May 9, 2025 • 51 mins
Today we bid adieu to Season 1! Join us as we visit the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to pay tribute to Season 1's final featured individuals (Tomata du Plenty and Maila Nurmi) and share some significant personal news as Courtney announces her upcoming move to Minnesota. To see our other grave offerings for Season 1, check out our instagram or substack!
In short order, we do all of the following in this episode:
• Record from a bench in Hollywood Forever Cemetery on a cloudy day surrounded by peacocks
• Announce that the podcast will continue remotely despite Courtney's upcoming relocation to Minnesota
• Visit Vampira's grave where fans have left lipstick kisses, makeup, flowers, and trinkets
• Explore unexpected graves including one for a woman described as an "occasional wife"
• Color a peacock-themed page as an offering to Tomato DiPlenty
• Share the origin story of our friendship and creative partnership
• Reflect on how graves and memorials represent the importance of chosen family
THANK YOU so much for listening this season and also showing us so much love. It means the world and we will see you for Season 2 in the fall!
If you liked what you heard, or if you have any feedback at all—the good, the bad, the ugly, the dead, the alive—please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and let us know what you think.
Love, Courtney and Marissa <3
Follow us on...
Substack- https://substack.com/@deadandkindafamous
Here, you can find our episodes, transcripts, relevant images and newsletters.
Instagram- @deadandkindoffamous
See us visit the graves of our subjects and pay our respects with lovingly selected offerings.
Apple Podcasts and Spotify- Please be a Bon Vivant and leave us a rating and review. It would mean the world!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Thank you, dead and Kind of Famous.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Dead and Kind of Famous.
Okay, all right, let's do it,and we are recording already
here.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Check check Hello, hello, hello, hello.
Okay, oh, already falling, okay.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Okay.
Hello and welcome to Dead andkind of famous.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Oh, you say that.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh well, I don't, I have to read it oh, that's right
, start again hello and welcometo dead and kind of famous where
we dig into the life stories ofdead folks who enjoyed a touch
or two of fame in their time andnow reside permanently in the
Hollywood Forever Cemetery whichwe are currently at we are.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Can you hear the wind ?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
The wind.
It's kind of a cloudy chillyLos.
Angeles day.
We are sitting by the grace ofthe Bastegians.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Bastegians.
So thank you to the Bastegiansfor their wonderful memorial
bench that we're sitting upon.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
They're the closest thing to a sponsor that we've
had.
You want to sponsor the show?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Talk to us about it.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Also, here we are.
Yes, we are going to visit somefriends today.
We're going to.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
What is it called when you drop something off at
someone's grave?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Oh, I just can't, I don't know.
But I say, just giving ourofferings Okay, yes, yes, okay,
that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah, we will be giving offerings to some of the
rest of the season one, right,season one, season one.
If I could speak today, thatwould be great.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
The season one cast of characters.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, our season one cast of characters that we
haven't yet visited or given anoffering to.
We are doing that today andwe're really excited to be here.
I don't know if you can hearthe peacocks in the background.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, we'll have to do some little, some little
video for fun, to for to sharewith you guys of that, if we can
find them, but they're alwaysaround, always.
This, this.
I think I see one over therewe're gonna look around.
Yeah, we're gonna look for thecemetery is filled with cats and
peacocks and creatures andthere's like people who take
(03:15):
care of the animals that arehere.
It's kind of a whole part of it,which I've always loved yes um,
and we are dressed as you cansee in our are all blacks,
mostly to honor Vampyra, butalso all of the dead, yeah, so
we are here, ready for anadventure.
We're ready for an adventure.
We're going to take you guysalong with us today.
(03:35):
And also, I just want to beclear from the top this is the
last episode of season one.
Yes, it is, and I don't know ifI should drop this now or later
.
Do it now?
Rip off the band-aid.
Okay, so this will be the lastepisode that you guys hear with
(03:56):
both of us in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Because I am moving.
But, I see that we have a lotof listeners.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Do you hear the winds of change the winds?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
of change.
Oh my God, they be blowing.
They be blowing.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, we're moving to Minnesota, to where the winds
will be harsher and colder Willthey ever, and by we, that's
Courtney, her husband and herchild, and Iris yeah, they were
moving, but that doesn't meanthat this show is not continuing
it is and we will just be.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
You've seen from the last couple episodes, we can
definitely do it remotely andwe're going to keep doing that,
that's right.
So you got nothing to worryabout there.
It is just a change, and wewanted to make sure that we
could be together here in theHollywood Forever Cemetery
celebrating all of this, becauseit is this is.
This is not just a gimmick.
I genuinely love this place andI feel like the stories.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
It's just such a gift all the stories that we've
gotten from here, and so I feel,I feel like the most connected
to this city that I ever havereally yes oh, that's great, and
I've been here since 2010.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So yeah, I really do feel that way yeah, I, I agree,
and it's it makes me leave.
Just, I don't know.
I've, I, I don't.
I'm sad to leave.
I'm excited for future thingsand to have a little more space
and all of that we were justtalking about it but at the same
time, like I, I do.
I just I do love this city and Ithink that the people here and
(05:36):
the stories that come out of itare so amazing and I'm so
excited to keep telling them.
Even if I'm not physically here, it's here.
This podcast is helping me staytied to this city.
It's actually like a reallybeautiful thing.
It's pretty magical.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, and this place is pretty magical, it is.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
So we're excited to take you guys with us today.
I know we don't normally dovideo and this will just be in
like bits and pieces anyway, butthis is, yeah, Just a little
vlog style.
A little vlog style.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
A little bit of a journey through.
So, uh, hope you all enjoy itand um, so, let's, let's be on
our way, let's do it, let's go,let's go visit some friends, go
okay, all right, where is it oh?
We're coming up on some peacockhere and some peacock we're
coming up on, I think, just one.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, one loud one, one very loud one.
Oh, and there's a swan.
Do you see the swan when, overthere, just sitting in between
the trees?
Oh my gosh, hi swan.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Hello swan, hello swan.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Oh my goodness, so pretty.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Hello peacock, yeah.
I feel like these are, oh mygoodness, so pretty.
Hello peacock yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
I feel like these are both beautiful birds that are
also aggressive, so you got towatch out, all right.
So we made it to the road.
So actually, I think we have tocut in this way.
Oh, here it is.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I know, I know where it is Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Oh cause?
You see the arch.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, okay, so this was my visual uh landmark.
Was this uh reddish brown archPergola.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Pergola.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yes, oh my gosh.
Wait, look at this grave withall of the dachshunds on it.
Oh my god, stop it.
This is so cute, oh my god youguys, you guys, this is like,
and there's people together.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Mike sigsmansky, journalist, activist, uncle
friend, we have to look him up,oh we do oh my gosh dog person
clearly.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Look at this that's so cute.
I love it oh my gosh, oh mygosh all right, we're gonna,
we're gonna look him up and yeah, we'll, we'll be back to you,
yeah because I'm intrigued.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, I'm intrigued mike.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
All right, so this was the big thing.
There she is, there she.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
There she is oh, my goodness, my goodness, myla and
someone's already visited todayand given you fresh flowers, as
you deserve Fresh flowers.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Look there she is.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And left kiss marks.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Look at all the kiss marks on her face.
Oh, my gosh, stop it, you guys.
Oh, we have to leave, we haveto do this we're wearing the
lipstick.
Oh, we are are okay, all right,we're gonna leave her kisses.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
We're gonna leave her smooches and this wasn't our
idea.
I'm stealing it yeah we have tonow.
This is a great way to getcovid okay.
Here we are.
We're at milo's grave.
She looks stunning in thisetching.
People have left some thingshere.
(08:44):
This is interesting what havethey left some things here.
This is interesting.
What have they left?
They've left, okay.
So there's like a little doggykind of keychain.
There's this little clown thing, there's an eyeliner.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
There's a spooky hand .
Yes, a little thing hand.
Yeah, a thing hand.
Yes, a little a little a thinghand.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, thing hand and a bunch of makeup.
People left her a bunch ofmakeup.
Oh, that's so amazing.
I love it.
That's incredible, and itmight've just been like what
they use to kiss the grave.
I don't know, but bring yourown lipstick though, yeah.
Health code B.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Y O L, b Y O L, byol, byol.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, don't use the ones you find at a grave.
Probably not the best idea,okay, so let's do it, should I?
I'll go first.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yes, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Okay, Myla, I'm going to give you a smooch right next
to your face.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Aww, there, it is.
There, it is here.
All right, marissa's turn, hereI come.
All right.
Marissa's turn, here I come,all right.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Myla, my girl, look at that.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
A little outline.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Look at our kissies.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
You can see them.
Someone left a little bit of avape too.
Oh okay, and like all this redlipstick, I love it.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Obsessed.
It's also just like yeah, Ifeel like someone needs to.
We should have brought a joint.
Honestly.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Oh my gosh, Well, I'm not smoking at the moment.
These are beautiful, theseflowers they are.
Are someone brought?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
this is like okay, so what?
What our plan was here was toum just visit for a while we're
gonna just visit, we were justgonna visit and say you know,
we're just gonna say that weknow how important you are we
know that you are mother and alittle skull, wait a minute a
(10:49):
little skull.
Stop it.
So cute, obsessed, like, look,you're getting love myla, and so
I don't know.
I think I just I also just wantto say I'm sorry, I it's it
sorry.
I want to apologize on yourbehalf for the fact that, like
you, you were a good friend topeople and I think you did have
(11:12):
friends around till the end.
But I'm sorry more peopleweren't there right at the end
because they should have beenand you deserved more.
But I'm glad that you'regetting your due here.
And look at all this love Milo.
Look at all your kisses.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Look at all of the kisses.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Look at all the kisses and all the offerings.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
That I'm sure you'd get a kick out of.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Oh my gosh, you would love Obsessed.
So you are loved, darling, andwe're just, and thank you for
giving us four episodes oh mygosh, yes, goodness gracious.
You gave us four great episodesand we've gotten listeners,
listeners.
We've gotten so much reallygreat feedback from you,
especially about those episodes,so thank you for that you are
(11:54):
loved, beloved.
Oh, and I'm going to drop anEaster egg right now that I
didn't drop before.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So Am I getting us Okay, okay.
So, basically, I never saidthis, we said it in another take
and I never included it in theedit.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
What.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
But Mylon Ermey's son , her love child with Orson
Welles.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
He.
