# L.A. Dopers: Dinner and a Movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 9, 2001, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333 "2001-11-09T01:30:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mercutio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@Mercutio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mercutio)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2001, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/61 "2001-11-30T06:02:00Z")
I’m getting paid to do a job I rather enjoy, even if it is mind-fraying at times. And at 3:30 that day I will need to be there to reap the fruits of my labor and work some more at the same time. Sorry you guys, I really wanted to go, there will be other fests, but there will only be one “first time” for my guys. (No, I’m not running an escort service) Bring a picture of me and burn it in effigy. I’ll catch you guys all some other time. ---
**Author:** ![JavaMaven1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cab0a1/32.png) [@JavaMaven1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JavaMaven1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/62 "2001-12-01T05:50:49Z")
Revised List: Definites CelticCowboy deb2world Heloise Icarus jab1 JavaMaven JustPlainBryan Shayna Maybes/Dinner Anamorphic pricciar Rilchiam **Merc** : You’ll be missed, but it’s for a worthy cause. I wish you & the guys good luck, or break a leg, or whatever. 🙂 Recap for the evening: Meet by 4:10 in front of the Paseo Pacific Theatres 14 (260 Colorado Blvd.) for the 4:30 PM showing of _Harry Potter_. The movie is just over 2 1/2 hours long, so we’ll be getting out just after 7 PM. Dinner reservations are at 8 PM at La Luna Negra on 44 W. Green Street (nearest cross street is Delacey). After dinner, possible bar hopping on Colorado Boulevard, if anyone so desires. **Morphy** , you are still welcome to join us for dinner if you can’t make it in time for the movie. I’ll email you our cell phone number if you’d like to catch up with us later. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/63 "2001-12-01T20:16:13Z")
I get off work at sharp eight. Mr. Rilch will drive us; that way I can have a drink. Our ETA will be 8:30. Seeya! ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/64 "2001-12-01T21:06:55Z")
Revised list…scratch the cowboy…maybe. I’m unfortunately performing emergency surgergy on my truck today. And just for the record, I can fix anything in the world, except for a vehicle. I don’t quite know what I did to them that requires that they make me take 3 times as long as anyone else to fix them. Anyways…If’n y’all don’t see me on time, don’t wait up. Have a drink or two, and make some good smart-assed remarks for me. Have fun kids. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/65 "2001-12-02T03:14:29Z")
I’m sorry I didn’t make it, but it’s not for lack of trying. Please excuse me if this post seems more Pit-like than MPSIMS-like, but I’m beyond pissed off about this afternoon’s events, as I was **stood up** and spent **3 HOURS and 45 minutes** driving to freaking NOWHERE. **Heloise** asked me to meet her at her place so we could ride together. I left my house at 2:30, stopped at my boss’s to drop something off and headed towards her place at 2:50. It’s a 40 minute drive, which should have put me there at 3:30, as planned. Even if I hit some of the typical downtown traffic, the most I would’ve been late was 10 minutes or so. But traffic was NOT typical (especially for 3:00 in the freaking afternoon!!!). I wasted 30 goddamn minutes on the parking lot that was supposed to be a freeway and didn’t arrive at Heloise’s place until 4:00. She only lives 15 minutes from the theater, so even at that we’d’ve only been 5 minutes later than the designated meeting time. Except… She didn’t bother to pay me the courtesy of waiting for me. Thanks a bunch. Nor did she leave a clear message as to whether she’d be coming back to get me or if I should meet her at the theater. Which, btw, I didn’t bother to bring along the directions to because - well - I was going with her and she knew how to get there, so I didn’t _need_ them. After taking the time to look in the newspaper with the guy she’s living with to find where the theater was located, and then looking up how to get there in the Thomas Guide, it was now 4:20 - barely enough time to make it there and miss the first few previews, IF they weren’t sold out and there wasn’t a horrendous line at the box office. But… As my luck had it, there was a fatal accident on the freaking freeway so it was at a complete stand-still. By 4:45 I finally decided there was no way in hell I was going to make it there so I decided to turn around and head home. Sure, I could’ve still headed that direction and met up with everyone for dinner, but a) who the hell knows how long it would’ve taken me in the dead-stopped traffic, b) I had no desire to figure out a way to entertain myself alone for 3 and a half hours while waiting for the movie to be over, c) I had no idea where the restaurant was, seeing as how I didn’t feel the need to write it down since I was _supposed_ to be going there from the theater with everyone else who knew where it was. And naturally the drive home was fucking hell. There was construction and a lane closure on the 5 and not 1, but 2 more accidents on the 110. Oh, but one of them was on the _other_ side of the freeway, but the damn rubberneckers had to drive 2 freaking miles per hour to twist around and look at it – which is most likely what _caused_ the accident right near it on _my_ side of the freeway (I mean parking lot). One 16-minute-turn-your-engine-off-'cause-you-aren’t-going-anywhere-at-a-railroad-crossing with the longest train ever in the history of the freaking universe (which STOPPED halfway across for 5 minutes), and 3 hours and 45 minutes later I’m home, drained, pissed off and tired. I could’ve almost been in freaking Vegas in that amount of time. I could’ve driven to San Diego - TWICE. If I hadn’t had to detour to get to Heloise’s because I _thought_ she was waiting for me, I could’ve stayed on the damn 110 and gotten to the theater in plenty of time, even WITH the traffic I’d had to sit in. Thanks again for waiting, Heloise. And my apologies to everyone who probably waited for me outside the theater, thinking I was coming because I’d said I would be there. I hope you guys enjoyed the movie and that dinner was fun. Maybe next time. * * * I really appreciate your consideration in avoiding stepping on my penis - **Spiny Norman** [sup][sub][sym]©[/sym][/sub][/sup] Jeg elsker dig, Thomas [sup][sub][sym]©[/sym][/sub][/sup] ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/66 "2001-12-02T03:25:43Z")
