Wicked Weekend
Jun. 13th, 2007 07:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
brassangelThis is long with pictures so I had Jim LJ-Cut it for me.
On Friday I went into work at 6:15 and got off at 11:15, which is a darn good thing. I missed a bus, and decided to catch the next 482, which wends its way through Diamond Bar, La Puente and Hacienda Heights before eventually finding it's way to El Monte Station (http://www.foothilltransit.org/Schedules_Routes/system_map.htm). Once there, I switched to the first MTA bus going downtown with the intention of getting off at Union Station to transfer to the Red Line MetroLink. The bus driver advised me to stay on til civic center as there was a station there that would be easier to navigate than union station. So true! Crossed the street from the bus stop and got my ticket and on the bus with relative ease. there were several of these bizarre decorations hanging from the ceiling of the Civic center Metro station
My directions said to get off the train at Hollywood and Highland, so I did, and found myself stuck on the Walk of Stars, in front of Hollywood and Highland http://www.hollywoodandhighland.com/
by the Kodak theater,
across from El Capitan
(which was showing POTC3)
for about an hour while waiting for my family to get to me from the hotel http://www.beverlygarland.com/.
Turns out there was a closer station next to Universal City Walk, but I'm not sure where they could have picked me up there as the station is not handy for pick ups.
While I waited I got to watch all the characters shilling for tips. I watched some promo people handing out free cans of Lipton Brisk Green Tea Apple. The guy in the sponge bob costume started threatening to beat up the guy who told him they were out. Which I'm sure was not the least little bit traumatic for the little girl standing there watching, right?
Let's see, there was a Jack Sparrow, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, some strange version of Catwoman, the spongebob. Oh, yeah, ,and the mutant Elmo who seemed to think that I was interested in the latest Paris Hilton gossip. ugh!
When my sister and friend arrived in Clifford the big red van, they parked it behind a bus, and Susan ran to help me with my bags which, thankfully, we got into the van and on the way without the cop parked in front of the bus seeing.
Once at the hotel, the kids asked me to take them to the pool, so it's a good thing I had packed my swimsuit. I took the kids down to the pool, and we spent a while there while Susan and Trina showered. I arrived back at the room as T and S were getting ready to come and join us, but it was already six o clock and we had to get eight of us dressed and fed and to the Pantages by showtime, which was 8 o clock.
As it was, it was a near thing. We all got dressed up, at least us girls did. Edison only wears black and I dont think he's worn a suit of any kind since my wedding. Jacob and Andrew wore some relatively nice country type shirts with bolos. Trina wore black dress pants and a nice top, while Susan and I, Becca, and Kaelie all wore dresses. Kaelie was going to wear a kind of Geisha dress, but it turned out to be too tight and the zipper ripped, but thankfully, Susan had brought a second option for her, which turned out looking grate with her knee high combat-y type boots. She borrowed a pair of earings form me and my rainbow crystal hairsticks from MD to complete her look, which she decided was very anime-y.
Once everyone was dressed we decided it would be best to get to the vicinity of the Pantages and then look for food. For a while we questioned the intelligence of that decision as the first places we looked at were the bar right next to the Pantages (quickly ruled out) and the donut shop next to that. the donut shop had a B rating which i was willing to live with for once, figuring I could just get a muffin and a bottle of frappacinno, but my nephew was freaked out by "a crazy guy and vetoed that place, despite the fact that he was so desperate for food he was growling at every one. We decided to walk a litte farther and once we got a block away, passing a "GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS" shop, we found Sandy Burger. This is literally a hole in the wall next to the Vine theatre, and looks far less than reputable. But they had an "A" rating, and we were desperate.
It turned out to be a good choice. We had one bowl of rice for Becca and the rest of us ordered hamburger combos of some sort. The burgers were good, the fries were great, food was all made right there in front of us as we waited(which wasn't long) and she fed all eight of us for about 35.00 and got us out of the quickly.
