Three, two, one - IMPROV!

Well as you know from my first post, I missed my first class at Second City due to missing my flight, but I was able to join a class on Saturday.....Three hours at Second City for my first time...it was awesome!

and here is were the improv magic happens!  On Hollywood Blvd in the heart of LA between a lingerie shop for men and a chotchke shop!  What more could a girl ask for!!!  Before I pull the curtain back on this amazing improv mecca, I must share with you my journey to my first class.

I live in West Hollywood, or WeHo as it's called by the locals, which, by Googles account is three and a half miles.  It's a beautiful SoCal day, sunny and about 80 degrees, perfect day to ride a bike..So I decide to ride my roomates bike there.  So I putz around all morning, a little coffee shop action, some window shopping, a bit of resale therapy...then I come home, get ready and hit the road at 2:15 for my 3:00 class, thinking 3.5 miles would take, oh maybe 20 mins, at the most to get there....So I bop down to the garage, unlock the bike, walk it out to the street and hop on....um...wait.  Something isn't right here...let me lower the seat.  (Oh, I need to let you know my roomate is 5'11 and I am a whopping 5'2 - on a good day...)  Yeah, so I am like, wooha, my feet could barely touch the pedals and I need to lower this business!  I check the time, it's 2:23 now.  So I unlock the seat and try to lower it.  Well, it's not going any further down.  A bit of panic hits me as I am trying to think about my other options for getting to class without being late.  (Being late was out of the question seeing as I missed my class yesterday.)  No other options.  Great, okay, well, I will make do.  Oh also, it's been about 10 years since I have ridden a bicycle, just so you know.  So I go over to the curb so I can boost myself up onto the bike, and with the most awkward of movements begin my trek to Second City.  After my failed attempt at lowering the seat, I was unable to lock it back into one position, so the seat basically was now similar to that of a swivel chair.  Yeah, so I am literally all over the road, wobbling like I lost all control of my arms and legs but finally I manage to stabilize myself and find a comfortable rhythm, just about the time when I see a stop sign on the corner of a busy street.  Stopping.  Oh man, how in the hell am I going to stop this bike since my feet can't touch the ground...I quickly think about the curb and make my way over to a crashing stop.  That's basically how I managed stopping the entire way there, and back.  Oh, on another note, Google forgot to mention, the entire 3.5 miles were basically UPHILL.  Sooooooooo, with 5 minutes to spare, I make it to Second City...all frazled, discombobulated, extreamly sweaty but nonetheless, all in one piece.  Thank you Jesus!
I lock up my bike and head up the stairs to my first class.  You walk into this place and literally, the energy of the building is intoxicating.  People are buzzing all around, there are shows there every day, making their way to their class rooms or rehearsal stages.  I enter my room, "C" and I am here.  WOW.  The room is long with chairs along on side and the other is exposed brick with large poster-style photos of those who have come before me.  Mike Myers, Gilda Radner, Tina Fey, Chevy Chase....and now me.  

Until next post,
Caroline