re going to run it for her and take back what was taken from that sweet precious girl.

I’m working with SDPD and Parks and Recreations to make this happen on that date.  Hopefully,early next week, we will have total confirmation.

Chelsea’s Light on Facebook and Chelsea’s parents have given us their blessing to make this event happen and they are supportive.

Here are a few things coming up that are very important things to attend over the next few days:

Thursday March 11th at Rancho Bernardo High School starting at 7pm is a seminar and exhibition on what to do if confronted by someone if you are walking or running and how not to be a victim.  Play It Safe Defense is putting this on.  I strongly suggest taking your daughters and loved ones there.

Saturday March 13th:  Poway High football stadium at 2pm Chelsea King public memorial

Saturday March 20th:  Lake Hodges a RUN FOR CHELSEA (taking back the park and finishing Chelsea’s Run).  This is the tentative date and the time will be 9 to 10:30am.

Also, the parents of Amber Dubois are putting together along with the Laura’s Recovery organization a date to search for Amber.  We must not forget this beautiful young woman who has been missing since 2-13-09.  New developments with this case are happening as we speak and hopefully, we can bring this daughter back to her parents as well.

In 9 days, we have all changed here in San Diego.  San Diego is pissed off.  Let us use all that is in our hearts and really support the families of Chelsea and Amber and start making changes in our laws.

Do not stop running or walking around the streets, just do it with a friend or two.

Yesterday, was a moment for me that I will never forget at that red light seeing those kids that are the same age as Chelsea run by me.

Let’s keep running!

Let’s run for Chelsea!

Saturday March 13th 2pm Poway High School football stadium:  A public memorial service for Chelsea

Saturday March 20th 9am to 10:30am:  Let’s all finish Chelsea’s run at Lake Hodges.  Let’s take back that park and RUN FOR CHELSEA.  More information on this soon.

Yesterday, out of the blue I got a text from my 6th grade girlfriend.  I love hearing from Mary, because she usually just scolds me for things going on in my life and she ALWAYS seems to go back in time to remind me how big of a jerk I was to her at 6th grade camp when I broke up with her because I liked a girl from another school named Heath.   Honestly, I was a jerk to her that week, only because a few days before Vinnie Barbarino did the same thing on an episode of Welcome Back Kotter and I wanted to be just like him.   We did kiss and make up at the end of the week in front of an auditorium full of kids, just like Barbarino did.

Mary told me she was in the hospital getting ready to have surgery and was in pain, but is expected to be home soon with a speedy recovery.  I texted her back asking if there was anything I could do or if she needed anything.

You know those cute little posters or pictures you see titled PUPPY LOVE that are at Hallmark or any store that women go to all the time? You know, the picture of the two 10 year olds holding hands or kissing for the first time?  Well, that was me and Mary.

When we were 11 years old playing HORSE on her basketball rim above her garage, I somehow managed to get a kiss from her for the first time from her or any girl.  I said to her, “If I make this basket, can I get a kiss?”  AND I did.   We both have the same memory of it, because when we kissed on the lips for that brief quick second, the bells from the church a block away started to ring.  So, we truly heard church bells when we first kissed.  Then, moments later she somehow stuck gum in my hair and her mom had to cut my hair and the top of my head had a little piece of hair sticking up for a few days, so for the next year or two, I was poked fun of by my friends and called ALFALFA, like the kid in Little Rascals with the hair popping up.

When we would walk home from school in elementary, I couldn’t be nice to her in front of my friends, because boys weren’t nice to girls at that age yet.  You know, like in the movie Grease at the bon fire!  But, when I would be with my friends walking home, Mary would be up ahead of us by about 40 yards and she would stop and pretend to tie her shoe so I could catch up to her and walk the rest of the way home with her and not let down my friends by doing it on purpose.

