All of this really happened... honestly!
Saturday was a ridiculously eventful day, and not
just because of the wedding...
We left the day before, on Friday, for the
rehearsal, Shabbat service (it was a Jewish wedding), and the rehearsal dinner.
On the way to the Valley, the moving company called to ask if they could come on
Tuesday instead of Wednesday. I don't know why, but I said yes. When we got to
my parents' place, I discovered that I'd forgotten all of my toiletries. Oh,
well. I remembered my tux and my video camera, and that was the main
thing.
Saturday morning started early with the shoot at LAX. We were getting some establishing drive-by shots of the car that Eddie and the driver were in meaning that John, the actor who played the driver (and whose car we used) had to meet me down there. Many thanks to him for doing that. I was also thankful for the new cellphone I'd picked up on Thursday because of the built-in bluetooth allowing me to wear a wireless headset, keep the phone in my pocket, and talk to John easily as he drove by with me filming from curb side. About halfway through the shoot, though, the audio in my phone stopped working. The phone was fine - fully charged with plenty of signal - I just couldn't get any sound out of it. A minor complication. After we'd finished and I got back to my car, I messed around with the phone a little and came to the conclusion that it was broken. I was sure that at some point before the move, I could manage to swing by a Verizon store and exchange it. Ah, well. Not a big deal.
The traffic on the 405 was dreadful, so I decided to take the coast with a quick stop for fast food in Santa Monica. It was just after I had turned onto Colorado Boulevard, however, that the trouble started. My air conditioning shut off for no apparent reason. I turned it on again, but it immediately shut off. I just couldn't believe my luck. I hit the window button and watched in horror as the window very, very slowly wound down - about 1/3rd of the regular speed. Something was definitely up.
As I was waiting in line at Jack in the Box (gotta love those Ultimate cheeseburgers - the only burger I can safely eat while I drive), I noticed the "Check Engine" and "ABS" warning lights had come on. The car still felt fine, though. I assumed I was having a bit of an electrical problem, got my burger, and pressed on.
A brief aside, here: As I had entered Santa Monica, I thought, "you know, L.A.'s not so bad - there are some really beautiful places. I think there's a lot of stuff I'm going to miss." When I made the left onto Lincoln from Colorado, I hit massively gridlocked traffic. Okay, so I'm not going to miss THAT. After getting the burger and heading down Arizona, the traffic stopped right in front of an altercation. A man in a convertible Corvette, I guess, had gotten a little too close to a woman who was now standing right at the driver's door of his car screaming, "you didn't have to try to run me over, you goddamned f**king son of a bitch." He yelled back at her and tried to open the door, but she blocked it with her legs. He forced it open, pushing her back into the street and got right in her face, screaming at her. I was sure it was going to come to blows. As I edged farther away in traffic, watching in my rear view mirror, I thought "okay... yeah, I'm ready to get out of this town." Anyway...
After I got down the California Incline and turned onto PCH, I decided that, just in case something happened, I'd better roll my window up - didn't want to leave the car with the window down. Again, it was slow and after a few minutes, I realised that I just couldn't hack it without some kind of ventilation. When I hit the button to roll down the window, however, nothing happened. I'd finished my burger and had nothing else to think about except what was wrong with my car. I decided that it was probably the alternator. Still, the car was running okay.
Shortly after passing Sunset, however, the car started behaving strangely... losing power and faltering a little. As I turned onto Topanga Canyon, about three miles farther, the problems started getting worse and as I started to climb the fairly steep hill up to Fernwood a few miles into the canyon, I found myself in second gear doing 10 miles an hour praying that I'd make it up to the market. Just as I turned into the Fernwood Market parking lot, the steering froze up (power assisted), the car completely died, and I coasted to a stop in a parking spot. It was just after 1pm. I was supposed to be at the temple for pictures by 3:30. I've never felt quite so isolated with my cell phone dead. How did we ever survive without them? Oh, wait... pay phones! There were a couple of pay phones in front of the market, so I grabbed a quarter and went to call my folks... maybe get a ride and borrow their spare car or something. I popped the quarter in, and it asked for 75¢. Okay, I don't know when that happened, but 75¢ is just extortion. Back to the car, two more quarters, back the phone, and dialled the number again. "We're sorry. The number you have dialled is no longer in service." What?! I was there just a few hours ago. I used the phone, and it was fine! The pay phone didn't even give me my money back. I figured I'd try my luck with the second phone. Back to the car, another three quarters, to the second phone, dial, wait... "We're sorry. The number you have dialled is no longer in service." I was livid and out of pocket $1.50. Just then, a man walked out of the market. I explained what had happened and asked to use his cell phone. He looked sceptical but agreed. I dialled the number. "We're sorry. The number you have..." What the hell?!
