... CANADIAN AUTHOR SHUTS DOWN SUNSET BLVD... HOLLYWOOD

SEPT, 2013

so…my life ...the adventures just won't stop...

i am in LA visiting my beautiful family...

and for the reading of my book...

had my reading last night at a very prestigious, boheme book store in LA...

Book Soup..

was finding it difficult to do my reading this time...am always quite fine with it...but just had a wonderful ...but very disturbing dream about gerry..

so was very emotional...but reading turned out great...

i met several of gerry's former students who now live in LA...

and who are very big players in the field of animation here in LA...

they also still miss him greatly...

but we had some good stories to exchange about gerry..

all with tears in our eyes..

reading went very well...  but the audience became a river of tears...

so i made sure that i threw in some humour...

and had them laughing...

that is the book...Our Last Dance...a tapestry of emotions..

a weaving in and out of love and joy...happiness and sadness...

grief and hope...but mostly... courage..

so after the reading...we all went out for a drink and a bite to eat...

along THE sunset blvd in hollywood...near the book store..

THAT is when the REAL adventure began...

we all had one drink before dinner..

then sat together for dinner...

with some good conversation...

one of the topics...from some of the younger women..

who were waitresses in their younger high school days..

recounted how ..if customers left before paying..

then they would be responsible...for payment..

so... the background..  i had just arrived back in canada from europe

two days before leaving for LA..

and one of those nights was lost ....on a night of dancing with friends..

so NO sleep that night..

another ...when here in LA...i lost another night s sleep due to 

the time zone differences...

so ... needless to say... i was exhausted by the time i arrived in LA..

then a had a day or two of good play with my grandchildren..

then a dream ....about gerry....a beautiful dream ...but disturbing.

so it was an emotionally draining experience for the reading...

recounting times with gerry...and remembering his illness...

and his death...all dealt with in my book..

so....when began the reading ...it was 7;00 oclock LA time..

i said it was 10;00 oclock toronto time..

but also ...for me...it was 4 in the morning france time..

for me...just having arrived back from france..

so here i was starting my reading...at which was ... for me....

4 o;clock in the morning...

then dinner ...then conversation..

so again...missed another night's sleep..

as i sat there listening to the group's conversation

i was getting light headed... i knew ...from exhaustion..

both physical and emotional..

all of a sudden, i needed to get some fresh air...

i leaned over to julian and asked him to take me outside..

for a breath of fresh air..

i remember the first few steps...

then next thing i saw was a woman and several men 

leaning over my body...my body that was laying on the floor of the restaurant..

a woman...asking me questions...about me and my health..

i was aware enough to know that she must be a doctor...

i said to her.. you must be a doctor... you are asking all the right

questions..

then the ambulance attendents...taking my blood pressure..

telling me ...as i am in and out of consciousness...that my 

blood pressure is DANGEROUSLY LOW...

at one point...i saw them mention...that they had momentarily LOST

my blood pressure it had gone so low...

they said they were rushing me to the hospital..

NO   NO i said...as my not too alert brain was 

alerting myself to the cost of health care in the U.S.

i thought...with all this care i would have to rob a bank 

in order to pay .. free in canada...

but they said i had to...and when julian begged me to go..

i gave in... i knew he was extremely worried..

and, in fact, he and yasmina were traumatized...

not knowing what was happening to me..

as i lay on the restauant floor...with blood pressure cuff on...

and an IV line started....and electrocardiagram stickies

all over me...

so, as i was whisked into the ambulance...julian came and sat beside me

with the ambulance attendant..

they had already called two fire brigades to escort us ....and then two 

police units showed up..

sirens screeching....fire trucks honking...and police cars' lights' blaring...

all down THE sunset blvd... in hollywood...

where rock bands were playing ...and old jazz clubs were alive with music..

and me...in the ambulance...with the whole street being shut down...

because they thought they were losing me..

the police units stopping at every intersection along sunset blvd...

stopping traffic all along the way..on a busy friday night..

arrived at hospital in LA and doctors waiting for me...

fully aware by now....monitored and hooked up ...

being checked all night long....

with julian and yasmina... taking such good care of me..

but finally discharged in morning...

no final diagnosis...just dangerously low blood pressure...

no reason...

my guess...too many time zones...and missed nights...

and emotions flying high with my reading....

but here i am....few days later...and just fine...

quite the experience....

knowing i was shutting down sunset blvd...hollywood..

AND...we left the restaurant without paying...

AND...the doctors said they were going to put an article in their

local newspaper...Canadian Author Shuts Down Sunset Blvd...Hollywood

blessings

ps  no worry ...the restaurant bill was somehow paid...