The LA Metro

So, today I decided to go down and get my permits so that I can start performing in the next few days. L.A. can be a pretty lonely place when you have nothing to do all day, and I'd really like to get going on the busking.

So with that in mind, I got some help from Stevie to route my metro trip to take me to Santa Monica City Hall, the magical building where all the street performers are given little pieces of paper that allow them not to perform without fear of being accosted by the local blue people.

Well, I make it all the way to Downtown LA sans problem. It takes about a half hour to make it to the station, and my instructions say to get on Santa Monica 10. What the instructions fail to tell me is if this is a train, bus, taxi, or some sort of hot air balloon that will take me away to my desired destination. Turns out, it's a bus, but the designation for the bus is not "Santa Monica 10". No, that would be too easy. Turns out the designation for the bus is "BBB10" and the map outside the 7th Street Station tells me it stops at stops 22, 23, 24 and 29.

Well, stops 22, 23, and 24 are unfindable (it's a word...now) on this map, so I head down to stop 29. Well There isn't a stop 29. I found the stop for "BBB10". In fact I found it just as the "BBB10" was pulling out. Turns out "BBB10" stands for, and I'm not joking, Big Blue Bus 10 to Santa Monica, and the complicated metro map made me spend valuable minutes deciphering it instead of walking the ten minutes to the bus stop

So in my naivete, I assume that another bus will be along shortly. Well I wait for a full hour, and during that time I think "Well, they have to have two buses. It's an hour trip each way, so about 12:20 the other bus will be here."

During this wait, I watched an armored car pull out of what I can only assume to  be a bank across the street, and another armored car pull in. Turns out that if you stand in one spot, across from a secured bank entrance for an hour, the cops armed with AR-15's start getting twitchy. Luckily, about this time, the "BBB10" shows up.

And drives off. That's right. In Los Angeles, if you are standing under the bus stop sign with the designation of the bus approaching on the sign and make eye contact with the bus driver, he will pull in and out of the stop in less than a second. That's right. I had now waited a full hour and the bus, which was mostly empty, had tapped it's breaks at my stop and then pulled right back into traffic.

Perhaps he didn't see you, you say. Well, considering I was on the curb under the "BBB10" sign looking him in the eye and wearing a bright yellow shirt, I have to disagree. So, defeated, I headed back to the subway station. At least that one stops.

On the way back, there was a Metro employee helping people figure out where they were going. "Of course there is," I muttered as I approached the metro entrance. Then I paused for a moment, not able to believe my eyes. Could it be? The Big Blue Bus 10 to Santa Monica? It was!!! Hurray all was not lost. At least, until I fully read the display on the bus:

"BBB10 Santa Monica, Freeway Express, departure only"

Departure only? Departure only? How can a bus be departure only? Once the doors open, there isn't a field that only lets people through in one direction. So I watched as it passed, and defeated, walked back to the Metro Red Line to North Hollywood and came back to the apartment.

Once back, I remembered that I needed a passport photo to get a permit, so perhaps I wasn't defeated, but merely re-routed to the correct first destination. There's a passport photo place across the street from here.

So it's off to there and then to find fabric for my table top. Tomorrow...MAGIC CASTLE...and another attempt at the metro.

EDIT: spelling

Day Three

Today has been interesting.

It started with me waking up. That's it. Nothing fantastic in and of itself (other than knowing I didn't die) but the fun thing is that when I wake up here, I'm awake. There is no groggy feeling or need to return to the bed. Nope, just awake.

After waking, I sat with Stevie while she sewed some clothing for the Ren Faire she's went to today and then, after she left, I sat with my other host while he worked on some things and I wrote some lecture notes that will be sent off to the OAI soon.

I'm trying to write at least a set a week,  that way the OAI will have some backstock when they aren't sure what to do that week.

I've cut the top for my new busking table, now all that's left is to cover it and get a stand.

I'm about to head out again with my host to the best pizza place he knows.

Mmmmmm......pizzzzzzzaaaa...

A bit late...

I apologize for this posting being a day or two late, but things have been rather busy here.

So I made it to LA just fine. So far no mafia have threatened me and I haven't found the flourishing white female slave trade (FWFST for short). It seems no one here knows about the FWFST... it must be one of those "Best Kept Secrets" things.

