June 2010 Archives

Image via Wikipedia

I received my first Los Angeles traffic ticket today. It's been two years since our move and five since my last ticket. I'd might be more upset if I hadn't just changed around all the insurance premiums to reflect my stellar driving record.

That said, it was still chicken shit. In the morning traffic backs all the way up Cahuenga with people driving from the Valley into Hollywood. Those lucky few who know about a shortcut named Outpost never find themselves stuck in even a second of that Hollywood & Highland mess. Well, in order to turn from Mulholland onto Outpost (if you're going our direction) you have to make a left turn from Mulholland and there's a sign that clearly states this isn't legal from 7am to 9am. The whole purpose of this sign is to prevent rear end collisions on a blind right turn to people waiting for oncoming traffic to clear before making their left. I've taken this illegal left turn probably 100 times at 8:45am and never experienced an ill effect until today when just as I turned I saw a man in uniform peaking his head around the corner watching my every move. Once I noticed him it was too late and they flagged me to pull over. I alway keep with the spirit of the law and if there is ever a car behind me in the morning I don't make the turn. Thus, I never hold up a soul. Try explaining that to a man who's mission it was today to meet his ticket quota (just assuming since it's the 29th and all).

What burns me is that they should be getting the people who speed down Outpost while blowing stop signs and could actually kill someone. I made a left turn that's legal 22 hours a day and it was only 15 minutes until 9:00!! When I asked the cop how much the fine was he couldn't tell me because as he said, "That's up to the courts". Right, you mean it increases so quickly you can't even print tickets or educate your enforcement.

I'm hoping it's not over $300.

Jury duty was, as you might imagine, TORTURE. Thankfully, I was able to delay my arrival time 2 whole hours thanks to the online orientation (which was playing on repeat in the waiting room anyway). I shuffled toward the building with some other latecomer's who looked as defeated as I felt. The outside of the building was like something out of Armageddon and smelled like a urinal - not the most inviting place I've ever been. On the inside I was pleasantly surprised that being tortured with the rest of us was a rockstar from the band that inspired Rivers Cuomo to write:

Back in 1991, I wasn't havin' any fun
'Till my roommate said "come on and put a brand new record on"
Had a baby on it, he was naked on it
Then I heard the chords that broke the chains I had upon me

That band was so hugely influential in my life, as in Weezer's and countless others, I can't even begin to describe how starstruck I felt. I surreptitiously texted the one person I knew would understand the most: my dearest husband. Its actually not legal for me to talk about the other torturees but I find this situation to be so statistically rare and special that i just cannot help myself. Luckily none of us were actually chosen for a trial so I feel slightly safe talking about my experience now.

Now off on our separate ways, the drummer-come-frontman will probably never recall the hundred other people in that room but I will not forget the day I spent being tortured with a rockstar.

Photo courtesy of Wilberfan

Nicole and I went to get some takeout from Poquito Mas in Studio City and on our way in we saw Ham from The Sandlot. If you want to Google it his name is Patrick Renna and I don't think I've seen him in anything since but god damnit he was awesome as Ham.

Anyway, Poquite Mas is amazing Mexican food. Especially for the price. Just check out their reviews.

Nicole and I spent $20 and ate like Bosnian refugees and still couldn't finish the food (sorry to the one Bosnian refugee I met once [actually, I don't think you'll be that upset since you own one of the largest pieces of land ever in Malibu and it's rumored you effed George Clooney. So, I guess I'm really sorry to the suffering Bosnian refugees]).

Poquite Mas definitely gets two thumbs up. If you're interested check out their website here: Poquito Mas as they've got a lot of different locations if you're not in Studio City.

The Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, California 90049
Admission: Free!
Parking: $15 per car/$0 for motorbikes






On our never ending quest to find cheap/free fun things to do we (re)discovered The Getty Center. The Getty was one of the first places Dominic took me to when we came to L.A. on our honeymoon. It's beautiful and romantic enough for a honeymoon date yet affordable and interesting enough to keep us coming back.

Recently,we heard about the Da Vinci exhibit so we hopped on our scooter and made the drive to see it (for free!). Turns out loads of people were just as interested which made Da Vinci's tiny illustrations a little hard to see. If you could get close enough the Getty provided magnifying glasses through which you could really appreciate the detail and thought in each piece. Overall it was well worth the zero dollars we spent, even if we did have to muscle our way through the crowd.




Additionally, The Getty is a great architectural site to see even if the exhibits don't interest you. Join one of the many (free) guided tours and learn about the meticulous care that went in to building the famous all white grid. Enjoy the many beautiful outdoor spaces and bring a camera for the photo ops!

If you're planning a trip to beautiful sunny Los Angeles wait until July. For most of June we get something they call June Gloom where a "Marine layer" blankets the city giving you the impression that it's so smoggy here you can barely see the sun. In fact, it's a mixture of moisture AND pollution. So there. I'll never forget the first time we drove into the city in our big moving truck and Nicole took one look at the sky and very light outline of some not-so-distant hills and cried, "Where the hell do you move me to?!!". Lucky for me it all cleared up that July and she was left with only 999,999 other things to complain about.