(another note reposted from my previous blog on Facebook... this was written about 8 months ago)
I wrote this note over the span of several weeks or so, and given the loss recently of a dear friend of many years, I am especially challenged in my heart to be thankful for my many blessings, and to appreciate the things in my life that have so blessed me, ESPECIALLY the people in my life. I am tagging as many people as Facebook will allow me to, because if you are on my friends list, it's because you have touched my life in some way great or small, and I appreciate you for that blessing. :)
I have had an interesting few months (well... actually, sice early 2008, so an interesting year)... many many challenges, but through all of them, I have RElearned one thing: the truism that the one thing that's ultimately under my control is my attitude. I am reminded of a quote from Abraham Lincoln that I read in high school, that "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be". I cannot say I achieve this with uniform success, but it has become a goal to choose to be positive and think positive, no matter the circumstances.
It's so easy in our society (and a struggle in my own mind) to focus on what's frustrating, what's "wrong", what's not going my/our way... so I was thinking recently about some of the good things... things that I love, things I appreciate, things that are good to me. Thought I'd start a list, just START a list, to share with anyone who might care to read it...
-- I love the tenderness and love of my God. I love that the Creator of the universe takes notice of little old me, protects me in His mighty hand, and that He loves me, especially during the times in my life when it has felt like no one else does. I love that He is a constant in my life, that He "never leaves me nor forsakes me". I love that I see Him in every sunset, in every smile, in every act of kindness, and especially working in my heart to make me "a better person" (i.e., more like Him). Much as I wish to be the tiny bit of mirror that reflects just a glimpse of Him to the world, I quite frequently don't reflect Him well, but I take comfort in knowing He loves me anyways. He has gotten me through so much, I can't even describe it.
-- I love the wisdom, wit, and humor of my friends. I love the memories that we have created together... some of you would be surprised to learn how much I remember, the moments that have stuck with me, the smiles you still bring to my face. Some of you, I remember literally the moment we first met, or some small encounter or conversation that embedded itself in my memory for one reason or another. :) I love that I have learned something from each and every one of you reading this, picked up some grain of knowledge or way of being that has enriched my life and me as a person. I love that my friends get my sense of humor, and we feed off of each other in a series of humorous remarks. Even the "quiet ones" make me laugh with such well-chosen words that I am giggling quietly to myself hours later in remembrance. I am reminded of this every time I go to Disneyland with friends... sometimes the banter we get into at Disneyland is the best part of the visit, better in some ways than the rides. :) I remember making the point in a linguistics anthropology class in college that having the same sense of humor is more than just laughing together... it actually speaks to whether you see the world the same way, process information the same way, appreciate the same things. Those moments of humor make me feel so close to my friends. :)
-- I love the grace and style of my female friends. You are each far more beautiful than you will ever realize (inside and out), but the rest of us see it every day. You have taught me so much about all the different ways a woman can touch the lives of those around them, can impact the world, can love other people. You inspire me in many ways, from the tiny (fashion tips) to the huge (the infinite patience some of you moms have!)! :) You give me hope for the future of our world and all that can be done to improve it. You really, honestly are an amazing group of women. If you are reading this and wondering if I mean you... yes, I do. :)
-- I love the strength and kindness of my guy friends. Men get a bad rap from some women, but at least some of us do appreciate you. ;) You have shown me that men and women CAN be friends, and I have been so blessed in the guys I count amongst my friends! Some of you I have known for decades, some of you for weeks or months, but whenever I hear a woman complain that "there are no nice guys out there!", I genuinely object because of all of you guys. :) You give me hope for the future of our world and all that can be done to improve it. You truly are an amazing group of men. If you are reading this and wondering if I'm talking to you, specifically... yes, I am. :)
-- I love living in Southern California. Sure, we pay a "sunshine tax" in the higher cost of some things, but even that is worth it: I have spent much time on the beach here lately, and to sit in February and March on a wide, expansive stretch of smooth soft sand and feel the sun warm in my face and in my heart... I would live here almost just for that. In addition, there are so many wonderful things to counter-balance that and be thankful for: the endless things to do, the wide variety of cultures, the diverse flavors of the many cities/communities, all of the OTHER gorgeous beaches, the beautiful scenery.... I could go on and on. Plus, you may have heard this from me, ;) but did you know I live close enough to Disneyland (a place some only get to go once, if ever) to go all the time??? :)
-- I love living in a country where I am blessed enough to have access to thousands of different kinds of "the arts", whether that be music, visual arts, ceramics, the dramatic arts, architecture... and I get to see the process of creating them, too! :) I now count a soon-to-be-published author, 2 visual-medium artists, people in the dramatic arts, and a few musicians amongst my friends here in CA (in addition to other artists in my family and friends elsewhere), and it's been a treat to get to know such creative minds. Especially here in Southern CA, it seems there are infinite possibilities and varieties of artistic expression... just music alone comes in more flavors than I've ever imagined it. :)
-- I love birthdays. I love the very idea of celebrating the arrival of a person on this earth. I love a birthday party, where friends can gather to celebrate that person! I love that even the most non-mushy person understands it's the day everyone else gets to tell them how much they love them. I love making a fuss over someone, especially anything party-like... when I lived in Seattle, with one group of friends some time ago, we used to hand-make elaborate party hats for the birthday boy/girl to wear when we had in-home birthday parties (or, out to a restaurant if the birthday person was brave!).
