Day 8, Oct 21 - Yes, Virginia, there is public transport in LA

The car went back today. It was actually a relief to hand the keys over. No more searching for parking, no more trying to backtrack after missing my turn, no more trying to get across 5 lanes of traffic, no more worrying that I didn't lock the car...

Ok, I know...I worry about things most people don't think about. But, after the first few days of getting set up in the apt, I just felt like I was missing part of the city as I couldn't look at what I was passing because I had to keep an eye on the traffic. With a pass, I am looking forward to having more flexibility in travel with starts & stops as things look interesting.

So as my first foray into LA's public trasit system, I took the "flyaway" bus from LAX to downtown Union Station. It's a direct bus, no stops in between & costs $4. From there, a rapid bus got me back to Silverlake for $1.25. The trip, in total, took about an hour. Granted, this isn't an option when you have a suitcase, backpack, purse & two cats in tow, but it does show that the powers that be in LA are thinking about reducing the number of car trips needed.

They also have a "TAP" card system. It's a reusable, refillable card for bus & rail travel. One thing I like about it is that you can refill the card online & the balance is guaranteed against loss.

The thing I have yet to figure out is all the different bus & rail lines. Metro, Dash, Red Line, Orange Line, Metrolink. The good thing is that the buses have the racks on the front to carry bikes & bikes are also allowed on the rail system (for now, from what I've been reading.)

And, of course, the buses are all clean air.

So far, I'm impressed.

Day 7, Oct 20th - Close Encounter of the First Kind

Yes, I found THE house.

Now, I'd like to take credit for having amazing navigational skills. That I remembered the many times I had to look at footage of this place, along with aerials and was able to coordinate all of this information to zone in on her location. The truth is, I used Google Earth. Just entering "Kathy Griffin's house" into google came up with the results in google earth, including an aerial shot which is almost exactly the same as the ones used on the D-list as well as her exact address. On the internet no one may know you're a dog, but they can find you no matter who you are.

I find it amusing that, as editors on the D-list, we were made to choose shots that will not give away the house number or show the name of the house as if this is some closely guarded secret. About 15 minutes on the web gave it all away. Actually, I'm surprised it wasn't listed as a "local attraction" on my gps.


I also went to Griffith's Park & hiked up to the Observatory. On a clear day you can see....downtown?

It would have been a good idea if I had used the internet a bit more in scheduling my day. It's closed on Mondays.

And the weirdest thing I saw today was at a Starbucks....in a laundromat.

Day 4, Oct 17th - Things what I discovered today

Somewhere on Silverlake Boulevard

Too easy.
















.

The Silverlake version of Mr. Softee

No manic tunes!!

Just down the block from my apartment.
http://www.laurelandhardy.org/MusicBox.htm





























And....young master Otis

....and Mom.

Day 2, Oct 15th - Sweet Revenge

Most of the day was spent doing errands. Supplies, etc. Including buying a tv antennae. The irony of this place is that while there is a tv, it is only set up as a monitor for the DVD player. My "sublandlord" is an indie film maker and I guess one of those who "Does Not Watch TV." I respect that and have already become enamored of having Air America on in the background (off the computer mind you, because she also doesn't have a radio). However, I do like to watch the news in the morning (and, to be honest, Gossip Girl). I am looking forward to less dependency on cable.

But the big event of the day was going to Dodger Stadium.
For those of you keeping score, you'll know I was hoping for a different October, however, I was here, already had the tickets and figured I might as well go - especially because it could mean the downfall of the "Yankees West" club. It's been 50 years since Dodger Stadium was built and while it does look it, it is not in a bad way (like Shea). Very kitschy & in keeping with much of the architecture of the area. And a gorgeous way to see the game, with the mountains beyond the outfield & the sun setting. They have an old school scoreboard as well as a jumbotron. The announcer has been working with the Dodgers since they were in Brooklyn.

Tommy Lasorda & his granddaughter threw out the first balls. (The granddaughter did better.)

Lots of Dodger blue everywhere. Just about the only nod to the visiting team was the South Street philly cheesesteak stand.
While he was much ballyhooed towards the end of the game, it seems they don't really have a lot of respect for Nomar.At the end of the seventh inning, the exodus began. I know people have a commute, but still...it's a PLAYOFF game. But it was a really great game and I enjoyed it thoroughly. And, no, I did not wear a Cubs hat. (Hey, I'm brave, not suicidal.) I felt bad for the couple sitting next to me who had seen Dodger Stadium when it opened and who were extremely nice to me (even after I admitted I wanted the Phillies to win), and even though I would have liked to see Joe Torre be able to say "nyah nyah nyah" to Steinbrenner....I think I'll be using my Dodger rally towel to clean the floor.

Kathy stalking to start soon.....

Day 1, Oct 14th - Left Coast Arrival

Saw a posted temp of 91 degrees.....

But first, the flight - Virgin America is indeed a good deal and they've put a lot into making flying fun. And I think they've done a really good job of balancing offering perks with saving money. For instance, there is a screen inset into the seat in front of you where you can choose tv shows, games & movies on demand. However, the movies cost $7 each & premium tv channels also are at a cost. For me, this was not so much an issue because most of my attention was directed to (trying) to keep the cats...or rather, Xotz, from freaking out entirely. (More on that later.) Also, they have a service where you can get food & drink when you want it, but the food is also an extra cost. Obviously not a lot of variety, but I did appreciate the lightness of what I ordered and far preferred their personalization touch to the "you must eat NOW" approach of other airlines. And, if you're just looking for more beverages (adult or otherwise) you can get those as needed which is great.

And they were great about the cats. Speaking of which - I did drug them (as per my doc's prescription). I felt guilty because after giving them the meds, Xotz totally started to bliss out (with the third eyelid starting to cover a part of the eye) and I knew what was coming up. Into the carriers they went. Chloe wasn't too happy, but the meds totally worked to make her just a wee bit anxious. Xotz however was, well, Xotz. At a few points during the flight, she did space out, but for the most part, she meowed & clawed at the carrier. At one point I looked in to find her lying on her back, with her paws up in the air, eyes closed & head thrown back. She looked so freaky, I opened the carrier to discover she'd maneuvered out of her harness a bit. Against the rules, I took her out to adjust the harness. She was much happier, and I kept her on my lap for a bit before putting her back.

Plane landed, car was obtained & apartment was found. Chloe was already looking back to normal about 5pm PT, but it took almost till midnight for Xotz's eyes to return to normal. I'm seriously considering driving back to NYC. Anyone up for a road trip?