Thursday, July 13, 2006

Bowl or Bust

Thanks everyone for your supportive comments on my last post. You know, I hate to air my dirty non-crafty laundry to the masses, but I was just a tad miffed. Thanks for smoothing out my wrinkled sheets...I mean sorrows!

Onto our regularly scheduled post...and my yearly camera phone generated photo of the Hollywood Bowl!



I heart Arturo Sandoval. I also *big* heart the Hollywood Bowl. (Feel free to revisit last summer’s Bowl-Love-Fest post, which details the depth and breadth of my amorous feelings for this venue.) Combine the two together and my left and right ventricles are overflowing with love potion number, um, err, pick a number between one and ten…

Ahhh yes, nothing like kicking off what will be one of several summer ’06 pilgrimages to my family’s most beloved Angeleno institution with none other than Latin jazz great and quatro-time Grammy Award winner Arturo Sandoval! Then add in a dash of Cachao and sprinkle of La India and you’ve got yourself a musica-filled evening that will provoke even the most staid individual’s feet a tappin’ and hips a swayin’. I like to refer to latin jazz as “happy music” because, well, it’s difficult to shed tears when your jiggling your boo-tay to the rhythm of a conga drum.

Ahem…

I’ll tell you, this was just the kind of mood elevator I needed after weeks of ceaseless toiling at the Cube Farm and working my post-office hours to the crocheted bone (literally, just you wait and see) while preparing for my stint at Tube Crochet. Oh, and the hubster and I haven’t exactly had a whole lot of together-time sans offspring, family and friends as of late either. So, this was a much-needed respite from the stuff of life to be sure.

As the clock struck six, I was met at the entrance to my cube, or as I like to refer to it, my cell, by my handsome husband with picnic dinner in hand and car engine idling gently in the parking lot (this is a bit of embellishment as we don’t waste our black gold readily, nosiree) so that we may embark upon the longest 7.2 mile drive ev-er to the Bowl. Seriously folks, getting from West Los Angeles (the dot on the map that encompasses my home and workplace) to about Middish/Northish Los Angeles (the dot on the map that encompasses the Bowl) is unbelievably difficult.



Can you say 90 minutes from start to finish? That’s roughly 13 minutes per mile! However, sitting in the car for what seemed an eternity (who am I kidding, it was an eternity!) ambling in slow-motion across and up the exhaust-choked, scorched streets I came to notice a disturbing trend among many of our residences in the Hancock Park adjacent/Hollywood hoods…

Wrong wremodels.

Yes, former beautiful residences that harken back to an era in Hollywood when lips were stained blue red, cascades of curls tapered around slender necks and champagne shoulders, hats were a must when leaving the confines of one’s domicile and a dry martini was a blissful way to bid the work day good eve, all maimed and discombobulated by homeowners who probably knew no better or perhaps, didn’t care. Just take a look at these examples located on Avenue Awry:

The architect found inspiration at Box City…



None of these items should ever be used in the same sentence: sky blue ionic columns; oak door with leaded glass insert; and shoebox-inspired exterior…



If we paint it all gray, it’ll work…



Thank the lord-y the owners left these be…







Tired from sitting in the car, eyes watering from staring at myriad done-damage-to-domiciles, we finally wound our way around the Highland meets Franklin bend and parked our car with the rest of the metal sardines into the stacked lot across from the white dome in the canyon. I actually heard the Seraphim sing as I extricated my rear from the seat of the vehicle. Yes, I, did.

Bag o’ gastronomic goodies in tow, hubby holding my hand, we made our way through the crowds and up to our seats for an evening of fresh air, sizzling sounds and exalted yet not-so-sober crowds!

In a word, splendiferous! Yes, I know that I've taken yet more liberties with the English language...

I cannot believe I’m writing this, but the show was worth every minute we spent in the car.

9 comments:

Deneen said...

I bet that's the longest you and the HH talked in a long time with kidlet nearby. Glad you had such a great time!

Ellen Bloom said...

Ahhh...the Hollywood Bowl. When the music, weather, food and company are just right, it's the most perfect place. Glad you had fun.
Yes, it's a long drive IN TRAFFIC from the Westside to Hollywood...ugh...I do it every day!
If you really want to see more obnoxious mansionization or ugly McMansions, just go to Beverly Hills. They have NO HISTORIC PRESERVATION in my home town! So sad what's happening to some of our most beautiful homes.
Oh well....L.A. is still the PLACE.

Bri Ana said...

Hey! I can see my house from here... So glad you had a wonderful evening with Big P. And be greatful there were no harpies trying to give you a drunken lap dance during the show. :)

MonkeyGurrrrrl said...

I agree with Ellen; with the Monkeygurrl in summer camp, I'm driving through BH every day. Histronically ugly McMansions are going up everywhere. Thats also why I love the SoRo area; much of that is left un-messed-around-with. I love the cute little 1 or 2 br houses with their crazy colors and rose bushes.

Sounds like you and the hubby had a great time. I'm happy for you!

christianne said...

How fun! I was at the Bowl on Tuesday to see the Phil ... I love the Bowl. It really is one of my happy places. Though it took us close to two hours to get there...

Anonymous said...

Arturo??!! Yes, very very good! I absolutely love his trumpet! I know that there is Maynard. But, Arturo gives that Latin flair that I so love in music. And, the movie was pretty good too....how can you not like a movie with Andy Garcia? But, yes, Arturo. YAY!

And, in other news. SG1, now back! Woo hoo!

My word verification? subdim....so, what's that about? LOL

stuffed said...

Love the Bowl story and totally agree on the remodels. My own neighborhood is full of them. Yech.

Maggie The LadyHawk said...

The Bowl! The Bowl! I've been twice, and it's been (oh my good Lord) twenty years! I must be old. You made me look up their schedule, just in case I visit my Aunt in Brea... Dave Mathews! I might have to go.

Anonymous said...

You scared me there for a minute - I was just about to say "hey what's wrong with those houses" on the good ones. One of the things I loved about LA is the Hollywood Bowl. It's THE place to catch anything. BTW, my bro lives just about where the "d" is on Mulholland.