BFS in LA!
Late September found me on my way to LA. Bowling for Soup scheduled a 7 or 8 concert mini-tour prior to the album release date. The closest they came to me was LA, so LA it was!
Mom swung by to pick up the baby, and i gave him hugs and kisses and left. Mom thought i was going to work, for a second :)
After getting my oil changed (since i'm so responsible), kudos for working late the night before, and a discount on some random car service, since i smiled pretty at one of the mechanics, got my Starbucks on, and started my road trip. I fielded two phone calls before i hit my first gas station, which i was OK with since i really enjoy being helpful to my fellow co-workers.
After that, i was really and truly on my own, and was so excited for that. I had a great playlist going - had a lot of fun yelling at the top of my lungs to "Grey Street" with Dave, and was getting 30 MPG, which is great for my little older model car (don't tell her i said that though :)
In Blythe i stopped for gas and heard this version of "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" but it was a religious cover - really creepy.
I made it to LA with little to no issues, found my hotel quite easily, thanks to Google Maps on my BlackBerry, and settled in to rest for a bit before the show. Unfortunately, i didn't have my curling iron, so i made do with the straightener that i had.
Before i'd left, i'd planned ahead to stay at a hotel within walking distance of the show, since i didn't feel like driving around CA getting lost.
(see, look, Disneyland from my hotel room!)
This plan backfired significantly, as i wasn't told the entrance to Disneyland is a friggen maze. Picture me, wandering around in the dark at Disneyland, with only a lit Goofy to light my way.
I asked around and was told where the venue was "Follow this sidewalk around until you smell the pretzels, then turn right!"
I hadn't eaten since lunch in Blythe, so it was time to eat. Venue was the House of Blues in Anaheim, so I saddled up to the bar to have a quick bite before the show started. Of course, who should be sitting 10 feet away, but Chris from Bowling For Soup. Two quick shots of Bailey's calmed the nerves, and i snarfed down a plate of spinach & artichoke dip after he left. Feeling a bit less shaky and ready to see yet another show alone, I went up the stairs and hit the Merch table. They had pre-order forms for the CD that came with autographed CD inserts and some pins, so i got my merch :)
Entering the venue was quite fun, in that i got to see the balcony where the girls and i hung out with Warren after the Missing Persons show. It was roped off during the opening acts, so Bowling For Soup could hang out there, so i reminiced from afar. Good times!
The place was pretty packed (i got there pretty late) so it was hard to find a space to sit in. I'd asked a Security Guard if i could go down to the lower balcony and he said the band was deciding who got to go there, so i thanked him and found an empty seat at a table next to a lovely gal named Mary. We traded concert stories and seemed to get along pretty well! We watched the first opening act, a dance-tastic band whose name i don't remember, on a video screen hanging from the ceiling, and i was pretty sure that was how the whole night was gonna be. I did, however, keep an eye on the roped off area, and i could have sworn i'd seen a guy in a full size Tigger costume wandering in and out of there. While i was pretty sure it wasn't the Bailey's talking,... i wasn't positive. I'd mentioned it to Mary, and she looked at me like i was nuts!
After the first act, the security guard who i'd spoken with earlier approached me, and asked if Mary and i were together. I said we were and she agreed and he led us down to the lower balcony just to the far left of the stage. We got some awesome, awesome seats, and couldn't be more excited about them!
Then, the opening act, a band called Nerf Herder (who i later remembered had done the opening music for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series), came out, and sure enough...
TIGGER SUIT. See, i'm not crazy. :)
Jaret came out and sang with him, which was fun...
I've been enjoying Nerf Herder's catalogue since i attended their live show, so that was a cool bonus :)
Then, the main act....
Jaret's my favourite :)
Post show, Mary offered me a ride back to my hotel room, which was totally sweet of her (no worries, i asked if she was gonna serial kill me before i got in the car - she said no :) ) and got back to my hotel where i promptly fell asleep - it's exhausting travelling like that!
The next morning, i was up and raring to go! The agenda included a conference call in the morning, which i was determined to be at the beach for at least the end for, and a trip to the mall, so away I went!
Me in Anaheim...
.... and then, Huntington Beach. It was gorgeous, and i made it there in time to end my con-call there!
Post-beach fun, I was bound and determined to find an Ashley Stewart store. I'd purchased a dress online and it didn't fit very well (too baggy, just.. ugh). I found a location in LA (Baldwin Hills Mall) and headed out. Made it there in an hour and forty-five minutes. No wonder everyone complains about traffic in LA!
The Ashley Stewart store did not have anything that worked for me, like at all. The Lane Bryant didn't either, which was pretty sad, because usually i can find all sorts of great things at Lane Bryant. This wasn't my neighborhood though, so i called it quits and got back in my car, all prepared to make my way home.
A few months ago i visited the Krispy Kreme website and found out there was a New York Cheesecake filled donut. Krispy Kreme donut + Cheesecake + Creme frosting topped with Graham Crackers. A search of all the AZ locations turned up nothing, so i had given up. There was a Krispy Kreme across from the mall, and sure enough, they had my donuts! I came home with a dozen plus a free one, a gift from a kind Californian who had heard of our KK closings in Arizona. :)
I drove home and got to Mesa around 7 PM, huggled my baby, who was more excited about the donuts than me, than Zonked to sleep. It had been a great trip!
