chuck gave me a bike for my birthday this year (!!!!!!!) and today we broke her in by taking a spin through part of pasadena. you might be wondering what ringo (below) has to do with a bike ride in pasadena.....weeeeeell, i happen to be standing right in front of ringo's estate!!!! now, he may or may not still live there, and if he does, it may only be for days at a time. but STiLL!!!!! chuck drove by a few years back with a friend and scoped it out, along with the boyhood home of david lee roth, right nearby. it's fairly hidden, but not as protected as i would've thought.


we circled around the property, peeking in where we could. we could see parts of the main house and a guest house in clear view, along with a tennis court and pool. and to our surprise, one of the entrances was WiDE open (probably the gardener's access) so, we casually parked our bikes and proceeded to poke around rest our weary legs from our strenuous work out. i inched my way toward a dumpster just inside the open gate, not seeing any armed guard or attack dog that might change my mind. it was full of fresh yard waste. so, i quickly reached in and kiped a sprig of flowers, no doubt clipped from an unruly bush this morning.


if someone had told me 25 years ago that i'd be standing in front of ringo starr's house picking a flower from his dumpster, i SURELY would've fainted....then woken up, and fainted once again.

we then made our way around the outside of the property, stopping at the front gate, then wrapping around, peering in where we could, only to find a group of 5-6 gardeners taking their afternoon break. chuck snapped his camera all the while, knowing i would want this archived for posterity. just when i think i've outgrown my girlish fascination with the beatles, i find myself wrapping yard waste in wax paper and pressing it between two books.

i think i'll count this morning as another b-day gift from chuck....

the main house




should i?




yes.....yes, i should.




i HHHAD to hold the gate......why? because RiNGO might've touched it once!!!!!!




chuck and me, just in front of ringo's mailbox....
i know what you're thinking, and we DiDN'T DO iT.
it's a federal offense, for goddess' sake!!!!
dumpster diving? that's a slap on the wrist and community service, TOPS.




that's me outside the front gate....wishing i had a domino's delivery outfit on with 5 pizzas.