-- I love having a cat for the past 11.5 years... adopting her from the Humane Society was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life, she is my first cat ever and she has been a delight. Sometimes I watch her in just quiet amazement, as she is prowling around my room, stalking a toy, watching out the window, sleeping on the bed, or curled up in my lap... she is this tiny little beastie, in some ways more wild than not, but she so clearly loves me and desires my company... I can't explain it, but this just amazes me.
-- I love this amazing tool of connectivity, the internet. I love that I can write a "letter" to a friend half-way around the world and they will get it in minutes. I love that a website like Facebook has reconnected me to friends from decades back that I had lost hope of ever finding again, and makes it so easy to stay in touch. I love that websites like Meetup.com make it easy to find a group of people with similar interests, in my general area, so that I don't have to figure out how to meet people who enjoy whatever subject or activity that I can think of. Whatever the interest, there's probably a group on Meetup.com, and it's made meeting people here so much easier! :)
-- I love all the simple joys in life... the happy sigh of sitting down after being on your feet for a long time, that pleasant feeling of turning on the car heater when it's cold outside, the excitement and nervous thrill of sitting on an airplane as it taxis down the runway and lifts off into the sky, the smell of yummy food cooking that you know you're about to enjoy, a nice hot shower when your muscles are stiff, the happy grins on the faces as you encounter someone you haven't seen in a long time, the smile that my favorite color brings to my face, slipping on a very comfortable pair of shoes, looking up at the stars on a clear night, listening to birds chirruping and singing outside, watching palm trees and flowering bushes waving in the breeze, the beauty of a flower that seems to just be put there for me to admire and appreciate, and that moment of relaxing into a genuine real hug from a friend....
I hope you have your own lists, and I invite and encourage you to write them. :) May we all be blessed to COUNT our blessings, especially lately. :)
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
A general plea/rant/open letter to Ebay sellers...
Dear Ebay seller:
Hiya. I've been browsing some of your Ebay auctions, and have probably emailed you a question or two. Based on what I've read and how our questions/answers have gone, may I make a few requests?
1) Don't get snarky when I ask you a perfectly reasonable question. You are trying to get someone out there to buy from a perfect stranger who has no return policy; if I want to be sure about something, be thankful that at least I'm ASKING, instead of ASSUMING.
1)b) Corollary: It's not your job to tell me if my question is reasonable or not... duhhh, if I asked it, I think it's reasonable, right? Maybe I'm asking if that shelf is "real wood" because I want to refinish it. Maybe I'm asking about fabric because I need to know if a clothing item is dressy-looking and I can't tell from the photo... who knows. I'm not asking because I'm bored and want to pester you with questions! :)
2) If you're listing clothes, please put the measurements (not just the sizes, because of COURSE sizes are different from manufacturer to manufacturer, and style to style). If you want to sell those clothes for a GOOD price, the more info, the better: describe the clothes like you were telling a friend about something you just bought. Tell me what the fabric feels like (not JUST the fabric content, like the one seller who thinks I'm an idiot because I have replied back "yes that's nice to know, but what is the TEXTURE of the fabric" and she keeps telling me the fabric CONTENT). Tell me if it's dry clean. Tell me WHY I should buy it.
3) NWOT = NEW without tags. Not "like new", not "newISH".... all the buyers think new = new, mmm'kay?
4) If you're selling furniture, or anything larger than a medium-ish box, please offer local pick-up as an option. I don't have to come to your house, I can meet you at the store down the street, and wouldn't you rather hand me the large wall-shelf, than have to pack it for shipping?? Sure you can charge boucoup $$ on shipping, but how fun is it to pack that thing and take it somewhere?
