Lisa Starrett Kicks Ass

This is my friend Lisa. I am in awe of her...and she would so laugh at me for saying that. She is currently battling cancer. Battling. Sounds like she is Thor or Xena or something. Well, she is waking up and swinging at her foe every day so maybe battling is the right term.

But the truth is she's gettting beaten and I can't bear it.

I am going out to California with the baby next week to see my dear friend for the last time. Things are bad for her and they've stopped treatment. It started in the breast and spread. There are tumors on her lungs now and the decision has been made that more chemo will be pointless. Her doctor said in February that she had between 2 and 8 months to live. Her friend and caregiver, Laura, wrote me an e-mail about her condition after the diagnosis but sent it to my old e-address so it was never bounced back. She thought the news shouldn't be delivered on the phone and thought I knew but I didn't. I just found out last week. This will be the third person close to my heart to die of cancer and I want to kick somebody or throw something. In old b&w movies Bette Davis would smash a crystal ashtray against the wall when things got out of hand.

All I know is Lisa is amazing. I met her when I first moved to Los Angeles. I needed a place to stay and couldn't afford to live alone...even in a studio. A friend and I scoured the want ads in the LA Weekly. After hanging up on lots of machines, I spoke with Laura because I liked her voice. That same night I toured the house and met Lisa, Laura's roommate. We all just clicked. I moved in that weekend.

We lived in Atwater Village (before it was cool) in a pink house. All three of us were single which is even more of a bitch in LA. Lisa was on the Atkins diet and espousing the benefits of protein so we all became peanut junkies. We'd come home from work, have a diet pepsi (or wine depending) and scarf down peanuts while deconstructing our days. Lisa is a masterful story teller and could make stories about down and out inner city elementary school kids poignant and hilarious.

She's also a total fox as you can see. She dressed better than any teacher I've ever seen. Her signature look was knee high leather boots, skirt just above the knee and cute top. Always totally stylish and hot without being overtly sex on a stick. The kids adored her understandably.

more tomorrow....