Los Angeles - Barnsdall Park: Sunday 10/23, 4:30pm! PICNIC.
posted October 14, 2011 10:26 PM RSS | iCal | +googleCal
Sun October 23 at 4:30 PM, Barnsdall Park
Barnsdall Park, 4814 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, USA (Map & Directions)
Hey folks, as mentioned in this post, I'll be in Los Angeles, arriving on the 22nd and departing on the 25th, with a chance of extending the trip for a day or two.
Update: Barndsall Park, Sunday 10/23 @ 4:30pm. BE THERE. I'll arrange for picnic stuff. I think. Depends on how many people show up. I'll be MeMailing folks with my contact #, etc., soon.
I'll be staying at the W in Westwood, and would dig meeting up with some MeFites. It's been fun matching people with their MeFi nicks on past trips, I've met a lot of nice folks, and I find it adds a lot of enjoyment to reading the site. Maybe you do, too?
Update: Barndsall Park, Sunday 10/23 @ 4:30pm. BE THERE. I'll arrange for picnic stuff. I think. Depends on how many people show up. I'll be MeMailing folks with my contact #, etc., soon.
Update: Barndsall Park, Sunday 10/23 @ 4:30pm. BE THERE. I'll arrange for picnic stuff. I think. Depends on how many people show up. I'll be MeMailing folks with my contact #, etc., soon.
I'm up for this.
posted by infinitewindow at 8:33 AM on October 15, 2011
posted by infinitewindow at 8:33 AM on October 15, 2011
Since Carson mentioned it in your askme, we could have ourselves a picnic at Barnsdall and take in the views. There is a taco truck I've yet to try at the bottom of the backside of the park.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:06 AM on October 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:06 AM on October 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Picnic sounds awesome, and I was planning on checking out Barnsdall park after the observatory per carsonb's recommendation. And if there's way we can make it out to Wat Dong Moon Lek, even better! Hungry just thinking about it.
I'm game for whatever day works for anyone who's interested: my schedule is super flexible within the dates I'll be there! I think the only really set thing I'd like to do is go for a drive Sunday, but hell, even that can be changed.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2011
I'm game for whatever day works for anyone who's interested: my schedule is super flexible within the dates I'll be there! I think the only really set thing I'd like to do is go for a drive Sunday, but hell, even that can be changed.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:48 PM on October 15, 2011
Count me in!
posted by estherbester at 11:13 PM on October 15, 2011
posted by estherbester at 11:13 PM on October 15, 2011
The 23rd or 24th would work for me and speicus.
If you want to hear some klezmer (Lady Gaga and Nirvana covers) and balkan music early-ish on Friday night, speicus has a gig at Genghis Cohen at 7pm.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:22 AM on October 16, 2011
If you want to hear some klezmer (Lady Gaga and Nirvana covers) and balkan music early-ish on Friday night, speicus has a gig at Genghis Cohen at 7pm.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:22 AM on October 16, 2011
Unfortunately, I get into town on Saturday afternoon, so no klezmer covers. 8/
But either 23rd or 24th, or both, are fine for me. Whatever works for you guys! If we're able to come a consensus, I'll be able to make it: just place and time it. You're in control; I trust your judgement for things to do/places to see!
posted by herrdoktor at 5:40 PM on October 16, 2011
But either 23rd or 24th, or both, are fine for me. Whatever works for you guys! If we're able to come a consensus, I'll be able to make it: just place and time it. You're in control; I trust your judgement for things to do/places to see!
posted by herrdoktor at 5:40 PM on October 16, 2011
Sunday the 23rd might be better for a picnic in the park, considering most people probably work on Monday. I'm not averse to a Monday evening picnic, though!
posted by estherbester at 10:51 PM on October 16, 2011
posted by estherbester at 10:51 PM on October 16, 2011
If we do it Sunday, Ricky's Fish Tacos will be open.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:35 AM on October 17, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:35 AM on October 17, 2011
Looks like xtine, mandymanwasregistered and speicus can do 24th. estherbester, free 24th?
And then find a place and time?
Sunday night would be swell, too, and I can see the work thing for Monday being an issue, too.
Plus, Griffith Obs open Sunday, and I can go there beforehand, too, if I don't make it there on Saturday.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:40 PM on October 17, 2011
And then find a place and time?
Sunday night would be swell, too, and I can see the work thing for Monday being an issue, too.
Plus, Griffith Obs open Sunday, and I can go there beforehand, too, if I don't make it there on Saturday.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:40 PM on October 17, 2011
The 24th is fine with me, as I work in Hollywood (or will until the 25th!), but I wouldn't be able to meet up with you guys til after 6pm.
posted by estherbester at 7:23 PM on October 17, 2011
posted by estherbester at 7:23 PM on October 17, 2011
I say we do a Sunday afternoon picnic. You might want to head up to Griffith Observatory for sunset as it's pretty spectacular (though Barnsdall is nice too).
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 12:21 PM on October 18, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 12:21 PM on October 18, 2011
Let's go for Sunday the 23rd! Any particular time we should meet? And meet @ Barnsdall park?
I believe I can arrange for a picnic basket to be made up. Does anyone have any dietary habits that should be known?
posted by herrdoktor at 3:59 PM on October 18, 2011
I believe I can arrange for a picnic basket to be made up. Does anyone have any dietary habits that should be known?
posted by herrdoktor at 3:59 PM on October 18, 2011
That sounds good! herrdoktor, I'm sure more people will chime in once you post this as a real live meetup!
posted by estherbester at 11:09 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by estherbester at 11:09 AM on October 19, 2011
Yeah, pick a late afternoon time and post it!
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:51 AM on October 19, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:51 AM on October 19, 2011
Gotcha.
SUPER PICNIC DAY @ BARNSDALL PARK
Sunday, October 23, 5pm Los Angeles time.
Sun sets just after 6pm! Gonna make this final!
posted by herrdoktor at 6:28 PM on October 19, 2011
SUPER PICNIC DAY @ BARNSDALL PARK
Sunday, October 23, 5pm Los Angeles time.