In turning around, after we had eaten, I noted a Thai place, A new york pizzaria, a juice bar and an ATM (which I needed) all directly across the street. We still had time to walk up to the next block (avoiding walking the kids past the adult stores again) and cross the street to get money. On the way I took this picture, as this is my family's nickname for Klutzy Aunty Kelly
Kaelie was cold and Becca wanted to be carried. We had no spare coats and Mom was wearing heels so she wasn't going to carry Becca. Being the smart girl she is, Kaelie offerred to carry in order to take advantage of the shared body heat.
Money in hand we made it to the theatre in time for all to take advantage of the restrooms and get to our seats.
Kaelie always wants to sit by me, but today she wanted to sit by Mom as well, so I got to have Edison on my left, Kaelie on my right and my sister within whispering distance, and then Becca Susan Jacob and Andrew were on the far side.
One thing I want to not ever forget...
We had already been pointing out all the gorgeous decor of the teatre but as I took the few steps down to our row, I heard my nephew, just walking through the mezzanine door, exclaim "holy sheeeee-oot" in an awe-filled voice. This was the first time any of the kids had been to a beautiful old theatre.
Other memories:
Edison singing along to Dancing through life. Which he says is his theme song.
Kaelie leaning on my shoulder singing along with several of the songs.
Edison pointing out that Dorothy must be really confused down in that cellar listening to Elphaba and Glinda singing together.
The hug Kaelie gave to Edison (and me) when we pooled our money with her mom's so she could get the Elphaba wand with Swarovski Crystals.
http://cgi.ebay.com/WICKED-BROADWAY-CRYSTAL-ELPHABA-WAND-DEFY-GRAVITY_W0QQitemZ170120983408QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
Watching my nephew taking the same sort of photos I take.
After the show we meandered our way out, taking pictures, both group shots
and more around the theatre.
For this one, Edison had all the kids pose as characters from the musical:
We got back to the van and had some traffic problems ,due to the Hollywood Bowl crowd. Eventually made it back to the hotel and crashed. Except that Susan and I didn't. We stayed up talking to each other until about two a.m. which is when I totally lost track of the conversation. Andrew kept grumbling at us because we were keeping him up with out "yapping" but his mom told him he'd just have to deal with it. I can't even remember everything we talked about.
We all slept late the next morning then went down and cavorted in the pool til it was almost time to check out.
We got everything packed up, they dropped me at the Red line station at UCW and headed home. I took the Red line to union Station, the the San Bernardino line to Upland, getting there around five. I waited at the stations Wine bar, doing a little tasting until Jim joined me. The rest of the evening has been described previously, but I didnt want the whinging to be all I remembered about this weekend when I read back through my journal someday.
My directions said to get off the train at Hollywood and Highland, so I did, and found myself stuck on the Walk of Stars, in front of Hollywood and Highland http://www.hollywoodandhighland.com/
by the Kodak theater,
across from El Capitan
(which was showing POTC3)
for about an hour while waiting for my family to get to me from the hotel http://www.beverlygarland.com/.
Turns out there was a closer station next to Universal City Walk, but I'm not sure where they could have picked me up there as the station is not handy for pick ups.
While I waited I got to watch all the characters shilling for tips. I watched some promo people handing out free cans of Lipton Brisk Green Tea Apple. The guy in the sponge bob costume started threatening to beat up the guy who told him they were out. Which I'm sure was not the least little bit traumatic for the little girl standing there watching, right?
Let's see, there was a Jack Sparrow, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, some strange version of Catwoman, the spongebob. Oh, yeah, ,and the mutant Elmo who seemed to think that I was interested in the latest Paris Hilton gossip. ugh!
When my sister and friend arrived in Clifford the big red van, they parked it behind a bus, and Susan ran to help me with my bags which, thankfully, we got into the van and on the way without the cop parked in front of the bus seeing.
Once at the hotel, the kids asked me to take them to the pool, so it's a good thing I had packed my swimsuit. I took the kids down to the pool, and we spent a while there while Susan and Trina showered. I arrived back at the room as T and S were getting ready to come and join us, but it was already six o clock and we had to get eight of us dressed and fed and to the Pantages by showtime, which was 8 o clock.
