G:LAB - the RE:CAP

As always, the "getting somewhere" part of being an L.A. native without wheels is not without it's speedbumps (so to speak). The school bell rang at 5pm on Friday and I rushed home to get ready. The drill was the usual going out prep work: a quick meal (microwaved Gardenburger and a glass of water), shower, shave, zit check (frightfully out of control, I'm sad to report), hair fussing (I opted for a blow dryer), and final check. I was ready to go. As I said my goodbyes, however, my roommate (let's just call her Eunice for the hell of it) refused to allow me to take the bus to the subway station. She's always going Mom on me like that - for some reason, she thinks I'm going to be assualted on the bus. Like I don't take it back and forth to the gym a few times a week. Luckily, I was able to talk her out of making her boyfriend drive me all the way to WeHo (she doesn't love the idea of me riding the subway, either). This wasn't, after, my junior prom. So what's my point? I don't have the first set of pictures I was hoping to start a little photo essay with. I should have just snapped some on the ride to the station. C'est la vie.

Anyhow, my journey began in earnest at the Universal City station. Here's J. (why can't I ever take a non-blurry photo of myself?) waiting for his train to arrive:


(Did I forget to mention or show evidence that I went blond almost a month ago? I've already done one touch up to put in some lowlights. And if you must know, I'm giving a bored look to the teenage who decided to turn the waiting room into their own personal Tunnel Of Love...)

The train meant just for J. arrives in a blur of metal. The arrival of a subway is always a somewhat surreal experience. Your first clue is the wind rushing through the tunnel (based on its direction, you know which train is coming). Then you see a light at the turn and finally the sound. Then before you know it - whoosh! - your carriage awaits. This Friday, the train was damn near empty. I managed to get a blurry shot of the map they post along the top:



My start is that blurry point at the far left and my stop is all of two points away. The inside of the train always makes me think of Space Mountain.

In no time flat, I arrive. I wave goodbye from above to my coach and we're off.


Sadly, this is where the photo essay attempt ends. I hopped the bus that took me right to the corner of Crystal & Whole Foods (aka Fairfax & Melrose) and got right into the bar. I just about forgot I even had a camara on me from that point on. (I tell ya - FB's way better at this stuff than me.)

The night is a blissful blur - I mingled with some nice new people (something I haven't done since, oh, forever), reconnected with some people I knew already (Love the shirt, Jason!), and people watched (thanks for sharing in the snark, David!). Also: I managed to get not one, but two drinks bought for me out of the whopping three it took to get me tipsy (thanks, Prozac!). Granted, Jason and David did the buying, but still, free drinks are free drinks and smart boys don't turn down cute boys when they offer to buy you a vodka tonic or a screwdriver. Most surprising blogger of the night: this guy. Back when we were mere children, as in not old enough to drink, we used go dancing to a long-gone club called Axis (it's now called Factory, but I don't know what it's like - I've never been much of a clubber cause I can't dance.)

So, next time I go to such an event, I promise to do one of two things: bring along FB or be more diligent with the camara work. And if anyone ever makes it to L.A., at least one drink is on this cute boy.

-J.

This post was sponsored by the Who Knew Blogging Could Be Social? Committee.