Then, one time when we were like 12, we were playing JACKS on the side of her patio in her backyard.  She promised me she wouldn’t tell my friends that I was playing JACKS with her.  After all these years, she never did give me up to anyone.    We were sitting down on the pavement, when for some reason, we started talking about “french kissing” and what it was and that it was gross that adults did that. Then, somehow all of a sudden we said, “lets try it.”   Have you ever tested a 9 volt battery with your tongue?  Well, that’s exactly what we did.  We touched tongues for no longer than 1 second and then started laughing because it felt gross and we promised each other to never ever try that again.   

Mary called me  yesterday and told me how much pain she was in and I asked if I could do anything or get anything and she jokingly said, “I want a cafe mocha at Starbucks.”   I asked what hospital she was at and she wouldn’t tell me because she said she felt and looked terrible and there would be no way she would want visitors.

When we hung up,  for some reason, I just took a wild guess she was at the new Sharp off the 163.    I called the main number and I was right.

About an hour later, I knocked on her door at the hospital and walked in with her Cafe Mocha grande from Starbucks and laid it down on that tray and gave her a kiss on the cheek and gave her a hug.

Mary will be just fine and has surgery today.    Mary isn’t an ex girlfriend, she was my first girlfriend.   When I think of old girlfriends, I tend to smile when I think of  “most” of them, but I smile bigger when I think of Mary.

This weekend, I’m going to Hollywood!  Most likely staying at the same hotel where we’ve seen the latest American Idol auditions with the first batch of Hollywood contestants.  If  you’re an American Idol freak, you will notice the carpet in the picture above may look familiar.

I’ve been invited to go to the Academy Awards (The Oscar’s) along with my friend Jen in the above picture.  I’m trying to take Laura, but not sure if she can go or not.

I went to the Emmy’s a few months ago and when it was over, I immediately got my tuxedo dry cleaned and it’s been hanging in my garage pinned up against the bar of the treadmill ever since.  I have seen it every day as I walk through my garage, but never once have I stepped in to the “work out” area to even move or touch the tuxedo.  I have to finally get it today, to make sure I can fit in it, because I have most likely ate too many #1 plates at Roberto’s since the Emmy’s.  I can’t wait to be at the Oscar’s on Sunday. 

I love this picture of Eddie playing guitar.   Eddie’s the skinnier one on the right.   Eddie’s been learning guitar for about a month now and is big time into practicing.  He wakes up and grabs his guitar and he falls asleep with it right next to him.  The other day I had some friends of mine over the house and we were playing and singing and I had Eddie join us for a few seconds and let him play the two chords he knows over and over and we played along with him and sang words to his rhythm and it was a great time.  He knows two chords (A-E) and has been playing since the beginning of February.  I know 3 chords and I’ve been playing since 1977. 

It’s kind of a trip to realize that just one week ago at this very moment, which for me is early Thursday morning as I type this out, that we never even heard the name Chelsea King.  Now, one week later, we all love that little angel.

I’m trying hard to get my mind off her and the case against that animal.  I tried my hardest to not even bring it up in this blog and that’s why I started off talking about the Oscar’s and Eddie on guitar, but my mind and my thoughts go back to Chelsea and Amber.

When that area of Lake Hodges opens up again to the public, I want to go there and finish her run.  I want Lake Hodges to be so busy all the time that nobody will ever have to fear walking or running there again.  I don’t know why it’s called Lake Hodges.  Maybe a Mr. Hodge owned that area or something like that, but for me when I drive around that area on the 15, I can’t stop from shaking my head and crying and thinking that’s Chelsea’s Lake.  The memory of her will always be right there.

Seeing that monster on television yesterday, I wanted so bad to just reach in to that televison screen and kill him.  We have to sit back and be calm and trust the prosecutors can and will do their job.

It sickens me to hear experts on television analyze if it will be easy or hard for that predator to have a fair trial in San Diego.  That thought of being fair to him sickens me.  He’s big enough to be in the NFL and that little precious girl weighed at least 100 pounds less than him.  Why are we having to talk about being fair with him?