5) This might seem obvious, but from some of the photos I've seen, perhaps not: did you know I can see the background of your photos, the entire thing you can see, not just the item for sale in the foreground? This means if you have the clothing item on your dirty floor, on a nasty-looking unmade bed, or sitting on the toilet seat (nope, not kidding), I'm going to go EWWWWWW and probably move right along to the next auction.
6) Sellers love communication from buyers, but it's a two-way street: please TELL me when an item is shipping, especially if it's not within a day or two. Don't wait two weeks, ship it, and refuse to explain, OK? That's what negative seller feedback is for... ;-)
OK, that's all for now... but I'm probably going to have more later... I'm not done browsing ebay yet.... ;)
Hiya. I've been browsing some of your Ebay auctions, and have probably emailed you a question or two. Based on what I've read and how our questions/answers have gone, may I make a few requests?
1) Don't get snarky when I ask you a perfectly reasonable question. You are trying to get someone out there to buy from a perfect stranger who has no return policy; if I want to be sure about something, be thankful that at least I'm ASKING, instead of ASSUMING.
1)b) Corollary: It's not your job to tell me if my question is reasonable or not... duhhh, if I asked it, I think it's reasonable, right? Maybe I'm asking if that shelf is "real wood" because I want to refinish it. Maybe I'm asking about fabric because I need to know if a clothing item is dressy-looking and I can't tell from the photo... who knows. I'm not asking because I'm bored and want to pester you with questions! :)
2) If you're listing clothes, please put the measurements (not just the sizes, because of COURSE sizes are different from manufacturer to manufacturer, and style to style). If you want to sell those clothes for a GOOD price, the more info, the better: describe the clothes like you were telling a friend about something you just bought. Tell me what the fabric feels like (not JUST the fabric content, like the one seller who thinks I'm an idiot because I have replied back "yes that's nice to know, but what is the TEXTURE of the fabric" and she keeps telling me the fabric CONTENT). Tell me if it's dry clean. Tell me WHY I should buy it.
3) NWOT = NEW without tags. Not "like new", not "newISH".... all the buyers think new = new, mmm'kay?
4) If you're selling furniture, or anything larger than a medium-ish box, please offer local pick-up as an option. I don't have to come to your house, I can meet you at the store down the street, and wouldn't you rather hand me the large wall-shelf, than have to pack it for shipping?? Sure you can charge boucoup $$ on shipping, but how fun is it to pack that thing and take it somewhere?
5) This might seem obvious, but from some of the photos I've seen, perhaps not: did you know I can see the background of your photos, the entire thing you can see, not just the item for sale in the foreground? This means if you have the clothing item on your dirty floor, on a nasty-looking unmade bed, or sitting on the toilet seat (nope, not kidding), I'm going to go EWWWWWW and probably move right along to the next auction.
6) Sellers love communication from buyers, but it's a two-way street: please TELL me when an item is shipping, especially if it's not within a day or two. Don't wait two weeks, ship it, and refuse to explain, OK? That's what negative seller feedback is for... ;-)
OK, that's all for now... but I'm probably going to have more later... I'm not done browsing ebay yet.... ;)
Friday, September 4, 2009
a long-ago-memorized love poem...
When I was in high school, an English teacher assigned us to memorize a poem of at least a dozen lines or so. I have come to see this as a blessing (though of course it was anything but at the time), because the poem remains one of my favorites to this day...
"My Star" by Robert Browning
All that I know
Of a certain star,
Is, it can throw
(Like the angled spar)
Now a dart of red
Now a dart of blue,
Til my friends have said
They would fain see, too
My star that dartles the red and the blue!
Then it stops, like a bird; like a flower, hangs furled
They must solace themselves with the Saturn above it.
What matter to me if their star is a world?
Mine has opened its soul to me, therefore I love it.
Why do I love this poem so much? It reminds me of some of the people in my life who I have come to value and appreciate the most... right now, off the top of my head, it's two people: my best friend of 20 years, and my boyfriend (I'll call him A.P.) especially.
My boyfriend A.P. is a quiet one (always the quiet ones with me) and he is quietly witty, not one to be the center of attention, usually observing rather than taking the floor. He is sometimes sardonic, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes dryly witty, sometimes mushily sweet, always very caring... but much of that is the proverbial light hidden from all but those who know him best. He is easily observed by many mutual friends as a genuine, caring, sometimes funny person, but his true genius, his caring soul, his intelligence, his true faith, his abundant wit... most don't look hard enough to see.
