Volly'n and Watch'n
Location: Hermosa Beach and LA Live Nokia Theatre
Entertainment Value: Seabreeze workout and a "Yellow" Carpet World Premiere event
Entertainment Cost: $50 for two world premiere tickets (with all you can eat and drink popcorn and soda) + 2 LA film festival vouchers
Food Cost: All you can eat popcorn and soda
Only in Los Angeles do you get to play volleyball on the golden-peach sands of the ocean front in the morning and watch a world premiere of a movie with the directors and stars of the movie in the same theatre. This could be your typical Sunday. I don't know about you, but I sure can use more Sundays like these.
During midday late June, the sun shines the brightest and the waters are the bluest. The morning times from dawn to about 11:00am, the cloudy skies, a.k.a. "June gloom", allows the sport goer to play safely without the sun's fiery intensity. It also allows the volleyballer to eye the ball without having to squint beneath the brightness, while still retaining that ocean wind to cool us down in between strained breathes and sweaty brows. We laughed at our own (p)atheletic prow(l)ess, we sand dived blanks, we stood dumbfounded when the ball, like a torpedo, landed on the ground sitting comfortably between two people that just stared at the ball, assuming that the other teammate would get it, then at other times, we would run headon to each other for the same ball, and we would heckle one another--"hey loser!" or "Serve it to the weakling" Funny moments such as hitting your own teammate's back when serving or calling dibs, "I got it, I got it" and seconds before the ball touches your arm, " I don't got it". Flop! Watching everybody stare at the volleyball in mid-air, some wondering "shit, not towards me" and others thinking, "In the bag sucka", is a comedic delight.
Playing volleyball with your friends could be one option. To my right side, where the pedestrian sidewalk is, people were skating, rollerblading, biking, dog walking, stroller jogging (babies in stroller + jogger pushing = stoller jogger), and running. To my left side, people were body boarding, sailing, swimming, tanning, and sauntering across the tides. It was a typical day at the beach on so cal--like the surety and sincerity of a church choir singing Glory, the Southern California pacfic coast will be the sunny, cool, and diverse way of outdoor sporting activities. 
Afterwards, my husband, alias Tonebone, and I headed out to go see the world premiere of Despicable Me. This time, we didn't have to wait in the rush line for tix (learned my lesson). It took less than five minutes for us to check in, go through security, and get our 3D glasses.
At a World Premiere, did you know...
All popcorn and sodas are free?
Concierge and security is armed like the president's secret service?
The director makes a introductory presentation of the movie's team: i.e. writers, actors, score artists, etc. prior to the start of the show?
No cameras allowed? (Whyyyyy?!)
During the opening credits, the audience claps and shouts in approval when their favorite actor's/actress' name show up?
You and 7,000 other people are in the same room watching the film (the Largest theatre I've ever been to by far)?
And the cherry on top?
You are watching the same movie in the same room at the same time with the cast and crew of the movie. We were only 15 aisles down from the actors and stars (hey, hey, it's closer then where you'll be during July 9, when the theatres will open to the public)
Despicable Me Movie Review!
The movie itself? Quick humor with soft "aww" moments sprinkled throughout. Not as heart tugging as the movie, UP, but definitely one of those heartwarming lessons on finding one's purpose, in a villian's perspective. At the same time, it is likeThe Incredibles in it's parallel world where villians compete and evil plots are the norm--they even have a underground villan bank to fund in solid evil investment proposals. Overall, this movie was a action packed feel good family movie that will leave you craving ice cream and sodapop, possibly a plan to take over the world.
Afterwards, crowds staked out behind strategic backdoor exits to the afterparty. This is where the fun really begans--it's like bird watching--it's not always about luck, it's about having enough knowledge to squat in places where the stars will come out. In our case, we didn't know zilch, but just followed where the crowd seemed to congregate and where the security seemed at it's max. Of course, when it comes to A-list celebrities, there are always elaborate escape routes and decoys. Although we did not catch Steve Carell, Julie Andrews (Mary poppins and Sound of Music)
Russel Brand, Pharell, Will. i. Am., or any of the other big names on the cast of despicable me, it was interesting to be part of the whole fan craze. You can feel the lust for star dust--just a little sprinkle on the hands or for the sight. 
The hungry crowd settled for what it could. Fans surrounded teen celebs like Miranda
Cosgrove and ___? (help me out here young generation).
The best moment was when I spotted Steven Tereda from Quest Crew. I was so flabbergasted that the man walking past me was from Quest Crew, that the name slipped out of my mind. So instead, I did what any rational So Cal person would do; I stopped the guy, asked him if he was "from that dance crew". He said he was, and before I wasted any more second of his time, I got directly to the point, "Would you please take a picture with me?" I could've made small talk, but LA people are busy and efficient. He probably didn't want to know anymore about me than I would want to pester him. I got what I wanted and he moved on. Of course, this is all in my head. Maybe one day he'll find this site and give me an alternative version of his thoughts, assuming that he'll remember this moment at all.
See in the eyes of Hollywood, you are either in the know, a "somebody" or you are part of the category we call "the nobody" or the fans, the crowd, the spectators. Be prepared to spent extra TLC time with your ego at home after the lights are out and the parking lots are empty. When the star dust wears away, another magical phenomenon happens. Either you'll wake up the next day feeling depressed that you're not part of the "know" or you wake up reenergized and gun-ho about pursuing your dreams you had put off in the back storage of your thoughts. Now which type of star dust hangover will you have?