They found him in the end, sowe never included that in the
actual episode.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
That's true, but they did?
Speaker 2 (12:22):
They found him and he he wasn't a lawyer he could
have.
It's too bad that he wasn'taround.
He could have helped her withsome of her disastrous, you know
, dealings, yeah stuff, and buthe, they found him Her niece in
particular, who wrote the story,and her daughter Her niece's
daughter found him through23andMe.
(12:44):
So they were able to and sothat verifies it.
Yeah, that everything she wassaying was true, by the way.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Well, she was always a truth teller.
She was a truth teller, shenever lied.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
She never lied and yeah, so he exists and is there
to carry on.
You know your genetics and Ithink he's a much more straight
laced person, but I hope hehelps some people in your
situation.
You know, like legally to helpwith creative rights.
(13:17):
That would be really cool if hewent down that road.
I don't know, but I know he wasreally happy to find out about
his mom and everything, and soit's cool that he's still
connected to your story.
So, as we all are, yeah, myattention, as beautiful as this
grave is, got pulled back here.
I just have to point it out andspeak to what's distracting me.
(13:40):
This is Marzie Harris's grave.
I don't know who she was, butshe's very close to Vampyra's
and it says loving mother,sister, daughter and occasional
wife.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Iconic that's.
I want that on my gravestone.
Occasional wife.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yes, but then it says the Mark Twain quote at the
bottom the fear of death followsfrom the fear of life.
A man who lives fully isprepared to die at any time.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Marzi, I'm intrigued, yeah, I'm intrigued, and also
your Princess Diana haircut isIs pulling me in, fully pulling
me in, but back to to my luck,because we're here for her.
Yeah, I love how it?
Says 1922, and then the foreversymbol, yes, the infinity sign
(14:37):
infinity sign, and then 2008,because she is limitless,
ageless, timeless, yes.
And it says Vampyra below that.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
And then it says Hollywood legend, hollywood
legend and I'm glad that it saysthat, because not enough people
treated this woman like she was, the legend that she was, and
so I feel like it's, you know,like a lot of great artists.
Honestly, we think of that withvisual artists all the time.
(15:10):
But with a lot of great artists,sometimes you don't get noticed
until after you're gone, and Ithink with her she was noticed
before she was gone, but thenkind of shuffled to the
background and her influence wastaken on in a way that was
stolen yeah.
And she didn't get the creditshe deserved.
So her influence was alwaysthere and she just kind of
disappeared behind it.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
But yeah, so these flowers are fresh and amazing
and they smell so good, theysmell delicious.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
So good.
Some roses yeah, that's reallysweet.
It's so sweet to see all thelove that she's getting here.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
I'm really glad that.
And these black roses, oh mygosh.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Perfect, perfect, perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
But these are definitely for her.
There's a skull in here.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Oh yeah, you don't leave black roses for just
anybody, especially, you know,cloth ones that will stand the
test of weather, yep, and timeand time and time.
But yeah, we love you, m'lady,and so we're just like, really,
it's the funny thing aboutGraves, you're like we're
(16:17):
sitting, we're sitting on top ofher right now.
I'm just reveling in that for amoment.
Yeah, I hope that that's.
Yeah, sorry, myla, but alsolike I feel like I want to say
sorry I'm sitting on you, butalso like this is what you do
when you visit a grave Right.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
It is what you do.
I hope one day I can become acomfortable seat for someone to
talk about how fabulous I was.
You can leave a sign on yourgrave that says this is my face.
Sit on it.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
comfortable seat for someone to talk about how
fabulous I was.
Leave a sign on your grave thatsays this is my face.
Sit on it.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Along with occasional life.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
You know, I want to say that that is going to make
me go to hell, but I just feellike the list to get into hell
is pretty long.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
So I don't think it's me that's on there.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
No, no, not this time , not this time.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Not today.
Not today, not in 2025.
But anyway, we love you, mylayeah, I wish you were still here
and we're grateful.
We're grateful.
That's really what we want tosay and, honestly, like we're
kind of.
I just feel like the wholespirit of this day is Mila,
because we're basically likedoing what she did and like
hanging out by graves and justlike causing mischief and that
(17:35):
was like her favorite thing todo with her butt.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
With James Dean.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
And so this whole, this whole day was inspired by
her.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yes, it was, and so, yeah, we wanted to dress a
little goth.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
That's why Marissa looks like she's straight out of
the craft she was yeah, thetrue inspiration, or like the
Matrix.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
You have a little bit of a dual thing going on.
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
I'll take it, yeah yeah, yeah, a little past, a
little future, a little timelessand forever, yeah, at the
Hollywood Forever Center.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yes, but so, as we are noting here, Myla passed
away in 2008.
We are going to be visiting herfriend Tamada, who passed away
actually earlier than her, eventhough he was much younger.
So we come with us onto thenext and we will visit our
friend Tamada.
Come join us.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Come, join us Come join us.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
And thanks for introducing us to Tomato Myla,
because you did.
She surely did she did, she did, she helps, she's helping us
make great friends, even stilltoday, all right.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Let's move on.
Look at this lipstick withglitter.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Oh, hell, yeah, there's a lot of black lipstick.
There's a lot of black lipstick.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
There's a lot of black lipstick, a lot of red, a
lot of red.
You had a brown one, I had ared one, right here you can't
tell because this lipstick stays, it does not move.
All right, all right.
So we're still walking around.
We're going to make our way totomato.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Oh, we got to look up tomato, we do All right.
So we're still walking around.
We're going to make our way totomato.
Oh, we got to look up tomato,we do All right.
But just wanted to, as we'redoing that, point out what we're
seeing.
So we have Lori Beckland.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
We don't know you, lori we don't know you, march 12
, 1948 to February 8, 2015,.
A creative, joyful, passionatewriter, activist and friend who
devoted her life to making theworld better and more beautiful.
Amazing, amazing, it says.
(19:40):
And then there's a little, anextra little rock that says Lori
Beckland, famous writer,infectious smile, competitive
what does it say?
Competitive charades player.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Oh, stop it, wait, I'm looking up, I'm looking up
Tomato's Grave, you look upLori's.
I don't know.
Does she have a wiki?
Let's figure it out.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Her gravestone is a book.
It's an open book.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Yeah, so she's clearly a writer.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Competitive charade player.
That's amazing.
I know, lori Shall, we walk andtalk.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, I'm going to look up Lori.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Lori Beckland.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, this is like the fast and dirty Wikipedia
version of a couple people thatwe didn't know we wanted to talk
about today that are catchingour eye.
Lori Beckland dies at 66.
Oh, young.
Yeah, I found her obituary.
Lori Beckland dies at 66.
Oh, young, yeah, I found herobituary.
Lori Beckland dies at 66,former LA Times reporter and
(20:52):
author.
They call it Door of the Devil,wrote Times journalist Lori
Beckland in 1983.
A craggy spot, not far fromdowntown.
San Salvador, where the earthends plunging into a sheer mist
filled ravine.
Beckland had been reportingfrom El Salvador for nearly four
years and had finished a seriesof stories that would change
(21:13):
America's perception of theviolence ravaging that country.
Why does everything end uptying back to right now that?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
we even like start to peruse, I know.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Um, yeah, so anyway, thank you for your service, lori
.
Yeah, I wish I could haveplayed charades with you also,
okay, okay.
So we're sitting outside.
(21:47):
That is the sound of battlingmale peacocks, of battling male
peacocks.
We're in this very gorgeousBuddhist part of the graveyard
(22:08):
and all the girls, all the girlpeacocks, are hiding behind this
bench.
And the males just had a fight.
And then we have a little kittyover here who's like what's
going on, just to show you guys,oh, or marissa, look behind you
.
It's like a full-on gang ofpeacocks over here, and the
(22:31):
girls are like we're gonna stayover here.
I don't know what that's about,but not about it.
I'm gonna stay back here, yeah,and kitty's like I'm with you.
Yeah, I just turned these wayup, it's okay.
Yeah, hi sweetie, hi kitty hihoney oh wow, you're getting
(22:52):
lots of tensions around here,aren't you?
Yeah, yeah, there's a girl I'mforgetting her name right now,
but she does a tour at HollywoodForever.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Oh, you mentioned her before.
Yeah, yeah, and we mentionedher on an episode, I believe.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah, and she one of the cats used to like show up on
her tour all the time andfollow her around, and now she
adopted.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
That's so sweet.
So right now we are um.
We are next to the chapel wheretomato is um, right it is.
I guess it's a Sunday, so yeah,there's a service going on.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Um, there's a service going on.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
There's a burial going on, so we were obviously
not going to interrupt that, andalso the door was locked.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
We actually tried our best to get inside, yeah, to go
around, yeah, not to likeinterrupt anything, but just to
go inside where the service wasnot happening.
It's happening right outside,but the door was locked so we
could not get in.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
So, we can't go see tomato today, but we're going to
sit here, surrounded by all ofthe female peacocks and the
kittens, like we're literally.
I need to.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Yeah, there's three female, four female peacocks
surrounding us right now.
They're so beautiful and so youknow they're not as flashy
about it as the males, but theyare, they're beautiful they have
these, like gorgeous these blue, green necks, and then the rest
(24:33):
of them is neutral becausethey're like you know, classic
for any season?
Yeah, they're just they're,they're neutral queens.
They're like yeah, and they weartheir little headpiece yeah and
they let them, the men, do whatthey need to do to feel good, I
guess, which is fight and lookpretty.
I don't know if there's adirect parallel for anything
(25:00):
there, but um, um, let's, so,let's, let's go ahead and um,
you know, we should, we shoulddo a little coloring page.
I think that's what I was goingto say.
Let's do it.
Let's do a little coloring pagefor tomato, let's do it.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Let's do a little coloring page for tomato Gotta
pick the right one.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Maybe this is appropriate, like all these
peacocks are screaming around usfor the screamer singer.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
I know right, it does make sense For him to be in the
loudest part.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, exactly If tomato de plenty were a bird,
this looks like peacock feathers.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
That's kind of fun.
That is fun.
Maybe that one.
Yeah, I like that one.
Yeah, let's both do it.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Um, yeah, so we're picking a page in this coloring
book that Marissa has cause.
We wanted to, as an offering totomato, do something that was,
um, you know know, art, justlike a art focus, art focused,
without a lot of thought andjust you know a lot, but just
kind of going with the flow andand because he was a, he was in
(26:05):
flow state constantly, so we'rejust trying to flow with it as
well.
