Tag Archives: citylove

Riding the Metro to work?

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Last night, on my ride home, Jeff called to say that he had to be somewhere east of LA at 7:30 am. The same time I have to be at work. Which meant…I had to take the Metro to work. I looked for options out of it, but in the end, this was the only option.

work_subway

So I woke up at 5:10 am. I got up. I showered. Jeff offered to drive me to the train station at 5:55 am. I arrived at 5:58 am. That’s right, folks. In the 5 o’clock hour, I was at the Metro station.

I walked down the escalators, bought my ticket (I always buy my ticket, even though no one checks your ticket and there are no turnstiles. I like to be honest, and I believe that if no one pays, the system will never get better. So I pay.) I walked to the platform, impressed at my alertness, sipping my coffee, ready to pull my book out…book out…BOOK. I had forgotten, in my haste, to grab my BOOK! And this is terrible news, because I finished a book yesterday, leaving a wide open space for me to pick up where I left off in The Red Tent so I could attempt to finish the book club books on time.

No dice. And then, I remembered that I could listen to my Bridge of Sighs book on tape. And then I remembered it wasn’t on my iPod anymore.

But then I thought it’d be OK. I could people watch.

So I did!

And let me tell you, it made me feel like I was on the subway in Beijing again. That was the last subway system that I was familiar with, and it reminds me of the Beijing. There are tons of people on the LA trains that are not “white people.” In Boston, it feels like there are Irish, Italian, and a slew of college students around. In China, everyone was Chinese. Here, people are white, Hispanic, black, etc. I feel like it’s more diverse here than any place I have lived, and a good place to see that is on the subway.

As I rode to work, I had lots of time to take in my surroundings. I took some pictures of the scenery, because most of the Gold line is above ground (the second line I ride.) I also rode the Pasadena ARTS bus for the first time! (Pasadena Area Rapid Transit System.) It was wonderful, because the bus arrived promptly, which meant I walked into work at 7:25, just in time to see Liz’s dog!

All in all, not a big deal at all. A little sleepy, but I have an iced coffee here. Tomorrow I will remember a book.

Summer favorites.

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It’s almost here. My faves.

song — Summer’s Here (And I’m for that. I’ve got my rubber sandals, got my straw hat.)

hat —

strawhat

sandals–

sandals

drink– iced tea. with lemon. (made at home.)

“fun” drink — white wine sangria.

place– beach.

beach


read — anything trashy, OR Real Simple, OR NatGeo. There is a difference between a good beach read, and a good read.

To Read on the Beach

*Historical Fiction

*The Awakening

*Romance Novels

*Citizen Girl, Nanny Diaries

*Alice Hoffman books

*Time Traveler’s wife

*Devil in the White City

*Jennifer Weiner books (Little Earthquakes)

I almost forgot!!

snack — cheddar bunnies, Jax, and Fig Newton

place to buy books — The Book Barn

sandwich — tuna, since if it gets sandy you can’t really tell

Happy St. Paddy's Day

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southieoldman

Being in Los Angeles this St. Patrick’s makes me homesick for the East, and for South Boston. Usually my St. Paddy’s day involves some form of a one Miss Katie and her fabulous Leprechaun boyfriend. And all the Irish friends that live about those parts.

I miss the cold, the layers, the Irish being proud of themselves (more so on this day than others) and the bars that are so clearly Irish. Oh, Solas, a night without you is sad this March 17.

Things I miss about the East, and St. Paddy’s day:

1. People calling you “lass”

2. “Top of the morning to ya” (“and the rest of the day to yourself,” which is the proper response.)

3. The Irish Blessing heard about the city (I am listening to bag pipes outside my window at work, so that’s OK.)

4. Green everwhere, signifying the beginning of Spring

5. Parades

6. Everyone discussing how they are Irish

7. Red Sox shirts everywhere (with a shamrock, or without, we’re pretty lenient)

8. Green dyed food (such as donuts at DD)

9. The word “wicked” thrown into every sentence (St. Paddy’s day, or not)

10. People who actually go to church on the Saints’ days.

Eco Chic: Bring the environment to my urban life.

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I love the city. I love living amongst lots of people, seeing events taking place a block from my house, enjoying 24 hour marts for those “just in case” days, and always having something to do somewhere, for free, for cheap, for a lot, for birthdays, holidays, any days, rainy days, etc. I loved Boston, I love L.A. (although could do without the smog) and I can’t imagine living anywhere but in a bustling metropolis.

That said, I also love nature: hammocks hung between the branches of an old tree, corner stores that close at six p.m., back yards with pools, gardens, fire pits, a place for the dog to run, a place for the inner child to come alive. I love driving through the country and seeing nature at its finest, indulging in a hummingbird’s momentary rest, whistling to the chickadees, spending time in the car stopped next to a herd of deer. I love gardens with tomatoes, eggplants, squash, sunflowers, and the occasion berry patch. I love eating something I’ve helped grow, along with some lemonade squeezed fresh and a hot dog, for good measure.

This past weekend, I decided to start small on an attempt to bring the ecourban lifestyle to my apartment. Everyone has to start somewhere, right? I have a large ledge behind my kitchen sink, and for the longest time it held planets my friend Ki had given to me when she moved to nature in the North. They died when I went home for Christmas, and I decided that piles of dead planets in my home weren’t quite the ecourban chic I was going for.

beforegarden

So I took the existing pots:

potsinsink

And I got some fancy soil and some gloves:

glove

And I took note of the planet I already have, Mr. Potato:

potatoguy1

mint1

And I soaked the soil for 1/2 hour, and cleaned the bathroom while I waited for the lady bug to ring…

ladybug3

And then, I stuck a match (from a matchstick garden kit) into each pot.

matchstickgarden1

And now, we’re waiting for my garden to show me how it grows…We’ll see, we’ll see…

after