~grabs a bottle of wine and heads over to Shayna’s place to have a toast to a very pain-in-the-ass day~ ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/67 "2001-12-02T03:37:39Z")
Aaaaaaaaah, thank you, **CelticCowboy**. I’m enjoying a nice Sauvignon Blanc right now. Nice to have someone join me! Care for a refill? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/68 "2001-12-02T03:49:00Z")
Sounds great to me, the perfect thing to drown your sorrows. So hey, ya wanna go see Harry Potter tomorrow? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/69 "2001-12-02T04:11:12Z")
LOL! I’d actually love to, if you’d be willing to come down this way to see it. No way in heck I’m gonna battle those freeways again! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/70 "2001-12-02T04:11:49Z")
…But we can just turn this into a celebration of Shayna and we can all get thoroughly buzzed. That completely, no _ **completely** _ sucks sweetie. I’ve already seen Harry Potter, but maybe we can do something un-Potter-like later on. {{{{{{{{{Shayna}}}}}}}}} I’ve had days and drives like that, Shayna–they are Satan’s rimjob. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/71 "2001-12-02T04:16:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Shayna \* > \*\*LOL! I’d actually love to, if you’d be willing to come down this way to see it. No way in heck I’m gonna battle those freeways again! 🙂 \*\* So where is ‘this way’? I would’ve already been heading on hour west to do the thing today…wheeeeeee ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/72 "2001-12-02T04:23:21Z")
Hi **Ruffian**!! Woo Hoo - it’s so great to see you! So whatcha up to, girlfriend? **Celt** (can I call you Celt?), down here is the South Bay. Redondo Beach/Torrance, to be specific. Where are you? ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/73 "2001-12-02T04:27:56Z")
You can call me whatever ya like, darlin’. 😉 And I’m from a little town called Yucaipa, in San Bernardino county. Hit the 10, go east, and if ya see Palm Springs you’ve gone too far. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/74 "2001-12-02T04:33:10Z")
HA! I could’ve BEEN to Palm Springs tonight, for all the time I spent in my car. Damn! But NO MORE FREEWAYS for this chickadee. Nuh-uh. Sorry. 'Nother glass of wine? I’m pouring. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/75 "2001-12-02T04:38:57Z")
Damn I like the way you think, pour away. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/76 "2001-12-02T04:44:36Z")
Here you go, Celty… \\\ Oh, and just to clarify, the 3.75 hours I spent going NOWHERE today does not include the 20 minutes I spent going to my boss’s - seeing as how that part was actually going somewhere. But if you include that, I was in my car for over 4 stinkin’ hours today. And still didn’t get to go to Palm Springs. \\ G-d, sometimes I really hate L.A. So how’s the wine? ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/77 "2001-12-02T04:52:58Z")
And now you know why I live nowhere near you. 🙂 That kinda traffic drives me crazy. I dated someone in Manhattan Beach once, driving down there all the time. Thought my brain was going to explode sometimes. And I have a few of nice bottles of Cabernet and Merlot if we run dry. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/78 "2001-12-02T04:59:01Z")
Ha ha ha - you don’t know from long distance dating until you’ve dated someone who lives in Germany, like I do! Talk about one helluva ride to get there. 😉 (But very, very worth every minute it takes to get there!) I’m almost done with this glass and some Merlot does sound nice. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/79 "2001-12-02T08:00:27Z")
Yes, I feel like a total schmuck for what happened, and I hope the roses, card and apology at least start to make up for it. I did explain what happened to Shayna (I’m sorry, again ☹ ) And I feel terrible about it. But, I’m more than willing to make amends. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2001, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333/80 "2001-12-02T08:59:57Z")
Hi all! Good seeing you, the ones who did show up. Actually, I don’t know how it would have been if all the projected attendees had been there. I got in at 8:30, without Mr. Rilch, who was parking the truck. When I told the waitron that another person would be joining me/us, she replied, “Then we’ll have to put you at a two-top.” I don’t **think** so! “I came to be with these people!” Seriously, it was wall-to-wall. **Java** , you say they “didn’t balk” when you made a large reservation? We were also told that we had to order quickly because the staff didn’t like “add-ons”, with the implication that we were being done a huge favor by actually getting served. I dunno. I’ve done waitressing, and I understand a lot of the gripes, but I can’t quite get behind the complaint against parties that show up in dribs and drabs. As **Shayna** demonstrated, it is just darned hard to coordinate a bunch of people who are all coming from different places, and get them all to arrive at the same time. I’m sorry if I made things difficult for the waitstaff, but I’d been dealing with other peoples’ problems all day long (“Do you have the Cliff’s Notes for _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde_? Well, I need it by tomorrow.”) and I didn’t give those people any guilt trips. Next time: Cheesecake Factory! Or were they one of the ones that “balked”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/l-a-dopers-dinner-and-a-movie/92333.md?page=5)