Chapter 3

The LED lights on the bus stop tell Stevie it's going to be 4 minutes until the next bus. He stands there. It's nice out. He shifts his backpack from shoulder to shoulder. He takes a deep breath and studies the building across the street. It's ugly. It's the start of another day and everything this new morning stands for is out in play. The options are unlimited. It's a brand new day and Stevie has to go to work. His options are limited, he can't afford not to go to work. He needs the money so bad to pay for all his bills and publishing and dating.

Several other people arrive at the bus stop. They hover around. The traffic reverberates off the buildings. Voices float down the street. Shop owners spray down the sidewalk and get ready for another day of business.

The bus finally comes barreling down the street. Everyone shuffles on. The ones with bus passes skirt past the line and get the good seats. Stevie waits in line and pays his $1.25, puts some brochures up on the rack behind the driver and finds a seat next to a Latina that looks sound asleep.

Stevie settles in and soon falls asleep too.

The bus rumbles down the street. Green lights, potholes and flourescent lights. The bus continues on it's never ending journey down Wilshire. It's traveling fast in the slow lane. It's missing signals and crossing lights by inches. This driver really knows the size of his bus.

Sam gets on at Western with the rest of the subway crowd. The bus is packed but he seems to elbow his way through the crowd once he spots Stevie. Stevie is asleep and Sams mind races with all the ways he can disturb him. He decides to keep it cool and taps him on the shoulder and asks in a old Mexican womans voice if he can have the seat. Stevie pretends to sleep. Sam is persistant until Stevie finally grumbles something and gets up only to find that Sam has stolen his seat.
"Gracias." Sam says
"You're an asshole, Sam."

The bus finally arrives in Beverly Hills and they get off and head to The Baron.
Stevie Clocks in. Work Sucks. At 3:30 and not a moment earlier or later there is flurry of ID cards swiped into the time clock. AC and Stevie make plans to meet up later and talk about raising some money for the cause.

Stevie and Sam are the only ones that head over to the bus stop after work. It's hot out and the hotel suits make it extra hot. They stand with their backs against the Beverly Hilton and cook in the sun. The bus appears out of a mirage. IT's coming out of Westwood, packed with students. As it gets closer, it becomes more apparent that there is no room left on the bus. The driver stops the bus and opens all the doors. The kids in the back fight the doors to keep them shut, but they buck them off and open up. Sam and Stevie jump on and cram inside.

The bus ride home is uncomfortable.

Chapter 2

The bus is empty when Stevie steps on in downtown. The seats are unobstructed so the colors beam across the bus. Each seat has a rainbow of colors that are bright and cheery and they bring to mind toucans and tropical days on the beach. Stevie puts in his $1.25 and strides down the aisle trying to enjoy his early morning commute. The bus lurches forward and the doors slam while he looks for a seat in the midsection.

none of the others in the gang catch this bus along Wilshire this morning. It barely stops at the subway stops and continues at a breakneck pace down Wilshire. The bus is blowing through yellow lights as everyone sleeps quietly.

Stevie wakes up as the bus roars through Beverly Hills. He has to pull the wire and dings the bus into a higher state of conciousness. A computerized voice explains what stop is coming up and asks that riders exit through the back doors. He walks up to the front of the bus and places some fliers in a plastic case behind the driver. "Stevie Land" is now back in stock and free on certain select Metro Rapids in the Los Angeles area. He throws a couple onto some empty seats and then exits before the doors close on him.

Stevie joins a small group of people at the signal. They all wait for it to change. A small man punches the button to make the signal turn. He punches it soft and fast as if he were playing a video game. The signal finally turns and everyone walks across the street.

He goes to work and clocks in. Work sucks.


He clocks out and comes back to the same signal and walks up the street to catch the eastbound red/white superbus. It takes an hour to get back downtown and its full of screaming highschool kids taking classes at UCLA or just being bussed all over town. Damn kids. There's never any seats until Western, so Stevie stands there and tries to mind his own business. Sometimes he'll chat up a lonely individual, but mostly he looks out the window, and dreams. Ruth is the one that gets converts on the bus. This is her territory, Stevie just likes to enjoy himself and unwind from the stupid workday.