Sun sets just after 6pm! Gonna make this final!
posted by herrdoktor at 6:28 PM on October 19, 2011
Changed time to meet to 4:30pm.
posted by herrdoktor at 6:36 PM on October 19, 2011
posted by herrdoktor at 6:36 PM on October 19, 2011
Yay! I'm going on a scouting mission to Larchmont Village today for macarons. If they are decent, I can bring some to share on Sunday.
posted by estherbester at 10:19 AM on October 20, 2011
posted by estherbester at 10:19 AM on October 20, 2011
There's no booze allowed on the premises, is there?
posted by herrdoktor at 1:05 PM on October 20, 2011
posted by herrdoktor at 1:05 PM on October 20, 2011
Technically it is not allowed, but as long as you're discreet (plastic cups and keeping bottles out of sight) about it it should be ok. I've never had any problems.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:44 PM on October 20, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:44 PM on October 20, 2011
Check yr MeMail folks. Contact info sent.
Hope everyone can make it!
posted by herrdoktor at 12:17 PM on October 21, 2011
Hope everyone can make it!
posted by herrdoktor at 12:17 PM on October 21, 2011
Grar, I'd love to come to this, but I've been hired to do 'due diligence' at Magic Mountain that day. Someone is actually paying me to go ride rollercoasters. What a life!
posted by carsonb at 2:46 PM on October 21, 2011
posted by carsonb at 2:46 PM on October 21, 2011
Excuses, excuses.
Excuses are for the weak.
Picnic for the strong.
Woulda been great meeting ya!
posted by herrdoktor at 4:17 PM on October 21, 2011
Excuses are for the weak.
Picnic for the strong.
Woulda been great meeting ya!
posted by herrdoktor at 4:17 PM on October 21, 2011
BTW: I've got food covered. Please lemme know if there are any specific dietary considerations/requests. Planning on sammiches n stuff.
posted by herrdoktor at 5:31 PM on October 21, 2011
posted by herrdoktor at 5:31 PM on October 21, 2011
We don't have any dietary restrictions. Also we will probably bring a growler of beer from Eagle Rock Brewery. And some cups. Unless there will already be cups.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:51 AM on October 22, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:51 AM on October 22, 2011
Vegetarian options would be much appreciated! I will not be bringing macarons, but will probably bring some other desserty thing.
Sorry you can't make it, carsonb, though I can't blame you. Well, except you couldn't pay me to ride most rollercoasters =P
posted by estherbester at 12:14 PM on October 22, 2011
Sorry you can't make it, carsonb, though I can't blame you. Well, except you couldn't pay me to ride most rollercoasters =P
posted by estherbester at 12:14 PM on October 22, 2011
made it. checked in. food status update later!
posted by herrdoktor at 3:02 PM on October 22, 2011
posted by herrdoktor at 3:02 PM on October 22, 2011
So I've got some fruit, edamame, turkey and veggie sandwiches.
Would someone bring water it something non-EtOH for when I've gotta sober up to drive?
Planning for 6 people. Can easily add to this, just post here or MeMail by noon tomorrow.
posted by herrdoktor at 4:14 PM on October 22, 2011
Would someone bring water it something non-EtOH for when I've gotta sober up to drive?
Planning for 6 people. Can easily add to this, just post here or MeMail by noon tomorrow.
posted by herrdoktor at 4:14 PM on October 22, 2011
Actually, you guys have any recommendations for something more exciting than regular ol' sandwiches?
Say, banh mi?
posted by herrdoktor at 4:32 PM on October 22, 2011
Say, banh mi?
posted by herrdoktor at 4:32 PM on October 22, 2011
It's not banh mi, but you might want to check out Zankou Chicken. Apart from chicken, they have falafel and hummus. It would be easy takeout. Or maybe Carousel? I've never been, but I hear good things.
The place we get banh mi from (Soy Cafe on Hyperion) is closed on Sunday, but maybe someone will have another suggestion.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:12 PM on October 22, 2011
The place we get banh mi from (Soy Cafe on Hyperion) is closed on Sunday, but maybe someone will have another suggestion.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 6:12 PM on October 22, 2011
Zankou Chicken is a fine idea!
posted by estherbester at 11:01 PM on October 22, 2011
posted by estherbester at 11:01 PM on October 22, 2011
IM ON IT
BY GOD I JUST HAD THE BEST CAKE IN THE WORLD
posted by herrdoktor at 11:50 PM on October 22, 2011
BY GOD I JUST HAD THE BEST CAKE IN THE WORLD
posted by herrdoktor at 11:50 PM on October 22, 2011
I just read on twitter that Kate Beaton will be signing books at Skylight Books (just up Vermont from Barnsdall Park) this afternoon. FYI and all.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:25 AM on October 23, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:25 AM on October 23, 2011
Oh damn it's at 5pm. Oh well.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:26 AM on October 23, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:26 AM on October 23, 2011
Food situation is controlled. bring yr bodies and some water, think everything else is set!
I hoarked some blankets to lay out on.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:11 AM on October 23, 2011
I hoarked some blankets to lay out on.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:11 AM on October 23, 2011
Oh hai
I missed this somehow, but I'll be there!
Vegetarian!
Looks good!
posted by klangklangston at 12:59 PM on October 23, 2011
I missed this somehow, but I'll be there!
Vegetarian!
Looks good!
posted by klangklangston at 12:59 PM on October 23, 2011
slight delay
wrong zankou
picking up food and dood!
posted by herrdoktor at 4:14 PM on October 23, 2011
wrong zankou
picking up food and dood!
posted by herrdoktor at 4:14 PM on October 23, 2011
Where exactly are we meetig? I'm parked in the bottom parking lot
posted by estherbester at 4:46 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by estherbester at 4:46 PM on October 23, 2011
Up on the west lawn at hollyhock with mandyman and dashiv. Come meet us!
posted by speicus at 4:53 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by speicus at 4:53 PM on October 23, 2011
Hey thanks for the food and drink! If you want to explore the top floor of city hall tomorrow afternoon, let me know.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:57 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 8:57 PM on October 23, 2011
(City Hall observation deck is open until 5pm)
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:00 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 9:00 PM on October 23, 2011
The wrong Zankou was still great, as was the cookie dough dip. Thanks for calling the meetup herrdoktor!
posted by estherbester at 9:32 PM on October 23, 2011
posted by estherbester at 9:32 PM on October 23, 2011
It was fantastic meeting you folks! Sorry for the delay in getting there, and I appreciate the warm welcome.
I'll be writing a trip report on return home. In the meantime, more stuff to do!
Thanks for coming out!
posted by herrdoktor at 12:11 AM on October 24, 2011
I'll be writing a trip report on return home. In the meantime, more stuff to do!
