A new wrinkle for ‘Laguna Beach’

SHERWOOD KIRALY

While the lead characters on MTV’s “Laguna Beach” show are certainly

young and attractive, many older Lagunans who weren’t asked to

participate believe our lives are just as dramatic as those on the

program. I offer a four-day span last week as evidence -- a typical

reality weekend:

Patti Jo’s mom Carol Reynolds has a new dog, Danny Boy, and we

puppysat him while she was out of town. He’s an Australian shepherd

from the pound, and glad to be anywhere, as the saying goes. He has

unusual coloring, as if he sleeps in the fireplace. He declined to

eat Craisins as a treat until he saw our Welshie accept some, and

then figured well, there must be something to them.

Patti Jo and I were snack parents for the JV girls’ tennis team on

Thursday, as they played Tesoro. We brought drinks, fruit and cookies

down to the high school courts and Katie and her teammates ate and

drank while playing for nearly four hours. Patti Jo got all the food

and drink; my job was to carry the cooler, which I did without

reference to my 1988 hernia surgery. Father of the Year? Well, it’s

not for me to say.

Friday we decided to skip the presidential debate -- we are not

among the undecided and Patti Jo’s feelings have become too raw --

and went down to eat at C’Est La Vie and walk the boardwalk. The

escargots were delicious and the keyboard player sang “Pencil Thin

Mustache.”

Saturday we went to Borders to pick up a couple books for Katie’s

English course. They’ve changed the interior of the store over the

course of the last year; it’s a big adjustment. I got lost for

awhile.

That night Katie ate dinner Downtown with a senior boy. I dropped

them off and picked them up. He seemed all right, although you never

really know about boys. Patti Jo hasn’t made up her mind about me

yet.

Sunday I watched the Dodger-Cardinal playoff game on TV. I played

Little League ball in Missouri, so when the Cardinals batted I picked

up my old Louisville Slugger and joined them. I didn’t swing when

they swung -- there was no room in my office -- but I was with them

in stance. When they won I pumped my fist.

Now that’s just one weekend. That’s just like one show. But the

possibilities are there: You’ve got pets, sports, a baseball bat near

a lamp, an older guy lifting heavy objects and getting lost in the

store. And you’re just seeing it on paper; the facial expressions are

60%.

It’s reality, it’s Laguna, it brings in the older audience and you

can shoot it for the price of a good cigar.

It’s a million-dollar idea. Or best offer.