Weekend in L.A.

This past weekend I flew down to Los Angeles to attend the wedding of my niece, Renee. Most of the family came down from the Bay Area for the wedding so it was great to see the family again. Unfortunately, C couldn't come as she's in the middle of her pre-production whirlwind. We start shooting her film in four weeks and she's still got a TON of things to get ready. Namely her acting workshops she's putting on Sunday and Monday nights which are part of her graduate studies classes. You can learn more by visiting her production blog.

Whoa, we ain't in Regina no more, Toto.

Not having a garment bag, I had to stuff my suit into my carry-on. Since the wedding wasn't until 4:00 later that day, my sister, Minnie, and I figured we had all morning to find a same-day dry cleaner. Unfortunately, when we went down to the rental van with my wrinkled suit, we found the van had a flat. Perfect.

Aye, caramba!

So we called my brother, Ray, who was staying in the same hotel, and he drove us over to the dry cleaners. On the way, I got to reacquaint myself with California's rich, ethnic culture.

Something you don't see much in Regina. Even in Washington Park.

After getting my suit pressed, Ray and Min and I were ready for some lunch. I grabbed them by the shirts and asked, "I beg you! GET ME SOME MEXICAN FOOD PRONTO!" They graciously obliged. We went over to Olvera Street, a few blocks away from our hotel. It's a Mexican-style marketplace stuffed into narrow street packed with little shops selling everything from leather handbags, leather jackets, toys made in China, laser pointers and thousands of Jesus and the Virgin Mary statuettes. But the other thing Olvera Street has are little taco huts!

Ah, there's some artwork that happens here, my friend.

The food, of course, was muy fantastico. I had the #10, cheese enchilada with two beef taquitos. Then I ordered another two taquitos, then later two more. God, I miss Mexican food.

"Get in my belly!"

Then this trio came around to serenade us with some authentic downtown Los Angeles music. "Do you know the words to Born in East L.A.?"

"Freebird!"

I couldn't leave that magical taco shack without taking pictures of two things: my beef taquitos and my brother and sister. Thanks for lunch! I really miss you guys!

Say queso!

What I want to know is, how the heck do they stay so thin with all this Mexican food flying around down here in California? Jeez.

The rest of mi familia found out we were pounding tacos down the street so some of them came over to join us. Here's Ray's son, Brandon, trying out a new look. It works, I like it. Brando is one of the top under-14 baseball players in all of California. I'm mighty proud of him.

Brando Loco, you're missing your cross bandoliers.

After we had all made pigs of ourselves inhaling enchiladas and tacos and taquitos, we schlepped our way back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

Let's go see Brady and Renee get hitched! Woo-hooOOOooo!

R-