I’m sorry, I sat down at this computer to type this blog out and I took a deep breath and tried my best to not mention any of this, but Chelsea is still on my mind.

I woke up this morning with Chelsea on my mind, just like you did!  I woke up pissed off at the system and at that monster. To say the “system failed” is an understatement.  The system didn’t even attempt to work.

The punk ass animal hurt a 13 year old in 2000 and was released one year early and nobody was ever told.  That son of a bitch was able to roam around our streets and children and loved ones for 5 years as if he was a good hard working law abiding citizen, but in reality he was a predator watching and wanting to take the freedom away from beautiful people that were smaller than him.  That son of a fucking bitch!

I’m mad at him and I question the people who are getting paid to monitor and check on these predators.  Isn’t any one of these parole or probation officers or counselors doing their job?  Forgive me, for not being aware of who in reality is suppose to watch over a known high priority sex offender, but I’m not quite sure anyone is assigned to that.

That animal most likely attacked a person in December at the same location and that mother fucker most likely took Amber Dubois in Escondido.  I hope Chelsea and all that has been happening leads us to Amber Dubois. 

The picture above is from today’s North County Times.  It’s my search team from yesterday being briefed on what to do and what we were looking for.  Yesterday morning,  while those divers and FBI agents were searching inch by inch over Lake Hodges, they sent us west of Deer Springs off the 15 in that heavy terrain you see off the freeway.   The lead person was telling us that they were concentrating a lot over a certain area of Lake Hodges, but because that animal lived near Deer Springs in 2008, they sent us to look around there as well.

Someone on my team asked the man in the picture above, what exactly are we looking for and he said and I will always remember, “We are looking for a live body everyone, when you see Chelsea and she is moving, you go help her and hold her and call out and if you see her and she’s obviously not moving, you just scream your name and stop and don’t go any further.”  I’m still crying just remembering that.

We searched 300-500 feet deep in the brush you see off the freeway and we saw things that you just never imagined that was dumped there, from old rusted cars to kitchen appliances left there decades ago.   We stopped and headed back to camp where we were greeted by Chelsea’s dad.  He was walking around the headquarters and the parking lot hugging people and thanking people for going out and searching for his daughter.  He would put his arms around 3-4 people at a time and listen to instructions and then go group to group and  hug more people.

I noticed volunteers many feet away from him staring at him and breaking down over the pain you know he was feeling.  I was one of those people many feet away and then as he got closer to me, I put out my hand and I shook his hand and all I could say was, “I love you!” and he smiled and went in to hug me and we hugged and he said a few words to me.

Chelsea’s dad does have his angel back home now.  Home is heaven and he is hurting along with his wife and family and friends.  I just know he will be back strong and determined to be at that courtroom everyday to “fry that son of a bitch!”

Chelsea’s dad is mad at the system and we should be too.  He will lead us and we will know who we call on and who we vote for and who we make accountable to make the changes in the laws so this won’t ever happen again.

Chelsea is a beautiful girl.  She’s a straight ”A” student and she helps others all the time and is a strong athlete and musician.  It’s time to celebrate her life and remember her and smile and never forget.

I say we all go to Poway High’s graduation in May or June and we all stand and cheer forever and ever when they call Chelsea King’s name. 

I can feel Chelsea and I can hear her tell us not to stop searching for Amber Dubois.  She’s not going towards that light until Amber is found. I just know it.   God bless that sweet girl.

I’m so mad right now and I wish the stories you hear about prison are true.  I hope somehow that monster slips through the cracks of “protective custody” and has to deal with the mainline of a state prison and I just know, someone with a daughter the same age as Chelsea and Amber will kick the living shit out of that thing.

God bless Chelsea and her family and friends.  Please remember Amber!

Amber Dubois missing 2-13-09

She is home!  God bless Chelsea and her family and friends!  Chelsea, please lead us to Amber.

St.  Michael’s Church