MY TRIP TO NEW YORK, SAN DIEGO, LOS ANGELES AND TIJUANA IN MAY-JUNE 2007

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Copyright 2007 -> Jari-Pekka Laitio-Ramone

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Next morning was time of thanks and goodbyes for Maria and David. They forwarded for their jobs and I started my trip what made my heart beating, journey to the Hollywood Forever cemetery. Finally I got chance to visit Dee Dee's grave and see Johnny's statue. I had to use four different public transports before I was there. I was happy that Maria had made for me excellent introductions. Luckily weather was sunny. I found Johnny's statue pretty quickly and it really was as cool as people were said and what I had looked from photos. I was checking it accurately. After the trip I have made interview of the progress of making it with Wayne Toth. Wayne has created it and he can be proud of excellent result. Statue shows Johnny playing his Mosrite guitar. Stone foundation has for example in front words: "If a man can tell if he's been successful in his life by having great friends, then I have been very successful." There is in a right side texts by Linda Ramone and Lisa Marie Presley, in a left side by Eddie Vedder and Rob Zombie and in a back side by Vincent Gallo and John Frusciante.
I was videotaping and taking lot photos at the cemetery. I also wanted to sit down and eat pizza slices together with Johnny. I was thinking what I do write to message for him. I wrote: "Johnny, fans all around the world came to see you mentally together with me. It was great to see your statue finally. It was a long way to come here from Finland. Yesterday I was happy to meet Linda again. 1-2-3-4..."

Then I started to search Dee Dee's grave. I knew it was somewhere close and under big tree. But I couldn't find it so easily than I was thought. Then I looked from my second book photos of Dee Dee's grave taken by Gaston Sanchez, I saw from them what is in a background of Dee Dee's resting place. I found it and finally I met again with Dee Dee. It is only about 1,5 minutes walking distance from Johnny's statue to Dee Dee's grave. In a real life I met with Dee Dee last time during the night of April 2-3, 2001 in Stockholm, Sweden. I was touring together with him. We hugged then for a long time. We couldn't know it was a final hug. When I was looking Dee Dee's grave, I was thinking all good memories I experienced with him and people who played and toured with him. It took a while to understand that I was really at Dee Dee's grave.
I was at the same time in a peaceful and affected mood, tears were falling. There was in my head playing Spoiled Rotten song Rock'N'Roll Is Dead (Dee Dee Is King). It is in a Main Man: A Tribute To Dee Dee Ramone tribute album which AMP Records and I released. AMP Records is Canadian cool label, it's owner is Larry Retard who is also member of Spoiled Rotten. There was in Dee Dee's gravestone Ramones eagle logo with a text: "I feel so safe flying on a ray, on the highest trails above.", as well lot kisses were in a gravestone etc. Also he had guitar picks, flowers etc. I left for him and Johnny some flowers. I ate also with Dee Dee pizza slice.
I left to the grave my second book Rock In Peace: Dee Dee And Joey Ramone. I wrote for it: "Dear Dee Dee. Finally we met here at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It was a long way from Finland to come here. Many thoughts and greetings we are shared after you became an angel. I can only imagine in how beautiful place place you are. I know you are in a good care with Joey and Johnny. With your wife Barbara I've met couple of times since June 5, 2002. Then 3,5 weeks earlier my first book was came out. You gave me so much and you were always superfriendly for me, I did not even thinked if I do or not this book which came out in 2004. Mentally here with me are also so many fans all around the world. Hugs,..."

I visited Johnny's statue again and I thinked in how beautiful cemetery Hollywood Forever is. There is lot resting places of actors. Some had big mausoleums. Johnny's statue and Dee Dee's grave are close of same small lake. Swans and gooses were swimming there. Maria was a bit sad that she couldn't come with me, also because she couldn't see when I had to run when all of a sudden big swan started to run after me. I was just walking to Johnny's statue and I was far away from it when it started to run after me. I couldn't see any swan kids etc., whom I thought big swan was trying to protect.
After I said goodbye for Johnny, I had to visit Dee Dee again. I started crying heavily when I said goodbye and I read from his gravestone text: "O.K... I gotta go now."

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