Oh, and you have all thesepeacock colors.
This is so fun.
I sure do, okay, but, yeah, howfunny.
So what we were just talkingabout, by the way.
So we're coloring for tomato.
We'll take a picture of thiswhen we finish.
Should I set up a little?
Oh, the tripod, and no, let'sjust take a picture.
(26:26):
We're done.
So I don't want to drawattention to ourselves.
We've gotten a little bitslapped down for um, recording,
yeah, so we just want to be alittle.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Which I understand.
I mean we weren't near anyone.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
We weren't Right, we didn't want to.
We aren't coming here to bedisrespectful, it's quite the
opposite.
So, but anyway, so we justdon't want to call too much
attention to ourselves.
But we are coloring a beautifulpeacock centered page and what
we were just talking about Onour way on our walk here, yeah
(26:57):
is that you know, we're talkingabout um, dead folks in our own
lives.
I guess and I I was saying thatI don't, I haven't ever visited
a grave of anyone that um, umhas died in my family, and the
reason is, uh, I actually dothink that my maternal
(27:22):
grandmother is buried, but I Ithink it might be, it's not
anywhere near where I live.
I know I went to her funeral,but the visitation wouldn't have
made sense and her, um, herceremony was actually a memorial
service.
In fact, in both cases allcases of my deceased
grandparents they were allmemorial services.
So it wasn't like you were at acemetery watching a grave be
(27:46):
dug and all of that.
That wasn't a part of it, itwas just.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
You know all of the other parts like a celebration
of life.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Yes, but there was a wake, but there was also like um
, there was an open casket, likethe night before, for my
maternal grandmother, I remember, and then my would you?
Ever do that?
No, I would never I would alsojust not.
No, I I don't know.
You know what.
I don't think I would do any ofthe um.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Oh my gosh, the peacocks agree.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Yeah, I don't think I would do any of the embalming
side of things.
Yeah, I think I'm going to mixthat as a possibility.
Yeah, but that's just me.
But yeah, I think that mygrandmother on my dad's side was
(28:41):
cremated.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I was very.
That's what I want to do, yeah,or the thing where you can be
turned into a tree.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Totally, um, I was very close with her so I was
part of the ceremony of what wedid with her ashes, which was
like she lived in New Jersey andher like beach house was on
Long Beach Island place, to goas a kid, because she is like
(29:13):
the originator of my love oftheme hotels, yes, every room in
the house had a theme.
So it was like there was moreis more.
Yes, there was.
Her bedroom was a south, asouthwest room in New Jersey,
southwest themed.
And then, which is incredible,and then was, uh, there was like
(29:36):
kind of like a more.
It made more sense in newjersey, I guess, but kind of
main, like actually it was likea sailor's dark blue kind of
small bedroom upstairs with allthose like carved wooden sea
captains in there.
And then my favorite one was thejapanese room, because my
grandfather was like a medicalsales person, I want to say.
And so he, but he traveled alot to Japan for work, um, and
(29:59):
so he had so much Japanese stuffand a whole room full.
Well, yeah, and then they, they, they actually like redid the
room.
They covered all the walls incedar planks.
Um so it smelled, so good itsmelled so good and the lights
were like these Japaneseparasols that they had like
upside down.
So it was like it was justreally fun and imaginative place
(30:22):
to be as a kid and felt likeyou were traveling a little bit,
like you know broadened yourhorizons.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, it was just fun .
Speaker 2 (30:29):
It was a lot of fun.
It felt like every room was anexperience.
So I do kind of love, I love atheme hotel.
She really does from that, yeah, from that moment really that
that brought me there.
But anyway, when we, when shedecided, um, what she wanted to
(30:49):
do with her ashes, she was veryintentional about all that stuff
before she died in a littleboat and we all had clamshells
and ashes and just like a bucket, and we took out a scoop full
of ashes and we had a flowereach and we, like, said our
goodbye and we dumped the ashesinto the lagoon that's so
beautiful.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Yeah, it was perfect.
I love that, yeah but whatabout you?
My grandfather had.
You know the casket and youknow the burial thing, but other
(31:25):
than that it's been memorialservices, which I think I prefer
.
Yeah, it feels like more of acelebration.
It's still sad, but like morebittersweet than sad.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Right, because people are still kind of like laughing
and talking about the best ofand sharing stories.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Yeah, that's nice.
Yeah, I have always said I wantto roast, I want to roast for
my funeral.
All right, noted I gave I wantto roast.
I want to roast for my funeral,all right, noted.
I gave I want to roast, not afuneral, a roast, and I want
Courtney already gave me a roastfor my birthday.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I did.
It was so funny With our friendNora.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Yeah, it was so funny , but it was private.
Yeah, I want anyone to be ableto like get up there and roast
me and then like, and then I'llbe cremated and then I'll be
cremated.
Yeah, whatever, I won't care,I'll be dead, that's true.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Thinking of some of your.
Believe it or not, marissa hashaters.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Can you believe?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Hey, if you don't have haters in life, you're
being too nice.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
That's true.
You could be the nicest personin the world and still someone
will find an excuse to hate you.
Yeah, it's true, it's true.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
So do whatever you want.
You know, I do think that thebetter or the older I've gotten
and the more shit storms I'veendured, the more I'm like.
You know, I'm pretty sure I'vetold Marissa many times I get it
, now I don't care anymore.
But I always still did.
(33:17):
And then it's like then I gotto a place where I was like no,
actually I know there's peoplethat don't think highly of me
and I don't give a fuck.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
You got to get to that place.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
You got to get to the .
You got to get to the tomato deplenty place.
That's right Of just likeliterally not.
He didn't even care about thepeople Whether people liked what
he was doing or not.
No, or if, like, forget thehaters, he didn't even care
about the likers.
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
What did he say about the fans?
That they were like the punkfans.
Hi, ladies, hi peacocks.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Oh my god, we're literally surrounded all the
girls they know they're in asafe space.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah, we do, but yeah , I feel what did he say?
It was like that they were allhokey, yeah, that punk fans were
the hokeyest, so but also, yeah, I think, yeah he wasn't living
off the fumes of their love,which is like what a lot of
(34:18):
people do when they get thatkind of adoration.
Not all of us get that kind ofadoration, but when you do.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Fumes of their love.
That was so poetic, goodness.
The fumes of their love?
Yeah, because, like it is, itcould get to your head, and it
often does.
It, does you?
Speaker 2 (34:39):
expect to get to be always getting adoration.
I don't expect that ever.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, I think it's well.
I hope to always never expectthat ever.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I know right, like you, can't I expect people to
disappoint me really.
Yeah.
So you know, I think it's it's,it's a nice thing.
It should always.
It should always come as apleasant moment that doesn't get
taken for granted.
Whenever anyone offers youappreciation or says nice things
(35:11):
about what you're doing, youknow that should always hit in a
way where it's like oh I, youdidn't need to say that, instead
of expecting it you know, Right, so, but yeah, he tomato was
not that guy.
And also like because he's likehe'd yeah, honestly, he was
always living for himself.
It's like I don't need to keepdoing this just because people
want me to.
(35:31):
I'm going to go and you know,and do my own thing and do art,
and that's also to say, like,this whole conversation I think
I can dovetail pretty easilyinto um the, just the
appreciation that I personallyhave for everybody who's been
giving us feedback about theshow, and I want to find a way
to like pay you guys back forthat.
(35:52):
By the way, I wonder if um, Iwant us to to take first of all,
before we leave, we have totake, like a photo that looks
fabulous.
Oh, so we're going to do that.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Well, we're not leaving this.
Yeah, don't you worry I didn'tput all this makeup on, to not
document it.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
We have to do a Milo and Ermi style.
Wish you were here, picture youknow that's what I want to do
like the wish you were here,great picture, um poke, a little
fun at that.
I want to make some sort ofpostcard we can send as a thank
you to people, or a sticker orsomething like that, and I feel
like a little bit.
Um, I also want to eventuallyand I've got to like figure out
how to do this.
I'm truly just brainstormingout loud, but I would like to
figure out a way to like sendoff our source materials, like
(36:37):
the books that I have, therandom, old, like out of print
70s books and stuff that I'veused for like all of these
episodes.
you know we could do like agiveaway.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Yeah, lottery giveaway.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Yeah, something to enter, yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Like.
Leave a comment to enter.
Yeah, something like that,because if you guys have any
interest in that.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
They're, yeah, like leave a comment to enter, yeah,
something like that.
Because if you guys have anyinterest in that, they're really
like fun books, especiallyMylan Ermey's, but honestly like
all the stuff that led theChristopher Jones stuff.
Give me some feedback aboutwhat you want more of actually
from us, because season two oh,oh, oh.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
the ladies are speaking up.
The ladies are speaking.
What up, girl?
How can we help you?
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
How can we help you?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
But season two is going to be not until like the
fall kind of when our season onestarted, really, not until like
the fall kind of when ourseason one started, really.
So we're just, we're taking thesummer off for sure, um,
because you guys, I'm doing across-country move.
I need a minute, um, I need aminute, yeah.
So, uh, yeah, we'll be back,don't worry about it, but I do
(37:48):
need a minute, um, and yeah, Ithink, um, let her get settled,
but then we'll be coming back.
I already have stuff on.
I have stuff lined up.
It's gonna be good.
We have another pod.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
We'll be working with that.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yeah, exactly no spoilers no spoilers, but a
little bit of, a little bit of alittle tease.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Yeah, it's going to be great.
I'm excited to live on LosAngeles continually, even though
I won't physically be here,although I'll obviously be
coming back to visit, obviously.
Duh, yeah, because also like,okay, maybe now we're just truly
coloring and talking to youguys off the cuff right now.
But so let's share a little bitabout our friendship story,
(38:41):
because I don't think we everreally have, oh, okay, yeah, so
this is how me and Courtneybecame friends.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I used to be married and the guy I used to be married
to went to high school withCourtney and she reached out to
him randomly and was like hey,my boyfriend at the time, now
husband, my boyfriend and I arethinking about moving to LA.
(39:12):
You know kind of want to pickyour brain about it.
Also, like, do you have a placewe could crash while we're
there?
And we're like, sure we have aliving room and a blow-up
mattress.
