What's In A Name?

The other day I was in the same room with a murderer. That was a first, as far as I know.

Last Wednesday Patrick and I went downtown to the courthouse to sit in on the murder trial of Jesse James Hollywood. He was the Manson-like perpetrator of a murder. The young man, Nick Markowitz, was brought here to Santa Barbara from the San Fernando Valley in August of 2000. He was kidnapped because his brother owed Hollywood drug money. It went bad and Hollywood's minions shot and killed the boy, burying him in a shallow grave up in our mountains.

The movie, Alpha Dog, was based on the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping/murder.

We heard the testimony of some 20 year olds (at the time) who had been around Jesse and Nick when they first arrived in Santa Barbara. Nick's mouth, hands and feet were bound in duck tape. Then a few of the boys continued to drive him around Santa Barbara. It has been said that Nick was partying with them. Nick was 15 and evidently enjoyed alcohol and pot. After 3 days he was killed.

Jesse was in Los Angeles at the time, having dinner with his girlfriend, Michele, and other friends. He spoke with one of the guys in Santa Barbara on the phone and was told that the murder had taken place. He is charged with authorizing it.

Yesterday I went down by myself and sat in. It was chilling hearing the testimony of Michele, talking about fleeing California with Jesse. Most chlling was the fact that Nick's mother was sitting in the row in front of me. She seems to clench her teeth much of the time.

Dana will be here on vacation from New York on Monday, and we plan to attend the trial some days. My daughters are equally fascinated by criminals and crime, I guess I did that to them. As I told the News-Press reporter yesterday during a break: I am a student of human nature. I desperately wish to enter the minds of criminals and try to find out how they think.

Marci Wormser, the reporter, asked me if I thought Hollywood was a sociopath. Told her I didn't think so. Said he was just a stupid 20 year old who sold dope for a living -- living high in many respects. Made huge mistakes for which he will probably pay with his life. Well, he did evade authorities for 5 years and was finally found in a beach town in Brazil. Cunning is probably a better word for him.

At the end of the court day yesterday, after the jury had filed out and before the audience left, I was watching Jesse. Still sitting at the defense table, his left profile showing, he quickly began shoving something into his mouth. Whatever it was made a huge lump in his left cheek. Nick's mother laughed ironically and said, well he did wait for the jury to leave. It was rather disgusting. Well, a lot disgusting.

I hope to be able to tell Mrs. Markowitz how very sorry I am for the loss of her son. And that finally having a trial must make her feel a tiny bit better. I don't know if I'll have the nerve.

Our Own, Personal Johnstown Flood

The snow is visible on the higher mountains, patches of bright white. I was about 14years old when I saw my first snow covered peaks, the Cascades, when I traveled by car across the country with my parents and brother. It must be that snow on mountain tops is universally magical.

We are in Ahwahnee but not at Quail Cottage. We are staying with Paul and Madeleine, our friends nearby. On October 15th, 2008 (this past year)Quail flooded. A water hose beneath the kitchen sink blew and sent the contents of our well storage tank – all 2,200 gallons of it – into the house. We were there on vacation but had taken the afternoon to visit Yosemite Valley. On our return that evening we stepped into slosh.

The fortunate part about it was that we were there. There are times that weeks go by, even a month or two, when we don’t get over. So we didn’t have to deal with mold and all that awful stuff. We called the next morning and Allstate sent a fellow over with huge fans to dry the place, a “water mitigation” company. There were 14 fans, and they blew full force 24 hours a day for 3 days.

In the light of the next morning, and coming out of shock, we assessed the damage. It was extensive. We think the water reached a level of 1 to 2 feet, was soaked into and discolored the lower part of all the walls. The water company guy cut up the wall to wall carpet and under carpet and hauled it away in huge garbage bags, exposing the concrete slab underneath.

It was difficult to experience our little Quail Cottage in such disarray. We checked into the B & B about a quarter mile down the highway, and stayed with “Candy” for 3 nights. Luckily the insurance company reimbursed us for that, also.

When the insurance adjuster came after a few weeks he further damaged the walls by cutting into them (a standard practice). He assessed the damage and paid us on the spot. We also got to claim some of the furniture that sustained water damage as well.

Now we are in the midst of remodeling. We are using Jim, a local handyman and his electrician son, Tad, for the work. Since the building was being gutted anyway we decided to make some structural changes to improve the layout and rewire some really creative electric that somebody had invented. We are also moving the wood stove to a logical place in the corner instead of where it was -- at the entrance of the kitchen from the living room.

We are going to lay laminated wood floors throughout, to my great relief, as I particularly HATED the former carpeting. We have ordered all new white kitchen cabinets and the counter tops are a speckled beige and brown. The guys have torn out all the wood paneling and have replaced it with dry wall. We have put a slider in the wall of the living room and tomorrow a crew is coming to tear out all the pyracantha on that side that blocks our view of the long Sierras.

We will have a new refrigerator and stove and a new vanity in the bathroom, new sinks and faucets and new light fixtures. Throughout we plan recessed lighting in the ceiling.

IT IS GOING TO BE BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOTE: This story illustrates that there are silver linings to everything that happens. Thus, my blog name of Positively Nancy.