Mom swung by to pick up the baby, and i gave him hugs and kisses and left. Mom thought i was going to work, for a second :)
After getting my oil changed (since i'm so responsible), kudos for working late the night before, and a discount on some random car service, since i smiled pretty at one of the mechanics, got my Starbucks on, and started my road trip. I fielded two phone calls before i hit my first gas station, which i was OK with since i really enjoy being helpful to my fellow co-workers.
After that, i was really and truly on my own, and was so excited for that. I had a great playlist going - had a lot of fun yelling at the top of my lungs to "Grey Street" with Dave, and was getting 30 MPG, which is great for my little older model car (don't tell her i said that though :)
In Blythe i stopped for gas and heard this version of "My Best Friend's Girlfriend" but it was a religious cover - really creepy.
I made it to LA with little to no issues, found my hotel quite easily, thanks to Google Maps on my BlackBerry, and settled in to rest for a bit before the show. Unfortunately, i didn't have my curling iron, so i made do with the straightener that i had.
Before i'd left, i'd planned ahead to stay at a hotel within walking distance of the show, since i didn't feel like driving around CA getting lost.
(see, look, Disneyland from my hotel room!)
This plan backfired significantly, as i wasn't told the entrance to Disneyland is a friggen maze. Picture me, wandering around in the dark at Disneyland, with only a lit Goofy to light my way.
I asked around and was told where the venue was "Follow this sidewalk around until you smell the pretzels, then turn right!"
I hadn't eaten since lunch in Blythe, so it was time to eat. Venue was the House of Blues in Anaheim, so I saddled up to the bar to have a quick bite before the show started. Of course, who should be sitting 10 feet away, but Chris from Bowling For Soup. Two quick shots of Bailey's calmed the nerves, and i snarfed down a plate of spinach & artichoke dip after he left. Feeling a bit less shaky and ready to see yet another show alone, I went up the stairs and hit the Merch table. They had pre-order forms for the CD that came with autographed CD inserts and some pins, so i got my merch :)
Entering the venue was quite fun, in that i got to see the balcony where the girls and i hung out with Warren after the Missing Persons show. It was roped off during the opening acts, so Bowling For Soup could hang out there, so i reminiced from afar. Good times!
The place was pretty packed (i got there pretty late) so it was hard to find a space to sit in. I'd asked a Security Guard if i could go down to the lower balcony and he said the band was deciding who got to go there, so i thanked him and found an empty seat at a table next to a lovely gal named Mary. We traded concert stories and seemed to get along pretty well! We watched the first opening act, a dance-tastic band whose name i don't remember, on a video screen hanging from the ceiling, and i was pretty sure that was how the whole night was gonna be. I did, however, keep an eye on the roped off area, and i could have sworn i'd seen a guy in a full size Tigger costume wandering in and out of there. While i was pretty sure it wasn't the Bailey's talking,... i wasn't positive. I'd mentioned it to Mary, and she looked at me like i was nuts!
After the first act, the security guard who i'd spoken with earlier approached me, and asked if Mary and i were together. I said we were and she agreed and he led us down to the lower balcony just to the far left of the stage. We got some awesome, awesome seats, and couldn't be more excited about them!
Then, the opening act, a band called Nerf Herder (who i later remembered had done the opening music for Buffy the Vampire Slayer series), came out, and sure enough...
TIGGER SUIT. See, i'm not crazy. :)
Jaret came out and sang with him, which was fun...
I've been enjoying Nerf Herder's catalogue since i attended their live show, so that was a cool bonus :)
Then, the main act....
Jaret's my favourite :)
Post show, Mary offered me a ride back to my hotel room, which was totally sweet of her (no worries, i asked if she was gonna serial kill me before i got in the car - she said no :) ) and got back to my hotel where i promptly fell asleep - it's exhausting travelling like that!
The next morning, i was up and raring to go! The agenda included a conference call in the morning, which i was determined to be at the beach for at least the end for, and a trip to the mall, so away I went!
Me in Anaheim...
.... and then, Huntington Beach. It was gorgeous, and i made it there in time to end my con-call there!
Post-beach fun, I was bound and determined to find an Ashley Stewart store. I'd purchased a dress online and it didn't fit very well (too baggy, just.. ugh). I found a location in LA (Baldwin Hills Mall) and headed out. Made it there in an hour and forty-five minutes. No wonder everyone complains about traffic in LA!
The Ashley Stewart store did not have anything that worked for me, like at all. The Lane Bryant didn't either, which was pretty sad, because usually i can find all sorts of great things at Lane Bryant. This wasn't my neighborhood though, so i called it quits and got back in my car, all prepared to make my way home.
A few months ago i visited the Krispy Kreme website and found out there was a New York Cheesecake filled donut. Krispy Kreme donut + Cheesecake + Creme frosting topped with Graham Crackers. A search of all the AZ locations turned up nothing, so i had given up. There was a Krispy Kreme across from the mall, and sure enough, they had my donuts! I came home with a dozen plus a free one, a gift from a kind Californian who had heard of our KK closings in Arizona. :)
I drove home and got to Mesa around 7 PM, huggled my baby, who was more excited about the donuts than me, than Zonked to sleep. It had been a great trip!