Ugly Sweater

I didn't win the Ugly Sweater Contest last night. 

Some folks actually told me they thought it looked nice!

What I didn't tell them is that it's actually a onesie that didn't fit, so I cut it off at the waist and made it a sweater! How's that for ingenuity?

Next year, I'll make sure to create the ugliest sweater ever created!

I wanna WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2019

To one and ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Until We Meet Again

A couple weekends ago, I attended the final farewell celebration for my fraternity brother, Jim Dreher, here in L.A.

He was one helluva character! Not just anybody can be tied naked to a tree and be HAPPY about it! But Jim could!

Guys from our college came from near and far to participate in the celebration. We told all sorts of stories about him. And not all of 'em were politically correct!

He would have LOVED that! Haaaa!

I wish the very best for his son, Dash, and for all those who loved him.

Life is for the living.

And Jim Dreher did just THAT!

May his soul rest in eternal peace!

The Other Late Night Creep

The times they are a-changin'.

"Come gather 'round, people,
Wherever you roam.
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown.
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone."

I don't think Bob Dylan was singing about the subject of this post.

This post is about the other Late Night Creep.

The first Late Night Creep refers to a short film I wrote back in 2014.

This other Late Night Creep refers to nocturia.

Noc-what???

Nocturia is a condition in which you wake up during the night because you have to urinate. This condition becomes more common as people age and occurs in both men and women, sometimes for different reasons.

Despite me feeling like a freakin' 20-something-year-old inside, my body is indeed 50-something.

And it wants me to know that!

Over the past few months, I have been stricken with the same annoyance many folks my age endure.

Getting up late at night to take a leak!

Dang!!!!!

For so long I prided myself on being able to go to bed and remaining there 'til I wanted to awaken! I'd hear my peers complain about their late night creeps, and I'd simply listen, thinking that isn't my situation.

Well, now it is.

Now, my body is reminding me that I'm not the youngun I want to believe I am.

Truth be told, it has been reminding me of that in a number of ways.

My knees don't feel as limber as they used to. I mean, I used to be able to "drop it low" on the dance floor, then bounce right back up without trouble.

NOT anymore!

I remember when I used to be able to read with my contact lenses on without the assistance of reading glasses.

NOT anymore!

I remember when there wasn't hair erupting from my ears and nose.

Well, now it does!

All the other changes I grudgingly accept, but this nocturia is bothering me though.

And I'm not sure it's so much because of the annoyance of waking late at night,

Or because it signals that I'm truly only young in spirit.

That Mother Nature and Father Time have indeed "caught up to me."

Is my prostate enlarged?

Am I drinking too much liquid before bed?

Is my kidney doing something funky?

Does the dreaded diabetes factor in here?

Or is it simply because I'm older?

Well, at my next doctor visit, I'll tell him about this new "life change," and see what he has to say.

A couple weeks ago, I received my CT Scan test results: there's a 90% chance there's blockage in at least one of my arteries leading to my heart.

This is disconcerting, of course, because both my late parents had heart disease.

What I know for sure is that I'll remain vigilant in regard to my diet and exercise.

And I'll do whatever is in my power to keep from awaking at ungodly hours to urinate!

I tell ya, growing old(er) ain't for sissies!

You gotta be a "real man" to endure its UPS.

And DOWNS.

And late night LEAKS!

Haaaa! 

Queen Victoria's 50th

Yesterday, I drove my favorite, a Ford Fusion Hybrid, to San Diego to celebrate the birthday of a QUEEN!

Her 50th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My beloved L. Victoria has now been blessed to see 50!

Two of her dear friends planned quite the shindig at Louisiana Purchase. Sixteen of us showed up to celebrate her! The food was delicious, and the mimosas were bottomless! Haaaa!

Victoria's great friend, Derek, also drove down from L.A. Unfortunately, he and I drove separately instead of carpooling. Oh, well. Next time!

During the brunch, each guest took a moment to tell Victoria what she means to her/him. Our words made her weep.

Tears of JOY.

Tears of GRATITUDE.

Even my former boss from Big Brother was there. And as always, she was as loving and generous as I'll always remember. I hugged her ever so tightly when I walked into the restaurant.

