For those of you, my loyal blog afficianados, who don't know- I am in L.A. this weekend. I am visiting some kindred spirits out here, and getting to know some other artists that I've been dying to talk with. Today I've spent a load of time with 2 good friends from the L.A. area, and I've been having a phenomenal time with them! I'll also be going to Bat's Day, which is the spookiest day of the year at Disneyland. Goths from around the country swarm and converge on Disneyland at this time of year...you can see the dark clouds forming as I type this... Mmmmmmmmm......
I am resisting sleep at all costs because I don’t want to miss a thing. I bought many cans of Red Bull last night, so I can guarantee this. I tried to make a bandolier (just like the one Chewbacca wears) out of duct tape and 24 cans of Redbull, but it proved far too heavy and dorky-looking. Nearly awake for 24 hours yesterday, I went from our midwestern village, to the village on your computer monitor. So, tell me- what’s with all the palm trees? And the Hummers? Not everyone drives a Prius here, to my surprise. And they don’t use turn signals. This can be a little unnerving while driving on a 10 lane highway. It's like a big, scary game of bumper cars/Deathrace 2000.
Well, that was the actual travelling, My hotel room was quite comfy. I was welcomed with a warm cookie. It was a REALLY good cookie.
The evening turned into one of the best in recent memory, with the best taco joint named after a llama (pronounced “yahmma“ because two L‘s doesn‘t mean you have to pronounce an extra long L), a drive to Santa Monica Pier, chai latte, great conversation, fishing pelicans and barking sea lions. A neon ferris wheel and Zoltar the Fortune teller machine. Sand! There was sand! And a really big ocean. It smelled like California. I am feeling a combination of pretentious and hedonistic.
I was driven through Venice, Bel Aire, through UCLA’s campus, West Hollywood, and up a canyon road to see the lights of LA. Familiar names of streets and towns that you think don’t even exist, but on your television screen. Soundtracks to Pretty Woman, Lethal Weapon, and Police Squad were going through my head constantly.
The good gothyness is all around me right now. The cute couple next door to me just got engaged, dressed in their best Victorian mourning clothes last night- complete with a black diamond ring! There are men with mohawks not seen since the glorious 80’s, and some super tight corsetry. No, the men aren’t wearing the corsets. Or at least no men that I've seen yet. Or maybe tonight they will. I’ve seen some interesting stuff since I’ve been here.
Tonight is the Swinging Wake- a costumed event that is SURE to be utterly fascinating on many levels. I mean that in a nice way. I actually sewed for this one. I SEWED. I’m gonna be “utterly fascinating” too.
It’s good to be around a group of people who don’t look at you sideways because your appearance is a little different. So tonight, amidst the palm trees, corsets, tattoos and black eyeliner- we dance! We will dance like children of the night. Or stand around and look like we’re brooding- I’m not sure. I am wild and unpredicable, so we will see what the night brings.
So, from Plainfield to LA in a day. There's quite a difference. Our Illinois town is split down the middle of historic Route 66, you know. The highway that spans the whole country and ends at the end of the Santa Monica Pier. I was there. I saw the end of the road. And it was beautiful. Insert whatever symbolism or allegory or whatever literary device you want.
It will be dark soon. And you know what THAT means....gotta find my flashlight. :)
Keep the dial tuned here, kids. More to come.
Christine
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