Stef's TheOneRing.net Oscar Party & Related LA Vacation Report

Friday morning flight from RDU to DFW left at 6:21 AM. By the time I'd finished taking care of everything I needed to take care of, I got no more than a few minutes of sleep before we left for the airport around 3:30 AM. It was nice being able to share the flight with friends: Lee (hubby), Naomi, Chris, and Rachel. The DFW layover was brief enough not to get bored, just enough to grab a bite of something like breakfast or lunch to tie us over until we arrived at LAX. The second flight was just as smooth, and I was still wide awake when we got out of the airport and picked up the rental car.

So I drove on "the 405" and "the 101" and we found the hotel without much problem at all. We were able to check in and caught up with some other friends in the lobby in time to head out to the Farmer's Market. I have to admit that I did a kick-ass job driving in LA, and I wouldn't mind doing it all over again! Hee hee! The weather was absolutely beautiful, and even with a lack of sleep I really enjoyed relaxing and hanging out with friends Friday afternoon and evening.

We bought a Thomas' Guide (the best street map series ever) for Los Angeles County and used it to our advantage throughout the trip. It was nice this year not having to rely on others for transportation or directions. I recommend to everyone to rent a car - we shared the $250 total rental cost between five of us and it was worth every dime!

Naomi and Chris joined some folks to see The Two Towers at the Arclight theatre Friday night, but I was too pooped to stay awake for it, so Lee and Rachel and I headed to the Universal City Walk across from the Universal Hilton where we were staying and ate at a Mexican restaurant after which Rachel and I spent an hour shopping at Hot Topic. Got a wicked skirt I hope to wear soon! Came back to the hotel afterward and crashed, hoping we'd have enough sleep to make up for the missing hours Thursday night.

The next morning (Saturday) as we got ready for the noon Pub Moot, Lee went and bought Cinnabon for breakfast for us, and we took our time getting ready after waking up late from a long, much-needed sleep. We once again found our destination flawlessly and arrived at the Tam O'Shanter Inn just a few minutes before the food was to be served. It was a great time of reunion for many old friends, and a great first-time-in-person meeting for those I had not met before. A great time was had by all from the delicious meal to the door prizes to the music and Rosie and Icarus' dance, and I enjoyed the camaraderie surrounding Truss' pictures and scrapbook to honor our soldier friend Bill Powers in Kuwait. Hope he doesn't mind my tongue in his ear in that one pic... hee hee! Thanks so much to Josh and the others that worked so hard to make the Pub Moot a success, and I look forward to similar fun next year!

Before the evening moot in Santa Monica, we headed back to the hotel and changed, then decided to try to make it out to see The Two Towers at the Arclight since it was to be in "the Dome" where it would be much more dramatic. Unfortunately, we arrived too late, and before we could get up to the counter, the sign switched from "Now Seating" to the feature being closed for seating. It was frustrating after having rushed to get over there, and we still had to pay $1.50 for the parking!

We decided to grab Santa Monica Blvd. and head toward the evening pub moot location, then park and walk around some before the moot. Once we found Ye Olde King's Head, we parked in a parking garage (finally finding a free space on the seventh level) and taking advantage of the view from its height to watch the sunset over water, a sight I had longed to see for many years and had not seen before in my previous two trips. We did some shopping at a strip there where I found the coolest top at Wilson's Leather that was on clearance for less than $20, so I couldn't resist buying it! We also browsed some other shops and eventually returned to the car to drop off packages before heading to the King's Head for a meal before the official moot time. Rachel, Lee, and I had lost Chris and Naomi, so we just ordered some food (that lamb pie was to die for, and the chips with salt and vinegar were so good) and some beverages (Newcastle on tap, yeah baby!) and relaxed and talked for a while. Oddly enough, we had been seated in a booth in the same room our pub moot was in last year, and ironically we didn't have to go anywhere as we finished our food as the debaucherous evening moot brought itself right back to that same room where we enjoyed ourselves for a few hours. I had a great time there talking to Ars, Val, Wolfie, Baron Wilderness, Jane, and Icarus among others. I wish I'd spent more time with that crowd when we hit the party the next night! I miss them all dearly when we can't be together. Can't wait for next year!