Thanks for coming out!
posted by herrdoktor at 12:11 AM on October 24, 2011
mandyman: planning on checking out Olvera St. and City Hall this afternoon: check yr MeMail!
posted by herrdoktor at 11:06 AM on October 24, 2011
posted by herrdoktor at 11:06 AM on October 24, 2011
If you're down at Olvera, try to make time to visit Phillipe's for a French Dip sandwich. They're one of 2 places in the city that claims to have invented it.
posted by hwyengr at 1:50 PM on October 24, 2011
posted by hwyengr at 1:50 PM on October 24, 2011
Phew. Home. Great trip and company. Photos up on G+, link in my profile.
Expect a trip report. Time to pass out.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:25 PM on October 25, 2011
Expect a trip report. Time to pass out.
posted by herrdoktor at 11:25 PM on October 25, 2011
TRIP REPORT FOLLOWS:
Be forewarned that it is 3.30 in the morning, went to a Flaming Lips show, stayed up with friends, champagne, and whisky, have a screwed up internal clock, and am working off notes.
Yeah, I take notes on trips. I also pluck small flowers and press them with my notes. I don't know why. But they look pretty and when I see them with my notes I can remember more details about the time.
There are boring-ass pics up on G+. Please, if you can remember to, send a message along or summin with your contact info so I know which circle to add you to. There are really only three circles: 1. Friends and family, who see most things, 2. Acquaintances, who see some things, and 3. MeFites, who see everything. Because I trust you guys and you'd never blackmail me in my efforts to treat diabetes by forwarding noodle pics to my superiors, right?
That is not code for anything. I mean, noodle pics. Seriously. You will be disappointed if you think it is code for something.
PRE-FLIGHT.
Worked overnight. Busy, busy night. Lots of patients being admitted. Some nights are "easy" where "easy" means few admissions. Some nights are "hard" where there are many people needing to be admitted. Few nights are "fuuuuucked uuuup," where it's a "hard" night AND the patients are complex, and I have to think a lot. Thinking is hard as shit. Well, that ones of of those few nights, and I was totally beat, but excited.
Booked through AmEx, cuz hey, I get service and points and point rebates or something. I dunno. It's easy. And there's some crazy convoluted linking to rental car companies and hotels and whatever. One of these days I'll write down a guide on how to take full advantage of Casinos and Credit Card companies and their comps/reward programs. I hope it suffices to say that I'm benefiting tremendously from reading flyertalk.com. They're crazy there.
Anyway, totally beat. Looking forward to the trip. Lots of stuff going on on the homefront, and in need of a break.
FLIGHT AND LANDING.
Hoo boy. Check-in was a hassle. Continental and United are merging. Perks of being cardmembers of certain cards or preferred/elite status on either airline are confused. It really doesn't matter, though, since I got what I wanted: seats close to the front of the plane. Quick to deplane, and easy to load and get to carry-on. Had to route calls to/from both airlines and AmEx. Whatever.
Got on plane for first leg. First of all, the Bombardier CRJ-700 is a pizacrap plane. It's fucking PUNY. Puny in every regard, especially in terms of overhead bin space. I'm not a big dood, but I don't want my luggage smashed. Plus, I don't like the idea of flying in a plane made by a company called Bombardier.
Got to ORD, went ORD-LAX, which was super smooth. Deplaned quickly, and got to shuttle to rental car company. I had rented a very cheap, compact-class car. What I got was some wack hybrid mini-SUV as an "upgrade" for tying my AmEx to all the rental car companies. This I did because I thought it'd be helpful for when I wanted to upgrade from, say, a Mini Cooper to an Aston Martin, but you know, I just needed a small, compact car to get around. Or an old cop car with steelies like the one Al Pacino drives in Heat.
This SUV is so pizacrap it gets 17.5 MPG on average. I didn't know how to change this display, if it could be displayed. I think it was optimistic, based on how much fuel I had to put in before returning the car. But it DID have a nice power jack for a power adapter for my phone, so I could use Google Maps/Nav, and I was, in this case, actually smart enough to bring one as the rental car companies actually charge dozens of bucks for a GPS module.
Anyway, go to the hotel via freeway. Traffic not bad at all, but Google Nav made me feel like a dipshit Vin Diesel where I was living my life a 1/4 mile at a time, only at, like, 10mph.
THE HOTEL
So I've got SPG points. Points are a weird thing. They just kinda accumulate, and I think most people don't use them. Well, I like points. I like spending 60 USD + cash for a nice place. The hotel itself was really nice. Nice folks. They've got really, REALLY nice soaps except for the fact that the soap itself rinses off dark-green, which makes it look like your hands have been super dirty for a long time, or you're a wanna-be Hulk in a post-Hulk phase.
But seriously, it's a nice place. I got a nice room, courtesy of upgrade-based-on-availability (they're almost always available), via SPG and AmEx. They offered free water as a perk. Pssh. Gimme a break.
They were very helpful for the picnic, though, where I was able to hoark three nice blankets, a bunch of nice cloth napkins, and Fiji water. All returned, because, you know, we MeFites are an ethical lot.
DAY ONE
Based on recommendations, I hit the Getty. Got there at a perfect time: late afternoon. Very close to the hotel, which was nice. Walked around. Visited the PST exhibit, which was cool, because it was interesting to see what happened more locally/on the west coast, from the 60s onward. I don't know much about art, but I like it when there's a collection that's connected to the region.
Walked around a lot. Twilight. It was beautiful: open spaces, people out, and... fog? As a simple east coast fellow, I've just read about smog n stuff. But when I looked out to the horizon, I first though ocean, then smog, before realizing it was fog.
The Getty is a remarkable place. It felt so wonderfully isolated, yet public and open to people.
I had a coffee there. Made eyes with someone. It was, like 0_0, then @_@, then ^_^, then I had to take a shit.
Hah hah, just a little humor for you there. I did not have to go to the bathroom. It was sweet, and the setting was perfect.
DAY TWO
I don't remember much about day two. Wait, now I do, base on notes. I think I blanked out much of it out of shame.
Day two was the day of the picnic. You know, be at Barnsdall Art Park at 4.30, BE THERE, etc. Super MeFi meetup with people you've never met. Anxiety. Excitement. Anxiety.
So I spent the day at Griffith Park and Observatory. That was amazing. Had to park far away, but that just made it better: to view the Observatory from afar and LOOK AT NATURE (I'm not a nature guy), walk and enjoy the amazing landscape was incredible. Lots of cool stuff in the Obs. I love outerspace. Tesla coil not functional, but that's ok. Walked around a lot. Looked at a lot of stuff. Wrote some postcards to friends.
