Afternoon Greg: Wimbledon weekend approaching; Farrah laid to rest; Diana Ross guardian for Michael Jackson’s kids?

As a tennis fan, the final weekend of Wimbledon is like Christmas!

And boy, the next four days should provide plenty of gifts in the form of exciting matches with five-time champ Venus Williams and her sister Serena, a two-time winner, just one win away from meeting in the finals for the fourth time.

Meanwhile, Andy Roddick just finished edging Lleyton Hewitt in a five-set thriller putting the American heartthrob in Friday’s semifinals against Britian’s Andy Murray. The other semifinals pits Roger Federer, the five time champion, against the surprise of the men’s tournament: Tommy Haas. Federer will have to play well to beat Tommy who not only is undefeated on grass this season (10-0) but also was close to beating Federer at the French Open before losing in five sets.

I’ll be parked in front of the TV for much of the next four days!

Speaking of Wimbledon, there was one year that I didn’t have to watch the matches on TV because I was THERE! My pal Lorna Harris recalls our memorable adventures at the 1991 Wimbledon in an entry on her blog CalifLorna and beautifully recounts what was one of the most exciting adventures of my life.

Here are a few excerpts:

Greg’s a HUGE tennis fan and came over to stay with me in England so that he could go to Wimbledon.  That particular year, 1991, there were loads of rain delays and play really got behind.  For the first time ever, Wimbledon arranged play for the middle Sunday which is traditionally a tennis free day.  This meant that absolutely no tickets had been sold and would be available on a first come first served basis on the Sunday morning.  Greg and I decided we couldn’t miss such a great opportunity and arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 5am and take us from my flat in North London to Wimbledon.  It was one of the craziest taxi journey’s I’ve ever had, he drove like a lunatic and told us he worked for the BBC.  Translation: his taxi service was sometimes booked by the BBC!  As I was working for the BBC World Service at the time, it was particularly funny.

As we approached, we could see lots of people walking towards the Club.  The taxi driver dropped us off at the end of the line of people and we stood there for a bit, walking slowly forward as the line progressed.  We soon started to realise that the people around us had sleeping bags and supplies for an all night stay.  As the line had started to move, people had begun packing up their belongings and moving forward.  What we thought was the end of the line was simply a break in the crowds where someone had been slow moving forward.  We were mortified and surprised that no one had accused us of jumping in line.   We discussed what to do, should we be honest and go to the back of the line, but we were so far ahead we’d never get to the end of it, so we stayed put.

Then, some officials started walking down the line, wearing the traditional Wimbledon uniform.  “What time did you get here?” they kept asking.  People were telling them different times from the evening before.  “Bloody good show” they’d respond.  Now what should be do?  Lie to the officials?!  We just looked very deep in conversation as they went passed us, so that we didn’t have to lie or admit what we’d done.

We had the best day ever.  Front and center seats on Centre Court.  It was an amazing day.  The crowd was electric, full of proper tennis fans.  We even did ‘the wave.’  It became known as ‘People’s Sunday‘ and has only been repeated in 1997 and 2004.

The next day, at work, I picked up all the papers to look through for my daily research.  There was Greg, with his arms in the air, doing ‘the wave.’  You can just about see me, but I was blocked by someone in front.  Greg was there though, not to be missed.  This was Greg’s first ever trip to London and he gets into Wimbledon and on the front page of most of the major newspapers!

DIANA ROSS THE BOSS OF MJ’S KIDS?: There are repors today that Michael Jackson’s will states that his mother Katherine Jackson bec0ome guardian of his three kids in the event of his death. That’s a no-brainer. Kids are usually best off with a loving grandparent unless grandma and grandpa are off their rockers! And since crazy Joe Jackson apparently lives in Vegas, the kids should be fine!

Apparently Diana Ross has been named back-up guardian. I’ve been reading a lot of comments that she’s a bitch etc. Well, I’m sure there is something to all the anecdotes and books written about Miss Ross being less than pleasant to many people during her 45 years of stardom.

But she’s endured and in her mid-60s, can still sell out Hollywood Bowl and sing as well as she ever did.

And as a mom, she seems to be aces. She has five children, including actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Evan Ross and if you’ve ever spoken to them – as I have – you know that they are devoted to their mother. So if this is the case, why not a woman with a proven track record and the resources to care for children? I just hope, of course, that she doesn’t force them to call her Miss Ross!

FAREWELL TO FARRAH: I don’t know what kind of funeral plans are being made for Michael Jackson but I just hope it’s not a circus. Farraw Fawcett’s on Tuesday was the dignified affair you’d except with longtime companion Ryan O’Neal and their son Redmond O’Neal and her father James Fawcett leading the mourners.

Also among the 200 guests at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles: Farrah’s BFF Alana Stewart, former Charlie’s Angels co-stars Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd, Tatum O’Neal, Farrah’s former husband Lee Majors, Garry Shandling, Joan Collins, Jackie Collins, Charyl Tiegs, hairstylist Joe Eber, and Farrah’s longtime close friends Dick Van Patten and his wife Pat Van Patten.

Farrah died last week after a long and courageous battle against cancer.