After the brunch, several of us joined Victoria at a hole-in-the-wall bar that she enjoys. And we had a BLAST! My former boss tried to teach me a dance move all the folks in the joint over 50 seemed to know. Hey, I may be over 50 chronologically, but this ol' dude's spirit is definitely late 30s-early 40s! Haaaa!

After we left the bar, I drove Victoria and Derek back to her place. The three of us sat in my car talking for another hour or so! And we talked about subject matter that made her pretty emotional.

What I wish for Victoria, her twin brother, LOUIS (pictured above), and for every living human being, is PEACE.

Peace of MIND.

And peace in SPIRIT.

And I hope and pray that whenever she thinks of me...

She SMILES.

HAPPY 50th, QUEEN VICTORIA.

The world is still YOURS to CONQUER.

I Wonder...

Last night, while walking home from El Tejano, I came across a young man who was working security outside a neighborhood bar.

As is my usual custom, I stopped, introduced myself, then asked him questions about himself.

Yep, that IS my usual custom!

He told me his name is ADRIAN.

He's in his early 20s.

I asked him what he really wanted professionally.

He told me he's a drummer.

I pushed him to be more specific about what he'd like to do as a drummer.

He then said he'd like to be a drummer for Justin Timberlake.

I told him to go for it! Contact Justin's people! He has NOTHING to lose!

What I know for sure is that NOT being SPECIFIC about WHAT we want, nine times outta ten ONLY gets us NONE of what we want!

SPECIFICITY is KEY!

I gave the young fella a robust hug, then told him I look forward to seeing him drum for Justin!

Truth be told, I truly wonder what will become of him!

I'll keep an eye out for him!

True Friendship

Today, I discovered a package on my front stoop. It was delivered via the good ol USPS!

When I opened it, I was FLOORED!

Absolutely FLOORED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its contents brought an ENORMOUS SMILE to my face!!!!

Its contents reaffirmed my belief that MRS. SHELLEY BOOHER-DONNELL is one of the MOST INCREDIBLE FRIENDS a person could be BLESSED to have!

She's one of the MOST INCREDIBLE FRIENDS this ol' boy, in particular, is BLESSED to have!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DO NOT know the words to describe how much JOY she adds to my life!

She is the KIND, LOVING and COMPASSIONATE soul who sent this package to me.

Inside was a CREATIVELY DESIGNED VISION BOARD, reiterating EVERYTHING I AM!

You see, SHELLEY knows a brother! Haaa!

She also included a beautifully framed photo she created, depicting a scene from the CONVERSATIONS with CAM talk show I WILL eventually host!!!

Yep, SHELLEY has FAITH in a brother!!

I DO NOT know the words to describe how much JOY she adds to my life!

Wait a minute! I've stated that before, right? 

Well, it's the TRUTH!

I don't know WHAT I've done to deserve a FRIEND like HER!

I don't know WHY she heaps such LOVE and KINDNESS on me!

But I'm HELLA THANKFUL for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

HELLA THANKFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And hella thankful for the SOUTH BEND CHOCOLATE COMPANY's chocolate-covered almonds, blueberries and the STARBUCKS gift card that were also stashed inside the package.

SHELLEY DONNELL, I APPRECIATE, LOVE, RESPECT and CHERISH your existence on PLANET EARTH!

PERIOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"True friendship multiplies the good in life and divides its evils. Strive to have friends, for life without friends is like life on a desert island...to find one real friend in a lifetime is good fortune; to keep [her] is a blessing." -- Baltasar Gracian

The Call To Courage

My therapist suggested I check out this Netflix special. So, I'll do just that!

I first heard of Ms. Brown a couple years ago when she was a guest on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday. Turns out she's been a guest on that show several times.

She has tackled the following topics:

a.) What to do when you struggle with trust.
b.) The hidden damage of gossip.
c.) The anatomy of trust.
d.) The (3) most dangerous stories we tell ourselves.
e.) Regret is a fair, but tough teacher.
f.) The (2) most common ways we offload hurt.
g.) The best way to measure courage.

And a host of other topics!

After I check out her Netflix special, I'll discuss it with my therapist.

We'll see what we see.

LA County Fair Goes Pop

Yesterday, for the very first time since moving to Los Angeles, I attended the LA County Fair!

Yes, I've loved fairs for as long as I can remember!

