See times are tough and I am doing some bartending and waiter work on the side right now. I never thought I would do that again, but the great recession has reduced me to lower my expectation and standards I guess.
Anyway, I was booked to pour wine at a very VIP high security dinner off of Laurel Canyon in LA last month. It turned out to be George Clooney’s house, and that Obama fundraiser. So I poured three different wines, one for each course of the dinner. I was not the only one doing wine, but I was going to the tables topping off the glasses during the dinner while Obama sat at each table chatting it up. You may have read about this dinner, there was press mention of Robert Downey, Jr. Tobey Maguire, Barbara Streisand, and others there. I'll tell you who was there and not mentioned in the press, Herb Alpert, and Bobby Sherman! I said to Sherman while I was filling his glass "how is everything in the VIP section?" and he smiled and I laughed. I just love that 60s hit song "Little Woman" of his, but I did not mention it.
Anyway, after the dinner, a line was formed for anyone who wanted to meet Obama, and shake hands. So I got in line, and when I met him I praised him for making recent statement of support on gay marrage, and said it was over-due, and that at this point it was not likely to cost him in the election. He said that there are many things that are over-due and need to be done and that is why the re-election is so important, and that it is going to be more difficult this time.
It was a quick chat and hand shake and I went back to work. But I never expected them to let the help get to talk one by one. How surreal that was. I never knew I was going to be at "that" party either until I got to the parking place. There is a park just down the street from the house. I was told to park there and a van would pick me up to go to a VIP Graduation. But when I got to the park there were hundreds of police checking ID and parking passes, and helicopters overhead, as well as news media. It was a circus, and the others told me what it was about after I parked.
I've been doing parties for additional cash, as times have been hard last few years (I'm fucking broke as a matter of fact), and this is about the highest hourly rate I can get for part-time work. I did things like the Guy's Choice Awards, Oscars, Emmys, etc. That Hollywood red carpet scene which is fun in a way. But this one was the highest security screening I have been through ever. And they did not tell me what it was about in advance. Just that it was ultra VIP, and as high security as it gets.
Just when I think I have seen everything, I am at George Clooney’s home serving drinks to Barbara Streisand, and Bobby Sherman.