Los Angeles

[plunkybug]

We got to the airport in just enough time, though my nerves were completely frazzled. I guess it does not take as much time to get through security as they say. The flight started a little off, as all the internal power went out while "Barry White" was telling us how to strap in and follow the rules (we were on Song, and they sing the stuff in a different genre on each flight). It was the auxiliary power, the one they get power from while they are on the ground, and had nothing to do with the plane itself. So the attendants gave us a humorous version of the stuff. Flight was good, food was good, and I was suitably entertained. One reason the Song flights are cheaper is that there is no first class, and there is no automatic meal included. They provide food, freshly prepared before take off, but you pay for it if you want it. It is also mostly healthy stuff too.

We got in about 9:15 and got our bags...it was the first time in several years we checked baggage. It was ok, because our ride was a little late, but it took a while to get our bags, so it worked out that just as we got our bags and move toward the other room for pick-up that our ride showed up about a minute later. Not bad. We went to IHOP on the way back, and watched a little tv until the power went out. That was our cue to go to bed. :)

Thursday morning I made some breakfast and then went with Peter, our host, to The Village, the studio where he had done some work on a commercial for Kia (foreign market only though). They had lots of platinum and gold albums on the walls, including Fleetwood Mac I think. I got to listen to the music from the commercial and got to watch him editing it for his session later that afternoon. I had a lie down because my head was starting to hurt, but got up a few hours later to go to Amoeba Records in Hollywood, which was nearby where the session was. This place is a crackhouse for media lovers, and it is quite easy to spend your child's college fund there. The pictures of the Hollywood store in the tour don't give the store justice as to how huge this place is. Chas spent over $100 on cds (Joe Jackson, The Wedding Present, and Propoganda to name a few) and laser discs (Holy Grail Criterion, and a few Woody Allen movies), and a record (the Buggles 2nd album for those interested). He also got free gear...a bag, shirt and calendar because he mentioned we came across the country to go there. I did not get as much as I had not been paid yet. I got Marc Almond's Heart on Snow cd (worth it just to hear him sing in Russian), Badly Drawn Boy's cd The Hour of the Bewilderbeast, Julian Cope's BBC Sessions, and Strange Days from The Doors. Yeah, I know, A-B-C-D. You could see how costly that could be if I continued on. The cds I got were all used so just a little over $40 total with tax. We drove down to Irvine after that to visit the lovely Jenny. We picked her up and we went to a very late dinner and had many laughs over our server. I had some massive fits of giggles and laughs.

Friday the con started and it was kind of a slow day (though I sat with and briefly chatter with Elisabeth Sladen for a bit), we were sleepy and left fairly early, and went back to Peter's where he cooked us fillet mignon a la Good Eats (nuclear hot cast iron pan) and home made french fries. They were really good. :) We watched a few episodes of Penn and Teller's Bullshit and then Jenny and I crapped out and went upstairs to bed. Saturday we went back to the con, and we went to the Galleria for dinner, ended up having a rental car die, and my cell battery die freakishly early, then Peter came to get us, but not without seeing some of Terror of the Autons a la MST3K (they call it Mysterious Theater 337).

Sunday was kinda lazy day for the con too. Got there around 1pm. Amber Benson, Tara from Buffy, was there doing a signing with her mom there. It was amazing how similar they looked. I don't mean that you could see the mom in the daughter, it was more like looking at the same person at different stages of their life. We talked to Leonard Stone who played Sam Beauregard from the original Willy Wonka. He signed the photo "Violet, you're turning violet Violet" to us. We managed to get to Beeps. Had some yummy Chinese for dinner, relaxed at home and so on.

Skipped the con Monday, went to the Ghetto Mall for a little bit and 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I got some fresh squeezed watermelon juice...god I love that stuff! It is especially nice on a warm day. I wish we had that here. Later in the afternoon Chas and I went on a mission to find an iPod Shuffle. We knew the area a little and felt kinda cool to be on our own for a few hours. No one had it. Had a snack of Del Taco for Kristen. :) Later that night we had dinner at a Middle Eastern place called Cafe Noura (also called Noura's Cafe) in West LA near Hollywood because I had been wanting falafel the whole trip after Chas pointed it out early in the trip. This place was really nice. Red lighting and plants and curtains...should have taken pictures.

We left the next morning. Got home around 6:15, and had the urge to have BBQ for dinner, so we stopped at Sonny's on University and it was just what we needed. :) Well, I have probably missed something, or mixed up a detail, but the only other thing I left out is that is was raining like the whole time. So that was kinda crummy. But we had a nice time and enjoyed spending time with friends. That is really the nicest part.

Comments

[girlinthemoon.livejournal.com]

I've been to the one in Berkeley. Amazing! Definitely dangerous for those reasons. The bredth of the collection is amazing.