So I’ve been here more than a year now. I still feel like I have no idea what’s going on. But the truth is, I ‘ve seen through a glass darkly what it is I have no idea about. I know more about what I don’t know about.

As I was walking to work today (yes, you read that right. SATURDAY. This is why I haven’t had time to explore my new city..bloody attorneys), I saw a “Best of 03” publication in the LA Weekly newpaper dispenser. I snagged it.

Thing’s the size of a phone book! Holey Moley! I’m keeping it, it is giving me all kinds of ideas of things to check out.

And it’s inspiring me to make my own list of random stuff. Here goes:

BEST HYPED PLACES IN LA THAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN TO BUT ME:

Pink’s Hot Dogs
Canter’s Deli
The Beach (aka Surfing)
Hollywood Bowl

BEST HYPED PLACES THAT EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT BUT DOESN’T ACTUALLY GO TO, THAT I HAVE BEEN TO:

Getty Museum
Free Shakespeare in the Park
Norton Simon Museum
Central Library
The Symphony (including the new Disney Hall)
Swing Dance lessons at the Derby
Museum of Contemporary Art (Twice!)
a bus
A night class at UCLA

BEST COOL THINGS THAT EVERYBODY DOES THAT I’VE DONE TOO:
Farmer’s Market
Concerts at the Greek Theater
had an extensive conversation with a dicey used merchandise store owner about said merchandise
the Soda Pop Fountain (mulholland fountain on Los Feliz Blvd by the 5)
Bought FOR PROMOTIONAL USE ONLY cd’s and movies from used cd stores
Bought vintage and obscure designer clothes from vintage and obscure shops
joined a book club
Celebrity sightings
done open mike performances
Had highly abstract conversations with just-met strangers about pursuing creativity and staying centered
Seen a Laker’s Game (Go Fisher!)

BEST STUFF I STILL WANT TO DO

see original live theater ( oh wait, I did that…so do it MORE)
Drive to Mexico
go to hear authors and artists talk about their stuff
Drive to Vegas
Go to a dance club on Sunset Strip
Go the the H.O.B. Gospel Breakfast
Take a Yoga class

Just for starters.

I guess I ‘ve done a lot of activities that have a hushed-voice environment…the museums, the symphony…That’s due in part to the fact that my honey likes calm, contemplative places of beauty. He doesn’t feel like doing the loud and crazy stuff. I do that with other people.

There’s a ton of stuff I still want to do here. I suspect that there is no danger of running out of kick-ass fun stuff to do in Los Angeles. One of the biggest differences between LA and everywhere else I’ve lived is the willingness of the people in LA to do stuff.

The difficulty I’ve had in trying to start a group to do almost ANYTHING…Lord…Everyone seemed to just want to talk about doing cool stuff, but not actually start it.

HERE, I meet tons of ambitious motivated people who are willing to show up and do it. Maybe this place is the place where people come to make their dreams come true. They arrive with their sleeves already rolled up.

Maybe. I don’t know. What I do know is that I LOVE that about this city. You say, “Want to start a writing group?’
YES! and they do it.
“Want to work on a project with me?”
YES!

I love that kind of YES.

So I say YES to this city too. YES, let’s go do it!