Could see the big HOLLYWOOD sign in the distance. The skies were clear, and blue.
Got a message from a member of MeFi and MFC, who kindly accepted the task of arranging for dinner at Zankou Chik0n. This seemed like a much better idea than going through concierge services to arrange for a giant basket, cuz, you know, locals rule. Had to get to Barnsdall Park by 4.30, was planning on getting there early (I try to be early so as to not make people wait), and chik0n place was in between Griffith and Barnsdall.
Google Nav plotted the course. Had plenny of time. Said member would meet up with me at Zankou. Got to Zankou. No friend. No chik0n, either. Discussion with Zankou personnel revealed that there are MANY Zankou Chik0n places. Pit in stomach.
So I texted and called, and it turned out I fucked up and presumed the following: that there's ONE Zankou chik0n, that it was chosen as it was close to both Griffith and Barnsdall, and that I had thought I'd said what my plans were for that day.
Well, there are, I think the lady said, nine Zankou places, that my comrade was at the Zankou in Westwood (West Hollywood? Is there a difference in terms, or do people just called it "Westwood?), and that he had actually sent me a message specifying the intersection of the Zankou he'd be at.
Fuck.
I had no contact numbers, so the best I could do was type in a reply here, which I wasn't sure people would get. Thankfully, I got a text message from someone at the Park, and was able to communicate the situation.
Google Nav can sukkit. At least the drive back to the Park was nice in that I was able to catch up with and get to know someone I'd only shot rockets at (this is not code for anything, either). Turns out he's a pretty damn smart dood, studying pretty damn awesome stuff. And the guy paid for the food, which he would not accept repayment for. What an ass! I kid. Nice fellow. I felt really bad about screwing up the pick-up situation.
Finally go to Barnsdall Park. Sun had already being setting. Terrifically nervous, but found everyone at the top of the hill. I think there was some discussion regarding whether or not I was real or would show up or bail or something. I can't remember exactly when or if this came up. But I am still very, very sorry for showing up so late, especially because the ground was wet, and it was cold, and goddammit guys, thanks so much for sticking around for me. That you would do that to say hello and welcome some random dood from the internet to your city means a lot to me.
Food laid out. There was consumption of beer, brownies, something called "hi-tops," which are these ridiculously delicious, uh... like, brownie sandwiches with brownie-ish center fillings, or like Oreos, if the cookie parts were, say, thrice as thick and made of brownie, and the creamy center was sweet choco filling, and Zankou wraps. I sat on one of the hotel blankets, but the ground was wet so I had a damp ass for much of the night.
Man! It was colder than expected. I got some really good recommendations about what to do and see the next day. I got to see someone I hadn't heard about or from for a while, which was awesome, someone who, in my book, has a certain level of MeFi notoriety and is really cool, people whose comments and posts I'd come across in the past, and, well, really swell L.A. residents. Who would've expected a group of people to wait in the cold and the damp for a random MeFite, offer him beer and conversation, and be so welcoming?
We did not make fun of anyone or any specific posts or comments on MeFi. This may be untrue. Hah hah.
From the Park, we head for the Dresden, which I learned is famous for being in the movie "Swingers." Also, I saw a flyer up for a band called "The Toland Band," which I found funny, because I imagined the lead singer being named Shameus Heaney. I dunno if they were really punning off the "The Tollund Man."
Had a round of drinks, then had to drive someone home, and meet up with a friend of mine who's not a MeFite. She's still cool, bro. Sorry I couldn't stick around more!
DAY THREE.
An awesome day of the trip. First, expert recommendations led me to the Page Museum and LACMA. Both were supercool. I hit the LACMA first. Skipped the Tim Burton exhibit, opting to instead check out the modern stuff, German expressionist, and the Korean art stuff. The museum is incredible in its selection and depth of its collection. There's an ongoing project where people are restoring an 18th centure Korean Buddhist painting, and I got to chit-chat with a couple of the project leads. The Korean section is smaller than I'd expected, but it was well worth seeing, for me.
Tar pits! Page Museum! Fucking dumbass generations of dire wolves not evolving out of their stupidity of going for sinking, stinky, tar-laden prey and getting stuck and sucked down themselves! There are lot of dire wolf skulls! I pulled on poles and masses to feel how thick the tar is! Lots of fossils, skeletons, and imagined dialogues. It's crazy to think that the pits are THE PITS, and that they've been there for ages, and stuff keeps getting sucked into it and found out of it. Tar pits in the middle of a city. Crazy.
Afterward, went to downtown L.A. This is where I decided that Google Nav is pizacrap. Or more specifically, I'm just not good at it. I mean, if I punch in "CITY HALL, ASO," and Google Maps pulls up City Hall in L.A., I should be set to go, right? Wrong. I ended up 1.3 miles away from City Hall, and was surrounded by warehouses outside of Chinatown. It was foggy enough to make it impossible to see any tall buildings, so I felt like I was probably nowhere near anything. Like, no tall buildings? This can't be downtown!
Oh, I drove through a lot of Koreatown on the way and thought, "hmn. Yeah. I can imagine riots and tire fires here." I dunno why. Probably because it was overcast/foggy.
Anyway, panic set in again, because I was gonna be late AGAIN. Got to City Hall ok. Saw the OWS folks outside, a legalize MJ crew, news trucks for what was assumed to be for Michael Jackson's doctor's case. Met up with my new MeFi L.A. superawesome contact, and proceeded to be led on an incredible walking tour of downtown Los Angeles.
First off: the buildings are remarkable. Secondly, it all felt to be not as densely packed as other cities. I liked it. Caltrans and LAPD have awesome buildings. We tried to get to the observation deck of City Hall, but it was occupied by some commencement, so we hit Olvera St., which was pretty cool. Union Station was neat to see, too, with some great architecture. There was a shooting crew inside, and a giant light blimp, which was neat to see. It was kind of odd to see so many people sitting quietly, though: I didn't know if these were all extras or just very quiet passengers-in-waiting.
On return to City Hall, we were welcomed by the friendliest cop I'd ever met. I think he was super friendly because he's Korean, I'm Korean, and he might've thought we were an interracial couple, and sekritly inside he's all, like, "YEAH MAN! AMERICA!" or something. I only say this because in past experience I'd witnessed what felt like over-the-top friendly behavior and after discussion, would ascribe this to the fact that I was with someone who was not Korean.
