Awesome weekend.
So I just got back last night from a wonderful, long weekend in L.A :) On Thursday morning, I flew in and met up with my dear friend Evalie (friendinmoscow). We had lunch at Johnny Rockets on Melrose and then headed to the Le Montrose, where we stayed (she's getting ready to move to Colorado, so she felt more comfortable staying at the hotel, which I of course had no problem with, lol. It's an AMAZING place. I want to friggin' live there, lol :p). Then later that evening, we drove to Inglewood to have dinner at Sheree's place. We met her new husband, Dante, and their adorable, 9 month old twins, Serenity and Josiah. I'll have to scan and post the pics she gave us of them, holding the teddy bear we gave her for her shower...which was the last time I had been in town, when she was like 7 months pregnant with them. Now they are almost a year old? Wow.....time flies. She made us a delicious dinner (barbeque chicken..mmm :p) and we had a great time, talking and reminiscing about the times in Santa Maria and other Michael related things and of course about the election. It was great catching up with her again! :)
Then Friday night, we went to see Alanis in concert at the Orpheum. It was AWESOME! :D She is amazing live...the vocals, the acoustics, the lighting and set design (complete with the orchids she seems to use as symbols, at least lately, and all the purple...apparently her favorite color). She performed for at least two hours and did many of my favorites, the "classics" (including the hits like "Hand in my Pocket" and "Uninvited", the song that started me on her music... and highlights from "Flavors of Entanglement", including "Tapes", which I think might be my favorite off of that one. The audience really got into it and started singing along at the end, especially to "Ironic" and then "Thank U", which she closed with. I was kinda hoping she'd also do "Hands Clean", which is still one of my favorites, if not the favorite, I have of hers, but oh well..can't have everything, LOL. Still was an incredible experience and hands down the best concert I've been to thus far. She rocks! :D
Then the next morning, we went to Dave and Tony's place for breakfast, then onto the subway to go downtown to the Prop 8 protest. The feeling of activism and, perhaps most strikingly, hope that could be felt there was amazing, in spite of all the adversity. It was both intriguing and humbling at the same time to see so many people of all races and backgrounds--gay and straight (like myself)--gather in the name of equality. The signage was amazing, as well as the spirit of activism, which, having just come off of a landmark, historic election, is both infiruating and motivating to still have the need for. It just sucks that religion is once again being used in the name of taking rights away and dividing people and as controversial as this is likely going to be, I think some of these very same people calling themselves "Christians" would reject Christ as a "liberal hippie" if He were on Earth today. He never said anything about any of this. This is also why there is a separation of church and state in this great nation of ours, which these propositions also violate, but that's a different post completely, LOL....anyyyyway, I had a great time getting to speak out in this way....and with some of the greatest people I have ever known as company. :)
Finally, yesterday we checked out of the hotel and spent the afternoon at the Grove. We looked around some stores and had a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, before going to LAX for me to catch my flight. It all went by so fast, but we plan to meet up with Dana in January for the Inaugural, so more adventures soon await us, lol..;)
More soon!
Love,
Tara
Then Friday night, we went to see Alanis in concert at the Orpheum. It was AWESOME! :D She is amazing live...the vocals, the acoustics, the lighting and set design (complete with the orchids she seems to use as symbols, at least lately, and all the purple...apparently her favorite color). She performed for at least two hours and did many of my favorites, the "classics" (including the hits like "Hand in my Pocket" and "Uninvited", the song that started me on her music... and highlights from "Flavors of Entanglement", including "Tapes", which I think might be my favorite off of that one. The audience really got into it and started singing along at the end, especially to "Ironic" and then "Thank U", which she closed with. I was kinda hoping she'd also do "Hands Clean", which is still one of my favorites, if not the favorite, I have of hers, but oh well..can't have everything, LOL. Still was an incredible experience and hands down the best concert I've been to thus far. She rocks! :D
Then the next morning, we went to Dave and Tony's place for breakfast, then onto the subway to go downtown to the Prop 8 protest. The feeling of activism and, perhaps most strikingly, hope that could be felt there was amazing, in spite of all the adversity. It was both intriguing and humbling at the same time to see so many people of all races and backgrounds--gay and straight (like myself)--gather in the name of equality. The signage was amazing, as well as the spirit of activism, which, having just come off of a landmark, historic election, is both infiruating and motivating to still have the need for. It just sucks that religion is once again being used in the name of taking rights away and dividing people and as controversial as this is likely going to be, I think some of these very same people calling themselves "Christians" would reject Christ as a "liberal hippie" if He were on Earth today. He never said anything about any of this. This is also why there is a separation of church and state in this great nation of ours, which these propositions also violate, but that's a different post completely, LOL....anyyyyway, I had a great time getting to speak out in this way....and with some of the greatest people I have ever known as company. :)
Finally, yesterday we checked out of the hotel and spent the afternoon at the Grove. We looked around some stores and had a delicious lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, before going to LAX for me to catch my flight. It all went by so fast, but we plan to meet up with Dana in January for the Inaugural, so more adventures soon await us, lol..;)
More soon!
Love,
Tara