Getting cultured in LA

No, not really. It’s a funny concept though, isn’t it?

Apologies for this most recent silence, I’m on vacation. (I’m sure all three of you have noted that I’ve attributed other silences to being in school and having to do work. To which my reply is: yeah, so?) So I’m enjoying a few days back home in sunny California, most of which have been pretty damned busy, believe it or not. Concerts, beaches and ballgames, oh my! I just got back from a road trip up to San Francisco with a friend of mine, where we did all the touristy stuff that could reasonably fit into two and a half days: Giants game, Alcatraz, Napa, cable cars, Jack London Square, Berkeley, Chinatown, and Fisherman’s Wharf, all capped off with a drive down Highway 1 back to LA. I get tired just thinking about it. Then again it is almost 1 am, and thinking itself is a bit more tiring than usual.

Today was my first day back in LA sans friend, a.k.a. my actual first day of vacation: when friends are around you have to put on a whole song and dance about all the great stuff there is to see and do, most of which is only hearsay since you haven’t actually been to any of these cool places; I mean, you live here, you could go anytime you want. So with all these great museums and beaches in close proximity, I went… to the dentist.

I actually did do some of the good stuff there is to do here (LA can be a fun city for people not in the entertainment industry, contrary to popular belief): I did a little bit of shopping on Melrose in hopes of finding a cute faux Kate Spade bag to replace the one that’s falling apart. I was unsuccessful, but the trip was educational; dear God, someone let Barbie determine the hot color for fall: pink is everywhere.

The other “I’m back home” treat was free dinner with my parents and a trip to the theater, where I saw Little Shop of Horrors with my mom. Best things about the musical: sitting in the Boystown section of the theater, and the look of glee on my dad’s face at being able to get out of going. Worst things: the ending, and the fact that the talking plant wasn’t played by Isaac Hayes. All in all it’s a weird premise, but the Ray Bradbury-like plot didn’t match the main characters who had to play it. In fact, I thought the leads were easily outshone by the supporting cast, who were the source of almost all the humor. The starring role was played by Anthony Rapp, who has a diverse resume: in addition to a lot of theatrical stuff (much in collaboration with his brother), he was the kid’s friend in Adventures in Babysitting, the asshole in School Ties, and the freak in Road Trip. His mother must be stage mom extraordinaire. I wasn’t expecting to see any familiar names in the program, and this guy plays such random parts that I uttered a very strongly felt "Oh, that guy!"

Tomorrow: my first foray into the world of highlights. Stay tuned.