Andrew and I ate in the hotel restaurant (pancakes!!!) on Saturday morning and decided to check out the Getty Museum. It was fabulous. You park in a garage that has seven levels below ground. Then, you take a tram up to the museum. You climb the steps and enter a mini city. There are several buildings, and we only saw a smidgeon of what was there, but it was a wonderful way to blow a few hours. We stopped back at the hotel to change clothes before meeting up with my California Cousins.
We all met for a drink and a snack at Chateau Marmont, a Hollywood legend in itself. John Belushi died here, Led Zeppelin rode motorcycles across the lobby here, Jim Morrison jumped out of a window into the swimming pool below here, James Dean and Natalie Wood first read the script for Rebel Without a Cause here. On the way to Chateau Marmont, Andrew and I drove right down Hollywood Blvd., right past Grauman's Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We had been following our little Mapquest directions, and suddenly, we were surrounded by Hollywood! We had a spirited little reunion in the lobby with Kelly, Kate, & Claire McLeod, Kate's boyfriend Noah, and Claire's friends Nick & Jalon.
After Chateau Marmont, we drove to a fun Italian Restaurant with singing waiters called Miceli's. We met up with the rest of the clan... Aunt Twila, Uncle Ben, T.J. & Randi, Taylor, Claire's friend Allie, and Carol and Larry Kline. We were quite a group. It was such a fun night. I got teary a couple of times, just looking around at this wonderful group of people laughing and eating and enjoying each others' company. I have the best family in the whole world!
We braved the terrible traffic and made it just in time to the theatre (they ended up holding curtain for another 15 minutes for someone else who was caught in traffic, so we really didn't need to hurry so much, but oh well... we made it on time). Seeing another person performing Andrew's Churchill play was surreal. It was wonderful because it was like seeing a child grow up and be on his own for the first time. There were things that we loved, and there are bugs to work out. I think it was a little stressful on Andrew because he knows how he performs it, and this performance was definitely not the way he performs it, but he's going to work with the director this week to help their production go more smoothly. The theatre was a tiny venue, but I think it works for a one-man show. Surreal is the best word I can use to describe the experience.
It was late when we got out of the theatre, and the California Cousins had a long drive back, so we said goodbye. I was so proud to have my family there to support Andrew and his work. It meant so much to me having them there. I really don't have the words. I just felt so blessed. Blessed, blessed, blessed.
Andrew and I were out of the hotel by 7:30 on Sunday morning, and after a day of travel, we were back in Fairfield by 9 that night. It was a frenzied but unforgettable weekend. I'm tired today, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
waiting for the tram at the Getty Museum
at the Getty Museum in my Hawkeye finery... comments from 2 different people... Go Hawks!
Andrew & his ginger beer outside Chateau Marmont
waiting for the California Cousins outside Chateau Marmont
waiting for the tram at the Getty Museum
at the Getty Museum in my Hawkeye finery... comments from 2 different people... Go Hawks!
Andrew & his ginger beer outside Chateau Marmont
waiting for the California Cousins outside Chateau Marmont
dinner at Miceli's with family & friends
Randi & T.J. at dinner
Kate, Noah, Nick, Allie, Claire, & Jalon at dinner
Aunt Twila & Uncle Ben at the theatre
the proud playwright of Churchill and his adoring fan
Wow - how cool is that, jet-setting out to LA for the weekend to watch Churchill be performed? Wow. Glad you had a good time! :)
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