After the second pub moot there in Santa Monica, tipsy me and a few others attempted to go to the beach where all but Lee and Chris chickened out to go across the sand. Hey, those were good boots! Eventually, Naomi and Aneya followed them out to make sure they didn't grope each other in the darkness (hee hee, that was my joke, thank you), and Rachel and I rejoined Tim and Lisa at the pub to wait for their return. After we got back to the hotel (yay for sober Lee driving) Rachel and I went to Tim and Lisa's room to hang for a while, trying to go to City Walk but finding everything closing there, then going out to "the Ralph's" and picking up some beverages, returning to room 1963, and watching Jackass The Movie (god, don't watch it, it's ridiculous) and From Hell (Ian Holm was awesome, loved the film, totally lusting for some Johnny Depp there, too). Finally stumbled back to my own hotel room about 6 AM to sleep about 5 hours before getting up again to prepare for a quick lunch, then coming back to get ready for the One Party.

Sunday was too short. I wish it would have gone on forever, and I wish I had spent more time with more people that I had wanted to spend time with. There isn't much I can add to the extensive amounts of reports that other people have posted except to speak of it from my point-of-view. I think the most memorable moments, though, can be summarized by the following:

• My noticing Craig Parker waiting for his ride outside the hotel while we were loading our limos, then becoming the victim of picture taking so that my friends there could get him into the background of the shot. After hearing how he interacted with our friends later that evening, we should have just spoken to him right there, I guess!
• Yaralindi become my official unofficial dance partner for the evening as every time we saw each other we started dancing, music or no. I love that man!
• The limo ride was fun, and standing in line, though painful to the feet, was not so bad as it could have been. We became victims of a "cuss and run" while we stood there as well as other more silent protests as people drove or walked by our venue bearing anti-war signs.
• The broadcast was shorter this year, but then I also spent more time socializing during it than I did last year since LOTR:TTT was not up for as many awards as LOTR:FOTR. It was great cheering the folks that won, and we were proud of them, expressing it to them more personally when they showed up to our party later in the evening to accept our applause and words of appreciation.
• Barrie Osborne was given the Golden Gandalf as a tribute to his effort, even though we lost Best Picture to Chicago, which I'm sure, like last year's A Beautiful Mind, was a great film.
• The party was four times the size it was last year, so much less "personal" and "intimate" when the VIP guests arrived. Instead of shaking hands and getting words in this year, I found myself in the middle of the dancefloor where I had been enjoying "cutting a rug" to the music watching the VIPs on stage, then losing sight of them when they disappeared into the great number of fans that hovered close to the paths where they were walking.
• Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd showed up, as I predicted they would, and scooted out quickly as I am sure they were party hopping (heh, I know I would!), and made a memorable entrance with Sean Astin as the three of them grabbed the instruments Emerald Rose had been playing on stage. (At least Billy knew how to play the one he grabbed... hee hee! Too bad we couldn't enjoy a serenade before they politely put them back in place.) Other VIP guests included Craig Parker, John Rhys-Davies, Andy Serkis, Bruce Hopkins, Barrie Osbourne, Mark Ordesky, Alan Lee, Jim Reigel, Randy Cook, Grant Major, Chris and Dan Hennah, and a "slew of other WETA people" as Xoanon from TORn put it.
• Overall, there were people I never got to spend time with, people I wanted to spend more time with, and people I could have done just as well to spend less time with had I thought to ditch them (hee hee, just kidding, love ya ;-P), but in the end it was fun and memorable.
• Got back to the hotel and stayed up at Tim and Lisa's room with Rachel while Lee slept and Naomi and Chris went to the lobby to hang out (and see Craig and Bruce, dang it why did I have to miss that!). After seeing Rachel off at 3:45 AM to catch an early shuttle to LAX, I went back to the hotel and slept soundly, having enjoyed the fun and event-filled evening.

Wow, this is getting long... is anyone still reading this?

Monday was fun and relaxing. The foursome that had arrived in my rental that were still in LA plus some others went and saw the costumes display at the FIDM and enjoyed the afternoon walking the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard and seeing the Kodak and Chinese theatres up close. After seeing The Two Towers at the Arclight, where much of our current crowd was giggling insanely every time Gamling (Bruce) was on the screen, we finally decided to make our way back to LAX and head home. At the Chili's in the American Airlines terminal I made a list of things to remember to include in this report, and after another sleepless night of travel we found ourselves crashing at my parents' home near Raleigh before Lee and I finally drove on back home with our little ones to Huntersville.

HOPING TO GET SOME PICS HERE SOON! Watch out for them! They were all "borrowed" for the most part, with a few exceptions, I will be sure to make them unique with my own creative captions. ;-)