The Rise and Fall of Stevieland - Book One

Stevie stands there on Fifth and Broadway to catch the bus. Here it comes now. Everyone scrambles on. It takes off. That fucking bus. Everyday Stevie sits there and bumps along Wilshire. Half asleep with someone else half asleep sitting next to him. They keep falling asleep and lean into each other, then snap themselves awake. The bus keeps growing in size. The masses are waiting at the subway stops down the way and that's when things really get stuffy. The bus zooms down the street towards Vermont. The first of the subway stops. There are too many people so everyone crams inside anyways because they're all in such a hurry to get somewhere. Some people are helpful and move to the back of the bus, others clog the aisle with rolling bags and overly cheerful attitudes about how sorry they are. Stevie is happy to have a seat and not deal with the madness in the aisles. The bus makes its way west along Wilshire. It stops at Crenshaw and picks up a few more people.

The metro rapid picks up speed. Stevie saw Ruthy get on at Alvarado and said hello but she didn't hear him. She's standing a few rows back now and recognizes him and walks up the isle to stand next to him. They say hello and chit chat a bit. The bus stops and more people are getting on. Like three people have gotten off for the hundred that have gotten on. The bus swells and continues it's way down the boulevard. It's a good time. A.C. gets on at the La Brea Stop and he's with Sam today. They immediately see Stevie and Ruth and form a cluster around a section of seats by the second exit and the gang includes some tan Latino that's dozing off. Sam is busy chatting up some cougay.

"Dudes, i can't believe we all made the same bus," AC says, "this must mean today is the day."
"Sé. Nunca nos vemos en el mismo autobús. Todos los capitanes están en el mismo autobús hoy."
"It is strange Ruth, Today must be the day!" Stevie says.
"Si, hoy es el dia." Ruth says.

The bus rumbles through Hancock Park and into Beverly Hills. There's not much traffic today. It's labor day. The bus is busting at the seams on the holiday schedule and its reached it's capacity around Fairfax. Now it's starting to lose people as it moves into Beverly Hills. Some at Robertson, more at Beverly and still more at Santa Monica. That's the crews' stop at little Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire so they all squeeze toward an exit . Sam almost gets caught on the bus trying to get his older boyfriends mobile number.

"Did you get his number?" AC asks.
"No, he said it was too early to be flirting, but that I was cute and he'll give me a couple digits every time we see each other," Sam says, "Today I got the area code 753, where is that?"
"Puta." Ruth says.
"Slut." Stevie says.

They all scuffle down the street toward the hotel where they work. Ruth is a housekeeper, AC is a front desk clerk, Stevie is a Bellhop and Sam is the Reservation Manager with too many DUI's. They all work at The Baron. A small boutique hotel. It's got about 51 rooms with a pool. There's a small restaurant and bar in the lobby. The pride of Beverly Hills. First place out of all 16 hotels in Beverly Hills as rated on Vay-Kay.com. It's so strange because everyone hates their day job. How could a top rated hotel be run by people that hate it so much? It made no sense. As with everyone in Los Angeles, the desk staff yearned for more. One was a Socialist with a big ego, one a digital editor, another a playwright and another one that wanted to be a full time mother. They're almost to the hotel now.

It's warm out and the sky is clear and blue.

They walk through the employee entrance and put on their work personas. AC relieves the night auditor and sits behind the front desk. Ruth heads downstairs to prep the laundry. Sam goes to his back office to do whatever middle management does and Stevie posts up next to the curb with his shiny uniform on.

Beverly Hills sparkles.

The day is filled with day-dreaming. Stevie yearns for a cult like existence in a luxury commune. On his lunch break he will sneak around to a computer in the reservation room and types up his manifesto. AC works on his TV show idea about a black "Melrose Place" and is trying to find a new internship because the one he has now is miserable. Ruth talks on the phone with her kids. Sam has brought his editing equipment to work because he knows that it's going to be slow and he can edit some of these shit student films and the more lucrative porn movies when no one is in the office.

The day floats by on golden fluffy clouds with emerald pillows encrusted into them. Stevie stands next to his shiny golden bell cart and smiles a smile that shows he's lost his dream. Work Sucks. His commune out in the desert running on clean energy is so far away and today the afternoon arrives and brings other workers to relieve the morning crew. That's all it ever brings. Ben, the Kiwi, relieves AC and Kirk relieves Stevie. They all stand around the time clock and wait for the 3:30pm. Ruth shows up and the clock turns. There is a flurry of employee ID card swiping and then they're off. After work they all head their different ways.

