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Showing posts with label Near-death Experiences. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Near-death Experiences. Show all posts

11.17.2009

New Moon Premiere In Los Angeles: A Little Disappointing...

If you ever plan to attend a premiere of the biggest movie of the year,
I recommend, from personal experience,
 that you don't do it...
unless you're willing [and crazy enough} to sleep on concrete for four days
in order to get tickets to stand behind metal barricades lining the red carpet.

Don't go only four hours before the premiere.
It'll take you forever to find a parking spot.
You'll be at the very end of the line
and you'll wait for hours and you'll constantly be told by the event managers
that maybe they'll let you in.


My 12-yr-old sister, Ruth, and my sister-in-law Mayra.
At least our shirts were cool :)




The second tower on the left is where the theater is. That was how long the line was.

Then they'll tell you about a half hour before it starts that you've been waiting in vain
and that there's no more room.
But that you're welcome to find a spot with a million other fans along
the barricades lining the street where the actors/guests pull up in
their limos and fancy cars.

And you'll do it because you've waited so long
and want to catch a glimpse, just a glimpse of them,
the actors you've seen hundreds of times on screen,
in pictures, on magazine covers, on tv.

The cars start to arrive,
black-tinted windows rolled up so it's impossible to see who's in them.
The brave ones roll them down just for a peek.
A couple, like Jackson Rathbone, Nikki Reed, and Alex Meraz,
wave to you and say nice things like,
"Hello!" and "Thank you!"
Others even take pictures of you.


Jackson Rathbone: Jasper


One of the werewolves; sorry I don't know which one.

And you wait,
knowing full well that the most anticipated-for actors will be last.
By then you've been pushed and prodded and have touched more body parts
not belonging to you than you've ever wanted to.


At least we got free vitamin and smart water...


A couple times Ruth & I stole away to walk to the front and see them setting up the red carpet. The fans {who got tickets to stand next to the carpet} were already in place a few hours before the premiere started.



You see Dakota Fanning, but she's too far away to take a picture.
There are other stars there, too.




Then more of the New Moon actors arrive on the scene.










Then...
you see him drive by in a non-tinted-windowed car,
wearing a tux and looking oh-so-Edwardly,
right hand hiding his smirk of a smile,
as if thinking, "Oh, boy, here we go again,"
and then thousands of girls are pointing and yelling,
"ROB! IT'S ROOOOOOOB!"

He gets out quick as lightning and is immediately surrounded by five bodyguards.
He walks over to sign autographs and his men are pushing the barricades back
as the fans are crying and reaching, and pushing.
He gets closer and closer and you can barely see him through the crowd,
but then, in the blink of an eye,
 he's gone.

And you know that's as close as you'll get to any of them.
Then Taylor arrives, and it's the same thing.
And finally Kristen.

I didn't even get to see her.
I am too short.





I don't regret going, because at least I caught a glimpse, if only a glimpse.
I didn't get autographs or great pictures
and I didn't touch or talk to any of "them."

But this was the biggest premiere of the year,
with about ten thousand fans in attendance.
So I had low expectations and now I know NOT to do it again.
I do want to attend more premieres--smaller, more intimate ones.
Just not ones having anything to do with Twilight.
I'm a little New-Mooned out.

I was reminded of a valuable lesson:
that I should be "in the world but not of the world."

And that I love the books so much better than the movies.

9.03.2008

What happens when 9 people get together and go Camping?


You get a whole TON of fun!

Franco's told me story after story about his Boy Scouting
days and the endless hikes and camping trips they had to do.
Well, we all had a chance to experience that, too--
minus the scout masters shouting "Get moving!" in your ear.
Upper Oso is a camping ground in the Santa Barbara mountains.
It is also the home of what is called the
 "Death March."
Let me tell you I didn't truly understand the meaning of the name until
about 4 O' Clock on Saturday afternoon.



Saturday morning we woke up at 5:00 am,
arrived at the meeting place in Oxnard at 6:30 am,
and arrived at the ranger station in the park at 8 am.
The station didn't open until 10:30
(I don't think the ranger cared that we were losing precious shade)
and we left for the trail at 11 am.
This picture was taken at 11 am on Sunday morning.


Here's a recap of what happened between 11 am on Saturday to 11am on Sunday:
The sun is scorching us, draining our energy and water.
By the 3rd mile, we're all out of water.
We stop every few minutes because we're all dehydrated and tired,
and most of us are carrying
70 lb. packs!

We finally find shade and Pepe and Cristian try to find water.
Franco and I go ahead about a mile and a half to see
if we can find a campground called "19 oaks*."

I break down crying 4 1/2 miles from where we started
at 3 pm and can't go any further.
We stop at a shady place and Franco says he feels sick.
We rest for about an hour and then head back to where
the rest of the group is waiting for water.
Franco decides he needs water now or he'll get heat stroke and
we leave our packs and walk all the way back to the car, 4 1/2 miles.

It takes about an hour.

We get to the car at 6 pm, and we leave for a little store to find cold water.
We then head over to his aunt's house, shower (heaven!)
and eat a nice dinner.
We get some rest (10 hours of heavenly sleep)
and head out on Sunday morning at 10 am
back to the campground where the group is.
We walk 3 1/2 miles and find the group at a water hole, and this is
where we left off with the pictures.

What an adventure!


Franco feels so much better!


On the way back to camp from the water hole


I fell in love with this field





Zahud, Yesi, Anelieze, & Franco


Zahud, Yesi, Franco, Anelieze, Roxy, Diego (back), Grisel, Cristian, and Pepe (front)

 


We brought Blink!
and got everyone addicted to it!

They tried to beat Franco, the champ, but failed.
Maybe next time!

*19 oaks was 2 miles into the hike (not 4) and we totally missed it. Figures.