from saxon1014

Okay gang, I'm exhausted!

Stayed up till 12:30 last nite making maps for the trip. Got up at 4 am. Hit the road with Coffeewench behind the wheel, and Ewok and CW's BF Stat1k in the back seat by a little after 5 am.

For those who know, my son Jeremy was leaving today for North Korea...I was so sad that I wasn't going to get to see him, since he was going to get to LA by 10am, and be flying out by 12:30. Well, with us coming down for the fittings, it wasn't any more trouble to drive to LAX and see him off!

We got to LAX and called him, and he was right behind us! We parked right near each other, and hugged and chatted for a while. We went in with him and did the 'stand in this line, now stand in that line' thing until we had to leave. The traffic was horrible getting in there, and I didn't know how bad it might be going out. I wanted to give us plenty of time, and Jeremy had finished getting his luggage all checked and would be going beyond the point we could follow anyway. We prayed together. HUGGED and I started to cry...and I was going to get really bad, I could tell, so I hurried him off (even got the gal who was taking him and his luggage to the next point crying!). My heart felt like it had gotten ripped right outta my chest! *and here I go again!*

Okay, Coffeewench had been sorely tested on the drive up...the traffic was so bad, so she wanted her BF to drive...OH BOY...did he ever take my mind off my departing son!!

We headed to the location of the costume warehouse. We were early, but wanted to get some food, since none of us had more than poptarts/breakfast bar/cereal all those hours before. We found the place, then drove back down the road and hit Taco Bell for me, and then back to Weinersnitzel for the kids. We ate, then headed back to the place. I didn't get the message from DG about the confusing signage, so we parked in the wrong place and had to walk around, went into the wrong door, then finally saw the signs and found.....MY HEAVEN!!

COSTUMES!! Racks and racks of costumes of every sort! It was a huge open warehouse, with a maze of costume racks, all with notes and tags and labels of who they belonged to, or what type garb it was. Without giving any spoilers, I'll just say, picture the episode "Serenity", when they land to take on passengers and we see the many different people walking about the town...all those different looks, textures, ethnicities...it was all there!! I saw snippets of fabrics and trims that I could have used to make Renaissance nobility, I saw stuff to make Belly Dancing stuff...para-military...mechanic/technical...everyday clothes for all the different types of 'settlers' we've already seen! It was awesome!!

Stat1k said, 'geez mom, you look like a kid in a candy store!'

I felt like my eyes were not big enough to absorb it all. And we had time to do so too...we were early, and there were people who were doing the 'grunt work' of costuming...running the sewing machines...one young gal was working with pattern pieces. *oh, it was so cool how they had the pattern pieces laminated and hanging on the racks!* (sorry, costumer's moment)

Anyway...A gal came up, literally chewing her lunch, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm still eating", I said, "that's okay, we are early, swallow...don't mind us". She smiled and checked her list and asked if I was Suzi, and I said "yes, and this is Gingi and Jim, we have 1:00, 1:30 & 2 appts". She said she'd just be a minute, but we could fill out the paper work and sign in. I told her not to rush, to enjoy her lunch.

By then we had already been studying the wall that was behind us as we filled out the paperwork. It has some familiar faces (our BDHs), plus some added new ones too. Some looked familiar from other stuff, and some look to me will be getting lot's of attention once Serenity gets them out there! Just from looking over the faces with the character names/discriptions was spoilerish...it wasn't hard to figure out some areas of story/plot...so I won't go into it here.

We looked around from our spot near the entrance...and the kids teased me cuz they could tell I wanted to run wildly throughout the place checking everything out. It was a very odd mix of Firefly fever and Costume Craziness! I did see some stuff that had names attached to them...you know how clothing racks have those dividers that tell sizes? Well, they had larger ones that had names on them, I saw "Zoe", "Jayne"...and some other unfamiliar names. I really only got a good look at ONE outfit that was hanging in the "Zoe" rack. But I saw obvious stuff that could only belong to Inara, or some other 'lady' of her profession! The gal who was steadily working at the sewing machine was working on a sheer maroon piece that would look gorgeous on Inara!