I did make it to Venice Beach yesterday morning. I arrived at about 10am, which I found out is much to early for people to be there. Some shops were just setting up and even more weren't even open. I wandered down from the Venice pier to the Santa Monica Pier. It was a bit of a walk, but the Santa Monica Pier looks like a fantastic place to perform.

After that, I attempted to make my way to the Third Street Promenade, but the street sign pointed in the wrong direction, which in turn means that I walked to the end of 3rd street back into Venice. I made it a while, but my foot, not used to walking quite this much in one go and clothed only in flip-flops, decided to stage a coup, so I was forced into my first experience with the LA Public Transit System.

First, you should know that where I was, it was a dollar to get on the bus. Second, you should know I gave a dollar to a homeless guy who ranted about hanging a beer can from the giant hole in his ear. Third, and this isn't that important, after adding my dollar to their stash, they left to buy cocaine.

But the single most important part is that the bus driver doesn't care. Yeah. She doesn't care who you are or what you're doing; the road is her's and she is driving here! So yeah, after giving my dollar to hobos, All I had was a crummy old taped up dollar, which the machine wouldn't take. Luckily there were a few of us getting on the bus, so she just told me to sit down...moral: FREE BUS RIDES!!!

So I hung out at the Bakery for a bit and then headed home where we had some great food at some place I can't remember before heading out to an industrial goth club.

Yeah.

I wore a UtiliKilt (for those of us not versed in ren-faire talk, a UtiliKilt is a black kilt with cargo pockets. They're pretty awesome).

The club was pretty cool. From an academic standpoint, it's fascinating; from a how much whiskey is in a drink standpoint, way enough. From a Los Angeles standpoint, it was just another night.

I think that is what is going to shock me most is that everything strange or fascinating is just another day for most of these people.

Anyway, I'm staying home to rest my foot and to fix my leather servante so that when I get the permits to go busking, I can actually go.

Well that's it for me people! Until later.

Last day in Ft. Worth

So here I am, getting prepped for my flight tomorrow and there is a show about cheating in Vegas on TV. It's actually really funny because the people who are talking seem to know what they're talking about, but it still doesn't seem to have any sort of deterrent on people who use sophisticated sleight of hand or other sophisticated scams. It appears that the "eye in the sky" only takes action if something looks suspicious, which for sophisticated methods are never.

For most of us, myself included, cheating at Vegas is never something that you want to try. Vegas is highly sophisticated and quick reacting, so unless you're Richard Turner, don't try cheating!

EDIT: Spelling

On schedule

Well floks, it looks like despite the motorcycle setbacks, I will be arriving in Los Angeles on time (Wednesday or Thursday)! After that it's just a matter of grabbing the correct permits and figuring out how to get around sans motorcycle.

The flight I'm looking at wil leave me a three hour layover in Las Vegas so anyone up for a quick jaunt into Sin City to earn our millions? Just kidding, but I'm glad that my schedule isn't set back too much.

I will be getting a new table while I'm out there. I figured that since I won't be needing something to fold up that I would perfer stability on the table top. I'm still trying to figure out how to go about marketing myself while I'm out there, so any ideas on how to get myself booked for some parties, let me know!

TRF Auditions

I felt that auditions went very well. Jeff Baldwin has a way of making everyone feel amazing about working at TRF. I did my set and it went smashingly, so hopefully I receive a phone call soon!

Also, it was great to see all of my friends from Sherwood out there. I wish y'all luck with the auditions, and I can't wait to see everyone again.

DELAYED!!!

So folks, due to a series of unforeseen and (perhaps fortunate) events, I will be slightly delayed. I will still be leaving College Station in about an hour or so, but I will NOT be headed to LA on the motorcycle. That's right folks, not taking the bike.

Why, you ask? Because on the way to auditions, my license plate decided to jump ship and swim it's way to safety somewhere along Highway 6. On top of that, I learned today that my bike, which should be capable of going about 200 miles before hitting reserve, is capable of going about 100 before turning over. So it appears that the trip isn't at all possible on this motorcycle. So I will be booking a plane (time unknown) and flying to LA.