This weekend is the Oscars. I always like to go over to Hollywood a couple days before to check out the setup. They close down Hollywood Blvd. and have all these tents and lights set up for the Red Carpet. You can’t really SEE much, but it always give me a little tingle of excitement to be so close to the action. In this pic, you can see the setup to the right…

I used to work in Hollywood every week and one thing I loved about it was that I ALWAYS saw something new. I mean, the people are crazy. You wouldn’t believe the things I witnessed from my work mini-van. I sort of miss that. I live only about 6 miles away, but don’t get over the hill much. Yesterday I saw this guy and automatically assumed he was insane. He was dressed up as Jimi Hendrix, playing his guitar on the sidewalk for money. I laughed inside at him, but it turns out he’s a really nice guy! I made a donation to his pot, asked if I could snap a couple photos, and he played me an awesome Jimi Hendrix cover. And he was really good. We talked for a quick minute but he would’ve played for me all day if I had time to stay and watch. I wonder how much money he makes hanging out there.

When people say that Hollywood is so glamorous, they don’t mean the actual city of Hollywood. If you have ever been here, you know what I’m talking about. They mean the Hollywood LIFESTYLE is glamorous. Like if you are a movie star. Otherwise, its just another touristy city with a bunch of weird stuff to look at. I still love it, but even the Welcome to Hollywood sign is pathetic.

As for the Oscars this weekend, I haven’t been very good about my research. The only Oscar Nom I’ve seen is Slumdog Millionaire. It was great, but I still want to see the others. I will definitely watch the show and when I’m jealous of that glamorous red carpet, I will try and remember that its just a bunch of bleachers and curtains hung in front of the Gap and Forever 21.