LA Life

A high school friend of my roommate flew in from Thailand yesterday (Friday), and my roommate's birthday is today, so they invited Corey and I to go out with them and some friends last night.  We went to a place called Wurstküche in downtown LA.  It was really cool!  They serve German sausages and Belgian fries with a variety of homemade dipping sauces.  They have not one, but 3 vegetarian sausages there!  I tried the Vegetarian Italian, which had fennel, garlic, red peppers & eggplant.  You also get to pick out 2 toppings, so I tried it with caramelized onions and sauerkraut.  It was really good.  Corey and I split some fries and we tried it with Curry Ketchup and Chipotle Aioli.  We also tried some of the pesto mayo that someone else ordered.  The Curry Ketchup was good, but I wasn't as impressed with it as Corey made it seem like I should be.  I really liked the other 2 though.  Corey was also super excited that they had a whole collection of mustards on the tables.  They also serves a variety of German and Belgian beers.

It's an interesting place.  It's not really IN downtown LA, it's a couple of streets over.  It's just this little place on a corner that you might miss if you weren't looking for it, with the exception of the line of people going out the door.  Once inside there's a little area with a deli case that you can see all of the sausages in, a drink case, the register, and behind it all, you can see them grilling the sausages and frying the fries.  Since there was a line they took drink orders while you were waiting, and brought it to you to drink while you waited.  After you order, pay, and get your number, you go down a little hallway into the back room.  The back room not only has a completely different feel, but it has several different feels.  The tables are just long picnic tables put together in rows covered with brown paper.  There's another bar in back, and there's a DJ playing music.  It's dark, and it almost feels like a night club.  Except, people are sitting around eating.  It's hard to explain.  If anyone comes to visit, we can go there if you want.

Corey looking creepy with our food

As I said, today was my roommate Mary's birthday.  Her and some friends went to a mud run they have here every month.  I didn't go, but I saw pictures and it looks like a ton of fun.

A good part of today was spent looking through job postings online.  I came across a few places I'm going to stop by on Monday.

I happened to log into my Facebook this afternoon, and in the current newsfeed there was a posting from Central Casting looking for men and women that looked to be in their 20's-40's.  I mentioned it to Corey and he called the number.  Guess who has a job as a background actor on Monday!!!  :oD 

And, because I forgot to post it before, my awesome homemade Black Bean Soup!

 

GRANT

GRANT and Corey discovered Central Casting has new member registration on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays.  Central Casting is kind of like a database for background actors.  Having nothing else to do Monday, I went along with GRANT and Corey to the 2:30 registration time.  We printed off all of the paperwork ahead on time, and showed up about 2:30.  There was already a line outside.  About a dozen people before us, they rant out of room :(  So, we took GRANT to Ikea!  Thus, the day was spent playing around and being unproductive.  After Ikea we had dinner at Fuddruckers, then wandered around the shopping area of downtown Burbank.  There was a really cool used book store that I'll have to go back to once I read some of the books I brought with me.

Tuesday we met up with Sophie, who moved out here about a week before Corey and I did.  It happened to be the same day as the annual community BBQ for the complex she lives at.  So we got free food.  Not only did they have veggie burgers, but they cleaned a section of the grill off without me even asking, and the lady in charge asked the guys to keep a section clean just for veggie burgers.  I love LA.

Wednesday Corey and I went back to Central Casting.  GRANT had to work, so he told us to go without him.  We got there about 1:30 this time, and there was already a bit of a line outside.  Luckily we got there when we did because the line got really long soon after.  It was even longer than it was on Monday by the time 2:30 rolled around.  We made it in this time. The first hour or so was spent filling out the paperwork, which we had already filled out.  It sucked because we had to sit through it, but was nice because they explained some parts better.  Then they went over how to call the line to get jobs, what to do if they accept you, wardrobe, and some other stuff.  Then we waited in line for them to check over our paper work and have a head shot taken.  So, Corey and I are now in their system and can start getting work as background actors!  Grant is hopefully going next week Monday or Wednesday because on Thursday they have a free hour long class you can take.  I think it's just going over the basics of being on set and what to do as a background actor, but it goes in your profile and casting directors do look at it.