When a topic on the news comes up, he is frequently well-versed on the subject, having read the paper cover-to-cover out of interest in keeping himself well-informed. He is remarkably well-read, the most such person that I have ever met outside the writers in my family. He can speak with careful consideration and wisdom on so many subjects, I am in awe of his intelligence, yet he is humble himself about my perceptions of him. When we are alone, there are times when he is so quick with the witticisms as I am telling a story or trying to get him to answer a question, that I am reduced to helpless uncontrollable laughter, unable to continue or pursue my point until the humor subsides. When I am on the phone with my best friend, when he can hear that the conversation is truly winding down, he will start trying to make me laugh in an effort to hasten the end of the call, especially if we are on the way somewhere or about to do something. I have a very understanding best friend, and she will share my amusement, and we end such calls on a merry note.
I was thinking of this poem just now, and it brought A.P. to mind... I will tell others of the well of wit and profoundly thoughtful exposition and romantic caring that is this man, and they wonder about the quiet stoic-faced man they know. I wish I could show them the man I see, even as I am happy to keep this wonder to myself. He has "opened his soul to me", and I am happy to know the true heart of him, even if others don't see it... they see the "furled flower", but I see the star, and it is a sight to behold. :)
One last thought about this poem: it is said that Robert Browning wrote it for his wife, the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She was apparently a shy one in public who hated being the center of attention, though often sought out for readings for her own poetic prowess. Truly, a love poem about seeing the heart of someone that the public often overlooks... and so I dedicate it to A.P., with love...
"My Star" by Robert Browning
All that I know
Of a certain star,
Is, it can throw
(Like the angled spar)
Now a dart of red
Now a dart of blue,
Til my friends have said
They would fain see, too
My star that dartles the red and the blue!
Then it stops, like a bird; like a flower, hangs furled
They must solace themselves with the Saturn above it.
What matter to me if their star is a world?
Mine has opened its soul to me, therefore I love it.
Why do I love this poem so much? It reminds me of some of the people in my life who I have come to value and appreciate the most... right now, off the top of my head, it's two people: my best friend of 20 years, and my boyfriend (I'll call him A.P.) especially.
My boyfriend A.P. is a quiet one (always the quiet ones with me) and he is quietly witty, not one to be the center of attention, usually observing rather than taking the floor. He is sometimes sardonic, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes dryly witty, sometimes mushily sweet, always very caring... but much of that is the proverbial light hidden from all but those who know him best. He is easily observed by many mutual friends as a genuine, caring, sometimes funny person, but his true genius, his caring soul, his intelligence, his true faith, his abundant wit... most don't look hard enough to see.
When a topic on the news comes up, he is frequently well-versed on the subject, having read the paper cover-to-cover out of interest in keeping himself well-informed. He is remarkably well-read, the most such person that I have ever met outside the writers in my family. He can speak with careful consideration and wisdom on so many subjects, I am in awe of his intelligence, yet he is humble himself about my perceptions of him. When we are alone, there are times when he is so quick with the witticisms as I am telling a story or trying to get him to answer a question, that I am reduced to helpless uncontrollable laughter, unable to continue or pursue my point until the humor subsides. When I am on the phone with my best friend, when he can hear that the conversation is truly winding down, he will start trying to make me laugh in an effort to hasten the end of the call, especially if we are on the way somewhere or about to do something. I have a very understanding best friend, and she will share my amusement, and we end such calls on a merry note.
I was thinking of this poem just now, and it brought A.P. to mind... I will tell others of the well of wit and profoundly thoughtful exposition and romantic caring that is this man, and they wonder about the quiet stoic-faced man they know. I wish I could show them the man I see, even as I am happy to keep this wonder to myself. He has "opened his soul to me", and I am happy to know the true heart of him, even if others don't see it... they see the "furled flower", but I see the star, and it is a sight to behold. :)
One last thought about this poem: it is said that Robert Browning wrote it for his wife, the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning. She was apparently a shy one in public who hated being the center of attention, though often sought out for readings for her own poetic prowess. Truly, a love poem about seeing the heart of someone that the public often overlooks... and so I dedicate it to A.P., with love...
Culture shock (first post of many)...