"Excuse me. Is this an 818 phone?"
"Oh, no. 310. It's all 310 up here." Yeah... of course it was.
I dialled with the area code and got my dad. He told me my mum was about to go out shopping and would pick me up. Great. Progress. By this point, it was about 1:30. I decided that I should probably go and talk to the guy in the market about leaving my car.
"Hey, I've broken down on my way to a wedding. I've got a ride coming but wondered if it would be okay to leave my car in your parking lot 'til tomorrow. I just don't have time to deal with it right now."
"Nope."
"I'm sorry?"
"If you don't tow it, I will." He slid a business card across the counter - the number of a towing company. Again, I was having another little experience reinforcing my decision to move.
"Well... uh... okay. Look I know this sounds lame and sketchy, but my cell phone isn't working either. Can I use your phone?" I half expected him to say no to that, too.
He dialled the number for me, and the dispatcher told me they could have a tow truck there in about half an hour. That'd make it 2pm. The drive to the temple from my parents' house, on a normal day, would take about half an hour. I still needed to shower and get dressed (tuxes take a little while to put on), and I figured the drive from Topanga Canyon to Monaco Motors, the garage I've been using for years, would take about half an hour. Add on the time to get my car on and off the truck and the time it would take for my dad to pick me up and get me back to his house... well, it was looking like I might just barely make it. I hit "end" and gave the phone back to the market guy. I knew I had a little more time to kill so I thought I'd chat with him in the chance that might just relent and let me abandon my car for the time being. I still had a ride coming and could do without all of the towing hassle.
"So, yeah... weird thing with my phone. I only got it the day before yesterday, and the sound just suddenly stopped working a couple of hours ago."
"Did you charge it?" I hate it when people automatically assume you're as stupid as they are.
"Yes, it's fully charged."
"Did you try taking the battery out? I had the same kind of problem with a Cingular phone, and that's what the tech in the store did. Made me feel pretty stupid."
"That's a brilliant idea!" I popped the battery out, back in, turned the phone on, and bingo - sound! I felt bad for my "stupid as they are" thought moments earlier but still thought he was being an asshole. "Wow," I said. "Now if you could just fix my car, you'll have solved all of my problems!" He just looked at me. "Well, I'm going to wait outside for the truck. Thanks for your help."
I was connected again. I called my dad who called my mum on her cell phone to cancel my ride, but she wasn't answering. I called the groom who, I could tell, was trying to stay cool as he started to flip out. "You have to be there for pictures, man, you just have to! Do whatever it takes." I talked to my wife, the best man, and a couple of other people just to pass the time. By this point, at least a half an hour had passed. I called the towing company to see if the truck was at least on its way. Yep. Okay... not long now. My mum showed up while I was on the phone, and I related the whole story to her. She hadn't picked up her cell phone because she'd left it at home. "If you're going to leave it at home, then what's the point in..." I decided to drop it. Seeing as the plan was for me to borrow the car she was driving, she suggested that she go and run her errands so it would be available when I was ready. Good idea. She left, and I went and leaned on my car to wait...
... and wait...
... and wait.
The truck didn't show up until about 2:45. I called my dad as we neared Monaco Motors, and he was there waiting when we pulled up. I had to sign for the tow, pay ($30... $10 a mile after the first 7!), drop the key in the door (Monaco was closed), and my dad and I took off. When we got to my parents' place, it was 3:20 - ten minutes to shower, get dressed, and make a half hour drive.
I don't know how, but I managed to get to the temple just 15 minutes late. I was pretty knocked out with myself. Steve wasn't upset - I hadn't missed any pictures, really - and all of the other groomsmen had flasks of rum which they were more than happy to share with me. Instant relaxation. My car was in the shop, I had a loaner car, my cell phone was working again, and I really hadn't missed anything. The wedding went off without a hitch (except for a problem with the microphone), and everyone seemed to have a great time.
So because the movers are coming on Tuesday, tomorrow's the last day for packing. It's going to be tough - we have loads still to do. I expect this will be my last blog entry from this address. We'll be staying at my parents' house from Tuesday until we hit the road on Friday... and that's it... Canada! I didn't sell my car (probably a good thing), I didn't manage to sell Murray "the K"'s desk, but I filmed everything I needed for the L.A. portion of "Due North" and made it to the temple more-or-less on time. It's been a frenetic, crazy few weeks, and I'll be quite relieved to get underway.
For now, though, I think I'll end this entry with a few pictures from the wedding...
... and to Steve and Janet, mazel tov!
The bride and groom with the bride's mother.