Anyway, props to Officer Jun of City Hall for being such a nice guy.
We got to the observation deck, and there were some great views. It's a damn big city! Saw a few helipads, which I'm interested in, because there are so many movies with overhead shots of buildings and helicopters, with the same numbered helipads, I'd always wondered if it was L.A. I think it is. Anyway, I took a picture of one building with a pad marked "10."
Then, get this: you can go higher. There's a door in one of the corners of the observation deck that has a domed security camera and a badge reader. There's no sign marked "NO ENTRY," and we went in. It was dark. There's a light switch marked with an energy-saving reminder sticker. I think it's there for suckers like us. Anyway, we start going up the stairs, and I'm all like "YEAH THIS IS AWESOME LET'S DO THIS," and then I notice the stairs start to feel thinner. Like, thickness-wise, and narrower. And the distal end of the step is folded upwards, like this: L. So if you're wearing big shoes or boots, really, only the first third or fourth of your foot is on the stair securely, or your foot is slightly dorsiflexed and the front of your foot is on the lip and the back of your foot is on the step. Either way, it is NOT stable.
Doubt creeps in. Maybe this isn't the right corner. And I'm looking up and thinking: maaaan, these stairs look like they're getting smaller and smaller and it's kinda dark, and I don't see any doors or anything, and even if there were doors, are they gonna just be doors to the OUTSIDE? I don't remember seeing a deck above the deck!
So we back down. Real carefully. We check the other corners, and there are no other doors. So basically, we abandon shit and I begin to make a mental checklist of items required for safe and proper ascent to the higher levels of City Hall.
Oh, and there is a charming sign, epoxied on a column, which simply reads: "THIS CITY BELIEVES IN YOU."
Ok, this is getting really long, so I'll try to be brief.
Bradbury Building: It smelled like... I dunno. But super cool inside. "I _MAKE_ friends!"
Grand Central Market: hunger called, but I felt the pull of noodles.
Angel's Flight: FUNICULAR. New word learned! It was fun, until it started moving. You know how in everything you read about San Francisco's cable cars there's a description of the actual cables that're used, the cables are braided, multi-stranded, and inspected nightly or something? Well, these damn cars, as best as I can tell, are pulled by a single cable, looped and guided by rollers, where the cables look like they're going to roll over the roller lip. One car goes up, the other goes down. Same cables. Rickety as shit. And hilariously, scarily, awesomely fun. One woman took it down, and as I didn't know how shaky the ride was, I don't think she did either: as soon as it started moving down, I saw her grip a support pole and start breathing heavily and faster. Cool cars. Angled, with true vertical ports and horizontal ads. Angle's Flight?
Walt Disney Concert Hall: beautiful. But what's up with Dudamel's hair that makes it look like he's always falling?
Little Tokyo: we actually went here before City Hall to pass the time as the commencement was going on. It's nice! There's a neat rooftop garden and cool views. Ate at Daikokuya Ramen, I think, and had some really, really good ramen. The broth was amazing. It's like you have some broth, then have summore, then have even more, and with each spoonful your tastebuds and mouth are discovering more depth of flavor. The noodles were of very good consistency.
There was this one weird thing where I went to the men's restroom, and upon opening the door briefly saw a woman, uh, fixing up her attire. I quickly say "excuse me, sorry," and walked toward the rear exit of the ramen place, and waited, looking outside. After a few minutes, I heard the door open, and instead of walking away from me, toward the interior of the restaurant, she walks toward me and whispers "sorry" in my ear. Ok. Weird. Then I go into the men's room, and bolt the door. Yeah. There's a bolt. Anyway, whatever. The ramen was awesome.
One of of the evenings I had dinner at a place that had cake made with four types of milk: whole, condensed, cultured, and... some other type. I, being so daring and adventuresome, consumed said cake, despite my Yoo-Hoo experience. It was faaaantastic. Also: I suffered no gastrointestinal maladies. I can't name the name, but perhaps the person who recommended it to me will recommend it to you!
The traffic really doesn't seem that bad in the city: there are a lot of cars, and a lot of slow movement, but everything seemed to move, and it felt like progress. It just took a long time. The interstate, though, on departure? Madness. Pure madness.
DAY FOUR.
Checked out. Fueled and returned car. Boarded plane. Wish I'd stayed longer and gotten to spend more time with you folks.
There are some bits of the trip I've left out that don't relate to MeFi, and I've purposely left out some identifying information because, well, you know, privacy and all that. But I'll close with the following comments, and I hope it'll be good enough. I'm sure it's gonna be easy to ID anyone anyway, but it's just my habit:
- You're a pretty swell guy, and I regret not being able to talk to you more. I think you're a pretty valuable member of MeFi, and a really, really, nice guy in person. It's pretty neat to associate your posts and comments with you, personally. Sorry we couldn't catch up on City Hall day, and hope you're feeling better!
- Thanks SO DAMN MUCH for the tour of downtown L.A. It's really sweat to learn a bit of local history and see things I wouldn't have otherwise seen without a local guide. I really hope I wasn't overextending my welcome or that you felt any pressure to show me the sights. I really enjoyed the walking tour.
- MAN, it's been so long since I'd heard or read from you that I had a tough time initially figuring out who you were! I'm very glad to have met you, and wish I'd spoken with you more. That's one badass camera you got there, and it was fascinating to learn about. We shoot rockets at each other soon?
- Hah! So sorry about the mixup re: food/location, but glad it resulted in a drive where we could talk and I could get to know you. Thanks for forking up the dough for the food despite my fixing to pay! Your field of study is muy interesante, and I wish you well in your pursuits. We will be shooting rockets at each other soon. And thanks for bringing brownies!
- If only I'd arrived in town sooner, I'd have been able to listen to you play! Would've been really cool, and your music background and talents are impressive. Send me direct links to your bands? And I hope you're feeling better, too!
- Hohoho, thank god you texted me. Otherwise the only way of communicating with the group would've been through this thread, which would've been near impossible while driving, and I might've joined the Socialist group in the Park. Thanks for bringing the brownie hi-tops. If only I had Diet Coke to blunt my taste buds so I could eat more! They were delicious. Early in the next morning I woke up thinking "shit. I shoulda taken some with me."