I'm copying this from another place I've posted things, so if friends think it sounds familiar, well, that's why... this is a fairly free-form, written-late-at-night ramblings about things I've noticed since I moved to CA from WA state...
I've lived in CA for over 3.5 years now, and I keep meaning to make a written list of all the things that have been culture shock since I moved to CA from Washington state. When I moved here, the native Californians I brought this up to seemed surprised that I would have culture shock from moving 2 states away, but L.A. county and Southern California is a culture all its own, nevermind all the things that are state-wide different...
So anyways. Here's the ongoing list of things that caused at least a moment of culture shock, or even a mild "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" shock. :) In no particular order, and soon to be added to:
- People asking me if we "have Starbucks up in Seattle". The first person who asked, I thought they were kidding, so I giggled... then got the what's-so-funny look. ;-) I didn't realize that Seattle's reputation for coffee-guzzling hadn't reached L.A.... OK actually, to be honest, I was surprised no one knew Starbucks was a Seattle institution, but I guess that's not surprising... Starbucks doesn't tie itself to Seattle at all, and they're EVERYwhere.
- Related to that, almost no Starbucks have drive-throughs, and there are none of those ubiquitous parking lot drive-through coffee "kiosks" or huts that are in every grocery store parking lot in Seattle... I've seen maybe a total of perhaps a dozen drive-through Starbucks after driving all over the area with friends. People here apparently want to get their coffee and sit inside and drink it, from what my local friends tell me... I told them that in Seattle, coffee is something you get on your way to something else, hence the drive-through. ;) When I tell people here that nearly every coffee place I know of in Seattle (besides the very small places) has a drive-through, including most of the Starbucks, they are seriously shocked.
- Also related: Californians seem to like bad coffee. Seriously. My last boss tried to get various imported good-quality coffee at Costco, but the overwhelming response was that most of my coworkers preffered Folgers! FOLGERS! Not even over-burnt Starbucks or Costco's Kirkland brand coffee, but Folgers, and even that was made much too weak. Coworkers seemed to have a disconnect about weak coffee: they would see me make coffee using twice as much grounds as they did, and they would MARVEL at how much "better" the coffee was when I made it. I would try to explain WHY, and was met with skepticism.
- They sell hard liquor right next to the beer and wine in every place from 7-11 to Albertson's grocery store. I've commented to some people that all hard liquor is sold only at state-run liquor stores in Washington state, and they are dumbfounded at the very idea. :) It's just weird for me to see it at a regular store. :)
- The freeway exits aren't numbered... I saw in some travel guide that they're starting to do that, but I haven't seen it on any freeway except I think I-5. Makes it quite a spirited driving adventure when your exit comes up on you suddenly because you don't necessarily get any warning until it's on a list of exits coming up, and oftentimes that's when it's less than a mile away. Also, the radio traffic reports often call the freeways by their local names or old names, not their numbers, ie "The Glendale Freeway" not the 134 freeway. I'm trying to learn the names so I don't spend the rest of the drive wondering "where IS that??"... I rarely change my route, but I want to know so I can anticipate traffic...
- The freeways have a tendency to exit themselves, which still frustrates me. If you're in the wrong lane (like, the supposedly-safe left lane), suddenly you see a sign that the freeway you're ON is exiting via the two right-most lanes, and the lane you're actually IN will become yet a different freeway. Driving west on the 210, if you want to stay on the 210, you have to exit the 210 before it becomes the 134. Same with the 57 becoming the 60. Confusing? Well, the other night, coming home late from a conference in Anaheim, I was thinking about the conference and was five miles out of my way on the 60 before I realized that I was no longer on the 57, because the 57 had exited itself. Lovely.
- Hollywood-related traffic jams, which are actually kind of entertaining... like when the Grammys or Oscars are on, and the traffic reports had to include how to get around the resulting traffic jam of limos and press and fans, and like when a cop friend of mine tells me he plans to be out of town every winter the week of the Oscars, so he doesn't have to work the actual show or the after-parties! Somewhat related: Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) is a morning DJ here in L.A., and talks about behind-the-scenes American Idol stuff on his AM show... it's WEIRD to have someone I know from TV, be on the radio every morning.
- Disneyland is just 30 miles away from me... I still marvel at this. :) We go there and I see and meet people who came half-way around the globe: Europe, Asia, the middle East, Australia. They ask where we're from, and my friends and I all live within minutes. The tourists are universally jealous because many people never get to visit Disneyland, ever, and we're right in its backyard. That never fails to be a cool feeling. :)
OK, that's all for now, but I'm SURE there are more coming... ;-)
I've lived in CA for over 3.5 years now, and I keep meaning to make a written list of all the things that have been culture shock since I moved to CA from Washington state. When I moved here, the native Californians I brought this up to seemed surprised that I would have culture shock from moving 2 states away, but L.A. county and Southern California is a culture all its own, nevermind all the things that are state-wide different...
