THIS IS IT.

I suppose most of you are getting sick of my Micheal Jackson posts, but like the title suggests, this will probably be my last one. I went and saw the movie yesterday with my friend Amy. I liked it. I am not sure that everyone will, and while it was good, I liked it almost more for how it made me think then for what it actually was.
The saddest part of the movie was that Micheal actually looked and sounded very good. He still had the moves, and that makes me even more sad that he passed on when he was not ailing. I hope we all learn our lesson about abusing any type of drug, whether prescription or not.
One thing that was apparent to me was that Micheal Jackson was the consummate performer. In the movie it was clear that the performance was what mattered, and it kept coming back to that. Just from last night it was apparent to me that he would not have performed if he felt that he could not do so at the level that he and his fans expected. Micheal was also surprisingly gracious, and while that could have been creative editing, he seemed to make suggestions in a gracious way, although it was always clear that he was in charge and it was his show.
The final thing that I noticed was that the people that he was working with had turned him into a false idol. They treated him like he was more than a man. I could not live in an environment of "yes" like it was portrayed on the show. I feel bad that they treated him that way. I think his accomplishments lose something when you treat him like he is better than everyone. He should be celebrated because he was just a man and still managed to do so much. Respect him because he is a man, and don't try to raise him to something more than that.
This movie did make me a little sad. It made me really wish that I had seen him live, it would have been quite a show, from the the foremost showman of our time. Rest in peace Micheal, in a place where you don't have to be any more than who you are.

Never Again Land Ranch

This is it, the big post that I'm sure you have all been crazy to read. After this when people mention Michael Jackson you will be able to say that you have a friend/relative that went to Never Land Ranch after Michael Jackson died. I feel like one of those people that they have on the news describing what the tornado sounded like. All that tom-foolery aside though, it was really quite an experience. Now to the actual events.

Lance and I had been visiting our sister Kim, her husband Byron, and their little boy Harrison in L.A. After a week full of fun, sun, and some Zing Zang Zoom! (circus joke, you gotta go see it if you want to get the joke, sorry) Lance and I packed up the old Olds and hit the trail. to be honest with everyone, this trip was a little bit of a joke from the start. We were driving from L.A. to S.F. and it was more or less on the way, so we though we would take a two hour detour or so and have a great story to tell when everyone started bragging about what big M.J. fans they were. However, it turned into more than a joke and I am glad that we went.

[Side Note: Just for the record I was a huge M.J. fan, I owned some of his vinyl and I was only born in '82, even better (or worse depending on your point of view) at a dance party during the height of his trial, after one of his tunes had finished playing and the music was fading there was a small window of relative quiet and I yelled into the lull "HE'S INNOCENT, HE'S INNOCENT". Now, I no longer remember the date of that party, what song they played, or even what I was wearing that night, but I remember one thing. I was laughed to scorn. Acquitted on all charges haters. The best part is, now when I talk about how great he was I know that I stood by him through thick and thin. The rest of you have to die a little inside as your secret shame about how you quit on the King of Pop eats its way like acid through your consciences. Maybe it isn't that bad, I do tend to be a little dramatic. Also, this is only a small example of why I was such a big fan. End of side note.]

The first pictures are from before the trip. We were sad, but we tried to remember Michael for how he was.

We were trying to look like the picture below, nailed it!


Lance and I stopped to eat at Michael's favorite fast food joint. Of course, I'm assuming McDonald's was his favorite, he was American wasn't he?


When we actually got to Never Land Ranch, there was no more fun and games. Lance and I did take one silly picture, but then we felt too bad to take any more. It was actually pretty sad and really brought the reality of it home. There was a guy there crying and after I took a photo for a lady she told me that it felt weird to smile. While these people might be a little weird, they were experiencing real grief. There was not that many people there when Lance and I got there, but there had been. There were parking barriers miles down the road, and posters and flowers all over the place. The one thing that really hit me was that whatever else anyone reads into it, or says that we should not make a big deal, the reality is that a man died. There are family and friends who miss him and people who's lives he affected in large and small ways. I mourn for Michael like we should mourn for all of those that pass through our lives and are never seen again. He left his fingerprints on my life, and yes, they were sequined. I am glad that I made that trip, and although it was not a seminal moment in my life it was a good opportunity for reflection. The pictures below are at the Ranch, except for the last one, that was Lance's and my final goodbye to the man with the magical hips.


You moonwalked your way into our hearts, now moonwalk your way to heaven, Michael.