In Zuma Beach

Above, Zuma Beach at dusk. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Busy day.

First up, I had a Mandatory Settlement Conference in Chatsworth this morning on an insurance claim in my insurance adjusting job. Fortunately, we settled with the claimant so the expense of a trial has been avoided.

Next, I am working my second job in Zuma Beach (Malibu) covering for someone. I can't complain about the scenery. I'll be there the next several nights (except Saturday, which is my birthday).

What's up with the pink(!) jeans or sweat shirts Malibu high school boys are wearing?

Luckily, there's a couple of movie stars where I'm at and we'll occasionally talk movies.

Point Dume Trivia: Vincent Price

Above, Vincent Price (center) with Richard Basehart (left) and David Hedison in "Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea." Photo copyright by 20th Century Fox and courtesy of David Hedison.

During the time I was working at Point Dume/Zuma Beach in Malibu, I had no idea that Vincent Price's cremains were scattered off Point Dume until I saw this:

His illness also contributed to his retirement from Mystery!, as his condition was becoming noticeable on-screen. He died of lung cancer on October 25, 1993. He was cremated and his ashes scattered off Point Dume in Malibu, California.

To read the full article, go here.

Tales of Adventure In Malibu: A Pelican's Gift

One nice thing about working at the beach, one is able to enjoy excellent scenery. Also, one gets to see different birds and animals that live at the shore.

Last night, I was having my lunch break on a bluff overlooking Zuma Beach in Malibu. It was nice out with the sunset approaching. I had just finished eating lunch and was enjoying the view with a cup of coffee. Overhead, a flock of California brown pelicans flew by.

One of them decided to give me a gift. Right on my arm.



A few inches in a couple of directions, I would have had the "gift" either on top of my head or right smack into my coffee cup.

I heard somewhere that it means good luck to receive such a gift from a bird. "Thank-you" wasn't exactly what the first words that immediately came to mind.

Life's Little Zingers

Last night was pretty routine in Malibu until about 10:30 PM when I received a call concerning the residents who were the subject of my "Channeling George Reeves" blog post of July 3. It appears that the nine-year-old was fighting with her mom again. So, I had to respond to the call (they were disturbing the condo complex's manager, who lives next door).

I got there quickly enough and the girl answered the door. I spoke with her for a while and then was let in. For the next hour, I ended up mediating the dispute between her and her mother. For a nine-year-old, the girl has a great grasp of the English language (her mother told me today that she reads about 400 pages a day) and she gave her arguments in a lucid fashion. Much of the problem between the two stems from a nasty divorce and custody battle (been there, done that).

Thanks to letting both give their sides and letting them work out a "truce," peace was again restored to Zuma Beach.

After this, her mother joined me over at the complex's clubhouse patio area (I had to check it anyway) and we sat and talked for a while. She and I have gotten close over the past few weeks, although I decided a week ago to back off a bit as she had enough on her plate and I didn't want to add any more to her current burdens. Both she and her daughter have become attached to me.

We discussed losing parents, life experiences and her current custody battle and financial situation (I hooked her up with an attorney friend today). She also told me that she was once a Playboy model. No wonder she looks good for 47 (I thought she was about 35 when we met).

I find myself more and more fortunate as I have met people with chronic illnesses recently, some pretty serious. One friend has stage 3 kidney disease (although looking at her one would think she's the picture of health), another has a daughter with one of the worst forms of childhood leukemia and this one from Zuma has lupus. (Lupus is an autoimmune disease, not an infectious disease like HIV. People with lupus have an overactive immune system. The body's defenses actually attack healthy tissues and organs.)

This only shows that no matter how bad one may feel things are going for them, someone else has serious matters far worse to deal with. The best the rest of us can do is to just be a friend.

Dusk At Zuma Beach

Above, sunset comes to Malibu.

Last night, I had my camera with me (I left in my car as I was using it on some insurance claims work) to take some photos of the sunset, dusk and the crescent moon over Malibu. Here's some of them.

Above, Zuma Beach and the Pacific Coast Highway.

Above, dusk at Zuma Beach.

Above, zoom shot of the crescent moon.

Above, Zuma Beach and the crescent moon.

Reactions To "Channeling George Reeves"

Above, George Reeves in Phoenix, Arizona.*

My blog post "Channeling George Reeves" seemed to have touched a chord with many people, including family and friends.

Here are some examples of the responses I received:

Armand,
Very interesting. Good job on your part. When one says George had an effect on his fans, this is a perfect example. Lets hope you won't ever have to make a call to this house again. That would mean you had an effect.
Bravo.

Thus far, no further problems.

And this one:

Another example came in 1953 when he tied to convince Ann Carson that there's really a Superman in "Around The World With Superman." Again, George used a soothing, friendly tone of voice in speaking to Ann.

AV -- I still remember the scene when he flew her over the Danube River and the Blue Danube Waltz was heard ... he rocked her back and forth as if they were doing that waltz. What an incredible job of writing, acting, and directing. More than half a century later and I practically recall every scene.

And this:

By the way, I was very impressed by the way you handled your good deed for the day. You do have a heart. And I promise not to tell anybody.

Naturally, some came in with a bit of humor:

Good job! Now, be careful with this channeling stuff. Don’t want you to start channeling Clint Eastwood and telling people things like, “I’d shoot the bastard, that’s my policy.”

And, finally, one from a cousin in Oregon:

Armand, we find your Malibu "adventures" interesting. Keep track and someday you can write a book on that part of your life too. I was impressed with how you handled the situation of the troubled mother and daughter -- cool head -- well done in their time of need. Also congratulations on the great reception to your book!

Thanks, all for the kind words!

*This one's for you, Melissa!

July 4th In Malibu

Another Fourth of July has come and gone.

I spent the evening/night hours at work in Malibu. I expected the locals in the gated communities to be going completly crazy (from what I was told about past years). Didn't happen.

For the most part, the residents were well-behaved. There was some drinking going on, but there were no incidents in the communities that could be described as major. The girls in the communities were out and about in their bikinis. It is starting to seem that "California Girls" by Katy Perry (below) is becoming an anthem in Malibu.



I did have to eject a pretty bikni-clad lass out of one men's sauna rooms. But that was it.

When night fell, the fireworks displays could be seen originating from 2-3 directions. In the back of my mind, I was concerned that some idiot would set the hills above Malibu afire. Fortunately, no one did.

Traffic wasn't bad. It seemed it was at a typical weekend beach level. Memorial Day weekend was a zoo.

I also spent some time visiting a lady friend at her residence in Zuma Beach. She has a spectacular view of the ocean and beach from her living room window and sliding doors.

Bikinis and fireworks. Who can complain?