Come on down and you know wehad been there five years.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
At that point I think , or less, actually less.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
I moved in 20 beginning of 2010.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
This was earlier than we actually moved, so like we
were out there for a weddingactually and we were like we
were trying to connect becausewe were definitely thinking
about moving at that point andthat was for me, the very first
time I was ever in Los Angeles.
So, and this was probably Iwant to say, it was like 2013 is
that too early?
Speaker 1 (39:59):
I think that was it.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I think it was right because then we moved about two
years later we moved in 2015.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
So that was that was when we came out.
So then, um, so then theystayed with us and literally
they, they came, dropped offtheir stuff and then we went out
to um a bar in Highland Parkcalled Hermosillo, and it was
literally like me and Courtneywere on a first date.
That's what it felt, like Meand Courtney like really got to
(40:28):
know each other and like we justconnected sort of immediately,
not sort of immediately,definitely immediately.
And like we just connected sortof immediately, not sort of
immediately, definitelyimmediately.
And after they left I was likewell, courtney, when she moves
here she's going to be my bestfriend.
I'd like already decided uponit Because, like when you know,
you know, yeah, 100 percent.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
And, yeah, and she did move and we did become best
friends, yep, and veryimmediately, and the way that we
did too, it was like I think wehung out again right after we
moved and then, it was like thenyou sent me, um, like a text
that was like this veryvulnerable text.
Actually, I feel like, as anadult woman, to be like.
I really like you and I want tobe friends.
I want to be friends.
(41:17):
What do you think?
Like you?
Speaker 1 (41:19):
know yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
And I was like, yes, I was thinking the same thing.
I probably thought you werelike too cool to even.
I think I was like surprisedthat you sent it to me because I
felt the same way.
But I also thought that youwere like you know, I felt I
thought of you as somebody whowas like you're the one telling
me everything Do you know what Imean?
Like you're the one like kindof giving me your time to like
guide me through, like showingup here.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Oh my gosh, that's only because I had, I got here
first.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Right, but it was like in my head that's how I
like thought about it and then,you know, I responded back with
a dumb like bachelor referenceand joke and a rose emoji, a
rose emoji and I was like willyou accept this rose?
And I was like, hell yeah, Iwill.
Yes.
And then we started going onhikes together a lot before
Marissa's knee started acting up.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Oh God, yeah, that was the beginning of the end for
my knee.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
When I could no longer do hikes with Courtney.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Yeah, of the end for my knee, yeah, when I could no
longer do hikes with Courtney.
Yeah, but we did.
We did so many hikes togetherin the beginning and I remember
just having like the deepestconversations.
We were always like just havingthese like huge conversations on
these hikes that we took likeall the time and the hikes are
really what made me fall in lovewith LA at first, because I I
hadn't had that experience likeliving in Chicago.
It's like you don't really havea hike.
You can just walk to easilyParks and stuff that are great,
but like not a hike.
And so that to me was it issuch a lovely part of living in
(42:41):
LA that you're just like, oh,like I'm going to go get some
nature because I need it andit's right there.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Better go touch grass on a hillside, yep, and you can
do it.
So I really love that and wewould just yeah, we'd have these
like deep conversations andit's just, it's just funny to
think about, because I feel likeyou at that point, you know,
now I'm the one who's like,who's married and whatever, and
you, at the point where, like,you're the married woman who's
like, you were telling me likeso is this the guy, are we me?
(43:13):
Like so is this the guy, are we?
What are we doing here?
You guys have been together fora minute.
What's going on?
Like you, you were just it'sfunny, it was like a different
side of you yeah, because I waslike you moved across the
country with this guy yeah,what's going on.
What's going on?
Yeah, because I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I wouldn't ever do that for anyone unless it was
serious.
So I was like, yeah, give methe tea girl girl, right?
Speaker 2 (43:31):
But yeah, and then Marissa ended up being my maid
of honor, even though at thatpoint I think we'd only been
friends for like three years.
But you know, I knew when youknow, you know when you get here
.
Listen.
People think that's not longenough for somebody to be your
maid of honor.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
People get married when they've known each other
for two years I'm no longer onspeaking terms with the girl who
was my maid of honor, so youknow that was also like, oh my
god, I was.
I was in a lifetime ago.
I was 24 when I got married,which is crazy, yeah, um.
And 30 when I got divorced orseparated or whatever, with the
intention of getting divorced,right, um, so, yeah, um, and I
(44:14):
got courtney in the divorce iswhat I always say she did she
did.
I did indeed, uh.
So yeah, and we've beencreative partners since the
beginning.
We've like, made so many thingstogether.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
We made a really weird podcast, or not podcast.
We made a really weird webseries.
Oh my God, we should providelinks to that.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
We should never, ever let that.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
See the light of day, don't you?
You, for the longest time, hadit as part of your reel.
Because I had nothing else, outof true necessity it is is it's
kind of fun it's it's unhinged,but it's fun, it's unhinged um
yeah, so, but no good lucktrying to find it.
(45:03):
We did learning curve for surestuff just like messing around
and figuring out how to do stuffreally in the style of tomato
to Plenty.
Yeah, keep bringing it back tohim, because we're still
coloring for you and meditatingon these thoughts that connect
to you, sir.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
The screamers.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
The screamers, the screamers are all around us, the
screamers and the dreamers, thescreamers and the dreamers, the
screamers and the dreamers.
But yeah, so it's been quitethe journey.
Here I'm trying to think, likewhat other highlights in the
time that I've lived here and inthe time of our friendship,
specifically, highlights andlowlights?
Good Lord, there have beenplenty.
(45:47):
There have been duplenty,duplenty.
Yeah, there sure have been morehighs than lows, and I think
that LA in particular, like Idon't, you know, sometimes if
you've been I've been here for10 years now and it's like which
is crazy, I know, I know, but Ifeel like I don't have any.
(46:10):
It's I've been here long enoughto not have that kind of
relationship with a city youhaven't been in forever.
You know, or like at least whenyou've been in there under a
decade right, where you kind ofhave like associations with a
certain period of time in yourlife or something like that, and
it can like taint your wholeperception of a place.
And I don't feel like thatabout here, because I've been
here long enough to have reallygreat memories and some really
(46:34):
not great memories, but what hasalways been true is that I have
been loved and supported herethrough all of it, because I've
got the best people and you areone of those people.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
I think that something about Myla you know
she was.
She was buried here because herfriends got together.
Yeah, myla, you know she was.
She was buried here because herfriends got together and made
sure she had an amazing place torest Same with tomato, yeah.
So I think LA is definitely aplace where you can find a
(47:08):
chosen family.
Um, yes, and there's a lot ofinstances where we see that
where, where people's chosenfamily are the ones who they're
there at the end and theyultimately make sure that they
had a really rad place, yeah, tospend eternity.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
Yeah, I don't know.
I think anybody who puts energytowards their friends, it goes
on, it lives on as an example toother people.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
Yeah, Because family you don't choose, but friends
you choose.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
That's right, and I know that you've had to break up
with some friends, marissa.
Speaker 1 (47:52):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
I remember at the beginning of our friendship,
that is like that was such apoint of conversation.
Was you?
Because I replaced them youbreaking up with all of your
friends.
Not all of them, not all ofyour friends.
No, there's plenty of friendsthat Marissa has has had for
quite some time.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
But yeah, but like true friendship breakups I've
had.
I've had a couple and I waslike there for that because,
well, because Courtney showed me, what I deserved.
Courtney showed me what Ideserved and I wouldn't settle
(48:34):
for anything less.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
I want to say I really messed this up because I
needed to give this to you hereand I forgot it, but I got you.
I got you something.
What?
Speaker 1 (48:46):
did you get?
Speaker 2 (48:46):
me.
I got you in the offering offriends, because I'll just
describe it to you guys becauseI'm going to have to give it to
Marissa later.
But it's just, it's a candleand it says bet you're my
soulmate.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
That's what it is.
It's true, it's true, that'swhat it is, that's all.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
So you can burn it and cry when I'm not physically
in LA.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
I hate it, but also I'm very excited for you.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
I feel like you know you've been very understanding
about all of that.
And I feel good about the factthat another one of your close
friends is moving into the house, the apartment in the back.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Yeah, friends is moving into the house the
apartment in the back.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
Yeah, so that, um, you know, like you, you have
that legacy living on of, uh,close friends, only close
friends, only being surroundedby your people.
Yeah so, um, I think the legacy, the legacy lives on and lives
on.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
Oh but yeah, but bitch you're my soulmate, Bitch.
Legacy.
The legacy lives on.
It lives on the French legacy.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
But yeah, but, bitch, you're my soulmate.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Bitch, you're my soulmate.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
And you peacock girlies have been the
inspiration for the whole piecewe're working on right now, and
I think it's just about done.
Yeah, oh, my God, you shouldhave worn this peacock.
Look at this male.
He's coming up, he's coming onup, he's strutting around.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
All right, we just finished our little yeah, we did
.
Let's take a picture of it.
Speaker 2 (50:18):
We're going to take a picture of it for you guys to
see.
All right, this is the sound ofTomato DiPlenty's artwork being
torn from the coloring bookpages.
Should we leave a message on it?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
Yes in the back.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
Let's put a message on it, okay, do you have a red
pencil?
I?
Speaker 1 (50:40):
sure do okay, every single color here red or orange.
Okay, so we're gonna I'm gonnanarrate this as I write it.
Speaker 2 (50:49):
All right.
So we're saying dearest tomato.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Thanks for teaching us to always do plenty.
Speaker 2 (51:08):
Thanks for teaching us to always do plenty.
I spelled his last name as theD-U and then the plenty and put
it in air quotes.
He'll get it.
If you liked what you heard, orif you have any feedback for us
(51:38):
at all the good, the bad, theugly, the dead, the alive please
leave us a review on applepodcasts, um, and, and let us
know what you think we reallywant to hear from you.
Also, follow the show, please,um.
You know, definitely subscribewhatever, wherever you get your
podcasts, but write us a review.
Tell us what you're thinking.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Dead and Kind of Famous is written, researched
and produced by CourtneyBlomquist.
It is co-hosted by MarissaRivera.
We tag team on socials.
Jesse Russell and CourtneyBlomquist do our editing Until
next time.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
you might not be famous, but you got a story to
tell and you're not dead yet.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Okay bye, bye.
Thank you, dead and Kind of Famous.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Dead and Kind of Famous.
Okay, all right, let's do it,and we are recording already
here.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Check check Hello, hello, hello, hello.
