Billy Joel Hollywood Dreams

Indeed I had another trip to LA on the books. I'd purchased tickets to see Billy Joel months before, and no way was I going to miss seeing this piano legend. I feel like I grew up on his music.

It was a quick weekend into town. I'd signed up for Avis Preferred rentals, which is awesome, because when you get off the plane, you've got an email telling you what rental car and where it's parked. No lines. Except I saw that I had a bright yellow Kia. Eeeek. On the bus ride over I thought about changing cars (easy to do with Preferred) but then I thought, ya know what? I always lose rental cars in parking lots. Not with this thing. So yellow Kia it is. Bright and awesome.

First stop - dinner with Mike at 800 Degrees. Great company, great food. I was going to stay with Mike for the weekend, but he advised that his lady (at the time), Rachel, now had her own apartment which had air conditioning, and since it was an unusually warm weekend, I'd probably be more comfortable there.  He was right.

I hung out with Rachel and Mike for a bit, then headed east side to meet Trevor for a show at the Church on York. It ended up being an illegal venue or something and got shut down a couple weeks later, but it was hip there for awhile.  I'd read about it and was excited to check it out. Except it's in the basement of the church with absolutely no air flow, and it was 90 degrees outside and about 110 inside. Sauna. Low ceilings, dark room, packed room. Sweaty, sweaty mess.  The show was The Haxan Cloak and with the bright lights, heat, and droning music, I felt like I was in some crazy cult ritual.

Trevor and I got into a huge fight that night, but we saw Flea and graffiti and eventually sort of made up over late night burgers.

Friday morning I worked from home in Rachel's blessed AC, then it was beach time! So great.

Friday night I met Trevor at LACMA for Polish film. We grabbed dinner at Mendocino Farms (so good) and then I braved a double-header. I liked the first film (Innocent Sorcerers) but was falling asleep through the second one (The Promised Land), and the parts I do remember, I think they were a little out there for me. 

Saturday was my first experience at a Korean Spa - a bunch of us went to Wi Spa, and while it takes a bit of getting used to, I really enjoyed. Wish I could've stayed longer and not had to rush to the next thing. 

I arrived and found Casey in the women's spa area - I stripped down to a robe, but then into nothing when I tried out all the pools and saunas downstairs. Tons of space for lounging around, watching TV, doing your hair/makeup, whatever. After awhile of sitting in the hot tub, I donned the tshirt and shorts they give you, and headed upstairs to meet the rest of the gang. 

We tried out the salt and clay saunas, and the super crazy hot one that's 231 degrees. Don't worry, you drink a lot of water during the day. 

There's a sleeping area and internet area and library and food. We had a good lunch together. 

Sadly I had to rush off right after lunch. Otherwise I would've gone back into a sauna, slept, then gone back downstairs to the lady spa, stripped again, and washed in sea salt. All those toxins gone, and clear fresh skin!

Alas, I didn't shower, since I was going on a sweaty hike with Cher and Rabie. Pretty Hollywood hills in Runyon Canyon.

Quick shower and clean up at Cher's, then over to the Hollywood Bowl!

It just felt like a relaxing evening of music - he was right at home, and it was like we were hanging out in his living room for a bit. A lot of stuff he played was a bit older than what I'd normally listened to, but wonderful nonetheless. And of course, sprinkled with classics. I'm glad I got to see Mr. Joel.

The legend, the piano man, Mr Billy Joel. Pretty great tonight. Absolutely worth a flight back to LA. #billyjoel #thepianoman #singusasong #hollywoodbowl

A video posted by Lauren W (@laurenhoya) on May 5, 2014 at 12:00am PDT

On Sunday I had a quick brunch with Jihan to catch up - vegan food in Echo Park. Not to knock the vegans, but it's not for me. 

Then that afternoon, back on a plane, back to SLC. And stupidly, I forgot to top off that bright yellow Kia with gasoline. Doh!

AFI Fest 2013

Movies, movies, movies - that's what Hollywood is all about, right?!

I hadn't been clued into AFI Fest in previous years, but I managed to go this year and fell in love.

Lucky for me, a good friend lives near the theaters at Hollywood and Highland, so I could use her residential parking pass and walk down to the event. I managed to see six films during the week (all free!) and missed a couple due to not arriving early enough. I figured out the system and I'll be better prepared when I go again.

On Saturday I met up with Jonathan and Trevor at the Egyptian Theater to see Cleo from 5 to 7, with Agnes Varda in attendance.  There was a lot of waiting in line and staring at the trees before we got in. But look at that sunny, beautiful November day! I'll  be missing that this year.

The theater is glorious - I'd never been inside before.

