trinacriabob

OC, OC, OC...you're preaching to the choir. I am Santa Monica-born and West L.A.-raised and with the exception of 4 years divided between Italy and the NY suburbs, I did all of my schooling through college(all of it Catholic) on the west side of L.A. It just feels SOOOOO different now, that's all. I remember it as a "kinder, gentler" LA and a more affordable one, too. This afternoon, I pulled an open house flyer for a townhome on the Woodland Hills/Canoga Park border with 1150 sq. ft. and they were asking $ 459,000. I'm sorry, that's $ 400 a square foot for a crappy late 80s townhome. Get bigger and get closer in and it becomes a veritable nightmare. I don't mind it at all...it's just that I'm on edge in a few places. When I was growing up, I pretty much stayed on the West Side, the South Bay and the West Valley...that's it. Sometimes, because of friends, I might venture to Pasadena/Arcadia or to Whittier. Today, Sunday, I went and spent the day in Santa Barbara...truly a superlative. The weather can be described in one word: GLORIOUS.

chatty

Scandinavian

Company paid for it so I took the opportunity to come down to LA and get some continuing education credits at the AIA (read "geek") convention. SENSORY OVERLOAD..not the convention but LA, rather. The convention is at the Convention Center downtown. All of the hotel prices were high in the immediate area, so I stayed in El Segundo (by LAX) where you can take 2 subway/light rail cars (Green Line to Blue Line) and get to downtown for a pittance. This is the first time I have ever been in South Central! An eye opening experience. All the houses have bars on windows. Also, this historically African American area is almost fully Hispanic at this point judging from the store signs I was reading. Also, Hipanics tend to surround their houses with wrought iron fencing that has an arch-top pattern. So then, where did all the black people go? Doesn't matter, but I was wondering. Downtown is NOT very nice. They're getting on the loft - condo bandwagon and they are NOT cheap. Move a couple blocks in the wrong direction and it's not very nice. So, they want a million bucks or so for these? Get real. This morning, I drove my rental (Impala 3.5 VVT) to the Universal Studios station so I would feel safer leaving it there with crap in the trunk. I rode the Red Line...this is a real world class subway that doesn't run on the surface streets. It kicks ass. It is sickening that LA inagurated this in 1995 while BART kicked off in 1972. There should be at least 4 other subway lines given that the city alone has 4 million people, not counting the "undocumented." There are so many people not doing well here that the subway is the best way to make sure they don't operate a motor vehicle they can't maintain or insure. On the way back, I was a real ass hole. I get on the train outside the convention center. This architect dude (60ish, smug looking) has his badge on. It boasts the name of one of the name partners of Atlanta's biggest architectural firms. He sees me looking at it so he takes it off as if he is annoyed. At this point, I though "f*** you" since I was surrounded by smug and pissy architects for 2 entire days. So I look at him and say "So, buddy, slummin' it and riding the rails, huh?" He mutters something under his breath that I couldn't quite make out. As I left the train car to catch the Red Line connection back to the Valley, I gave him a good back slap to say "good-bye" or "you're a piece of $h! who thinks he's too good." As far as I can see, if you omit O.C., you almost have to live on the West Side, the South Bay or the West Valley. The rest of LA is pretty gross and depressing. This is not the "I love LA" that Randy Newman sang about. Innocence lost, for sure.

architects (yep, stiff and stuffy....but not me)

Geez, have you folks noticed how when Ocn starts a thread on his personal conundrums, everyone is on it like flies on $h!? PB, they broke the mold with you!

Biff and Buffy

preppy

electrical gremlins

Hey, Enzorafication is a good thing. That's a good "-do" there. The dog is cuter. I've got too big of a weak spot for our four-legged friends. Just think of how $h!ty the world would be without them. Cheers!

high maintenance

dream on Ocn

Pennsylvania

Good point. I'd say PB is a little hypersensitive on this one because he doesn't know if he has it "in the bag," so he beats himself up thinking about it. PB, you do need to chill on this one.

Chernobyl

Wow. Let's face the music on another score...a detail you left out. What if you're oblivious/indifferent to the age difference yet he is cognizant of it and views you as a friend? How will you process that?You never provided an answer as to HOW (communication style) this person speaks to you in general as well as after this event. C'mon, PB, we need "real McCoy" info...not selectively dispensed info...if you want our insights.

Japanese beer cans

Battle (of the)

bugle

If you look at it, it's just a matter of shavings. Buick had 1.34 problems per car to Chevrolet's 1.24 problems. Buicks have more complex things on them than do most Chevrolets. I suspect it was in the "power goodies." Also, our 4 main car lines (Chev/Pontiac/Buick/Cad) outdid SUBARU. Right on!

Enz, I was just in the Southeast (ATL, to be exact). Do they have the word granola there to describe someone...you know, he's a granola or she's a granola? I've exported that term to Italy. My cousins now use it. I like it better than hippie. Hey, if you are ever in ATL, there's a hippie-dippy area called "Little 5 Points." It was hippie-dippy then and it is hippie-dippy now. It abuts onto a NOT so nice area, so tread carefully. Oh well, enjoy your new endeavor. I am a true believer of integrating/preserving forest land within developments rather than wholesale bulldozing.

synthesizer

And you think I don't know that, PB? I was going fast...an illicit post while at work.

Congrats! Much happiness to both of you.

Attila the Hun