Okay, oh, already falling, okay.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Okay.
Hello and welcome to Dead andkind of famous.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Oh, you say that.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Oh well, I don't, I have to read it oh, that's right
, start again hello and welcometo dead and kind of famous where
we dig into the life stories ofdead folks who enjoyed a touch
or two of fame in their time andnow reside permanently in the
Hollywood Forever Cemetery whichwe are currently at we are.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
Can you hear the wind ?
Speaker 2 (01:36):
The wind.
It's kind of a cloudy chillyLos.
Angeles day.
We are sitting by the grace ofthe Bastegians.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Bastegians.
So thank you to the Bastegiansfor their wonderful memorial
bench that we're sitting upon.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
They're the closest thing to a sponsor that we've
had.
You want to sponsor the show?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Talk to us about it.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Also, here we are.
Yes, we are going to visit somefriends today.
We're going to.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
What is it called when you drop something off at
someone's grave?
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Oh, I just can't, I don't know.
But I say, just giving ourofferings Okay, yes, yes, okay,
that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Yeah, we will be giving offerings to some of the
rest of the season one, right,season one, season one.
If I could speak today, thatwould be great.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
The season one cast of characters.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, our season one cast of characters that we
haven't yet visited or given anoffering to.
We are doing that today andwe're really excited to be here.
I don't know if you can hearthe peacocks in the background.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
Yeah, we'll have to do some little, some little
video for fun, to for to sharewith you guys of that, if we can
find them, but they're alwaysaround, always.
This, this.
I think I see one over therewe're gonna look around.
Yeah, we're gonna look for thecemetery is filled with cats and
peacocks and creatures andthere's like people who take
(03:15):
care of the animals that arehere.
It's kind of a whole part of it,which I've always loved yes um,
and we are dressed as you cansee in our are all blacks,
mostly to honor Vampyra, butalso all of the dead, yeah, so
we are here, ready for anadventure.
We're ready for an adventure.
We're going to take you guysalong with us today.
(03:35):
And also, I just want to beclear from the top this is the
last episode of season one.
Yes, it is, and I don't know ifI should drop this now or later
.
Do it now?
Rip off the band-aid.
Okay, so this will be the lastepisode that you guys hear with
(03:56):
both of us in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
Because I am moving.
But, I see that we have a lotof listeners.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Do you hear the winds of change the winds?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
of change.
Oh my God, they be blowing.
They be blowing.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Yeah, we're moving to Minnesota, to where the winds
will be harsher and colder Willthey ever, and by we, that's
Courtney, her husband and herchild, and Iris yeah, they were
moving, but that doesn't meanthat this show is not continuing
it is and we will just be.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
You've seen from the last couple episodes, we can
definitely do it remotely andwe're going to keep doing that,
that's right.
So you got nothing to worryabout there.
It is just a change, and wewanted to make sure that we
could be together here in theHollywood Forever Cemetery
celebrating all of this, becauseit is this is.
This is not just a gimmick.
I genuinely love this place andI feel like the stories.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
It's just such a gift all the stories that we've
gotten from here, and so I feel,I feel like the most connected
to this city that I ever havereally yes oh, that's great, and
I've been here since 2010.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So yeah, I really do feel that way yeah, I, I agree,
and it's it makes me leave.
Just, I don't know.
I've, I, I don't.
I'm sad to leave.
I'm excited for future thingsand to have a little more space
and all of that we were justtalking about it but at the same
time, like I, I do.
I just I do love this city and Ithink that the people here and
(05:36):
the stories that come out of itare so amazing and I'm so
excited to keep telling them.
Even if I'm not physically here, it's here.
This podcast is helping me staytied to this city.
It's actually like a reallybeautiful thing.
It's pretty magical.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, and this place is pretty magical, it is.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
So we're excited to take you guys with us today.
I know we don't normally dovideo and this will just be in
like bits and pieces anyway, butthis is, yeah, Just a little
vlog style.
A little vlog style.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
A little bit of a journey through.
So, uh, hope you all enjoy itand um, so, let's, let's be on
our way, let's do it, let's go,let's go visit some friends, go
okay, all right, where is it oh?
We're coming up on some peacockhere and some peacock we're
coming up on, I think, just one.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
Yeah, one loud one, one very loud one.
Oh, and there's a swan.
Do you see the swan when, overthere, just sitting in between
the trees?
Oh my gosh, hi swan.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Hello swan, hello swan.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Oh my goodness, so pretty.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Hello peacock, yeah.
I feel like these are, oh mygoodness, so pretty.
Hello peacock yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
I feel like these are both beautiful birds that are
also aggressive, so you got towatch out, all right.
So we made it to the road.
So actually, I think we have tocut in this way.
Oh, here it is.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I know, I know where it is Okay.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
Oh cause?
You see the arch.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Yeah, okay, so this was my visual uh landmark.
Was this uh reddish brown archPergola.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Pergola.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Yes, oh my gosh.
Wait, look at this grave withall of the dachshunds on it.
Oh my god, stop it.
This is so cute, oh my god youguys, you guys, this is like,
and there's people together.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Mike sigsmansky, journalist, activist, uncle
friend, we have to look him up,oh we do oh my gosh dog person
clearly.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Look at this that's so cute.
I love it oh my gosh, oh mygosh all right, we're gonna,
we're gonna look him up and yeah, we'll, we'll be back to you,
yeah because I'm intrigued.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, I'm intrigued mike.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
All right, so this was the big thing.
There she is, there she.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
There she is oh, my goodness, my goodness, myla and
someone's already visited todayand given you fresh flowers, as
you deserve Fresh flowers.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Look there she is.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
And left kiss marks.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Look at all the kiss marks on her face.
Oh, my gosh, stop it, you guys.
Oh, we have to leave, we haveto do this we're wearing the
lipstick.
Oh, we are are okay, all right,we're gonna leave her kisses.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
We're gonna leave her smooches and this wasn't our
idea.
I'm stealing it yeah we have tonow.
This is a great way to getcovid okay.
Here we are.
We're at milo's grave.
She looks stunning in thisetching.
People have left some thingshere.
(08:44):
This is interesting what havethey left some things here.
This is interesting.
What have they left?
They've left, okay.
So there's like a little doggykind of keychain.
There's this little clown thing, there's an eyeliner.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
There's a spooky hand .
Yes, a little thing hand.
Yeah, a thing hand.
Yes, a little a little a thinghand.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, thing hand and a bunch of makeup.
People left her a bunch ofmakeup.
Oh, that's so amazing.
I love it.
That's incredible, and itmight've just been like what
they use to kiss the grave.
I don't know, but bring yourown lipstick though, yeah.
Health code B.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Y O L, b Y O L, byol, byol.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
Yeah, don't use the ones you find at a grave.
Probably not the best idea,okay, so let's do it, should I?
I'll go first.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yes, go ahead.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Okay, Myla, I'm going to give you a smooch right next
to your face.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Aww, there, it is.
There, it is here.
All right, marissa's turn, hereI come.
All right.
Marissa's turn, here I come,all right.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Myla, my girl, look at that.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
A little outline.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Look at our kissies.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
You can see them.
Someone left a little bit of avape too.
Oh okay, and like all this redlipstick, I love it.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Obsessed.
It's also just like yeah, Ifeel like someone needs to.
We should have brought a joint.
Honestly.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Oh my gosh, Well, I'm not smoking at the moment.
These are beautiful, theseflowers they are.
Are someone brought?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
this is like okay, so what?
What our plan was here was toum just visit for a while we're
gonna just visit, we were justgonna visit and say you know,
we're just gonna say that weknow how important you are we
know that you are mother and alittle skull, wait a minute a
(10:49):
little skull.
Stop it.
So cute, obsessed, like, look,you're getting love myla, and so
I don't know.
I think I just I also just wantto say I'm sorry, I it's it
sorry.
I want to apologize on yourbehalf for the fact that, like
you, you were a good friend topeople and I think you did have
(11:12):
friends around till the end.
But I'm sorry more peopleweren't there right at the end
because they should have beenand you deserved more.
But I'm glad that you'regetting your due here.
And look at all this love Milo.
Look at all your kisses.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Look at all of the kisses.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Look at all the kisses and all the offerings.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
That I'm sure you'd get a kick out of.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Oh my gosh, you would love Obsessed.
So you are loved, darling, andwe're just, and thank you for
giving us four episodes oh mygosh, yes, goodness gracious.
You gave us four great episodesand we've gotten listeners,
listeners.
We've gotten so much reallygreat feedback from you,
especially about those episodes,so thank you for that you are
(11:54):
loved, beloved.
Oh, and I'm going to drop anEaster egg right now that I
didn't drop before.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
So Am I getting us Okay, okay.
So, basically, I never saidthis, we said it in another take
and I never included it in theedit.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
What.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
But Mylon Ermey's son , her love child with Orson
Welles.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
He.
They found him in the end, sowe never included that in the
actual episode.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
That's true, but they did?
Speaker 2 (12:22):
They found him and he he wasn't a lawyer he could
have.
It's too bad that he wasn'taround.
He could have helped her withsome of her disastrous, you know
, dealings, yeah stuff, and buthe, they found him Her niece in
particular, who wrote the story,and her daughter Her niece's
daughter found him through23andMe.
(12:44):
So they were able to and sothat verifies it.
Yeah, that everything she wassaying was true, by the way.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Well, she was always a truth teller.
She was a truth teller, shenever lied.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
She never lied and yeah, so he exists and is there
to carry on.
You know your genetics and Ithink he's a much more straight
laced person, but I hope hehelps some people in your
situation.
You know, like legally to helpwith creative rights.
(13:17):
That would be really cool if hewent down that road.
I don't know, but I know he wasreally happy to find out about
his mom and everything, and soit's cool that he's still
connected to your story.
So, as we all are, yeah, myattention, as beautiful as this
grave is, got pulled back here.
I just have to point it out andspeak to what's distracting me.
(13:40):
This is Marzie Harris's grave.
I don't know who she was, butshe's very close to Vampyra's
and it says loving mother,sister, daughter and occasional
wife.
Speaker 1 (13:51):
Iconic that's.
I want that on my gravestone.
Occasional wife.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Yes, but then it says the Mark Twain quote at the
bottom the fear of death followsfrom the fear of life.
A man who lives fully isprepared to die at any time.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Marzi, I'm intrigued, yeah, I'm intrigued, and also
your Princess Diana haircut isIs pulling me in, fully pulling
me in, but back to to my luck,because we're here for her.