The delicious, fried foods! Although I have to admit, I bypassed this yummy-looking $12.00 corn dog for a VEGAN dish instead. I know...BORRRRING! :)

The rides!

The games!

The ice cream!

And for the first time, I actually sat and posed for a caricature portrait! The handsome, young man standing next to me, Mr. ANDRE BLAND, is the extraordinarily talented artist who drew me!!!!!!! In fact, HE was the reason I even went to the fair. When he told me he'd be in town to draw his caricature portraits, I figured that was reason enough for me to finally check out the joint! And I'm hella happy I did!

For more of ANDRE BLAND's phenomenal work, check out his WEBSITE!!! 

Therapy & Me

Today was my first session with a mental health specialist.

Her exact title is Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

She doesn't look like the specialists we usually see on television. She wore a sleeveless blouse, and her tatted arms were on vivid display. I even mentioned them to her.

She asked me if I would have any problem with having a white female therapist. I chuckled a bit, then told her that "some of my best friends are white females." Haaaaa! But they ARE! Gretchen, Trisha, Madeline (half white) and Shelley are tops on my list of GREAT FRIENDS!

I eventually told her that I prefer the company of women for just about everything...

Except romance! Haaaa!

I told her about having five sisters and being a mama's boy. So, women are now, and have always been, verrrrrrry essential to my well-being.

Suffice it to say, I wouldn't want any other mental health specialist than a woman. Men can kick rocks!

We discussed what motivated me to seek treatment. And now, we're gonna spend the next seven sessions exploring this little ol' mind of mine! We're gonna get to the bottom of why professional fulfillment and CAM Jr are like strangers that pass in the night.

I've gotta admit, I was kinda hopin' she had a chaise lounge, or a couch for me to recline on. But no such luck! I'll make the best of the little chair she has though.

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

2019 is shaping up to be one helluva TERRIFIC year!

And for that, I am immeasurably thankful.

He Was My Brother

Yesterday, I was informed about the sudden death of one of my Brothers.

A Fraternity Brother.

He was 56. Born seven months before me; also in '63.

The Fiji House

When I joined Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity at Wabash College as a freshman, he was a sophomore.

He was handsome.

Funny.

Intelligent.

Outspoken.

And outgoing as hell!

One semester, during my freshman year, I roomed with his best friend. He'd come into our room and wrestle with my roommate (who was a wrestler, by the way). And from time to time, they'd even toss me around!

His given name was James, but for some reason I never learned, we called him "Simmy" or "Sim Pup."

Years after we graduated, I contacted him and told him I was visiting California. He had moved to the Los Angeles area and gotten married. He was kind enough to meet up with me, and took me along to a birthday celebration for one of his wife's friends, a casting director.

After my visit, I didn't have much contact with him until I actually moved to Los Angeles. We linked up on Facebook, made small talk about meeting up for dinner, but we never actually did. Well, one time, we actually set a date. I showed up to the restaurant, but while waiting for him, he texted me that he couldn't make it after all. So, I just dined there alone.

Since then, we only communicated via Facebook and texts. And, ooooh, some of those texts were fiery!! Haaa! He seemed to get a kick out of playing devil's advocate on people's pages, engaging in arguments for the sake of getting folks' goat. He was a freakin' pro at it too!

Well, he's gone now. The story is that he died in his sleep. Just the way I wanna go when that time comes.

He leaves behind his worldly riches. Riches he had no problem telling you about. Haaa!

He leaves behind his only child: an 11-year-old son whose 12th birthday is next month.

He leaves behind his older brother, who is also in our fraternity. I'm not sure if his parents are alive. If they are, I wish them the very best.

We're BORN.

Hopefully, we LIVE.

Then we DIE.

The sad part is that many people are ALIVE, but not LIVING. From time to time, I count myself in that group. Simmy, though, LIVED!

He lived HARD.

And FAST.

And WELL!

I hope and pray that when his eyes closed for the final time, his HEART felt joy.

But I'll never truly know if that was his heart's ending.

It's up to me...RIGHT NOW...to make SURE a feeling of immense joy is MY heart's ending.

Goodbye, Brother Simmy.

Until we meet again...

PERGE.

UPDATE: Sunday, 9/15, I attended a memorial celebration of Jim's life, organized by his ex-wife, Tracy, his son, Dash, his brother, Scott and his childhood friend, Cam.

