Dun-ah dun-ah, dun-ah dun-ah chishh chishh.

Sunday, we toured the more renowned areas of Los Angeles. First we drove out to Malibu to eat at Malibu Seafood on the PCH, just past Pepperdine. It was basically a shack on the side of the highway across from the ocean, with parking to the right and picnic tables to the left. Cort, Dave and Dan have some ties to the folks who worked here so they chatted for a while and casually put in our orders which was on the house. The line to order was getting long and there were several people waiting on their orders. This was obviously a popular place, at least among the locals. As I'm waiting for my long-time friend, Jacob, to arrive from Santa Barbara, I noticed LeAnn Rimes and her hub had just ordered and picked a table adjacent to ours. And then a hungry motorcycle gang showed up. But as soon as Jacob (and the food) arrived, I was pre-occupied by conversation and my ahi tuna burger to continue observing Malibu Seafood's interesting clientele. Oh by the way, the food at Malibu Seafood is incredible. We said goodbye to Cort and Dave. Dan, Jacob and I got into Dan's car and headed up the PCH for Pepperdine. For those of you who are not familiar with Pepperdine or it's campus, it maybe better that you stay in the dark about this. Otherwise you become like me, filled with envy, awe and the resentment that you did not go (or presently do not go) to a school with such a gorgeous campus and location. But I got over that quickly while Dan actually walked into his old dorm room and interrupted the current residents studying. I guess the security on campus isn't too tight. Sunset Blvd. is a long stretch of road off of the PCH, and we conquered the whole thing. Sunset takes you through the elite neighborhoods and streets we've all seen on television and film; Pacific Palisades, Bel Aire, Beverly Hills, Westwood, etc. And I'm curious how star map vendors are allowed to setup these signs around these neighborhoods and conduct business. I thought for sure the police would be keeping these neighborhood free of bums and peddlers. We stopped at Amoeba Records, the greatest record store in the world. And it's just as enormous as the original store in San Francisco. We all picked up a few discs and continued on the road tour. Dan took us over to Hollywood Blvd. (again), down Melrose (no, I didn't see "the place"). We went rollin' down Rodeo and made fun of the people on the sidewalks who's clothes obviously cost too much. And then we headed to Westwood/UCLA area. I really liked the Westwood area, but of course who wouldn't? The Fox and Westwood movie theaters are here in addition to your normal collection of shops, restaurants, etc. We stopped inside Jerry's Deli for some beers. Jerry's is a pretty famous deli/diner, which obviously gets celebrity clientele and the occasional celebrity employee. Some old man at the bar was trying to make us look like fools with his brain teasers (he didn't succeed) and asked us if we enjoyed film and theater. I responded with a "yeah, sure" and he whispered, "Well Neil Simon is sitting right behind you." The old man got up and left, and then Dan noticed sitting in the booth next to Neil and his wife was the governor from O Brother Where Art Thou? Those would be the last of the celebrity sightings for the day. We drove back to Malibu so Jacob could get his car and head back to Santa Barbara. Dan and I drove back to San Diego, leaving glorious Los Angeles behind us. Even though the entertainment industry becomes more industry than entertainment, and even though the wealth in the city is absurd, ridiculous and flagrant, and even though the traffic couldn't be anymore congested and crazy, and even though there is a definite "what can you for me" mentality, and even though it requires 30 minutes in the car to get anywhere...I like Los Angeles.

2/03/2003 10:51:17 PM