Yeah, I love how it?
Says 1922, and then the foreversymbol, yes, the infinity sign
(14:37):
infinity sign, and then 2008,because she is limitless,
ageless, timeless, yes.
And it says Vampyra below that.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
And then it says Hollywood legend, hollywood
legend and I'm glad that it saysthat, because not enough people
treated this woman like she was, the legend that she was, and
so I feel like it's, you know,like a lot of great artists.
Honestly, we think of that withvisual artists all the time.
(15:10):
But with a lot of great artists,sometimes you don't get noticed
until after you're gone, and Ithink with her she was noticed
before she was gone, but thenkind of shuffled to the
background and her influence wastaken on in a way that was
stolen yeah.
And she didn't get the creditshe deserved.
So her influence was alwaysthere and she just kind of
disappeared behind it.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
But yeah, so these flowers are fresh and amazing
and they smell so good, theysmell delicious.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
So good.
Some roses yeah, that's reallysweet.
It's so sweet to see all thelove that she's getting here.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
I'm really glad that.
And these black roses, oh mygosh.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Perfect, perfect, perfect.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
But these are definitely for her.
There's a skull in here.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Oh yeah, you don't leave black roses for just
anybody, especially, you know,cloth ones that will stand the
test of weather, yep, and timeand time and time.
But yeah, we love you, m'lady,and so we're just like, really,
it's the funny thing aboutGraves, you're like we're
(16:17):
sitting, we're sitting on top ofher right now.
I'm just reveling in that for amoment.
Yeah, I hope that that's.
Yeah, sorry, myla, but alsolike I feel like I want to say
sorry I'm sitting on you, butalso like this is what you do
when you visit a grave Right.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
It is what you do.
I hope one day I can become acomfortable seat for someone to
talk about how fabulous I was.
You can leave a sign on yourgrave that says this is my face.
Sit on it.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
comfortable seat for someone to talk about how
fabulous I was.
Leave a sign on your grave thatsays this is my face.
Sit on it.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
Along with occasional life.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
You know, I want to say that that is going to make
me go to hell, but I just feellike the list to get into hell
is pretty long.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
So I don't think it's me that's on there.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
No, no, not this time , not this time.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Not today.
Not today, not in 2025.
But anyway, we love you, mylayeah, I wish you were still here
and we're grateful.
We're grateful.
That's really what we want tosay and, honestly, like we're
kind of.
I just feel like the wholespirit of this day is Mila,
because we're basically likedoing what she did and like
hanging out by graves and justlike causing mischief and that
(17:35):
was like her favorite thing todo with her butt.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
With James Dean.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
And so this whole, this whole day was inspired by
her.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yes, it was, and so, yeah, we wanted to dress a
little goth.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
That's why Marissa looks like she's straight out of
the craft she was yeah, thetrue inspiration, or like the
Matrix.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
You have a little bit of a dual thing going on.
I'll take it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
I'll take it, yeah yeah, yeah, a little past, a
little future, a little timelessand forever, yeah, at the
Hollywood Forever Center.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Yes, but so, as we are noting here, Myla passed
away in 2008.
We are going to be visiting herfriend Tamada, who passed away
actually earlier than her, eventhough he was much younger.
So we come with us onto thenext and we will visit our
friend Tamada.
Come join us.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Come, join us Come join us.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
And thanks for introducing us to Tomato Myla,
because you did.
She surely did she did, she did, she helps, she's helping us
make great friends, even stilltoday, all right.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
Let's move on.
Look at this lipstick withglitter.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
Oh, hell, yeah, there's a lot of black lipstick.
There's a lot of black lipstick.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
There's a lot of black lipstick, a lot of red, a
lot of red.
You had a brown one, I had ared one, right here you can't
tell because this lipstick stays, it does not move.
All right, all right.
So we're still walking around.
We're going to make our way totomato.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Oh, we got to look up tomato, we do All right.
So we're still walking around.
We're going to make our way totomato.
Oh, we got to look up tomato,we do All right.
But just wanted to, as we'redoing that, point out what we're
seeing.
So we have Lori Beckland.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
We don't know you, lori we don't know you, march 12
, 1948 to February 8, 2015,.
A creative, joyful, passionatewriter, activist and friend who
devoted her life to making theworld better and more beautiful.
Amazing, amazing, it says.
(19:40):
And then there's a little, anextra little rock that says Lori
Beckland, famous writer,infectious smile, competitive
what does it say?
Competitive charades player.
Speaker 2 (19:59):
Oh, stop it, wait, I'm looking up, I'm looking up
Tomato's Grave, you look upLori's.
I don't know.
Does she have a wiki?
Let's figure it out.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
Her gravestone is a book.
It's an open book.
Speaker 2 (20:12):
Yeah, so she's clearly a writer.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
Competitive charade player.
That's amazing.
I know, lori Shall, we walk andtalk.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yeah, I'm going to look up Lori.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Lori Beckland.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
Yeah, this is like the fast and dirty Wikipedia
version of a couple people thatwe didn't know we wanted to talk
about today that are catchingour eye.
Lori Beckland dies at 66.
Oh, young.
Yeah, I found her obituary.
Lori Beckland dies at 66.
Oh, young, yeah, I found herobituary.
Lori Beckland dies at 66,former LA Times reporter and
(20:52):
author.
They call it Door of the Devil,wrote Times journalist Lori
Beckland in 1983.
A craggy spot, not far fromdowntown.
San Salvador, where the earthends plunging into a sheer mist
filled ravine.
Beckland had been reportingfrom El Salvador for nearly four
years and had finished a seriesof stories that would change
(21:13):
America's perception of theviolence ravaging that country.
Why does everything end uptying back to right now that?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
we even like start to peruse, I know.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Um, yeah, so anyway, thank you for your service, lori
.
Yeah, I wish I could haveplayed charades with you also,
okay, okay.
So we're sitting outside.
(21:47):
That is the sound of battlingmale peacocks, of battling male
peacocks.
We're in this very gorgeousBuddhist part of the graveyard
(22:08):
and all the girls, all the girlpeacocks, are hiding behind this
bench.
And the males just had a fight.
And then we have a little kittyover here who's like what's
going on, just to show you guys,oh, or marissa, look behind you
.
It's like a full-on gang ofpeacocks over here, and the
(22:31):
girls are like we're gonna stayover here.
I don't know what that's about,but not about it.
I'm gonna stay back here, yeah,and kitty's like I'm with you.
Yeah, I just turned these wayup, it's okay.
Yeah, hi sweetie, hi kitty hihoney oh wow, you're getting
(22:52):
lots of tensions around here,aren't you?
Yeah, yeah, there's a girl I'mforgetting her name right now,
but she does a tour at HollywoodForever.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Oh, you mentioned her before.
Yeah, yeah, and we mentionedher on an episode, I believe.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
Yeah, and she one of the cats used to like show up on
her tour all the time andfollow her around, and now she
adopted.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
That's so sweet.
So right now we are um.
We are next to the chapel wheretomato is um, right it is.
I guess it's a Sunday, so yeah,there's a service going on.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Um, there's a service going on.
Speaker 1 (23:33):
There's a burial going on, so we were obviously
not going to interrupt that, andalso the door was locked.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
We actually tried our best to get inside, yeah, to go
around, yeah, not to likeinterrupt anything, but just to
go inside where the service wasnot happening.
It's happening right outside,but the door was locked so we
could not get in.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
So, we can't go see tomato today, but we're going to
sit here, surrounded by all ofthe female peacocks and the
kittens, like we're literally.
I need to.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Yeah, there's three female, four female peacocks
surrounding us right now.
They're so beautiful and so youknow they're not as flashy
about it as the males, but theyare, they're beautiful they have
these, like gorgeous these blue, green necks, and then the rest
(24:33):
of them is neutral becausethey're like you know, classic
for any season?
Yeah, they're just they're,they're neutral queens.
They're like yeah, and they weartheir little headpiece yeah and
they let them, the men, do whatthey need to do to feel good, I
guess, which is fight and lookpretty.
I don't know if there's adirect parallel for anything
(25:00):
there, but um, um, let's, so,let's, let's go ahead and um,
you know, we should, we shoulddo a little coloring page.
I think that's what I was goingto say.
Let's do it.
Let's do a little coloring pagefor tomato, let's do it.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Let's do a little coloring page for tomato Gotta
pick the right one.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Maybe this is appropriate, like all these
peacocks are screaming around usfor the screamer singer.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
I know right, it does make sense For him to be in the
loudest part.
Speaker 2 (25:33):
Yeah, exactly If tomato de plenty were a bird,
this looks like peacock feathers.
Speaker 1 (25:39):
That's kind of fun.
That is fun.
Maybe that one.
Yeah, I like that one.
Yeah, let's both do it.
Speaker 2 (25:42):
Um, yeah, so we're picking a page in this coloring
book that Marissa has cause.
We wanted to, as an offering totomato, do something that was,
um, you know know, art, justlike a art focus, art focused,
without a lot of thought andjust you know a lot, but just
kind of going with the flow andand because he was a, he was in
(26:05):
flow state constantly, so we'rejust trying to flow with it as
well.
Oh, and you have all thesepeacock colors.
This is so fun.
I sure do, okay, but, yeah, howfunny.
So what we were just talkingabout, by the way.
So we're coloring for tomato.
We'll take a picture of thiswhen we finish.
Should I set up a little?
Oh, the tripod, and no, let'sjust take a picture.
(26:26):
We're done.
So I don't want to drawattention to ourselves.
We've gotten a little bitslapped down for um, recording,
yeah, so we just want to be alittle.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Which I understand.
I mean we weren't near anyone.
Speaker 2 (26:36):
We weren't Right, we didn't want to.
We aren't coming here to bedisrespectful, it's quite the
opposite.
So, but anyway, so we justdon't want to call too much
attention to ourselves.
But we are coloring a beautifulpeacock centered page and what
we were just talking about Onour way on our walk here, yeah
(26:57):
is that you know, we're talkingabout um, dead folks in our own
lives.
I guess and I I was saying thatI don't, I haven't ever visited
a grave of anyone that um, umhas died in my family, and the
reason is, uh, I actually dothink that my maternal
(27:22):
grandmother is buried, but I Ithink it might be, it's not
anywhere near where I live.
