Taking Metro to Work or My Birthday Project #22

I live in Atwater Village. My office moved temporarily from Beverly Hills (no easy commute) to Bundy and Olympic (much more hellish commute). While we were in Beverly Hills, I had decided to take the bus once or twice a week. Now, there's no direct bus, but with just one transfer at Alvarado and Sunset (where there was a recent gang shooting, by the way), I could get to work in about the same time as driving and not fueled by gasoline but rather my own self satisfaction.

So, with the drive much worse, I've opted to try Metro and did so on Thursday. I parked at the Cypress Park Goldline station (it's about 7 minutes away), rode the train into Union Station and transfered to Santa Monica's Big Blue Express Bus that goes through a little bit of downtown and then takes the Santa Monica freeway, dumping me right off on the corner where I work (no, I'm not a hooker).

I arrived at work refreshed, relieved and unstressed. The whole thing took about 20 minutes longer, but well worth the sanity savings. I'm going to try to do it at least once a week.

An Almost Spring Day in L.A.

Ok, well, it felt more like June Gloom yesterday than almost spring, but with a winter without rain that followed a scorching summer, who can tell what season we're in really. Anyway, I started the day off with a great constitutional in Runyon Canyon. I was supposed to meet Tom there, but Tom overslept. The bad news was that I didn't have the weekly chance to bitch about my week to Tom and hear him bitch back. It's usually good for an hour of shits and giggles. The good news was that I got to take an easier route.

After my hike, I came home and decided that I, indeed, did have time to go the Iraq War protest at Hollywood and Vine and still meet Brian, Andrew and Barbara downtown to see "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf". So, I drove over to Los Feliz and took the Metro to Hollywood & Vine. The subway was packed. Is this city turning into a real city or what? Well, it has been one for some time, but it's good to see that people are taking transit more.

So, the march got off to a late start, but I was able to snap some pics before I had to head back downtown. I got to the music center in time to have a glass of wine before the performance. After all, you can't really see a play wherein the main character is booze and not have a little something something. Well, the play was really amazing. Kathleen Turner, Bill Irwin and the two others (forgive me)were sensational.

Then, it was back on the subway to get my car in Los Feliz and then delicious early dinner at Malo, a glass of Jameson on Patty's Day and then home before 9.

A great L.A.Day. Oh, and please bring the troops home now!