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Am back home, computerless so camping on A's laptop - she was at band practice tonight so I had some time to upload photos to my lovely new Flickr account. Go here for LA and Chicago pics. Many of the Chicago ones were taken by Stacie who has a much smarter camera than me so her pics are miles better than mine. I only took pics in LA on one day - Saturday, when Gena and I hit Hollywood and Highland to catch some pre Oscar buzz, whichwas great fun.
So, to round off the trip - had a "success" rate of 50% in terms of predicting the major awards on Sunday night, which isn't so bad if you consider this was the year everyone said was hard to predict - still, Anne Thompson at Hollywood Reporter got 18 right so retains her position as my favourite journalist/biz-blogger/interviewer of Richard Linklater. Having spent Saturday in Hollywood, we passed the best part of Sunday at the Beverley Hills Hotel having brunch in the Polo Lounge, which was very lovely indeed, gorgeous food and top quality service at a surprisingly reasonable price (although I'm the winner in the exchange rate stakes) in a great setting. Lounging about in the foyer afterwards was fun, as we watched all the gussied up and suited ones getting ready to go to the Oscars; I did wonder whether the woman who stripped down to her undies in the ladies restroom* and proceeded to do her make-up before slipping into her slinky dress was just trying to get a sneaky ride to the Kodak without having to actually pay for a room ...
Watched the Oscars on TV - thought Ellen did a great job, she was sweet and funny, much better than Jon Stewart last year; boy does it go on though - American TV has so many advert breaks!! No wonder Al Gore has to ask people to cut back, if they go to put the kettle on or flush the loo every time the ads come on. I was hoping that the two early wins forPan's Labyrinth would mean that it was a night for the Three Amigos, but it turned out that The Departed was the one to sweep everyone away. It was fun to watch while properly awake, instead of having the usual semi-comatose 2am is that Peter Jackson AGAIN? feeling.
And on Monday I flew home; hey ho the wind and the rain indeed, since the rain it raineth every day pretty much since I got back. American Airlines v nice coming back (on a 777); not so great going out (on a 757 I think, clapped out old heap whatever the number). Would definitely go with them again over BA, if only because the seats in peasant class seem to have that bit more room.
Final sightings update: Nicole Kidman having lunch with husband Keith Urban; Georgio Armani and entourage ("Mr Armani would like his car now"), plus another designer Gena recognised and I didn't; P Diddy; Tim Robbins (maybe); Katie Holmes and baby (definitely - and she's a cute real baby, not a space alien after all); Andy Rooney; someone else from a TV series that did well in the US but meant nothing over here; a few other faces where you go "ooh I'm sure I know them from somewhere ...." but that's LA for you.
*I confused a girl in Borders in Chicago by asking "where's the ladies?" ...blank look ... "is there a ladies' loo here?" ... before finally catching on and saying "where's the rest room?" Bingo! Then the bloke in Barnes and Noble in Thousand Oaks heard my accent on Monday and said "oh, you're very much not local, aren't you?" Oh yes. Churchill was right.
So, to round off the trip - had a "success" rate of 50% in terms of predicting the major awards on Sunday night, which isn't so bad if you consider this was the year everyone said was hard to predict - still, Anne Thompson at Hollywood Reporter got 18 right so retains her position as my favourite journalist/biz-blogger/interviewer of Richard Linklater. Having spent Saturday in Hollywood, we passed the best part of Sunday at the Beverley Hills Hotel having brunch in the Polo Lounge, which was very lovely indeed, gorgeous food and top quality service at a surprisingly reasonable price (although I'm the winner in the exchange rate stakes) in a great setting. Lounging about in the foyer afterwards was fun, as we watched all the gussied up and suited ones getting ready to go to the Oscars; I did wonder whether the woman who stripped down to her undies in the ladies restroom* and proceeded to do her make-up before slipping into her slinky dress was just trying to get a sneaky ride to the Kodak without having to actually pay for a room ...
Watched the Oscars on TV - thought Ellen did a great job, she was sweet and funny, much better than Jon Stewart last year; boy does it go on though - American TV has so many advert breaks!! No wonder Al Gore has to ask people to cut back, if they go to put the kettle on or flush the loo every time the ads come on. I was hoping that the two early wins forPan's Labyrinth would mean that it was a night for the Three Amigos, but it turned out that The Departed was the one to sweep everyone away. It was fun to watch while properly awake, instead of having the usual semi-comatose 2am is that Peter Jackson AGAIN? feeling.
And on Monday I flew home; hey ho the wind and the rain indeed, since the rain it raineth every day pretty much since I got back. American Airlines v nice coming back (on a 777); not so great going out (on a 757 I think, clapped out old heap whatever the number). Would definitely go with them again over BA, if only because the seats in peasant class seem to have that bit more room.
Final sightings update: Nicole Kidman having lunch with husband Keith Urban; Georgio Armani and entourage ("Mr Armani would like his car now"), plus another designer Gena recognised and I didn't; P Diddy; Tim Robbins (maybe); Katie Holmes and baby (definitely - and she's a cute real baby, not a space alien after all); Andy Rooney; someone else from a TV series that did well in the US but meant nothing over here; a few other faces where you go "ooh I'm sure I know them from somewhere ...." but that's LA for you.
*I confused a girl in Borders in Chicago by asking "where's the ladies?" ...blank look ... "is there a ladies' loo here?" ... before finally catching on and saying "where's the rest room?" Bingo! Then the bloke in Barnes and Noble in Thousand Oaks heard my accent on Monday and said "oh, you're very much not local, aren't you?" Oh yes. Churchill was right.
posted by Sal at
10:52 pm
2 Comments:
You should see the glazed over looks I've received in London when I've asked about the restroom! :)
Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time.
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