Boobapalooza Hollywood, California 2002 (Sept 7 - 8, 2002)

How It All Started...
Marlo bought tickets to go see "her man" Rick Springfield AGAIN and said why don't we all get together in L.A.. We had been wanting to go down south and see Stace again and to meet Karen B. anyway -- so, Hollywood here we come!

Friday Night
Marc couldn't come with us this time because of our house going on the market so he drove me down to Madera to spend the night over at Marlo's house. It's about 2.5 to 3 hours to her house barring no traffic, however there were grassfires so we got there at about 9 PM Friday night. Marc left to go back to San Francisco and we all went to sleep a few hours later as we were leaving early the next morning. Or so we thought.

I stayed up a little to watch Discovery Channel (my vice) until I could fall asleep and heard creaking until at least 1:30 AM - The creaking did not keep me up at all Discovery Channel did. However, I was thinking, "do they have ghosts??" Mark, Marlo's husband, explained to me that they in fact did NOT have ghosts LOL! but that he does chores until after Kirsten and Marlo have fallen asleep. I normally go to sleep at about 4 am anyway so I had to take Excedrin PM to fall asleep.

Saturday Morning
Mark comes down at what my poor eyes believe is about 6:16 AM is actually 8:16 AM, we had to leave at 9 or 9:30 AM. I was thinking, 'well I can certainly go back to sleep as it is 3 hours before we have to leave and NO ONE gets up this early.' I thought to myself, "wow Mark is really anal before a trip," when in fact I just need my eyes fixed and need to get out of bed!

Kendra gets there at 9 AM and we chat until we leave. We all finished packing the car and ate a little something. I packed my three cans of tuna with full intentions of eating well on the way there as I always do, which I must admit I didn't stick to. Who eats well on a road trip? We finally left at about 10:15 AM and stopped to get gas and wash the Explorer. It starts. Some moron decides steal our car wash or not pay attention and pulls in super far so that only her back window and trunk get washed - on Mark's dollar! She keeps trying to back up, it just doesn't happen. People start getting out of their cars because we are telling her to drive through because she is messing up the order. A woman gets out of her car and starts getting ghetto with the two offending women. By now it is just hilarious. I should have taken a picture. The attendant has to come out, order the lady to get out of there because the machine won't work anymore due to the proximity of the car. There are soap suds all over the place and customers are getting close to rioting. The attendant wound up trading receipts with us for a new code because the lady took ours somehow. Half an hour later, we leave. Kendra is following us in her car because she needs to get back early Sunday.

Arrival In L.A.
We get into L.A. at about 4 PM, check into the hotel on the which is supposed to be a non smoking room -- it clearly reeks of smoke and Mark is allergic to smoke, so off he goes to get another room. The move us up to the 11th floor with a perfect view of Sunset Blvd and the Hollywood sign on the hills. We are surrounded by movie and sound studios and only a stone's throw away from Capitol Records' recording studio. Palms trees were everywhere, the sun shone right in our HUGE picture window, so very L.A. I felt like I was "home."

Time to go shopping! I need a top for going out tonight. We head one street over to Hollywood Blvd. and search high and low. No luck, everything is backless or strapless -- no can do with these boobs. Looks like I am wearing what I brought, joy. I had some lady take a pic of me from her car -- weird. Marlo and I had a great time, poor Mark though, driving around in circles until we were finished. Don't worry, we were really fast. I also bought some postcards to send off but of course forgot to send them FROM Hollywood so, now that I am home I am going to send them to Hilary so she can send them from LA, LOL! Pathetic.

Going Out on the Town At CityWalk
Time to get ready! We did well for sharing a bathroom, LOL! Although we were late getting to Hardrock Cafe in Hollywood. We got there and no one had showed up yet, or rather they did but left because we were pretty late. Then Marlo's Rick friends started trickling in. They were a hoot! The manager of Hardrock shouted out, "Who's here for the Rick Springfield Concert?" Well I was in the bathroom at the time so I only heard it all, I SWEAR to you I heard Marlo's voice above everyone else's. LOL!! And tere were TONS screaming women that we didn't know who were there for Rick as well. They were some really great gals.

Marlo takes off a little before 8 PM with her Rick friends to go to the concert. Mark (Marlo's hubby), Kirsten and I take off for Cafe Tu Tu Tango's for which we have an 8 PM reservation for 10. Well ten did NOT show up for dinner.

Kristina & Jason show up later. They advised they went to Hardrock but we weren't there. Shame!! We were late, I know! :( Kristina tells me she is now a linebacker/running back for the California Quakes! A woman's professional football team -- full contact! You go Kristina!! Good luck on your two games in Hawaii coming up!

Stace (Ace) & her friend Kirsten #2 show up - Kirsten is a beauty. All natural mind you. Must be nice, hehe. She showed me her new tats, I am jealous. She is so cool, tats or no -- she is just a truly wonderful person. I love me some Ace.

Then Hilary finally shows up at 9:30 PM - as to be expected in the cutest outfit and matching furry hat. Hilary is one of my best friends. We met her several years ago on the Internet when she needed someone to take care of her after a surgery (no she doesn't have implants). We drove down to LA and helped her out and ever since we've been great friends. She is one of the most unique and no BS type of person I have ever met. She takes no crud from anyone, is highly independent and extremely intelligent. She is also a bit of a freak, just kidding Hil -- you know you're my girl!

