sha in LA

come and gone

My 1 year blog aniversary came and went on August 26th, 2005 with nary a rembrance on my part. OOPS. Many thanks to my readers and everyone that google searches: alexan savoy, lofts, black boogers (i have no idea either), cheerleaders, ketsios, los angeles......and the list goes on.

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boo hoo

Just as soon as Interplanet Janet was born, she died. It was a quick and painless death. No one was witness to it but myself....and therein lies the problem.

You see, Halloween is a most sacred holiday for myself. I can't do Halloween half assed. I must put my all into it. And I did for Ms. IPJ however deep down I wasn't 100% satisfied with the end result. A combination of other external factors also played a role in her untimely death. Most of all I think I have finally decided that FOR ME, costumes must include something of a scary, morbid, dark theme. Not pink cartoon characters. Unfortunately I realized this fact a little too late this year. Who knows, one day I might resUSCitate her, she only needs a few tweaks here and there and she could be stunningly splendid.

Tonight I am going back to see Gorey Stories again at Sacred Fools. So very excited. So very Gorey. So very apropos on All Hallows Eve.

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it's a travesty

Next week I hope to be back in a more consistent fashion in the blogging world. This theatre stuff has sucked all the life out of me this week. I still have newspaper from last weekend that I haven't read yet including (gasp) the Downtown News. And yes, I know I could read it online but I much prefer the paper version as opposed to electronic.

x to all

cheap and easy

My blog is worth $5,645.40.
How much is your blog worth?

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Los Muertos

What have I been keeping myself occupied with this week other than scrounging for Halloween costume pieces and working 9 hours a day??? Tech for the new show, Los Muertos.

Good stuff. Check it out. Bring a hanky.

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Interplanet Janet

Blonde Wig - Check
Pink Spray Paint - Check
Pink Leotard - Check
Blue Felt Circles - Check
Petticoat - Check
Blue Fabric - Check
Wings - Check
Blue Styrofoam Circle - Check

To do:
sew
Get white boots
spray paint wig
make button
get nose/face putty
get pink tights

I love Halloween.

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kids in costumes

I love Halloween parties in which most attendees actually dress up. For the most part, theatre geeks like to play dress up so naturally Halloween parties that involved actors have the potential of being a rollicking good time. My theatre company had one such party this past Saturday. Whilst downloading my pictures I realized that there were a lot of people there that I didn't get a picture of and others that I got multiple pictures of. Oops. Sorry to those who didn't make it. Here are the best 48 pictures of the bunch...what is more scary is that I deleted about 48 pictures as well so you're getting the best of the best. Enjoy!

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i'll take the penthouse suite please

Last night Jim and I ran around the Subway Terminal Building like a bunch of crazed teenagers. It was the "official" opening of the building and they hosted a party complete with Downtown dignitaries and redevelopment people (essentially one and the same) with a few commoners thrown into the mix.

Our first stop was the 2nd floor bar area. We all got on the elevator and as soon as the doors closed we heard a lovely electronic female voice say "We are experiencing technical difficulties." Yes, all 8 of us were trapped in an elevator to nowhere. A sprightly young man and I pried open the doors and it was all stairs and freight elevators after that.

2 weird drinks and a garlicky mashed potato thing later we made our way up to the jacuzzi rooftop patio where we marveled at the disappearance of the top floors of the Library Tower due to all the fog. Afterwards we accosted a group of people giving a tour of some of the penthouse units and tagged along. We got to see the most stunning split level Southeast facing unit complete with humongous deck/patio area. I was in awe. I wanted to cry. Could have been after effects of PMS, however it was beautiful that's for sure. We toyed with the idea of either stowing away in a closet and secretly living there until caught or simply squatting in the penthouse and having them kick us out but we eventually opted against those choices and simply decided to live with our memories. If you look closely at the picture you can see us on the patio-deck.

We ended the adventure with a trip to the 5th floor where we were able to view 5 "apartment homes" in varying size and layout.

I had a blast. Many thanks to Forest City for hosting the shindig and congratulations on a conversion well done.

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livin' in the subway (terminal building)

I've been getting lots of hits for various loft/conversion/new construction projects around town so I have decided that in the coming weekends I will visit as many of them as I can and report back on my findings. That being said, this past weekend I was Downtown doing a tour and bumped into Jim as I was finishing up. After he came to his senses and decided to have lunch with me, we decided to check out Metro 417 aka the Subway Terminal Building. I've had a long love affair with the building as it is one of the highlights on my tour and in the past few years I've variously been able to get into the old waiting room lobby and subway tunnels. My ultimate goal is to occupy the penthouse suite on the southeast side however that probably won't happen anytime soon as I'm in the buying mood and these are rentals....among other factors.

We looked at 3 units of varying size and price. And no, we are not planning on moving in together, this was strictly for information purposes.

The first unit we viewed was 2 bedroom, 2 bath and approximately 1031 SQ FT. It was located mid-wing on the 5th floor and the view was of the wing across the way. All of the interiors were extremely well done, I forget the interior architect but if I took the time to look through my paperwork I'm sure I could scrounge up a name. This unit averaged out at $2.29 SQ FT.

The next unit was a 1 bedroom, 1 bath and was approximately 773 SQ FT. This one was located higher up on the 8th floor and had a partial view of Pershing Square - the Title Guarantee & Trust is located on the corner of 5th and Hill so you get a view of the backside of that building as well. This end unit gets TONS of afternoon light and averages out at $2.94 SQ FT.

Finally we saw another 1 bedroom, 1 bath that was a little bit bigger at 788 SQ FT. It was on the 8th floor too however it was located on the opposite side of the building and afforded views of Angels Flight and Grand Central Market area. This unit averaged $2.84 SQ FT.

Afterwards we got to see the rooftop jacuzzi area and the 2nd floor which houses the billiards room, private screening room (where a few people were watching the USC/Notre Dame game), workout room, kitchen and conference room.

Overall this conversion was very nicely done. If you can afford it and pass their Economic Criteria (combined household income before taxes must be at least 3x the monthly gross scheduled rent that is the portion of the rent to be paid by applicant household) then by all means consider Metro 417 as a rental option.

Oh and "technically" these aren't considered lofts, rather they are "apartment homes."

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boo on you

On Saturday October 22, 2005 my theatre company is having a pre-Halloween fundraiser. The festivities will include a show of monologues/short scenes/musical numbers in the spooky/eerie/scary vein. Come dressed as your favorite celebrity or celebrity in a role. I will be dressed as this lovely, sans Wednesday and Lurch. It just won't be the same without them. Maybe I can find a Gomez somewhere.....

All kidding aside it should be a frightfully good time. Plus, here's the best part...there will be a 50/50 raffle. The more raffle tickets we sell the more $$ the winner gets. If you're interested in seeing the show then take a gander at the crude attachment below. If you can't make the show and are interested in raffle tix then I have a few I need to get rid of, I can help you out in that department....raffle tickets are $5 each with the proceeds going to a very worthy cause.

GO! or else...

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