bloggie blog

The Hollywood Walk of Fame is one of Los Angeles’s best known tourist attractions. In fact, it’s way up there as far as sidewalks go. (Really, is there a more famous sidewalk in the world?) Now, I’m not one to hit up the tourist traps, but the Walk of Fame is one of few touristy things I’ve done. Inadvertently. If walking to a store counts as doing something touristy. This is because in my old apartment and my new one, I live(d) within walking distance of the Walk.

Spanky McFarland used to be the closest star to my pad. His star is at the very western end of the Walk, where La Brea Ave and the north side of Hollywood Blvd meet. Now Franklin Pangborn is closest to me, as his star is at on the east side of Vine St at Sunset Blvd. Both faces I know fondly, but the latter’s name is less well known — unless you love Preston Sturges movies. You watch Preston Sturges movies, you love them. This is a simple, reliable formula (with the exception of The Great Moment, which is a yawner, despite dealing with a worthy, historical subject).

While Franklin Pangborn also did multiple Jack Benny films and multiple W.C. Fields films, I think Sturges withstands the test of time better. So if you happen to be wanting to watch some great old movies, let me recommend the following Preston Sturges films that have Franklin Pangborn in them: Sullivan’s Travels, Hail the Conquering Hero, Christmas in July. These are not Sturges’s best three, but they’re good, and better than The Great Moment, which also happens to have Franklin Pangborn in it. The one film on this list of 3 that I need to watch again, and have been wanting to watch for months now even since a friend said I remind her of Joel McCrea, is Sullivan’s Travels. Off to the library to rent me a DVD!

As you may recall, I turned in my old car on Monday. I’m getting another car Saturday morning, leaving me with five days of carlessness in between. In LA.

A few observations:

1. It’s been pretty damn hot this week. Much sweating, much swearing.
2. I’m glad I had a free 5-day pass, one that they give out pretty liberally to people new to town.
3. Boardings: subway, 2; bus, 17.
4. Walking: too much given No. 1 above. But it’s good for me, so no biggie.
5. Rides mooched: 1.
6. Meetings late to: 1. Meetings missed: 2.

It’s the last one that’s the killer. And ultimately unacceptable. You have to allot too much time for early or late buses, is what it comes down to. And sometimes you have to wait in full sun. And those GD motorcycle drivers are such D-bags. And you have to pay close attention the entire time you’re waiting for a bus, keeping an eye for the next bus; those MFers will drive right past you otherwise. It’s just not right.

Sure, some routes are easy-peasy, maybe even easier than riding a car, especially if it involves only the subway, but the pricing scheme in LA is too steep — transfers are not free! Too steep except for long-term passes, so the system discourages casual use. Another huge problem. If I could change the world….

As of today, I do not have a car. I bid farewell to Saabie Saab, a lovely leased 2007 Saab 9-3 that I returned today. I then took the bus / subway / feets back home.

I was carless a few days right before I got Saabie Saab and the world has changed since then in one important way: Google Maps for iPhone now has excellent public-transportation options for Los Angeles. I used it more than once today. I’ll use it again tomorrow. The next car is a few days away still, so until then I am (a) Greener Than Thou and (b) grateful for Google.

It’s very hot today. Well over 100 in the hot spots. You walk outside and boom you just feel it. But it’s okay. It’s great. It’s so much better than the hot days back east. I’ve been missing a few things about New York and Boston, but the misery I experienced back there during heatwaves, that I do not miss!

Hikes in the hills — a regular thing in my life these days — are tough, tough, tough. But a stroll on the beach after dark is in store this weekend. Excellent for this weather. Excellent.

During the 7:00 AM hike this morning with @actingkeith et al., there two German women, Natasha and Tanya. Since I couldn’t even remember the German word for “because,” I have decided to visit the LAPL for language CDs. Ich sprechen muß!

I went downtown for an audition today, and decided to take the subway. As it turns out, the escalator at the Civic Center stop was out of order. The entrance there is a whopping 105 steps straight up — which is kind of awesome. There may be other staircases in LA with about the same number of steps, but the ones I’ve found have landings, turns and other distractions. This is one-hundred and five steps straight up (albeit divided into 5 groups of 21 with a slightly longer step between groups).

First of all, let me say that I believe in stairs. I take the stairs whenever I can, and I go for walks. When I’m weak, I take the escalator walking. Taking stairs over taking the elevator is one of the keys to health that merits greater promotion: I secretly suspect that if Americans started doing this as they went about their business, it would provide greater health benefit than, say, free gym memberships to everybody over 30. I can just feel our collective BMI dropping a point or two.

Anyway, I observed that 105 steps in a row turns into a mental thing. It can mess you up — especially if you’re thinking about it! Try it. Walking a long, straight staircase and counting or marking rhythm is a fascinating mental exercise in concentration — or the lack thereof! I recommend the mental experiment next time you’re near Temple & Hill in downtown LA.

(Google Maps link to satellite view of the opening of this subway entrance.)