The City of (Little) Angels

Tyrone, doing his thing, West Coast style

 

the city from our East window 

 

a view up Sunset Bldg

Tyrone and his mom have made a number of  discoveries  in this glittering city of broken dreams. Here’s what happens. We pick a place where we think we might like to go. We look a google maps and I  write down all the directions. We don’t use a GPS because  want to educate myself about the city and it’s environs. So far we have been to Glendale to visit Costco,the Glendale Mall, and Americana, the other Glendale mall. Needless to say it is a shoppers heaven but we only shop at places where there are sales.  We have been to Santa Monica, Northridge, and the market n Fairfax and 3rd. We found the post office and the library and any number of cool places to eat.

We (Tyrone and his mom) live in a studio apartment, which I set up so it’s quite livable.  We have a kitchen, bedroom, dining room and a living room.  It’s perfect place for me and my puppy   and we look for adventures wherever we go.  Mostly we see things that I would consider very LA.  Yesterday when we were driving  down sunset blvd, we saw a sign on an office that said Dearly Departed Tours.  You figure out why anyone would take a tour of places dead people might have lived, and places where they were buried.  It is not something I understand, but there are many things in LA I find remarkable. Like you never have to worry about finding a parking space because there’s always valet parking. And if you want your car washed while you do whatever, that's always a possibility  People are nice and polite almost all the time.That must have to do with the weather.  There is very little political chatter because its all about the business  —auditions,managers, casting agents, producers, actors, and trying to make a living.  I am not part of the conversation but I have a political expertise that people seem to find attractive, she said modestly.  We are just talking about how you come part of any conversation and sadly, it’s always about the money.

In the realm of wonderful discoveries is the rediscovery of my college suitemate.  Angie has been on the west coast and Hawaii since we left school.  She remains one of the most caring loving people I have ever had in my live. But forgetting about all her goodness, she is still incredibly fun. Well laugh all the time and figure out how, the 4th quarter queens will spend the rest of our ives.  She is 30 minutes away so we see each other as often as we can.

Now the weather, one of the California attractions.  It’s gone from being beautiful to being rainy, to freezing with winds like a hurricane.  But theres no snow. There is no snow.I couldn’t be happier. The thought of livindhere doesn’t appeal to me, but getting out of the winter is very attractive. The class I am teaching is amazing. Could there be a better time to teach a course in Presidential politics and elections.  I don’t think so. 

Anyway, I am enjoying the life of a single person in a dormitory, because David is back and forth across the country.  This venue, the Emerson LA campus, is located on the walk of fame, where all the important actors have a star on the sidewalk. In the morning when the sun comes up,the iron shutters on the outside of the building close —so you don't get direct sunlight in your apartment.But you still get to see the beauty of LA during the sunrise and at night, you see the lights and the beauty of the city at night.
 I miss home, family and friends.  But this is wonderful place to be to get out of the snow and learn about politics from my students.    We're just sayin'... Iris