Of fog and football

About a month after everyone else, I am finally on my winter holiday. I'll spend three days in Los Angeles, and, as usual, talk shows will be top of my list.
I'll be at Kimmel, and will try to get into Conan and Ellen DeGeneres if they suddenly have a lot of standby seats to fill.

Also, it's the real start of Oscar season. Usually, it's the Golden Globes, but this year is an exception because they snubbed True Grit. That's why next week's SAG Awards is the real start. Melissa Leo's chances of winning Best Supporting Actress will really be measured once she is competing against Hailee Steinfeld.
Despite this, the nominations will be announced tomorrow. It's a given both Leo and Steinfeld will make the final cut in that category. It seems it will be the war between George VI and Facebook, with Rooster Cogburn 2.0 as a possible spoiler. I am hoping all of the TV stations will be stalking movie houses to get instant opinion on who got nominated.

I will also try to fit in a tour, too. I was thinking about going to Paramount, where the cast of Glee will supposedly hide from tourists who pass by, especially Lea Michelle. Considering they think they're justified after their Golden Globe bonanza, that's show biz for you....and that there's a lot of pressure in making music. Who else is in their position on TV? However, I don't know if I can get in today, or even Wednesday if I'm out of luck in trying to get a standby spot to Ellen. If nothing else, I can wander around the Kodak Theater. It's been years since I've done that. It would be perfect now, since preparations for the Oscars should be underway.

I'm only going because of a fare sale, and a new hotel deal. I could have gone last week to celebrate Buffy's birthday at a comic book store in L-A, but it didn't occur to me. I just wanted to be in L-A when the Oscar nominations came out. If nothing else, I'd like to do something I haven't done in L-A before, or it's been years since I have. Just do something different.
At least, I'll start using the AMC movie passes, which means a direct route to the Citywalk to see True Grit.

So, what about fog and football?
Well, it's really foggy in Sacramento, except at the airport. For some reason, it's less foggy, and no flights have been severely delayed. So, I should head for L-A's premature spring, with temps in the 70s. Sacramento will be lucky to hit 61.
Now the football part: Green Bay vs. Pittsburgh will mean big ratings because it's a Super Bowl matchup that traditional fans would love. What I've noticed is that the NFL has changed its conference trophies. They used to be shaped like the side of a stadium. Now, the trophies are variations of the Lombardi Trophy. I guess it makes the Super Bowl loser feel like they've almost won the big trophy, but almost. Trust me, those who don't win the Super Bowl from now on will now the difference between the Lombardi Trophy and the conference trophy they wind up getting.

Emmy week is here!

Last year, I was in Los Angeles, hoping to get close to the Emmys. That could mean taking a picture of the Shrine Auditorium, getting a peak of the Red carpet, or even taking a picture of one of the grandstands from E! or The Insider. I won't say how close I wound up becoming, but it was a nice view.

I didn't even think about going back this year until I found out the 60th Emmys would be held at the Nokia Theater, located across from Staples Center. So, I am hoping to get close to the Emmys again. Getting inside the Nokia is fairly unlikely, but they'll be plenty of banners and bleachers outside. The Nokia seems to be the new Awards venue in L-A, except for the Oscars because the Kodak Theater was made for that show.

Aside from waiting for Emmy Sunday, and whether a Buffy alumnus will finally bring home the gold, I do have the usual tickets to the local talk shows. I have a ticket to Kimmel, along with one for Ellen DeGeneres. Her show should be interesting because she's now at the Warner Brothers lot. I'll see if it's bigger or whether a tour bus comes in before she's taping. At the last second, I also decided to get a ticket to Bonnie Hunt. That one could be tricky because it's in Culver City instead of Burbank. If the hotel where I am staying is sympathetic, I will be able to get there by the deadline. I'll have one free day for swag hunting.

After this, I may have to cut back on trips to Southern California. Naturally, it's due to high gas prices affecting ticket prices, and also hotel prices as well. I'm actually staying near Echo Park, but the place looks nice. I may even be wild enough to actually walk from my hotel to Dodger Stadium. It's not that far, and the Giants are playing that weekend, but I may have to carry a cross blessed by a pastor who knew Willie Mays. If I'm dumb enough, I just may go.

But overall, I may cut down to just twice a year....the Paley Festival, if there's a show I'd like to know more about, and Comic-Con, which is actually a working holiday now. I already have the ticket and the hotel room. All that's left is the plane ticket.

So, here's to a fun time....and big success for Mad Men, Pushing Daisies, and Danny Strong.