By the time we got out it was after 5, and we were getting hungry, so we went to check out the malls in Burbank.  We ended up eating at this awesome, decently priced, little Mediterranean/Greek place.  It looked very family owned and was awesome.  I ate too much.  Then we walked around the actual shopping areas.  Burbank has their own 3 story mall!  I noticed it has a TON of shoe stores.  Wednesday night we met up with GRANT and his roommate after he got out of work because their local bar has half off Wednesdays.  It was fun, met some people, but nothing super interesting there.

Thursday was spent catching up on some things at home.  You may or may not have noticed, no where in this blog have I mentioned job hunting...  I did a little of this Thursday, but this week was doing more settling in and meeting up with people.  But I'm finally feeling caught up and less overwhelmed.  :)

Ikea and Rockstars

Saturday night we moved all of our stuff in, then slept in super late Sunday.  Who knew driving for 4 days could be so exhausting!  Sunday afternoon was spent playing at Ikea.  And when I say playing, I mean wearing a red trash can on my head pretending to be Devo, hitting Corey with cushions, climbing through the children's tunnel, etc.  It was my first time at Ikea, and there's so much stuff there!  And a lot of it's cheap compared to everywhere else.  I think it would have taken just as long even if I didn't spend so much time goofing off. We got some stuff so we had places to put things as we unpacked.  We made another trip there Tuesday, and I think we're going to have to go back one more time.

Monday we went to the Glendale Galleria.  I'm not a fan of crowds and huge stores, but the 3 story Target was pretty awesome!  There's SO much in that mall, and it's SO close!  It's weird how a couple of streets over it's a super busy, downtown area, then where I am is all residential.  I also found the Melinda store at the Galleria.  It's called Sockbroker.  They have all sorts of colored/patterned stockings, tutus, fuzzy boot covers.  I made it a point to not go in because I would have spent forever looking around and probably tried to buy a bunch of stuff.  Once I have a job I'll have to go look.  Or I could just get a job there :)

Monday night was spent at the famous Whisky a Go Go.  If you don't know what the Whisky is, you should read it's wikipedia page.  Many famous bands have played there or got their start there.  Why was I there?  As you may or may not know, a couple of years ago I befriended a band from Texas called One-Eyed Doll.  They're on tour with Otep again, another band I like.  I was supposed to go to their show in Battle Creek last month, but it was cancelled.  We did meet up for lunch in Grand Rapids the next day though.  I was talking about how I was moving to LA, and it turns out they were playing a show in Hollywood 2 days later.  They said Corey and I had to come out to the show, and they'd introduce us to their contacts out there.  So, little Melinda from Battle Creek, MI was at the famous Whisky a Go Go hanging out with rock stars in Hollywood, CA.  :oD

Kimberly of One-Eyed Doll

Otep

Me with Otep!!!

New friends!

After the show we got to hang out with the other VIPs because Corey and I have become unofficial lifetime VIPs.  We crammed 7 of us into their tour van - there were 3 people sitting on the back bed area with me lying across it in front of them, and 3 people in the front seats. I wish I could have gotten a picture of it! They played us 3 tracks off of the new album that hasn't been released yet.  Since Kimberly and Jason couldn't fit into the van with us, they were outside singing along and dancing for us.  They put on quite the show :) Afterwards we all went to Mel's Diner down the road.  I had my first celebrity siting here.  Unfortunately it was adult film star Ron Jeremy.  At some point in the night Kimberly mentioned she liked my skirt and boots (which were hand glitter sprayed painted for my Halloween costume, per Stephanie's suggestion).  Her and Jason are coming back through the LA area when the tour's over and wanted to meet up, and I told Kimberly we should spend the whole day making new costumes for her.  That would make my year if I could spend the whole day making costumes for her.  I wouldn't even need to get paid!  It'd be awesome if I got to the point where I just got paid to make crazy costumes all day.  That's why I came out here :)

We didn't get home until after 4am, so most of Tuesday was spent sleeping.  Then there was another trip to Ikea to get a few more things now that we were partially unpacked and had a better idea of what we needed.

