We had an uneventful flight from Dulles to LAX. Nicole had arranged for a limo to take us to her Malibu home and when we arrived at her spectacular home the housekeeper took us to the beach guest house and then returned with a huge platter of sushi. Nicole, Mr. Urban and their children Faith and Sunday were out at a party but Nicole left us a note welcoming us and that she and her family were looking forward to meeting us for a pre-ceremony breakfast tomorrow at the main house. We had our sushi and went for an evening walk on the beach. Dylan the Westie hates water with a passion so we stayed a good distance from the water. Oh it is so calming to smell the saltwater and hear the waves! Thank goodness there are no saltwater crocodiles in Malibu…at least that is what Nicole said in her note. We Canadians are all too aware of the danger of Salties!
We were so very tired we were in bed sound asleep by 10 p.m. which is 1 a.m. Toronto time. We awoke to a beautiful sunny day. Nicole gave us a call and we headed up to the main house for breakfast. It was great seeing Nicole again! Mr. Urban is a friendly guy and her children Faith and Sunday are well mannered and right after breakfast the children take us to the grounds to chase tennis balls. The humans chat away drinking tea. Nicole tells us we have a press conference at a nearby hotel at three with me, Dylan the Westie, Mr. Gordon Lightfoot, Martin Malivoire, Russell Crowe and Nicole. I have been in so many of these media scrums they rarely excite me but I AM VERY EXCITED THIS TIME! The usual questions. Been there done that! Word is out about our Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the entrance of the hotel there are hundreds of children clamouring to see me and Dylan the Westie. Nicole’s management team hands out pictures of me and Dylan the Westie with our paw prints on them! Nicole is a very smart lady and has a great head for business.
Nicole has invited Mr. Gordon Lightfoot, Martin Malivoire and his charming wife Moira who we have met for the first time (although Bob has known Moira for years) and Russell Crowe for dinner in a private dining room in a nearby ritzy restaurant. And yes Mr. Gordon Lightfoot starts the evening off by singing to the entire restaurant “Paco A Girl’s Best Friend” and then Mr. Urban and Mr. Gordon Lightfoot sing and play “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” like never heard before. They had been rehearsing that for a few hours. Mr. Gordon Lightfoot and Mr. Urban are going to collaborate on Mr. Urban’s new album! While adults were dining Julian (Nicole’s rescue oodle), Bosco, Dylan the Westie have a quiet supper and go for an after dinner walk on the beach. Dylan the Westie strayed a bit and returned howling in terror thinking he just saw a Saltie on the beach! On closer inspection it was a log….thank goodness. We do not laugh.
Bob was in high spirits when back at the beach house. Over dessert at the restaurant Mr. Urban smiled and said, “Here is the bald fuck.” That bald fuck was Larry David who we had run into at my ABC screen test in New York. He will be hosting the Academy Awards ceremony.
Tomorrow night is the big night and WE HOPE TO RETURN HOME BIG!
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