Holy crap. It's almost 6am. I'm sober and really, really tired. I'm sure there are things I'm leaving out, and I apologize for this. Thankyouthankyouthankyou for coming out and waiting, and for being so friendly and welcoming. It's no wonder that you're friends outside of MF, being such nice folks. If you're ever, for whatever reason, in my part of town, hit me up: you've got a place to stay.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:52 AM on October 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
Be forewarned that it is 3.30 in the morning, went to a Flaming Lips show, stayed up with friends, champagne, and whisky, have a screwed up internal clock, and am working off notes.
Yeah, I take notes on trips. I also pluck small flowers and press them with my notes. I don't know why. But they look pretty and when I see them with my notes I can remember more details about the time.
There are boring-ass pics up on G+. Please, if you can remember to, send a message along or summin with your contact info so I know which circle to add you to. There are really only three circles: 1. Friends and family, who see most things, 2. Acquaintances, who see some things, and 3. MeFites, who see everything. Because I trust you guys and you'd never blackmail me in my efforts to treat diabetes by forwarding noodle pics to my superiors, right?
That is not code for anything. I mean, noodle pics. Seriously. You will be disappointed if you think it is code for something.
PRE-FLIGHT.
Worked overnight. Busy, busy night. Lots of patients being admitted. Some nights are "easy" where "easy" means few admissions. Some nights are "hard" where there are many people needing to be admitted. Few nights are "fuuuuucked uuuup," where it's a "hard" night AND the patients are complex, and I have to think a lot. Thinking is hard as shit. Well, that ones of of those few nights, and I was totally beat, but excited.
Booked through AmEx, cuz hey, I get service and points and point rebates or something. I dunno. It's easy. And there's some crazy convoluted linking to rental car companies and hotels and whatever. One of these days I'll write down a guide on how to take full advantage of Casinos and Credit Card companies and their comps/reward programs. I hope it suffices to say that I'm benefiting tremendously from reading flyertalk.com. They're crazy there.
Anyway, totally beat. Looking forward to the trip. Lots of stuff going on on the homefront, and in need of a break.
FLIGHT AND LANDING.
Hoo boy. Check-in was a hassle. Continental and United are merging. Perks of being cardmembers of certain cards or preferred/elite status on either airline are confused. It really doesn't matter, though, since I got what I wanted: seats close to the front of the plane. Quick to deplane, and easy to load and get to carry-on. Had to route calls to/from both airlines and AmEx. Whatever.
Got on plane for first leg. First of all, the Bombardier CRJ-700 is a pizacrap plane. It's fucking PUNY. Puny in every regard, especially in terms of overhead bin space. I'm not a big dood, but I don't want my luggage smashed. Plus, I don't like the idea of flying in a plane made by a company called Bombardier.
Got to ORD, went ORD-LAX, which was super smooth. Deplaned quickly, and got to shuttle to rental car company. I had rented a very cheap, compact-class car. What I got was some wack hybrid mini-SUV as an "upgrade" for tying my AmEx to all the rental car companies. This I did because I thought it'd be helpful for when I wanted to upgrade from, say, a Mini Cooper to an Aston Martin, but you know, I just needed a small, compact car to get around. Or an old cop car with steelies like the one Al Pacino drives in Heat.
This SUV is so pizacrap it gets 17.5 MPG on average. I didn't know how to change this display, if it could be displayed. I think it was optimistic, based on how much fuel I had to put in before returning the car. But it DID have a nice power jack for a power adapter for my phone, so I could use Google Maps/Nav, and I was, in this case, actually smart enough to bring one as the rental car companies actually charge dozens of bucks for a GPS module.
Anyway, go to the hotel via freeway. Traffic not bad at all, but Google Nav made me feel like a dipshit Vin Diesel where I was living my life a 1/4 mile at a time, only at, like, 10mph.
THE HOTEL
So I've got SPG points. Points are a weird thing. They just kinda accumulate, and I think most people don't use them. Well, I like points. I like spending 60 USD + cash for a nice place. The hotel itself was really nice. Nice folks. They've got really, REALLY nice soaps except for the fact that the soap itself rinses off dark-green, which makes it look like your hands have been super dirty for a long time, or you're a wanna-be Hulk in a post-Hulk phase.
But seriously, it's a nice place. I got a nice room, courtesy of upgrade-based-on-availability (they're almost always available), via SPG and AmEx. They offered free water as a perk. Pssh. Gimme a break.
They were very helpful for the picnic, though, where I was able to hoark three nice blankets, a bunch of nice cloth napkins, and Fiji water. All returned, because, you know, we MeFites are an ethical lot.
DAY ONE
Based on recommendations, I hit the Getty. Got there at a perfect time: late afternoon. Very close to the hotel, which was nice. Walked around. Visited the PST exhibit, which was cool, because it was interesting to see what happened more locally/on the west coast, from the 60s onward. I don't know much about art, but I like it when there's a collection that's connected to the region.
Walked around a lot. Twilight. It was beautiful: open spaces, people out, and... fog? As a simple east coast fellow, I've just read about smog n stuff. But when I looked out to the horizon, I first though ocean, then smog, before realizing it was fog.
The Getty is a remarkable place. It felt so wonderfully isolated, yet public and open to people.
I had a coffee there. Made eyes with someone. It was, like 0_0, then @_@, then ^_^, then I had to take a shit.
Hah hah, just a little humor for you there. I did not have to go to the bathroom. It was sweet, and the setting was perfect.
DAY TWO
I don't remember much about day two. Wait, now I do, base on notes. I think I blanked out much of it out of shame.
Day two was the day of the picnic. You know, be at Barnsdall Art Park at 4.30, BE THERE, etc. Super MeFi meetup with people you've never met. Anxiety. Excitement. Anxiety.
So I spent the day at Griffith Park and Observatory. That was amazing. Had to park far away, but that just made it better: to view the Observatory from afar and LOOK AT NATURE (I'm not a nature guy), walk and enjoy the amazing landscape was incredible. Lots of cool stuff in the Obs. I love outerspace. Tesla coil not functional, but that's ok. Walked around a lot. Looked at a lot of stuff. Wrote some postcards to friends.
Could see the big HOLLYWOOD sign in the distance. The skies were clear, and blue.
Got a message from a member of MeFi and MFC, who kindly accepted the task of arranging for dinner at Zankou Chik0n. This seemed like a much better idea than going through concierge services to arrange for a giant basket, cuz, you know, locals rule. Had to get to Barnsdall Park by 4.30, was planning on getting there early (I try to be early so as to not make people wait), and chik0n place was in between Griffith and Barnsdall.