What I know for sure is: the man loved.

And WAS loved in return.

And that, my friends, are requisites in order to live a GREAT life!

Throne

Yesterday saw the release of the debut single, THRONE, from singer/songwriter/actor/model CJ HAMMOND.

CJ is truly a talented and compassionate soul, so I'm wishing him the very best!

The song is meaningful, relatable and hella catchy! Its video depicts a young man fleeing his hometown to move to Hollywood to pursue his dream of acting. CJ pretty much did just that himself. Heck, many of us have. In the video, the young man realizes his dreams.

CJ and I and a host of others aren't leaving this dang town 'til we do the same!!!!

CJ, again, I wish you phenomenal success with this song! You're a go-getter and deserve all the success one man can handle.

Places To Be

Next week, I've got somewhere to be every, single day! And you know what? I like that!

As it stands, none of those places-to-be will pay me anything for being there, but I'll be happy to be there nonetheless.

By week's end, I hope to have attended a Q&A with a commercial casting director, an audition, a birthday bash, a meeting with a talent agent, and seen the good ol' orthodontist!

But this is showbiz! By 8pm tonight I could possibly book a gig (or three) that compel me to cancel outta dang near all next week's scheduled appointments.

Truth be told, I'd LOVE that to be the case! I haven't booked a gig since...well...since...I don't even remember when!

But MOOLAH is a-comin'!

And LOTS of it!

I wish a HAPPY WEEKEND to one and all!

With Friends Like This...

Yesterday, I went to the Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab to record an audition. While there, I also played around with a couple of other impromptu recordings.

I actually came up with the copy for that recording right on the spot. I wanted to record something provocative for consideration for my voice reel.

Based upon the responses to the recording on my IG and Facebook pages, I'd say it is indeed provocative. I even received a message from a woman who inquired where I got the copy from. I told her I wrote it myself, then she told me her ex-husband spoke those exact words to her during their marriage. She thought for sure I had gotten the copy from a film or something, because he always cut her down by quoting from films and books. Wow!

You can never know how your art will affect others.

I told the woman I wish her the very best. Especially since I actually know her ex-husband. Or, should I say, THOUGHT I knew him.

I'm gonna keep doing this voice-over thing until it makes me a multi-multi-millionaire! Haaaa!

Banner Health - I Got A Name aka Physical Therapist Extraordinaire

Well, the commercial I shot in Scottsdale, AZ has finally been released!

Yippy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And it's sooooo dang heartfelt!

I portrayed a physical therapist in the spot, and I must admit, I look pretty dang authentic! Haaa! A real physical therapist from the hospital was standing nearby, to make sure my moves were realistic. He even allowed me to borrow his Apple watch! And yes, I gave it back to him when filming wrapped!

The commercial is a regional spot, so that means it'll run in the Arizona region only. Luckily for me, though, my friend, Gregor, is vacationing in AZ this week, so he saw it and texted me about it!

Booking that commercial was the first time I had ever been flown somewhere to shoot. I tell ya, I loved every single moment of that experience.

I highly recommend staying at Hotel Adeline when in the Scottsdale area. My room was comfy, and the front desk guy offered me a free spin on one of those dang scooters that you see all over cities these days. I didn't use it, though, because the last thing I wanted was to hurt myself before filming! That would have been awful!

Yeah, I'm telling the Universe right now that I know this was the first of many great bookings to come!! And that I'm immeasurably THANKFUL for each and every one!

Conversations With CAM

"Conversations With CAM"

Last Wednesday, I attended a terrific Q&A with Jimmy Kimmel and Norman Lear, moderated by Anthony Anderson.

I have to admit, throughout the entire Q&A, I imagined moderating the event my dang self! Anthony was fine, but CAM Jr would have chatted up Jimmy and Mr. Lear like we were old pals.

Jamie Foxx and Wanda Sykes - The Jeffersons

Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei - All In The Family

Jimmy and Mr. Lear talked about producing the live, staged performances of Mr. Lear's The Jeffersons and All In The Family.

I haven't seen the broadcast yet, but I'm gonna watch it as soon as I finish this post!

After the Q&A, guests were treated to a fabulous poolside barbeque. The sumptuous buffets and open bars made us guests feel like a million bucks!

