Serendipity

We didn't get it together in time this morning to attend the Family Festival at the Getty Center today. In fact, by the time we got there, we couldn't even get off the 405 because of the line of cars backed up trying to get into the Getty Center parking lot.

We decided to go one exit further to the Skirball Center. However, despite years of Hebrew school, Mark forgot that the Skirball is closed on the Sabbath.

"In art school, I couldn't stop myself from drawing clothes on all my nudes. I realized I was more interested in the clothes." --Costume designer.

We decided to keep heading north on the 405 and exit at Ventura Boulevard to find lunch somewhere nearby. While driving along, Mark got the idea that we could go to the Red Line Park and Ride and catch the subway to Hollywood for lunch. Somehow, he promised Iris a burger at Hamburger Hamlet at Hollywood and Highland.

That turned out to be another nightmare because we all forgot about the Oscars. It was a madhouse. Hamburger Hamlet was closed. We ended up waiting (and waiting) in line for a burger at Johnny Rocket's because Iris would not be denied a burger after such a long journey. Burgers are such a rare treat for her.

Mark said he would post about the Oscars later, after a work deadline.

Serendipitously, we ran across the Los Angeles-Italia Film, Fashion and Art Fest. An Italian designer, Milena Canonero, was up for best costume design for the film, Marie Antoinette. Several dresses were on display and the security guard let me photograph them with the flash turned off.

I made a collage of the dress photos.

I also took pictures of the dress details. Leave a comment if you think I should bother posting the full-resolution pictures on Flickr.  (I did post a MA slideshow on Flickr and wrote a follow-up post here.)

I don't know how we could have forgotten about the Oscars. Mark and his team had even won the Oscar edition of O'Brien's Irish Pub Quiz last Wednesday night. Take a look at their team photo. You wouldn't want to run into them in the dark alleys of Pasadena and Cambridge. They might make you play trivial pursuit against them for the contents of your wallet.