I have a certain fondness for monkeys,chimps,apes...
all primates in general. Alive OR Stuffed. Gorillas In The Mist OR Sock Monkeys. It's all good.

Anyway, I recently moved to Palm Springs, California and discovered from a local resident that Cheeta (yes, Tarzan's Cheeta) lives in Palm Springs too. Apparently he's retired from acting and become a painter. In fact, we had recently BOUGHT a painting from him on his website (http://cheetathechimp.org/). Of course. Well, our friend actually knew Cheeta's home address. It just happened to be on the way to our local grocery store. He actually lives in a residential neighborhood in one of those mid-century modern, Jetson's/Flintstone houses. Very appropriate for a retired movie star cum artist.

First thing my husband Dan and I did after our friend left was to run to the store for supplies. A little wine..a little dinner. Of course, on our way home, we decided we really SHOULD do a drive by of Cheeta's house. I know...I know. Weird. I felt like a stalker. But it was SO funny. We were laughing the whole way there and it IS on the way home (sort of). Anyway, we pulled up and the front gate was open and there was a guy taking out the trash. I rolled down my window and said, "Hi! We're fans of Cheeta. We bought one of his paintings." And he said, "Good. You want
to meet him?"

So of course we parked the car and followed him into his garage
that was very dark. I kept saying, "Are you sure it's o.k.?" because there was
one animal in there making a horrible, scary racket and he said, "Oh, yeah.
They're just antsy because they had to come in from the rain." I guess they
usually hang out in his backyard, but it's been so stormy here so he brought
them in. Yes. THEM. There was a baboon in the first cage who was really quiet
and cute and small. Then there was someone named Suzy who was shy and wouldn't
come out to say Hi. Then...right there in the middle in a big ass cage was
Cheeta. There was a sort of one foot square opening, and his face was right in
it, and he is BIG. The owner (who is coincidentally named Dan) said to stay
back cause he can reach out his long arms unexpectedly. He then said to Cheeta
to make a funny face and he totally 'raspberried' us. WE HOWLED!

Now, the whole time there is this ever increasing BANG BANG BOOMIMG from a dark corner in the back and it was SCARY so I said, "What the heck is that"?!! Cheeta's Dan said it was Cheeta's grandson. I'm telling you it was WILD! Literally.

So I just tried to ignore the raging, teenage chimp in the corner and I told Cheeta that I was a big fan of his painting, which I'm sure he appreciated as he had left a successful career
as an actor to pursue his true passion, which is art. I'm actually positive he
appreciated it because he gave us another raspberry. And then....as the BOOMING in the corner was raising to a fever pitch.....I put my hands in the air and bowed down to him
in homage, and his crapper grandson spit water at me from like 20 feet away!
Cheeta's Dan said I had been christened. I jumped 60 feet into the air. It
scared the poop out of me! It was GREAT!

He said we should come back on a nice day when they are all out in the backyard. I can picture it now...all of us just basking in the sun around Cheeta's swimming pool while he sits at his easel painting plein air style. Only in Sothern California......

My Many Hats and Marshall Crenshaw

I've known Marshall Crenshaw over the years while wearing many different hats. He, however, seems to always be wearing the same hat. The one that says 'excellent songwriter, guitarist and artist' all-in-one. I first met him over a tape machine. I worked as a tape-maker pitching songs at his publishing company, and fell in love with one called, "Favorite Waste Of Time". Among many others. I was a bit of a little fish in a giant pond rumbling around L.A. in my youth and his jangling and sunny guitars made me feel REAL. I eventually even ended up hand delivering his demo of that song to Bette Midler and she covered it on one of her most successful records ever. I actually got to take it to her house. (But that's another story). I wore another Marshall hat one night when I got to attend an awards ceremony to celebrate his success for writing a huge hit song for The Gin Blossoms "Til I Hear It From You". He co-wrote that one with Jesse Valenzuela, who eventually became a compadre of mine as well. (Yet, another story). Over the years, I have only grown to respect him as a musician. He's been a good inspiration to "live the life" as they say. When I eventually came out of the closet as a songwriter, (yep, another story too), I recorded two records for a little label called HighTone under the name ASTROPUPPEES. I wrote most everything, but on the 2nd record I wanted to cover a song I loved called, "Crowded Town". It was written by Marshall and the great LeRoy Preston. There was a groovy version I'd heard by Jeannie Smith. So I put on my 'artist' hat and covered one of HIS songs. He then responded in kind, and slapped on a beautiful jangle-guitar on another track on that same record. I've since admired him and his career as he continues to make music on his own terms and the quality improves with each day. He's been successful in movie music, oh many things, but now I get to wear one of my favorite Marshall hat's ever. As co-writer. I am pleased to say I have two co-writes with Marshall on his new record JAGGEDLAND..."Passing Through" and "Just Snap Your Fingers". I may have 10 hats stacked on my head by now, while he still wears the ONE, classy musician hat, but I can definitely say, I am proud to be sparring in the same boxing ring with him. Lucky ducky girl that I am.