Anyway, the gal (who I thought said her name was Perry, but I read elswhere was reported as Terry) came back and took our papers, then asked me to follow her. She had about 4 different costume pieces that she hung on the rack in the makeshift dressing area (already discribed as the corner with a shelf unit acting as a 3rd wall, and a clothing rack witha curtin acting as a door). She pulled out a pair of orange pants with a batik/almost tie dye black design on them. They had this really odd 'home plate in baseball' shaped 'yoke' on the front made of a plastic type material...and I inwardly cringed...cuz I have NEVER been able to tuck my shirts in...and I was so afraid of her wanting that bit of odd designage to show. But, whew, she said to put on the burnt orange/rust colored 'karate type gi' on first, over the pants, and then put on the lighter beige with small green and rust squares over it all. She asked me if I had boots (I had told her I made costumes for Renaissance Faires and that this place was a dream for me!). I told her I thought I did, but they were about calf high and had a cuff...she said no, she wanted the pants long, to go to the ankle (where they were rather tight). She said, just try it on, and we'll figure out the shoes later. I put it on, and stepped out of the 'door'. My kids were grinning from ear to ear and mouthing 'pretty'...when she came back, she walked me back into the 'dressing room' so she could look at me in front of the mirrow. She had a belt with some round shell type things on it, woven with hemp cording. She had me take the kimono off, and use the belt to hold the 'gi' closed (I hope she safety pins it for the shoot, it kept slipping open!). Then she had me put the kimono back on and tie it loosely with the ties in front, so the belt shows. I liked the sleeves on the kimono...those large squarish ones! At first she said I might be able to wear my "fake berks" as shoes, but immediately said, 'no, they look too gladiator'. I asked what about black canvas 'kung fu' shoes, similar to 'mary janes'. She said, 'yeah that would work, we are going for a Chinese theme here with this movie'. (like I didn't know!) *grin*

She took me out and took pix, then had me change, and it was Coffeewench's turn.

She took a whole bunch of stuff in for her, and it took a long time for her to even come out. I saw her walking in with a dark maroon colored tunic, which had the perfect colors for CW. And that is what she decided on. I could tell CW wasn't happy, and found out later, that the first stuff she had her try on was lots prettier, but the skirts on both didn't fit right (CW is curvy and short!). The tops would fit, but she would have had to pull the waist band on the skirts way up to get them to fit properly. So the costume gal decided on the tunic. Unfortunately, CW had already seen, and tried on some gorgeous tops, so no matter how pretty the tunic, it wasn't the same! It did fit her alittle large, and looked to need a belt, so maybe they can adjust it or add the belt on the day of shooting.

After pix, it was Stat1k's turn.

OKay, his outfit rocked! As CW put it, "you look like a space biker!! And I bet your bike FLIES!". Terry (or Perry) cracked up at that remark!

He had on alot of clothes, layered up...from a slashed black t-shirt, to a silvery charcoal gray tunic, with a short black vest over, and long pants underneath...with boots, gloves, and a black tightfitting beanie type hat!

He did look awesome! He was grinning from ear to ear! CW said she wanted an outfit like that...she said, 'it's the future, they don't have girls who dress like guys?'

It was fun. And Ewok got to be there with us. She got to get freaked out by the naked guy maniquinn...she got to study all the pix of the lasted members of the Serenity family. She got to have fun watching me and CW try NOT to get into trouble! I wanted to ask if we could take pix of us in costume and the kids said, "no! MOm, behave!!"...CW wanted to take some of those huge silver safety pins that were everywhere! Ewok wouldn't let her! :P

Anyway, we had a great time...oh yeah, we saw Jamie Leigh Curtis at the airport...darn kids wouldn't let me take a pic of her either!

Instead of driving straight home, we turned back toward Hollywood, and took Stat1k to Mann's and to some of the shops. We hit the road amidst a hecka-lotta traffic, but still got home before dark!

Whew!

I'm tried...exhausted and mentally drained.

My son should be landing in South Korea in the next hour....it will be 5:30pm there. He's got to find a room with the help of his old roommate, and then tomorrow he flies to China. After a few days, he will drive into North Korea. Please keep him in prayer.

And this is gonna sound odd...but thank you once again Chris Buchanan, thanx to you arranging so fans could be extras, and us being used, we went to LA, just in time for me to see my only son one more time before he goes off into the very dangerous and exciting world for the next 30 days! I won't have any contact with him till he gets back! And I got to hold him for one last time!

*aw crap...eyes sting...*

I gotta hit the sack!

*sigh*

Original post @ the official Firefly forum...