Your faithful blogger looking stiff as a carp.
Groomsman Kurt Lohmiller altogether far too excited about something.
The reception.
Saturday morning started early with the shoot at LAX. We were getting some establishing drive-by shots of the car that Eddie and the driver were in meaning that John, the actor who played the driver (and whose car we used) had to meet me down there. Many thanks to him for doing that. I was also thankful for the new cellphone I'd picked up on Thursday because of the built-in bluetooth allowing me to wear a wireless headset, keep the phone in my pocket, and talk to John easily as he drove by with me filming from curb side. About halfway through the shoot, though, the audio in my phone stopped working. The phone was fine - fully charged with plenty of signal - I just couldn't get any sound out of it. A minor complication. After we'd finished and I got back to my car, I messed around with the phone a little and came to the conclusion that it was broken. I was sure that at some point before the move, I could manage to swing by a Verizon store and exchange it. Ah, well. Not a big deal.
The traffic on the 405 was dreadful, so I decided to take the coast with a quick stop for fast food in Santa Monica. It was just after I had turned onto Colorado Boulevard, however, that the trouble started. My air conditioning shut off for no apparent reason. I turned it on again, but it immediately shut off. I just couldn't believe my luck. I hit the window button and watched in horror as the window very, very slowly wound down - about 1/3rd of the regular speed. Something was definitely up.
As I was waiting in line at Jack in the Box (gotta love those Ultimate cheeseburgers - the only burger I can safely eat while I drive), I noticed the "Check Engine" and "ABS" warning lights had come on. The car still felt fine, though. I assumed I was having a bit of an electrical problem, got my burger, and pressed on.
A brief aside, here: As I had entered Santa Monica, I thought, "you know, L.A.'s not so bad - there are some really beautiful places. I think there's a lot of stuff I'm going to miss." When I made the left onto Lincoln from Colorado, I hit massively gridlocked traffic. Okay, so I'm not going to miss THAT. After getting the burger and heading down Arizona, the traffic stopped right in front of an altercation. A man in a convertible Corvette, I guess, had gotten a little too close to a woman who was now standing right at the driver's door of his car screaming, "you didn't have to try to run me over, you goddamned f**king son of a bitch." He yelled back at her and tried to open the door, but she blocked it with her legs. He forced it open, pushing her back into the street and got right in her face, screaming at her. I was sure it was going to come to blows. As I edged farther away in traffic, watching in my rear view mirror, I thought "okay... yeah, I'm ready to get out of this town." Anyway...
After I got down the California Incline and turned onto PCH, I decided that, just in case something happened, I'd better roll my window up - didn't want to leave the car with the window down. Again, it was slow and after a few minutes, I realised that I just couldn't hack it without some kind of ventilation. When I hit the button to roll down the window, however, nothing happened. I'd finished my burger and had nothing else to think about except what was wrong with my car. I decided that it was probably the alternator. Still, the car was running okay.
Shortly after passing Sunset, however, the car started behaving strangely... losing power and faltering a little. As I turned onto Topanga Canyon, about three miles farther, the problems started getting worse and as I started to climb the fairly steep hill up to Fernwood a few miles into the canyon, I found myself in second gear doing 10 miles an hour praying that I'd make it up to the market. Just as I turned into the Fernwood Market parking lot, the steering froze up (power assisted), the car completely died, and I coasted to a stop in a parking spot. It was just after 1pm. I was supposed to be at the temple for pictures by 3:30. I've never felt quite so isolated with my cell phone dead. How did we ever survive without them? Oh, wait... pay phones! There were a couple of pay phones in front of the market, so I grabbed a quarter and went to call my folks... maybe get a ride and borrow their spare car or something. I popped the quarter in, and it asked for 75¢. Okay, I don't know when that happened, but 75¢ is just extortion. Back to the car, two more quarters, back the phone, and dialled the number again. "We're sorry. The number you have dialled is no longer in service." What?! I was there just a few hours ago. I used the phone, and it was fine! The pay phone didn't even give me my money back. I figured I'd try my luck with the second phone. Back to the car, another three quarters, to the second phone, dial, wait... "We're sorry. The number you have dialled is no longer in service." I was livid and out of pocket $1.50. Just then, a man walked out of the market. I explained what had happened and asked to use his cell phone. He looked sceptical but agreed. I dialled the number. "We're sorry. The number you have..." What the hell?!
"Excuse me. Is this an 818 phone?"
"Oh, no. 310. It's all 310 up here." Yeah... of course it was.
I dialled with the area code and got my dad. He told me my mum was about to go out shopping and would pick me up. Great. Progress. By this point, it was about 1:30. I decided that I should probably go and talk to the guy in the market about leaving my car.