I know I went to her funeral,but the visitation wouldn't have
made sense and her, um, herceremony was actually a memorial
service.
In fact, in both cases allcases of my deceased
grandparents they were allmemorial services.
So it wasn't like you were at acemetery watching a grave be
(27:46):
dug and all of that.
That wasn't a part of it, itwas just.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
You know all of the other parts like a celebration
of life.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
Yes, but there was a wake, but there was also like um
, there was an open casket, likethe night before, for my
maternal grandmother, I remember, and then my would you?
Ever do that?
No, I would never I would alsojust not.
No, I I don't know.
You know what.
I don't think I would do any ofthe um.
Speaker 1 (28:15):
Oh my gosh, the peacocks agree.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Yeah, I don't think I would do any of the embalming
side of things.
Yeah, I think I'm going to mixthat as a possibility.
Yeah, but that's just me.
But yeah, I think that mygrandmother on my dad's side was
(28:41):
cremated.
Speaker 1 (28:43):
I was very.
That's what I want to do, yeah,or the thing where you can be
turned into a tree.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
Totally, um, I was very close with her so I was
part of the ceremony of what wedid with her ashes, which was
like she lived in New Jersey andher like beach house was on
Long Beach Island place, to goas a kid, because she is like
(29:13):
the originator of my love oftheme hotels, yes, every room in
the house had a theme.
So it was like there was moreis more.
Yes, there was.
Her bedroom was a south, asouthwest room in New Jersey,
southwest themed.
And then, which is incredible,and then was, uh, there was like
(29:36):
kind of like a more.
It made more sense in newjersey, I guess, but kind of
main, like actually it was likea sailor's dark blue kind of
small bedroom upstairs with allthose like carved wooden sea
captains in there.
And then my favorite one was thejapanese room, because my
grandfather was like a medicalsales person, I want to say.
And so he, but he traveled alot to Japan for work, um, and
(29:59):
so he had so much Japanese stuffand a whole room full.
Well, yeah, and then they, they, they actually like redid the
room.
They covered all the walls incedar planks.
Um so it smelled, so good itsmelled so good and the lights
were like these Japaneseparasols that they had like
upside down.
So it was like it was justreally fun and imaginative place
(30:22):
to be as a kid and felt likeyou were traveling a little bit,
like you know broadened yourhorizons.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, it was just fun .
Speaker 2 (30:29):
It was a lot of fun.
It felt like every room was anexperience.
So I do kind of love, I love atheme hotel.
She really does from that, yeah, from that moment really that
that brought me there.
But anyway, when we, when shedecided, um, what she wanted to
(30:49):
do with her ashes, she was veryintentional about all that stuff
before she died in a littleboat and we all had clamshells
and ashes and just like a bucket, and we took out a scoop full
of ashes and we had a flowereach and we, like, said our
goodbye and we dumped the ashesinto the lagoon that's so
beautiful.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
Yeah, it was perfect.
I love that, yeah but whatabout you?
My grandfather had.
You know the casket and youknow the burial thing, but other
(31:25):
than that it's been memorialservices, which I think I prefer
.
Yeah, it feels like more of acelebration.
It's still sad, but like morebittersweet than sad.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Right, because people are still kind of like laughing
and talking about the best ofand sharing stories.
Speaker 1 (31:46):
Yeah, that's nice.
Yeah, I have always said I wantto roast, I want to roast for
my funeral.
All right, noted I gave I wantto roast.
I want to roast for my funeral,all right, noted.
I gave I want to roast, not afuneral, a roast, and I want
Courtney already gave me a roastfor my birthday.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
I did.
It was so funny With our friendNora.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Yeah, it was so funny , but it was private.
Yeah, I want anyone to be ableto like get up there and roast
me and then like, and then I'llbe cremated and then I'll be
cremated.
Yeah, whatever, I won't care,I'll be dead, that's true.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
Thinking of some of your.
Believe it or not, marissa hashaters.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
Can you believe?
Speaker 2 (32:38):
Hey, if you don't have haters in life, you're
being too nice.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
That's true.
You could be the nicest personin the world and still someone
will find an excuse to hate you.
Yeah, it's true, it's true.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
So do whatever you want.
You know, I do think that thebetter or the older I've gotten
and the more shit storms I'veendured, the more I'm like.
You know, I'm pretty sure I'vetold Marissa many times I get it
, now I don't care anymore.
But I always still did.
(33:17):
And then it's like then I gotto a place where I was like no,
actually I know there's peoplethat don't think highly of me
and I don't give a fuck.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
You got to get to that place.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
You got to get to the .
You got to get to the tomato deplenty place.
That's right Of just likeliterally not.
He didn't even care about thepeople Whether people liked what
he was doing or not.
No, or if, like, forget thehaters, he didn't even care
about the likers.
Yeah, it's true.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
What did he say about the fans?
That they were like the punkfans.
Hi, ladies, hi peacocks.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Oh my god, we're literally surrounded all the
girls they know they're in asafe space.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Yeah, we do, but yeah , I feel what did he say?
It was like that they were allhokey, yeah, that punk fans were
the hokeyest, so but also, yeah, I think, yeah he wasn't living
off the fumes of their love,which is like what a lot of
(34:18):
people do when they get thatkind of adoration.
Not all of us get that kind ofadoration, but when you do.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
Fumes of their love.
That was so poetic, goodness.
The fumes of their love?
Yeah, because, like it is, itcould get to your head, and it
often does.
It, does you?
Speaker 2 (34:39):
expect to get to be always getting adoration.
I don't expect that ever.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Yeah, I think it's well.
I hope to always never expectthat ever.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
I know right, like you, can't I expect people to
disappoint me really.
Yeah.
So you know, I think it's it's,it's a nice thing.
It should always.
It should always come as apleasant moment that doesn't get
taken for granted.
Whenever anyone offers youappreciation or says nice things
(35:11):
about what you're doing, youknow that should always hit in a
way where it's like oh I, youdidn't need to say that, instead
of expecting it you know, Right, so, but yeah, he tomato was
not that guy.
And also like because he's likehe'd yeah, honestly, he was
always living for himself.
It's like I don't need to keepdoing this just because people
want me to.
(35:31):
I'm going to go and you know,and do my own thing and do art,
and that's also to say, like,this whole conversation I think
I can dovetail pretty easilyinto um the, just the
appreciation that I personallyhave for everybody who's been
giving us feedback about theshow, and I want to find a way
to like pay you guys back forthat.
(35:52):
By the way, I wonder if um, Iwant us to to take first of all,
before we leave, we have totake, like a photo that looks
fabulous.
Oh, so we're going to do that.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
Well, we're not leaving this.
Yeah, don't you worry I didn'tput all this makeup on, to not
document it.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
We have to do a Milo and Ermi style.
Wish you were here, picture youknow that's what I want to do
like the wish you were here,great picture, um poke, a little
fun at that.
I want to make some sort ofpostcard we can send as a thank
you to people, or a sticker orsomething like that, and I feel
like a little bit.
Um, I also want to eventuallyand I've got to like figure out
how to do this.
I'm truly just brainstormingout loud, but I would like to
figure out a way to like sendoff our source materials, like
(36:37):
the books that I have, therandom, old, like out of print
70s books and stuff that I'veused for like all of these
episodes.
you know we could do like agiveaway.
Speaker 1 (36:48):
Yeah, lottery giveaway.
Speaker 2 (36:50):
Yeah, something to enter, yeah.
Speaker 1 (36:52):
Like.
Leave a comment to enter.
Yeah, something like that,because if you guys have any
interest in that.
Speaker 2 (36:55):
They're, yeah, like leave a comment to enter, yeah,
something like that.
Because if you guys have anyinterest in that, they're really
like fun books, especiallyMylan Ermey's, but honestly like
all the stuff that led theChristopher Jones stuff.
Give me some feedback aboutwhat you want more of actually
from us, because season two oh,oh, oh.
Speaker 1 (37:13):
the ladies are speaking up.
The ladies are speaking.
What up, girl?
How can we help you?
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:20):
How can we help you?
Speaker 2 (37:27):
But season two is going to be not until like the
fall kind of when our season onestarted, really, not until like
the fall kind of when ourseason one started, really.
So we're just, we're taking thesummer off for sure, um,
because you guys, I'm doing across-country move.
I need a minute, um, I need aminute, yeah.
So, uh, yeah, we'll be back,don't worry about it, but I do
(37:48):
need a minute, um, and yeah, Ithink, um, let her get settled,
but then we'll be coming back.
I already have stuff on.
I have stuff lined up.
It's gonna be good.
We have another pod.
Speaker 1 (38:04):
We'll be working with that.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
I'm excited about.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yeah, exactly no spoilers no spoilers, but a
little bit of, a little bit of alittle tease.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Yeah, it's going to be great.
I'm excited to live on LosAngeles continually, even though
I won't physically be here,although I'll obviously be
coming back to visit, obviously.
Duh, yeah, because also like,okay, maybe now we're just truly
coloring and talking to youguys off the cuff right now.
But so let's share a little bitabout our friendship story,
(38:41):
because I don't think we everreally have, oh, okay, yeah, so
this is how me and Courtneybecame friends.
Speaker 1 (38:51):
I used to be married and the guy I used to be married
to went to high school withCourtney and she reached out to
him randomly and was like hey,my boyfriend at the time, now
husband, my boyfriend and I arethinking about moving to LA.
(39:12):
You know kind of want to pickyour brain about it.
Also, like, do you have a placewe could crash while we're
there?
And we're like, sure we have aliving room and a blow-up
mattress.
Come on down and you know wehad been there five years.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
At that point I think , or less, actually less.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
I moved in 20 beginning of 2010.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
This was earlier than we actually moved, so like we
were out there for a weddingactually and we were like we
were trying to connect becausewe were definitely thinking
about moving at that point andthat was for me, the very first
time I was ever in Los Angeles.
So, and this was probably Iwant to say, it was like 2013 is
that too early?
Speaker 1 (39:59):
I think that was it.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
I think it was right because then we moved about two
years later we moved in 2015.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
So that was that was when we came out.
So then, um, so then theystayed with us and literally
they, they came, dropped offtheir stuff and then we went out
to um a bar in Highland Parkcalled Hermosillo, and it was
literally like me and Courtneywere on a first date.
That's what it felt, like Meand Courtney like really got to
(40:28):
know each other and like we justconnected sort of immediately,
not sort of immediately,definitely immediately.