On Monday night I went back for a double feature. Half of a Yellow Sun is a film from Nigeria with some big name stars. It's one of two Nigerian films I saw, though I didn't really love this one. Maybe I'd like the book better?

I think I might've left that one early to get into Omar, since lines can be long. I found a seat alone in the middle, and later realized that Trevor and Aaron were in the front and had been trying to get my attention for awhile.

I absolutely loved Omar. It was done by the same director as Paradise Now, and while most screenings had actors and/or directors/producers present for Q&A after the film, and Hany Abu-Assad was there, there was no Q&A. I wish there would've been and I wonder why... Do yourself a favor and go watch this. Especially since that whole region is once again blowing up.

On Tuesday I went for one of the shorts programs. A few stood out.

You can watch RPG OKC here - it's an online dating story of 8-big video game characters, and I was just amused!

Democracia is from Spain and it's just absurdly hilarious. An office boss tries to boost company morale with a crazy plan, and I just found it hysterical. I couldn't find a link online, but the trailer is here.

The last one I remember was so incredibly heavy and hard to watch, and it really affected me. I still think about it often. It's from Sweden and it's called On Suffocation. So very difficult.

Thursday I saw B for Boy, the second Nigerian film, about a woman who needs to bear a male child to keep her family together and her husband from taking another wife. So interesting to see the role of women in other cultures.

The last day I went back to see The Owners, a film from Argentina. It's an amusing story of some caretakers who squat in the owners' house and have to scramble when they show up.

I really wanted to see The Past, but work or something got in the way. I ended up seeing it in the following months along with Inside Llewyn Davis, the Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Philomena, Her, Jodorowsky's Dune, Like Father Like Son, and August: Osage County

I still want to see The Great Beauty, The Lunchbox, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. So much good stuff screened there! I really should consider going back for the next one.

Stuff I Did in October.

I had some shabu shabu in Little Tokyo and hit the Standard downtown. I watched Wadjda, which was excellent. 

Pie at Brite Spot. Better hope they have the key lime - it's divine.

Bryan from college came into LA for a whirlwind 48 hour weekend. He's a big fan of the movie Clue, and there was a shadowcast performance at Nuart, right near my house. He flew in on Friday night from NYC and we grabbed some Vietnamese at Nong La, then headed over to the midnight show.

Since Bryan had never been to LA, I had to show him around a bit. Lunch near the Grove, where my drink matched my purse.

Then over to Hollywood to walk around.

Candy store?

Mulholland Drive.

Bryan's always posting on Facebook about his cooking adventures, and they always look delicious. He put together some veggie lasagna that was delicious.

On Sunday we hit up LACMA, which Bryan would later be excited to see in an episode of Modern Family.

Bryan flew away on Sunday night. Then Monday, my friends the Moth and the Flame played at School Night.

I tried out a landromat and loved it. So much easier to do all your laundry at once!

Summer's Over - Back to LA for Tanner's Visit

(I will catch up on this blog if it kills me)

After a month in Utah, it was time to head home.  A beach run reminded me why I came back. Plus, Tanner was coming to visit for Labor Day weekend.

I felt bad that Tanner was stuck in school and never gets to go anywhere, so I flew him out to LA for the long weekend. I knew he'd enjoy John Williams and the LA Phil, so we planned a trip around that. 

Thursday night I took him to the Troubadour for a few show featuring up and coming bands. I really dug White Rainbow. 

We had some 800 Degrees pizza somewhere in there. 

On Friday we tried out Stand Up Paddle Board. I hadn't done it in awhile, and an hour is plenty of time to get a good workout. Neither of us fell in, though some boats in the marina had me rocking a bit! Lots of seals around. 

Friday night - the big event. I didn't know until I got there that Julie Andrews was participating. Squeel! I just love her. The Sound of Music is my favorite movie of all time.

Saturday was a beach day in Santa Monica and Venice.

Cha Cha Chicken for lunch.

Saturday night was the Observatory, which is one of my LA favorites.

Tanner still doesn't put milk in his cereal.

Sunday after church we drove out to El Matador for some sunset photos. Tanner's a budding photographer, so I tried to take him to the most picturesque spots.

I'm pretty proud of this photo I took.

And a quick stop at LACMA...

Monday morning hike to the Hollywood Sign. Did I mention that Marcello was with us for most of this weekend? He was. He and Tanner had met in OK over the summer while M was on the NKOTB tour.

Time for Tanner to head back to school and another semester. Quick lunch at In n Out to watch the planes come in.

Tanner ended up with a lot of great photos from the weekend, and he made a book for me for Christmas. Great present!