White Boy/White Dog Move To Skid Row

Certified Beach Dude Moves To Downtown Los Angeles

I know this has nothing to do with downtown, but it is all about the love I had for my last dog that died from a strange blood problem, and all the talk about Britneys’ 5150 stay and Heath Ledger’s possible suicide, I thought I needed to tell some people what happened to me… oh, and I always liked the Van Halen album “5150″ and never really understood it until about 20+ years after I heard the album.

Two recent events have made me remember my past problem- Britney Spears Involventary Detention (California code 5150) and the recent passing of Heath Ledger and the initial speculation that his death may have been suicide.  I got in a huge mess in June of 2006 that I still have issues with, and the stories of these two actors are similar to mine (I just did not have the money or support that they did).

I had told people, includng my ex-girlfriend and my Mother that if my health ever got bad I “had Dr. Kevorkian- Dr. Death-  on speed dial”.  Then my 5 year old Jack Russell “Jackie” died after over $11,000 of vet bills.  After taking her dead body to vet for cremation, I returned home and just wanted to sleep until next day.  Taking increasing amounts of Valium, Ambien, and Vodka, I finally was able to sleep. 

My ex-gf had a garage door opener to my house as she would come over and lift weights in my home gym.  She came over that afternoon and I was not responsive (ok, pretty much comatose) and she called 911.  Then the sh*t hit the fan.  One of the neighbors, a friend, mentioned “suicide” to paramedics and I was strapped down to gurney and on my way to psychiatric unit.  The cops had the bottles of pills prescribed to me, and found nothing else other than a little pot that I had been saving. 

My health insurance had lapsed (I’m independant software contractor and I let my policy expire w/o renewing- DUMB).  So I ended up on 72 hour hold at Martin Luther King/Drew Psychiatric Ward (they used to take the poor people there until the state closed it).  I was only non-black except for a Native American- don’t take this wrong- it’s just I stood out like a sore thumb.  Every patient was nice to me, just the doctors were idiots.  All the men had to sleep on reclining chairs in TV room as women got the beds.   And the patients werre mostly “close to homelsss”- one guy I remember was put in for refusing to pay a bus fare and was very combative (can you say “Don’t TAZE Me Bro!”- He didn’t do a good job of that).  I was living “One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest” or “Girl Interrupted”- I was living it and could not get set free.

They increased my hold from 72 hours to 30 days- only thing I can think of was that they wanted more $$$ as they had another patient that state would subsidize.  The doctors contacted my Mom in Indiana and my ex-girlfriend, but neither would provide any support to get me out (I guess I understand if they thought that was a suicide attempt, but it was not.  I would do it right and not risk a mistake).  These doctors just did not want to give me a break, and did not understand my situation.  At one meeting, I told the doctor “I lived at the beach” meaning I had million $ pad with pool, Ferrari, etc but she thought I meant I was homeless and slept on the beach.  I was in a world I was not used to and so screwed.  I finally convinced them to let me go before 30 days, but it was a fight. 

I feel bad for Heath Ledger’s family having to hear all the crap in the media- he had enough prescription drugs left over that he DID NOT take, and there were no illegal drugs found.  Unfortunately, some people do have a heart attack and die under 30 years old.  I feel deeply sorry as he had a 2 year old daughter, an ex-wife, and a new girlfriend. 

But Britney Spears was different- she didn’t even have to do the full 72 hour 5150 hold due her basically being a loud-mouthed bitch (make that DUMB CRAZY bitch).  Mark my words, that girl will die before 30, and hopefully she will not bring any more harm to her 2 toddlers than she has already.

But forever now I will have the “5150″ on my record, which means, among other things, I can never own a gun legally.  I really wish I could have fought this but I did not have the money after my dog problems and being unable to work for several weeks, losing a client too.