As it was, it was a near thing. We all got dressed up, at least us girls did. Edison only wears black and I dont think he's worn a suit of any kind since my wedding. Jacob and Andrew wore some relatively nice country type shirts with bolos. Trina wore black dress pants and a nice top, while Susan and I, Becca, and Kaelie all wore dresses. Kaelie was going to wear a kind of Geisha dress, but it turned out to be too tight and the zipper ripped, but thankfully, Susan had brought a second option for her, which turned out looking grate with her knee high combat-y type boots. She borrowed a pair of earings form me and my rainbow crystal hairsticks from MD to complete her look, which she decided was very anime-y.
Once everyone was dressed we decided it would be best to get to the vicinity of the Pantages and then look for food. For a while we questioned the intelligence of that decision as the first places we looked at were the bar right next to the Pantages (quickly ruled out) and the donut shop next to that. the donut shop had a B rating which i was willing to live with for once, figuring I could just get a muffin and a bottle of frappacinno, but my nephew was freaked out by "a crazy guy and vetoed that place, despite the fact that he was so desperate for food he was growling at every one. We decided to walk a litte farther and once we got a block away, passing a "GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS" shop, we found Sandy Burger. This is literally a hole in the wall next to the Vine theatre, and looks far less than reputable. But they had an "A" rating, and we were desperate.
It turned out to be a good choice. We had one bowl of rice for Becca and the rest of us ordered hamburger combos of some sort. The burgers were good, the fries were great, food was all made right there in front of us as we waited(which wasn't long) and she fed all eight of us for about 35.00 and got us out of the quickly.
In turning around, after we had eaten, I noted a Thai place, A new york pizzaria, a juice bar and an ATM (which I needed) all directly across the street. We still had time to walk up to the next block (avoiding walking the kids past the adult stores again) and cross the street to get money. On the way I took this picture, as this is my family's nickname for Klutzy Aunty Kelly
Kaelie was cold and Becca wanted to be carried. We had no spare coats and Mom was wearing heels so she wasn't going to carry Becca. Being the smart girl she is, Kaelie offerred to carry in order to take advantage of the shared body heat.
Money in hand we made it to the theatre in time for all to take advantage of the restrooms and get to our seats.
Kaelie always wants to sit by me, but today she wanted to sit by Mom as well, so I got to have Edison on my left, Kaelie on my right and my sister within whispering distance, and then Becca Susan Jacob and Andrew were on the far side.
One thing I want to not ever forget...
We had already been pointing out all the gorgeous decor of the teatre but as I took the few steps down to our row, I heard my nephew, just walking through the mezzanine door, exclaim "holy sheeeee-oot" in an awe-filled voice. This was the first time any of the kids had been to a beautiful old theatre.
Other memories:
Edison singing along to Dancing through life. Which he says is his theme song.
Kaelie leaning on my shoulder singing along with several of the songs.
Edison pointing out that Dorothy must be really confused down in that cellar listening to Elphaba and Glinda singing together.
The hug Kaelie gave to Edison (and me) when we pooled our money with her mom's so she could get the Elphaba wand with Swarovski Crystals.
http://cgi.ebay.com/WICKED-BROADWAY-CRYSTAL-ELPHABA-WAND-DEFY-GRAVITY_W0QQitemZ170120983408QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
Watching my nephew taking the same sort of photos I take.
After the show we meandered our way out, taking pictures, both group shots
and more around the theatre.
For this one, Edison had all the kids pose as characters from the musical:
We got back to the van and had some traffic problems ,due to the Hollywood Bowl crowd. Eventually made it back to the hotel and crashed. Except that Susan and I didn't. We stayed up talking to each other until about two a.m. which is when I totally lost track of the conversation. Andrew kept grumbling at us because we were keeping him up with out "yapping" but his mom told him he'd just have to deal with it. I can't even remember everything we talked about.
We all slept late the next morning then went down and cavorted in the pool til it was almost time to check out.
We got everything packed up, they dropped me at the Red line station at UCW and headed home. I took the Red line to union Station, the the San Bernardino line to Upland, getting there around five. I waited at the stations Wine bar, doing a little tasting until Jim joined me. The rest of the evening has been described previously, but I didnt want the whinging to be all I remembered about this weekend when I read back through my journal someday.