So anyways. Here's the ongoing list of things that caused at least a moment of culture shock, or even a mild "I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" shock. :) In no particular order, and soon to be added to:
- People asking me if we "have Starbucks up in Seattle". The first person who asked, I thought they were kidding, so I giggled... then got the what's-so-funny look. ;-) I didn't realize that Seattle's reputation for coffee-guzzling hadn't reached L.A.... OK actually, to be honest, I was surprised no one knew Starbucks was a Seattle institution, but I guess that's not surprising... Starbucks doesn't tie itself to Seattle at all, and they're EVERYwhere.
- Related to that, almost no Starbucks have drive-throughs, and there are none of those ubiquitous parking lot drive-through coffee "kiosks" or huts that are in every grocery store parking lot in Seattle... I've seen maybe a total of perhaps a dozen drive-through Starbucks after driving all over the area with friends. People here apparently want to get their coffee and sit inside and drink it, from what my local friends tell me... I told them that in Seattle, coffee is something you get on your way to something else, hence the drive-through. ;) When I tell people here that nearly every coffee place I know of in Seattle (besides the very small places) has a drive-through, including most of the Starbucks, they are seriously shocked.
- Also related: Californians seem to like bad coffee. Seriously. My last boss tried to get various imported good-quality coffee at Costco, but the overwhelming response was that most of my coworkers preffered Folgers! FOLGERS! Not even over-burnt Starbucks or Costco's Kirkland brand coffee, but Folgers, and even that was made much too weak. Coworkers seemed to have a disconnect about weak coffee: they would see me make coffee using twice as much grounds as they did, and they would MARVEL at how much "better" the coffee was when I made it. I would try to explain WHY, and was met with skepticism.
- They sell hard liquor right next to the beer and wine in every place from 7-11 to Albertson's grocery store. I've commented to some people that all hard liquor is sold only at state-run liquor stores in Washington state, and they are dumbfounded at the very idea. :) It's just weird for me to see it at a regular store. :)
- The freeway exits aren't numbered... I saw in some travel guide that they're starting to do that, but I haven't seen it on any freeway except I think I-5. Makes it quite a spirited driving adventure when your exit comes up on you suddenly because you don't necessarily get any warning until it's on a list of exits coming up, and oftentimes that's when it's less than a mile away. Also, the radio traffic reports often call the freeways by their local names or old names, not their numbers, ie "The Glendale Freeway" not the 134 freeway. I'm trying to learn the names so I don't spend the rest of the drive wondering "where IS that??"... I rarely change my route, but I want to know so I can anticipate traffic...
- The freeways have a tendency to exit themselves, which still frustrates me. If you're in the wrong lane (like, the supposedly-safe left lane), suddenly you see a sign that the freeway you're ON is exiting via the two right-most lanes, and the lane you're actually IN will become yet a different freeway. Driving west on the 210, if you want to stay on the 210, you have to exit the 210 before it becomes the 134. Same with the 57 becoming the 60. Confusing? Well, the other night, coming home late from a conference in Anaheim, I was thinking about the conference and was five miles out of my way on the 60 before I realized that I was no longer on the 57, because the 57 had exited itself. Lovely.
- Hollywood-related traffic jams, which are actually kind of entertaining... like when the Grammys or Oscars are on, and the traffic reports had to include how to get around the resulting traffic jam of limos and press and fans, and like when a cop friend of mine tells me he plans to be out of town every winter the week of the Oscars, so he doesn't have to work the actual show or the after-parties! Somewhat related: Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) is a morning DJ here in L.A., and talks about behind-the-scenes American Idol stuff on his AM show... it's WEIRD to have someone I know from TV, be on the radio every morning.
- Disneyland is just 30 miles away from me... I still marvel at this. :) We go there and I see and meet people who came half-way around the globe: Europe, Asia, the middle East, Australia. They ask where we're from, and my friends and I all live within minutes. The tourists are universally jealous because many people never get to visit Disneyland, ever, and we're right in its backyard. That never fails to be a cool feeling. :)
OK, that's all for now, but I'm SURE there are more coming... ;-)
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