We order dinner which was pretty good, Kristina and Jason ordered a slice of CREME BRULEE CHEESECAKE OMG! I had A bite and I remarked that it should be made illegal. I could have eaten a whole piece but I figured I was getting enough calories from the Kahlua. Obsessed much?

We trot downstairs, okay some of us stumbled downstairs but who's keeping track?? And met up with Marlo and the Rick Gang. Many of us had been drinking a little bit by this time, as you can see in the pics.


Hilary, M & Marlo	M & Marlo - sauced	Kirsten, Stace & M


Kirsten, Stace, Hilary & M	Kirsten, Stace, Hilary & M

We later walked around wanting to find some great dance music. For some reason we didn't make it to the Rhumba Room so I dragged Hilary into a fountain with me that you can walk into and ideally, TIME the water spouts. My timing was way off. We were drenched. Some idiot says "You're supposed to time it before you run into it." Oh yeah, ya think?? But I am sure we didn't care at the time.

Residual's On Ventura
Hilary gets this bright idea to go to some club on Ventura -- the other girls were like yeah, let's go. Okay whatever, let's go then. By this time a Barn Dance would have been appealing. We get to the unnamed club and of course if there is an English guy to be found he WILL find Hilary, it never fails. He strolls up and Hilary of course must put him in his place. He asks her out, she says "As if!".

Then some dude who resembles Kramer from Seinfield sloshes up to the bar as I am waiting what seems like hours for the bartender to make my drink and says to me, "How do you like the music?" I reply, "It's really lame." He gets all bent out of shape; how was I to know he was the bass player? I am sorry but an 70's cover band is not my style. All I remember hearing all night was "Rolling on a River" and some other song I cannot recall. So he gets snitty, tells me I am bitter because I can't "have" the bartender. *Where did THAT come from?* He proceeds to tell me that the bartender is gay and that I am just mad because I can't have him. Like I said, where did THAT come from?? I then told him I am very taken and that I am simply waiting on my drink. He stills calls me bitter so I tell him a few choice words and to get out of my face. What a weirdo. That ruined the night so I get tossed into get-out-of-my-way mode. I am more than ready to leave. Next thing I notice my camera is GONE. I think "Kramer" stole it.

I decide to get quarters for the pool table. I haven't played pool in years but it was better than listening to Mr. English try to convince Hilary to go out with him on one side and to deal with "Kramer" calling me bitter on the other. There is a long waiting list, gee. So I go sit down, still steaming about the "Kramer" incident. Marlo sees me and proceeds to give me a pseudo lap dance to make me laugh. I am of course laughing my butt off and a little embarrassed, until I notice NO ONE is looking nor do they care that Marlo is doing this. I guess everything goes in Hollywood. LOL! I must say Marlo could make some serious cash if she did that professionally. Good Lawd!

Okay I am READY TO GO. I can no longer take it so I decide to go outside and get fresh air until they catch up. I am forced to listen to what seems like hours of some putz on a brand new, low end, stock Harley and perfectly gelled hair spout one liners to these 3 girls. I had had enough. I then have to pipe in about his low rent attempts and how lame he and his stock Harley are. LOLOL! He chides back "What do YOU know about bikes??" Don't get me started lil man. By now he is clearly embarrassed in front of these chicks, who are cracking up. He starts rambling on, very upset, acting very typical as his ego hits the floor. I can't even remember all that he said, he was grasping at straws. He putts off on his shiny, new, stock Harley fuming, I am sure. A few girls went up to me, apparently they had overheard me talking about breast implants to someone and asked for the site address. Just another day in LA.

We catch a cab back to Hilary's, then onto our own hotel. We talked with the security guard for a spell, got junk food from the second floor vending machine and then bothered Kendra who was fast asleep. She screams, "what do you want I am sleeping!" It's like 2:20 AM, WAKE UP. No dice. I still can't get over that everything closes at 2 AM in California.

Karen, Marlo, Dee & Marianne

Lunch at Saddle Ranch on Sunset Blvd.
We get up and get ready, running late AGAIN. Hilary calls, she needs a ride, the ignition in her Lexus SUV died the night before. We finally get there and poor Dee, Karen B. & Andrew have been waiting so long their stomachs have begun eating their intestines. We pour out of Marlo's SUV in a hungover blur only to sit out in the sun, which is what we all wanted. BUT sun and hangovers do not mix, so inside we went.

The service was awful, the food almost as bad. However we did get to meet one of the girls from MTV's Road Rules. I don't follow the show but Kirsten (Marlo's daughter) knows who it is so they took pics together. Notice my crooked hat, I am not all there, too tired, not hungry and ready to go to sleep. I am so glad I got to meet Karen and see Dee again as well. BTW I do not wear this hat, ever, I just brought it for the Saddle Ranch luncheon.

After lunch we all squeezed back into the SUV at about 1:30 pm and off we went. Mark and Marlo talked quietly the whole time like best friends (how sweet!!) while Kirsten and I slept on and off. I must have been so dehydrated because I did not have to go to the bathroom until late night when I got home.

We pulled up at 5:50 PM and Marc pulled up by 6:30 (he had just driven from San Fran to Madera to pick me up). Said our goodbyes and well, off we went to SF. Next stop Boobapalooza San Francisco!