"Hey, I've broken down on my way to a wedding. I've got a ride coming but wondered if it would be okay to leave my car in your parking lot 'til tomorrow. I just don't have time to deal with it right now."
"Nope."
"I'm sorry?"
"If you don't tow it, I will." He slid a business card across the counter - the number of a towing company. Again, I was having another little experience reinforcing my decision to move.
"Well... uh... okay. Look I know this sounds lame and sketchy, but my cell phone isn't working either. Can I use your phone?" I half expected him to say no to that, too.
He dialled the number for me, and the dispatcher told me they could have a tow truck there in about half an hour. That'd make it 2pm. The drive to the temple from my parents' house, on a normal day, would take about half an hour. I still needed to shower and get dressed (tuxes take a little while to put on), and I figured the drive from Topanga Canyon to Monaco Motors, the garage I've been using for years, would take about half an hour. Add on the time to get my car on and off the truck and the time it would take for my dad to pick me up and get me back to his house... well, it was looking like I might just barely make it. I hit "end" and gave the phone back to the market guy. I knew I had a little more time to kill so I thought I'd chat with him in the chance that might just relent and let me abandon my car for the time being. I still had a ride coming and could do without all of the towing hassle.
"So, yeah... weird thing with my phone. I only got it the day before yesterday, and the sound just suddenly stopped working a couple of hours ago."
"Did you charge it?" I hate it when people automatically assume you're as stupid as they are.
"Yes, it's fully charged."
"Did you try taking the battery out? I had the same kind of problem with a Cingular phone, and that's what the tech in the store did. Made me feel pretty stupid."
"That's a brilliant idea!" I popped the battery out, back in, turned the phone on, and bingo - sound! I felt bad for my "stupid as they are" thought moments earlier but still thought he was being an asshole. "Wow," I said. "Now if you could just fix my car, you'll have solved all of my problems!" He just looked at me. "Well, I'm going to wait outside for the truck. Thanks for your help."
I was connected again. I called my dad who called my mum on her cell phone to cancel my ride, but she wasn't answering. I called the groom who, I could tell, was trying to stay cool as he started to flip out. "You have to be there for pictures, man, you just have to! Do whatever it takes." I talked to my wife, the best man, and a couple of other people just to pass the time. By this point, at least a half an hour had passed. I called the towing company to see if the truck was at least on its way. Yep. Okay... not long now. My mum showed up while I was on the phone, and I related the whole story to her. She hadn't picked up her cell phone because she'd left it at home. "If you're going to leave it at home, then what's the point in..." I decided to drop it. Seeing as the plan was for me to borrow the car she was driving, she suggested that she go and run her errands so it would be available when I was ready. Good idea. She left, and I went and leaned on my car to wait...
... and wait...
... and wait.
The truck didn't show up until about 2:45. I called my dad as we neared Monaco Motors, and he was there waiting when we pulled up. I had to sign for the tow, pay ($30... $10 a mile after the first 7!), drop the key in the door (Monaco was closed), and my dad and I took off. When we got to my parents' place, it was 3:20 - ten minutes to shower, get dressed, and make a half hour drive.
I don't know how, but I managed to get to the temple just 15 minutes late. I was pretty knocked out with myself. Steve wasn't upset - I hadn't missed any pictures, really - and all of the other groomsmen had flasks of rum which they were more than happy to share with me. Instant relaxation. My car was in the shop, I had a loaner car, my cell phone was working again, and I really hadn't missed anything. The wedding went off without a hitch (except for a problem with the microphone), and everyone seemed to have a great time.
So because the movers are coming on Tuesday, tomorrow's the last day for packing. It's going to be tough - we have loads still to do. I expect this will be my last blog entry from this address. We'll be staying at my parents' house from Tuesday until we hit the road on Friday... and that's it... Canada! I didn't sell my car (probably a good thing), I didn't manage to sell Murray "the K"'s desk, but I filmed everything I needed for the L.A. portion of "Due North" and made it to the temple more-or-less on time. It's been a frenetic, crazy few weeks, and I'll be quite relieved to get underway.
For now, though, I think I'll end this entry with a few pictures from the wedding...
... and to Steve and Janet, mazel tov!
The bride and groom with the bride's mother.
Your faithful blogger looking stiff as a carp.
Groomsman Kurt Lohmiller altogether far too excited about something.
The reception.
Posted: Sun - December 4, 2005 at 11:17 PM
Quick Links
Calendar
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
Categories
Archives
XML/RSS Feed
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Dec 08, 2005 10:06 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Dec 08, 2005 10:06 PM