Wednesday we FINALLY signed the lease and got our own keys.

Thursday we learned that Corey's friend Grant had moved to LA about a week before we did and was currently staying at a place only about 15 minutes away!  So Thursday night we hung out with him.

Friday was  spent catching up on things and then another trip out for more groceries we decided we needed.  It's awesome because Whole Foods, Ralphs (think Spartan Store), and Trader Joe's are all right by each other.  Whole Foods is awesome, but may cause me to go broke.  It's definitely a once in a while for special items type of place :)  I haven't been to Trader Joe's yet, but I've heard lots of good things about it.

Saturday we finally checked out one of the Goodwills near by.  We bought a few kitchen things, and I got a dress and skirt to alter.  :oD  Then we went and walked about the Americana.  It's another giant mall, but it's outside.  It's also right across the street from the Galleria I mentioned earlier.  It's crazy the amount of shopping that goes on around here.  And it's right down the road from me!

Next week, in addition to looking for a job, will hopefully be spent meeting up with other people I know who are in the area.  Plus maybe that other trip to Ikea for a book shelf so I can finish unpacking...

My new home!

Giant bedroom

Giant Closet

Corey has too much stuff!

Cool light over the sink.  There's also a skylight near by!

Red living room pre-couch

Fireplace, if it ever gets cold in LA

My cool front door!

Boog, the greatest dog ever!  He's one of my new roommates!

Boog, sitting like a person.  He does this often.

A view from down the street.  Yup, I live with palm trees now!

The view from the roof, which I have access to from my balcony

Once I finish settling in and get things fully unpacked I'll have to show you my sewing corner set up!  Also, Corey and my roommate's boyfriend, Angelo, are currently out getting a couch from Angelo's place to use in our living room, so I can get pictures of that.  Maybe a picture of our kitchen too, but it's hard to tell from pictures how much space there is.

So, when are you all coming to visit?

Driving Day 4

View from the motel

Another view from the motel

Saturday morning started out in Arizona, so I got to see lots of the scenery in day light.  Here are some of the million pictures I took.  Again, they don't show how truly awesome the views were.  Corey had never been out in this area, and was for some reason not awestruck by the scenery.  I've come to the conclusion that he must have no soul :)  If you haven't figured it out yet, you can click on a picture and it'll give you a slideshow thingy of the bigger versions of them.

Magic floating clothes basket in the sky!

Watch for Moose?  Elk?

Stupid semi ruining my picture!

And we made it into California!!!!

Soon after my tripometer hit 999.9 for the second time

At least it happened while going 65 as opposed to 80

Cow was not a fan of being stuffed in the car for 4 days

We stopped for lunch at Juicy's Famous River Cafe in Needles, CA.  I don't know why it's famous, but it was another fun little place.  And better than eating at chain fast food restaurants the whole way down.  And, Saturday night, we finally made it to our new home!!!!

YAY!  No more driving!!!!

Driving Day 3

Because of the rain, Friday started as a gloomy day in Oklahoma.

 But we made it to Texas!

We stopped for gas and food  at a rest stop in Texas, where you can still smoke inside.  I'd gotten so used to Michigan's smoking ban that it was really weird walking in and seeing people smoking and ash trays on the tables.

Funny sign in the rest stop restroom

Scenery driving through TX

Corey's car about to enter New Mexico

Scenery in New Mexico

We stopped in Tucumcari, NM for gas, and discovered they had a dinosaur museum.  So of course we checked it out.  Here are a few photos from the adventure.  Facebook friends can see the whole album of 44 if they really want.

It says Jurassic Wrestler, not Boxer

 

???

He was not impressed with Corey's drawing

I managed some pictures while driving through New Mexico, but I really wish I could have stopped every 10 minutes to get out and take pictures.  I also wish the pictures looked as awesome as the scenery actually was.

Sun setting in NM when we stopped for dinner

We made it to Arizona.  Unfortunately it was dark so I missed some of the scenery.  I love AZ.  I went there once in High School and loved it so much I wanted to move there.  Maybe after becoming a famous costume designer, I'll retire to AZ.  Friday night we stayed in Flagstaff, AZ.