Google Nav plotted the course. Had plenny of time. Said member would meet up with me at Zankou. Got to Zankou. No friend. No chik0n, either. Discussion with Zankou personnel revealed that there are MANY Zankou Chik0n places. Pit in stomach.
So I texted and called, and it turned out I fucked up and presumed the following: that there's ONE Zankou chik0n, that it was chosen as it was close to both Griffith and Barnsdall, and that I had thought I'd said what my plans were for that day.
Well, there are, I think the lady said, nine Zankou places, that my comrade was at the Zankou in Westwood (West Hollywood? Is there a difference in terms, or do people just called it "Westwood?), and that he had actually sent me a message specifying the intersection of the Zankou he'd be at.
Fuck.
I had no contact numbers, so the best I could do was type in a reply here, which I wasn't sure people would get. Thankfully, I got a text message from someone at the Park, and was able to communicate the situation.
Google Nav can sukkit. At least the drive back to the Park was nice in that I was able to catch up with and get to know someone I'd only shot rockets at (this is not code for anything, either). Turns out he's a pretty damn smart dood, studying pretty damn awesome stuff. And the guy paid for the food, which he would not accept repayment for. What an ass! I kid. Nice fellow. I felt really bad about screwing up the pick-up situation.
Finally go to Barnsdall Park. Sun had already being setting. Terrifically nervous, but found everyone at the top of the hill. I think there was some discussion regarding whether or not I was real or would show up or bail or something. I can't remember exactly when or if this came up. But I am still very, very sorry for showing up so late, especially because the ground was wet, and it was cold, and goddammit guys, thanks so much for sticking around for me. That you would do that to say hello and welcome some random dood from the internet to your city means a lot to me.
Food laid out. There was consumption of beer, brownies, something called "hi-tops," which are these ridiculously delicious, uh... like, brownie sandwiches with brownie-ish center fillings, or like Oreos, if the cookie parts were, say, thrice as thick and made of brownie, and the creamy center was sweet choco filling, and Zankou wraps. I sat on one of the hotel blankets, but the ground was wet so I had a damp ass for much of the night.
Man! It was colder than expected. I got some really good recommendations about what to do and see the next day. I got to see someone I hadn't heard about or from for a while, which was awesome, someone who, in my book, has a certain level of MeFi notoriety and is really cool, people whose comments and posts I'd come across in the past, and, well, really swell L.A. residents. Who would've expected a group of people to wait in the cold and the damp for a random MeFite, offer him beer and conversation, and be so welcoming?
We did not make fun of anyone or any specific posts or comments on MeFi. This may be untrue. Hah hah.
From the Park, we head for the Dresden, which I learned is famous for being in the movie "Swingers." Also, I saw a flyer up for a band called "The Toland Band," which I found funny, because I imagined the lead singer being named Shameus Heaney. I dunno if they were really punning off the "The Tollund Man."
Had a round of drinks, then had to drive someone home, and meet up with a friend of mine who's not a MeFite. She's still cool, bro. Sorry I couldn't stick around more!
DAY THREE.
An awesome day of the trip. First, expert recommendations led me to the Page Museum and LACMA. Both were supercool. I hit the LACMA first. Skipped the Tim Burton exhibit, opting to instead check out the modern stuff, German expressionist, and the Korean art stuff. The museum is incredible in its selection and depth of its collection. There's an ongoing project where people are restoring an 18th centure Korean Buddhist painting, and I got to chit-chat with a couple of the project leads. The Korean section is smaller than I'd expected, but it was well worth seeing, for me.
Tar pits! Page Museum! Fucking dumbass generations of dire wolves not evolving out of their stupidity of going for sinking, stinky, tar-laden prey and getting stuck and sucked down themselves! There are lot of dire wolf skulls! I pulled on poles and masses to feel how thick the tar is! Lots of fossils, skeletons, and imagined dialogues. It's crazy to think that the pits are THE PITS, and that they've been there for ages, and stuff keeps getting sucked into it and found out of it. Tar pits in the middle of a city. Crazy.
Afterward, went to downtown L.A. This is where I decided that Google Nav is pizacrap. Or more specifically, I'm just not good at it. I mean, if I punch in "CITY HALL, ASO," and Google Maps pulls up City Hall in L.A., I should be set to go, right? Wrong. I ended up 1.3 miles away from City Hall, and was surrounded by warehouses outside of Chinatown. It was foggy enough to make it impossible to see any tall buildings, so I felt like I was probably nowhere near anything. Like, no tall buildings? This can't be downtown!
Oh, I drove through a lot of Koreatown on the way and thought, "hmn. Yeah. I can imagine riots and tire fires here." I dunno why. Probably because it was overcast/foggy.
Anyway, panic set in again, because I was gonna be late AGAIN. Got to City Hall ok. Saw the OWS folks outside, a legalize MJ crew, news trucks for what was assumed to be for Michael Jackson's doctor's case. Met up with my new MeFi L.A. superawesome contact, and proceeded to be led on an incredible walking tour of downtown Los Angeles.
First off: the buildings are remarkable. Secondly, it all felt to be not as densely packed as other cities. I liked it. Caltrans and LAPD have awesome buildings. We tried to get to the observation deck of City Hall, but it was occupied by some commencement, so we hit Olvera St., which was pretty cool. Union Station was neat to see, too, with some great architecture. There was a shooting crew inside, and a giant light blimp, which was neat to see. It was kind of odd to see so many people sitting quietly, though: I didn't know if these were all extras or just very quiet passengers-in-waiting.
On return to City Hall, we were welcomed by the friendliest cop I'd ever met. I think he was super friendly because he's Korean, I'm Korean, and he might've thought we were an interracial couple, and sekritly inside he's all, like, "YEAH MAN! AMERICA!" or something. I only say this because in past experience I'd witnessed what felt like over-the-top friendly behavior and after discussion, would ascribe this to the fact that I was with someone who was not Korean.
Anyway, props to Officer Jun of City Hall for being such a nice guy.
We got to the observation deck, and there were some great views. It's a damn big city! Saw a few helipads, which I'm interested in, because there are so many movies with overhead shots of buildings and helicopters, with the same numbered helipads, I'd always wondered if it was L.A. I think it is. Anyway, I took a picture of one building with a pad marked "10."