And like we just connected sortof immediately, not sort of
immediately, definitelyimmediately.
And after they left I was likewell, courtney, when she moves
here she's going to be my bestfriend.
I'd like already decided uponit Because, like when you know,
you know, yeah, 100 percent.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
And, yeah, and she did move and we did become best
friends, yep, and veryimmediately, and the way that we
did too, it was like I think wehung out again right after we
moved and then, it was like thenyou sent me, um, like a text
that was like this veryvulnerable text.
Actually, I feel like, as anadult woman, to be like.
I really like you and I want tobe friends.
I want to be friends.
(41:17):
What do you think?
Like you?
Speaker 1 (41:19):
know yeah.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
And I was like, yes, I was thinking the same thing.
I probably thought you werelike too cool to even.
I think I was like surprisedthat you sent it to me because I
felt the same way.
But I also thought that youwere like you know, I felt I
thought of you as somebody whowas like you're the one telling
me everything Do you know what Imean?
Like you're the one like kindof giving me your time to like
guide me through, like showingup here.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Oh my gosh, that's only because I had, I got here
first.
Speaker 2 (41:44):
Right, but it was like in my head that's how I
like thought about it and then,you know, I responded back with
a dumb like bachelor referenceand joke and a rose emoji, a
rose emoji and I was like willyou accept this rose?
And I was like, hell yeah, Iwill.
Yes.
And then we started going onhikes together a lot before
Marissa's knee started acting up.
Speaker 1 (42:05):
Oh God, yeah, that was the beginning of the end for
my knee.
Speaker 2 (42:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
When I could no longer do hikes with Courtney.
Speaker 2 (42:17):
Yeah, of the end for my knee, yeah, when I could no
longer do hikes with Courtney.
Yeah, but we did.
We did so many hikes togetherin the beginning and I remember
just having like the deepestconversations.
We were always like just havingthese like huge conversations on
these hikes that we took likeall the time and the hikes are
really what made me fall in lovewith LA at first, because I I
hadn't had that experience likeliving in Chicago.
It's like you don't really havea hike.
You can just walk to easilyParks and stuff that are great,
but like not a hike.
And so that to me was it issuch a lovely part of living in
(42:41):
LA that you're just like, oh,like I'm going to go get some
nature because I need it andit's right there.
Speaker 1 (42:46):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (42:47):
Better go touch grass on a hillside, yep, and you can
do it.
So I really love that and wewould just yeah, we'd have these
like deep conversations andit's just, it's just funny to
think about, because I feel likeyou at that point, you know,
now I'm the one who's like,who's married and whatever, and
you, at the point where, like,you're the married woman who's
like, you were telling me likeso is this the guy, are we me?
(43:13):
Like so is this the guy, are we?
What are we doing here?
You guys have been together fora minute.
What's going on?
Like you, you were just it'sfunny, it was like a different
side of you yeah, because I waslike you moved across the
country with this guy yeah,what's going on.
What's going on?
Yeah, because I wouldn't.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I wouldn't ever do that for anyone unless it was
serious.
So I was like, yeah, give methe tea girl girl, right?
Speaker 2 (43:31):
But yeah, and then Marissa ended up being my maid
of honor, even though at thatpoint I think we'd only been
friends for like three years.
But you know, I knew when youknow, you know when you get here
.
Listen.
People think that's not longenough for somebody to be your
maid of honor.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
People get married when they've known each other
for two years I'm no longer onspeaking terms with the girl who
was my maid of honor, so youknow that was also like, oh my
god, I was.
I was in a lifetime ago.
I was 24 when I got married,which is crazy, yeah, um.
And 30 when I got divorced orseparated or whatever, with the
intention of getting divorced,right, um, so, yeah, um, and I
(44:14):
got courtney in the divorce iswhat I always say she did she
did.
I did indeed, uh.
So yeah, and we've beencreative partners since the
beginning.
We've like, made so many thingstogether.
Speaker 2 (44:31):
We made a really weird podcast, or not podcast.
We made a really weird webseries.
Oh my God, we should providelinks to that.
Speaker 1 (44:39):
We should never, ever let that.
Speaker 2 (44:42):
See the light of day, don't you?
You, for the longest time, hadit as part of your reel.
Because I had nothing else, outof true necessity it is is it's
kind of fun it's it's unhinged,but it's fun, it's unhinged um
yeah, so, but no good lucktrying to find it.
(45:03):
We did learning curve for surestuff just like messing around
and figuring out how to do stuffreally in the style of tomato
to Plenty.
Yeah, keep bringing it back tohim, because we're still
coloring for you and meditatingon these thoughts that connect
to you, sir.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
The screamers.
Speaker 2 (45:26):
The screamers, the screamers are all around us, the
screamers and the dreamers, thescreamers and the dreamers, the
screamers and the dreamers.
But yeah, so it's been quitethe journey.
Here I'm trying to think, likewhat other highlights in the
time that I've lived here and inthe time of our friendship,
specifically, highlights andlowlights?
Good Lord, there have beenplenty.
(45:47):
There have been duplenty,duplenty.
Yeah, there sure have been morehighs than lows, and I think
that LA in particular, like Idon't, you know, sometimes if
you've been I've been here for10 years now and it's like which
is crazy, I know, I know, but Ifeel like I don't have any.
(46:10):
It's I've been here long enoughto not have that kind of
relationship with a city youhaven't been in forever.
You know, or like at least whenyou've been in there under a
decade right, where you kind ofhave like associations with a
certain period of time in yourlife or something like that, and
it can like taint your wholeperception of a place.
And I don't feel like thatabout here, because I've been
here long enough to have reallygreat memories and some really
(46:34):
not great memories, but what hasalways been true is that I have
been loved and supported herethrough all of it, because I've
got the best people and you areone of those people.
Speaker 1 (46:44):
I think that something about Myla you know
she was.
She was buried here because herfriends got together.
Yeah, myla, you know she was.
She was buried here because herfriends got together and made
sure she had an amazing place torest Same with tomato, yeah.
So I think LA is definitely aplace where you can find a
(47:08):
chosen family.
Um, yes, and there's a lot ofinstances where we see that
where, where people's chosenfamily are the ones who they're
there at the end and theyultimately make sure that they
had a really rad place, yeah, tospend eternity.
Speaker 2 (47:30):
Yeah, I don't know.
I think anybody who puts energytowards their friends, it goes
on, it lives on as an example toother people.
Speaker 1 (47:40):
Yeah, Because family you don't choose, but friends
you choose.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (47:46):
That's right, and I know that you've had to break up
with some friends, marissa.
Speaker 1 (47:52):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (47:54):
I remember at the beginning of our friendship,
that is like that was such apoint of conversation.
Was you?
Because I replaced them youbreaking up with all of your
friends.
Not all of them, not all ofyour friends.
No, there's plenty of friendsthat Marissa has has had for
quite some time.
Speaker 1 (48:14):
But yeah, but like true friendship breakups I've
had.
I've had a couple and I waslike there for that because,
well, because Courtney showed me, what I deserved.
Courtney showed me what Ideserved and I wouldn't settle
(48:34):
for anything less.
That's right.
Speaker 2 (48:39):
I want to say I really messed this up because I
needed to give this to you hereand I forgot it, but I got you.
I got you something.
What?
Speaker 1 (48:46):
did you get?
Speaker 2 (48:46):
me.
I got you in the offering offriends, because I'll just
describe it to you guys becauseI'm going to have to give it to
Marissa later.
But it's just, it's a candleand it says bet you're my
soulmate.
Speaker 1 (49:05):
That's what it is.
It's true, it's true, that'swhat it is, that's all.
Speaker 2 (49:10):
So you can burn it and cry when I'm not physically
in LA.
Speaker 1 (49:17):
I hate it, but also I'm very excited for you.
Speaker 2 (49:20):
I feel like you know you've been very understanding
about all of that.
And I feel good about the factthat another one of your close
friends is moving into the house, the apartment in the back.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Yeah, friends is moving into the house the
apartment in the back.
Speaker 2 (49:33):
Yeah, so that, um, you know, like you, you have
that legacy living on of, uh,close friends, only close
friends, only being surroundedby your people.
Yeah so, um, I think the legacy, the legacy lives on and lives
on.
Speaker 1 (49:50):
Oh but yeah, but bitch you're my soulmate, Bitch.
Legacy.
The legacy lives on.
It lives on the French legacy.
Speaker 2 (49:53):
But yeah, but, bitch, you're my soulmate.
Speaker 1 (49:55):
Bitch, you're my soulmate.
Speaker 2 (49:59):
And you peacock girlies have been the
inspiration for the whole piecewe're working on right now, and
I think it's just about done.
Yeah, oh, my God, you shouldhave worn this peacock.
Look at this male.
He's coming up, he's coming onup, he's strutting around.
Speaker 1 (50:14):
All right, we just finished our little yeah, we did
.
Let's take a picture of it.
Speaker 2 (50:18):
We're going to take a picture of it for you guys to
see.
All right, this is the sound ofTomato DiPlenty's artwork being
torn from the coloring bookpages.
Should we leave a message on it?
Speaker 1 (50:32):
Yes in the back.
Speaker 2 (50:33):
Let's put a message on it, okay, do you have a red
pencil?
I?
Speaker 1 (50:40):
sure do okay, every single color here red or orange.
Okay, so we're gonna I'm gonnanarrate this as I write it.
Speaker 2 (50:49):
All right.
So we're saying dearest tomato.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Thanks for teaching us to always do plenty.
Speaker 2 (51:08):
Thanks for teaching us to always do plenty.
I spelled his last name as theD-U and then the plenty and put
it in air quotes.
He'll get it.
If you liked what you heard, orif you have any feedback for us
(51:38):
at all the good, the bad, theugly, the dead, the alive please
leave us a review on applepodcasts, um, and, and let us
know what you think we reallywant to hear from you.
Also, follow the show, please,um.
You know, definitely subscribewhatever, wherever you get your
podcasts, but write us a review.
Tell us what you're thinking.
Speaker 1 (51:56):
Dead and Kind of Famous is written, researched
and produced by CourtneyBlomquist.
It is co-hosted by MarissaRivera.
We tag team on socials.
Jesse Russell and CourtneyBlomquist do our editing Until
next time.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
you might not be famous, but you got a story to
tell and you're not dead yet.
Speaker 1 (52:14):
Okay bye, bye.
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