L.A. Trip the Third (Day Four: Totes Shopping OMG)

My main goal for yesterday, after waking up at 4:30 in the flipping morning, was to get my badge holder for E3. A side quest was to get a hoodie because I neglected to bring one with me and it's a touch cold here and in Washington state where I'll be heading next. So, I toss aside my apprehension and get on the subway and head to downtown L.A. and the convention center where E3 is going to be held.

The convention center area is rather huge taking up a whole square block. My brother, Shawn, and I walked around it several times in February trying to find something to do. I found myself wandering around it as well, trying to figure out where the hell I was supposed to go to get my badge holder. Eventually, I found a booth and got one. I didn't make an announcement that I was going to E3 because you can't get in without the badge holder and things can happen, you know?

Anyway, after that, I wandered around downtown L.A. for a little bit because the was nothing going on yesterday that I, with an exhibits only badge, could get into. Then I called BleedFest co-director Brenda Fies because we'd discussed getting together. We worked out that I would hop on the subway and meet them at Hollywood and Highland, it's only one station away from my area anyway.

I don't know the streets of L.A. too well, obviously, but I have to admit that I was surprised to find that I was right at Graumann's Chinese theatre and the Kodak theatre. While I waited for them to show up, I walked up and down Hollywood Boulevard and kept an eye out for a decent hoodie. I wound up getting one from the Hard Rock because I wanted something that was a tourist item, but didn't have Los Angeles emblazoned across my chest all tacky-like.

We meet up, we being Brenda, their second cousins, and their friend, and we walked around for a bit and they shopped while Brenda and I chatted. Eventually, the five of us met up with Lis and Melanie (who plays the Runner in the I Hate L.A. interstitials) and we hung out a little more. Eventually, Melanie had to leave for an appointment and the ladies were nice enough to invite me to go shopping with them, in the swank, hip section of Melrose.

I'm not swank and I'm not hip, but eh, what the hell, right? I'd not been there before, might as well. So we start hitting these vintage boutique stores. One "vintage" shop charged $38 freakin' bucks for already well-loved t-shirts. And then there are the typical stores that don't stock anything that would fit on a normal person.

Eventually, we made our way to yet another "vintage" clothing store. All the shoes were already worn (I'm hard on my clothes, I don't want to buy something for a bazillion dollars that won't be able to withstand more than two days of me) and I'm thinking that I could totally come out to L.A. and start my own store and fund my films that way.

So as I aimlessly shuffle through the hoodie section (even though I already had one), There's this bright, pretty blue that catches my eye. I push the surrounding clothes aside to see what it is and am confronted by something...astounding.



This is a St. Augustines Hippos track jacket, Great, you say in that tone of voice where you think I'm crazy. Don't worry, I get it all the time. Thing is, St. Auggies doesn't exist...except in the television show Just the Ten of Us.

This jacket, on sale for $18, is an authentic costume piece from my favorite television show starring one of my favorite actresses.

I about died.

Yes, I bought it, and it fits perfectly.

The rest of my day will have to be told later as I have to go catch the bus to grab the train to head to downtown. I just really needed to share the awesomeness of that find.

*nerdiest gigglesnort beating all previous gigglesnorts*