Then, get this: you can go higher. There's a door in one of the corners of the observation deck that has a domed security camera and a badge reader. There's no sign marked "NO ENTRY," and we went in. It was dark. There's a light switch marked with an energy-saving reminder sticker. I think it's there for suckers like us. Anyway, we start going up the stairs, and I'm all like "YEAH THIS IS AWESOME LET'S DO THIS," and then I notice the stairs start to feel thinner. Like, thickness-wise, and narrower. And the distal end of the step is folded upwards, like this: L. So if you're wearing big shoes or boots, really, only the first third or fourth of your foot is on the stair securely, or your foot is slightly dorsiflexed and the front of your foot is on the lip and the back of your foot is on the step. Either way, it is NOT stable.
Doubt creeps in. Maybe this isn't the right corner. And I'm looking up and thinking: maaaan, these stairs look like they're getting smaller and smaller and it's kinda dark, and I don't see any doors or anything, and even if there were doors, are they gonna just be doors to the OUTSIDE? I don't remember seeing a deck above the deck!
So we back down. Real carefully. We check the other corners, and there are no other doors. So basically, we abandon shit and I begin to make a mental checklist of items required for safe and proper ascent to the higher levels of City Hall.
Oh, and there is a charming sign, epoxied on a column, which simply reads: "THIS CITY BELIEVES IN YOU."
Ok, this is getting really long, so I'll try to be brief.
Bradbury Building: It smelled like... I dunno. But super cool inside. "I _MAKE_ friends!"
Grand Central Market: hunger called, but I felt the pull of noodles.
Angel's Flight: FUNICULAR. New word learned! It was fun, until it started moving. You know how in everything you read about San Francisco's cable cars there's a description of the actual cables that're used, the cables are braided, multi-stranded, and inspected nightly or something? Well, these damn cars, as best as I can tell, are pulled by a single cable, looped and guided by rollers, where the cables look like they're going to roll over the roller lip. One car goes up, the other goes down. Same cables. Rickety as shit. And hilariously, scarily, awesomely fun. One woman took it down, and as I didn't know how shaky the ride was, I don't think she did either: as soon as it started moving down, I saw her grip a support pole and start breathing heavily and faster. Cool cars. Angled, with true vertical ports and horizontal ads. Angle's Flight?
Walt Disney Concert Hall: beautiful. But what's up with Dudamel's hair that makes it look like he's always falling?
Little Tokyo: we actually went here before City Hall to pass the time as the commencement was going on. It's nice! There's a neat rooftop garden and cool views. Ate at Daikokuya Ramen, I think, and had some really, really good ramen. The broth was amazing. It's like you have some broth, then have summore, then have even more, and with each spoonful your tastebuds and mouth are discovering more depth of flavor. The noodles were of very good consistency.
There was this one weird thing where I went to the men's restroom, and upon opening the door briefly saw a woman, uh, fixing up her attire. I quickly say "excuse me, sorry," and walked toward the rear exit of the ramen place, and waited, looking outside. After a few minutes, I heard the door open, and instead of walking away from me, toward the interior of the restaurant, she walks toward me and whispers "sorry" in my ear. Ok. Weird. Then I go into the men's room, and bolt the door. Yeah. There's a bolt. Anyway, whatever. The ramen was awesome.
One of of the evenings I had dinner at a place that had cake made with four types of milk: whole, condensed, cultured, and... some other type. I, being so daring and adventuresome, consumed said cake, despite my Yoo-Hoo experience. It was faaaantastic. Also: I suffered no gastrointestinal maladies. I can't name the name, but perhaps the person who recommended it to me will recommend it to you!
The traffic really doesn't seem that bad in the city: there are a lot of cars, and a lot of slow movement, but everything seemed to move, and it felt like progress. It just took a long time. The interstate, though, on departure? Madness. Pure madness.
DAY FOUR.
Checked out. Fueled and returned car. Boarded plane. Wish I'd stayed longer and gotten to spend more time with you folks.
There are some bits of the trip I've left out that don't relate to MeFi, and I've purposely left out some identifying information because, well, you know, privacy and all that. But I'll close with the following comments, and I hope it'll be good enough. I'm sure it's gonna be easy to ID anyone anyway, but it's just my habit:
- You're a pretty swell guy, and I regret not being able to talk to you more. I think you're a pretty valuable member of MeFi, and a really, really, nice guy in person. It's pretty neat to associate your posts and comments with you, personally. Sorry we couldn't catch up on City Hall day, and hope you're feeling better!
- Thanks SO DAMN MUCH for the tour of downtown L.A. It's really sweat to learn a bit of local history and see things I wouldn't have otherwise seen without a local guide. I really hope I wasn't overextending my welcome or that you felt any pressure to show me the sights. I really enjoyed the walking tour.
- MAN, it's been so long since I'd heard or read from you that I had a tough time initially figuring out who you were! I'm very glad to have met you, and wish I'd spoken with you more. That's one badass camera you got there, and it was fascinating to learn about. We shoot rockets at each other soon?
- Hah! So sorry about the mixup re: food/location, but glad it resulted in a drive where we could talk and I could get to know you. Thanks for forking up the dough for the food despite my fixing to pay! Your field of study is muy interesante, and I wish you well in your pursuits. We will be shooting rockets at each other soon. And thanks for bringing brownies!
- If only I'd arrived in town sooner, I'd have been able to listen to you play! Would've been really cool, and your music background and talents are impressive. Send me direct links to your bands? And I hope you're feeling better, too!
- Hohoho, thank god you texted me. Otherwise the only way of communicating with the group would've been through this thread, which would've been near impossible while driving, and I might've joined the Socialist group in the Park. Thanks for bringing the brownie hi-tops. If only I had Diet Coke to blunt my taste buds so I could eat more! They were delicious. Early in the next morning I woke up thinking "shit. I shoulda taken some with me."
Holy crap. It's almost 6am. I'm sober and really, really tired. I'm sure there are things I'm leaving out, and I apologize for this. Thankyouthankyouthankyou for coming out and waiting, and for being so friendly and welcoming. It's no wonder that you're friends outside of MF, being such nice folks. If you're ever, for whatever reason, in my part of town, hit me up: you've got a place to stay.
posted by herrdoktor at 2:52 AM on October 28, 2011 [3 favorites]
Oh yeah, if any of you guys would like, shoot me MeMail/e-mail with yr post address and I'll send out postcards on future travels as possible!
posted by herrdoktor at 2:57 AM on October 28, 2011
posted by herrdoktor at 2:57 AM on October 28, 2011
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by xtine at 7:51 AM on October 15, 2011