Stevie heads off to the Dirty Martini to chat up locals about his new religion. and collect numbers. It's a big Scientology hangout and he hopes to get the strays or the jaded fall outs. He likes the dedication of the scientologist. Typically signing up for 400 million lifetimes. AC heads off to the gym to work out and Sam joins him. Ruth is going home to see her kids.

Two Months down ten to go!!

The picture is from the inauguration which is the only thing i will post here until i run out of those pictures. The concert at Lincoln Memorial and I think John Cougar Melloncamp is playing. Is that how you spell his name? Melancamp. I should google it, but I'm lazy. Okay it's neither. It's Mellencamp. Whatever. Fuck you 2009! I'll spell shit however I want too.

Come on 2009! Get the fuck out of here.

You're like an American on Halloween in Berlin!!!

Stock market is bottoming out! Or is it just nosediving! Wait until unemployment hits 10% nationwide?!? Keep those jobs people. They'll pay back double your trouble soon. I just want to know one thing. Is it cool to be an American in Puerto Rico? I mean, we own the place. I'm moving to Puerto Rico where jobs grow on trees and outdoor mall shopping and drinks before noon is the name of the game.
I must apologize. I've totally been lagging on several things. The band is lost. The other lead singer/keyboardist got moved to the Arizona/Utah border. We will never see her again.
And Yacht Club. I can't believe I've only been once. I'm totally going to yacht club more.

Okay.
2009 will be the year to get that horrible novel out of your system.

I'm writing:

"The Rise and Fall of Stevieland."

It's about a utopian fascist hotel out in death valley. It runs on solar power death rays from the sun. Whatever. I still need to rewrite all the others. Maybe that's what I'll do in the next 10 years. I'll rewrite a book a year. Be on the lookout for the 10 year anniversary Brailovsky Box set. Be sure to order yours early and you will get:


Hollywood 2000
Jean-Marc
The Race
Icon
Summer Novella 2004
Venice Via Venice
Skyscraper
Ship Of Fools
The Lofty Riches

and The Rise And Fall Of Stevieland

in a special box set.

The cost is 450 American Dollars.

Shannons new Dude, Eric the Liar

Here's a picture of where I was standing when it all went down.
Then I came home and found out that Shannon was dating some hot new Berlin Boy and when I mentioned him on the phone like that "How's your Berlin Boy?" She got all upset and used that strange tone that she does and said "Boy?"

Whatever.

We all met up at Yacht Club last night and talked about things and they tried to tell us that they don't celebrate Halloween in Berlin and I didn't want to call him a liar to his face, so I waited for him to go get a drink and then called him one to the side of his face.

Halloween is everywhere.
Now that I've got that off my chest, let's work on making new connections this year and bringing back some of the old connections. I hope to be posting funny funny funny pics of Yacht Club every Saturday morning. Yacht Club is the dance club that the Rosencrantz kids throw over there at the Bronson bar in Hollywood.

Happy New Year!!

New Years eve and Berlin has come to town and I don't know if I can catch the right bus to go and see her. I need to take off after 9 and that's when the free buses start and you should get out and have some fun and then make it to work on time the next day.

Enjoy the New Year!


2009

400th Post!! Hello Berlin!!

Here comes the end of the year folks. Wow! It always catches me by suprise.

Here is a photo of Obama and me out looking in the desert for some cool places to build a wind farm. Maybe a Solar Farm. Don't know. Maybe I should invent Wind Farms and Solar Farms To Go. A big package deal and an internet link to let you know how much energy you´re making.

Weekend tours of your wind farm or solar farm while you stay at some luxury hotel in the area.

Sand Storm Energy Co.

You are going to love it.

---not endorsed by Obama---

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Ciao public.
Enjoy the holiday season and best wishes to all from everyone here at the Dirty Hot Hotel.
I think I'm going to make a greetings card with all the robot staff.

Friendship DIVORCE

The hearings already began.
I want my typewriter back
that's right man

We're having a friendship divorce

I keep the horse

We're having a friendship divorce

Theres some remorse

With my friendship divorce

~this song is about my friend Shannon who likes to fake it.

DASH!! I just missed nightline doing PANDA MY PANDA

Hope you enjoy it. I totally posted this to the wrong blog, but it's kind of a good thing because the other storyline for Penelope and Zoe is that they are tied to a big airliner and hope to make it Spain and live in Barcelona. This blog is way off target, but I like it. They are riding through the desert in a dune buggy and Penelope just happens to be reading my Novella - Hollywood 2000.
Featuring a short story by Robin Witt.