My L.A., “Weak-end” Trip
I spent last weekend in Los Angeles and, to be honest, things didn’t go as planned, beginning with the swampy-hot weather, the kind of weather that keeps your face glossy and wilts your clothes, and the only footwear I brought were my cowboy boots. Cowboy boots in L.A.? Yes, cowboy boots. Anyway, being a guest, I was at the mercy of my friend’s discombobulated ways and lack of planning, which materialized in a plethora of missed opportunities.
Saturday night, we went to a small gathering at someone’s house, but we were late, and everyone had gone home. Earlier in the evening, I was told that we were going to a very cool restaurant. Ok, fine, just move forward, right? So, we were invited to a pub to check out local, live music, which I really wanted to do; however, my friend decided to drive us to see his girlfriend (who was having a night out with her girlfriends) at a very dark dance club. The bass was so loud and deep that I literally felt it press against my chest as I entered the nightclub. What?! Yeah, exactly, and I’m a jeans and T-shirt guy.
It was so dark in there that one of our friends accidentally knocked two beer bottles off someone’s table, which exploded on the dance floor, and kept walking as if it never happened. Following behind her, I heard the bottles shatter onto the floor and felt the shards of glass break in to smaller pieces under my boots. Well, it just got worse as the night grew older. As we left the dance club, there was a brawl in the middle of the street, which caused two of my friends (one being the driver) to run toward the fight. Then, cops arrived on the scene.
“1-ADAM-12, 1-ADAM-12, A bunch of drunk fools are brawling in the street by Starbucks. Please take care of it, thaaank yoooou.”
“Oh, um, sorry, I almost forgot, can one of you guys bring me back a Venti, half foam, half whip, latte with two Splendas and a sprinkle of chocolate on top? Please take care of it, thaaank yooou.”
So, yeah, it was very lame, to say the least. The “weak-end” wrapped up the following day with a return drive to LAX, hugs, and a return flight to SFO. For my next trip to SoCal, as they say, “If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself.”
Now, here’s something that was really cool. Last Monday, I went to see Chuck Palahniuk at the Castro Theater in S.F..
The Castro Theater has old-school charm, and Chuck P. packed the place.
They just don’t make movie theaters like they use to, with neon signs and ornate interiors, but I wish they still did.
If you try really hard, you can read the marquee.
Chuck P. basically read one of his short stories, which was really interesting, did some personal story-telling of his life, and threw out a bunch of stuffed tigers into the crowd during the Q & A portion of the event (I took a picture of him, but it was too blurry to post). It was really fun and, I believe, he is still on tour. If you wanna catch the event, search his site for info.
Save Me, San Francisco
Sooo, I’m back in S.F.; the weather is so nice, especially today (sunny with a coastal breeze) that I am so tempted to abandon my work and disappear for a few hours… yeah, that’s what I’m gonna do. I’ll be back with another post in a few days. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Now, go treat yourself to something nice, anything that will make you smile!
Ernest Langston 