Gorgeous synchronized swimmers came out and performed a beautiful routine in the sparkling blue pool. I'd post a video clip of their performance, but I don't have music clearances for the songs used, so my word will have to do!

The first image on this post is a photo op guests were allowed. I jumped at the chance to sit at that desk as if I was hosting my own show. I've fantasized about my own talk show for decades. And, yes, the name of it would be CONVERSATIONS WITH CAM. And my guests and I would simply talk about any and everything.

Being at this event lit a fire under my butt to work on a tv idea I've been kicking around in my head of late. This morning, I awakened and wrote character breakdowns for my main characters. I'll flesh out my pilot episode before too long.

Yes, I'm 55 years blessed, but I'm still not too old to become the PROFESSIONALLY FULFILLED man I was born to be!

So, I'll keep on keepin' on.

And what will be, will be.

The Friend From Tel Aviv

I've been on a kick lately, surfing YouTube for a few hours at a time, watching all the LGBTQ-themed short films that pop up. Yesterday, I stumbled across one that truly blew me away.

The Friend From Tel Aviv.

Wow! By the end of the film, I thought, now THAT'S how you write and produce a short film.

If the viewer pays attention, the narrative unfolds like a soft, warm bath towel, just pulled from the dryer. I mean, truly, this little film has so much going for it:

The PROVOCATIVE STORY!

The REALISTIC PERFORMANCES!

The "I WONDER WHAT HAPPENS NEXT" appeal.

I cared about all the main characters. And that's no easy feat in screenwriting.

I'll say no more.  Simply see the film below for yourself.

And remember, Love is Love.

The Friend From Tel Aviv
Director: Federica Gianni
Writers: Federica Gianni, Nitzan Krimsky
Starring: Yuval Boim, Karen Giordano, Nitzan Krimsky

I Said What I Said

Since I was 18 years blessed, I've been keeping a journal, chronicling the ups and downs and all arounds of my life.

Lately, I've been re-reading some of those journals.

I have filled FOURTEEN notebooks with the trials and tribulations of a young CAM Jr. They span from 18-31 years old.

By my 32nd birthday, I had stopped writing in notebooks and began typing my journal entries onto a computer, storing them onto a diskette. Unfortunately, that diskette was compromised, and I lost all my entries from 32-44 years old or so.

I began this blog in 2009 to pick up where I left off.

In many ways, re-reading these journals is a hoot!

And it's also sobering.

Some might even say, "sorta sad."

I spent a LOTTTTTTTTTTTT of time fretting over no romance.

And even MORE TIME lamenting my lack of meaningful work in showbiz.

Um...I'm 55 years blessed now, and I can't say that much has changed on the romance and showbiz fronts. The only difference is: I don't complain about either any longer.

I just LIVE.

I find myself reading about people I can't recall, so I Google them to see if that will jog my memory. And in some cases, when their image pops across the screen, it certainly has.

I've even read an obituary of one of the guys I looked up. Anthony was a co-worker at Macy*s. He was 21 or so at that time. Everybody loved him. Especially the gay guys. His super friendly personality, and incredible body made him the cat's meow. I remember laughin' it up with the kid while hitting dance club after dance club in Manhattan. He was always good for great energy!

His obituary doesn't reveal his cause of death, but like most nosy curious folks, I sure would like to know it. Well, whatever his cause of death, may his soul rest in eternal peace.

One of my nieces used to visit me quite a bit while I lived in NYC, and she'd go through my journals when I was at work. She was searching to see if I talked openly about my sexuality. Well, because I just KNEW folks like HER might one day stumble across my journals, I talked in code. Haaaaa!

So, SPECULATION was all she got outta her snooping. Never CONFIRMATION! Haaaaa!

It's re-reading my college years that intrigues me most. Wow! Those four years were somethin'!

The FRATERNITY!

The STUDYING!

The SEXUAL ANXIETY!

It was all soooooo dang IMPORTANT to me back then!!!

And truth be told, if it wasn't for these journals, I wouldn't remember HALF of what I wrote about!

Actually, MORE than half!

I'm happy I wrote down my thoughts back then, 'cause re-reading about 'em now is bringing a huuuuuuuuuuuge SMILE to my face.

Okay, a few CRINGES too, but I'll take 'em!!!!!!