Dear LA Cab Drivers:

First of all, and with all due respect, SUCK IT! $10 minimum on a credit card? Forgive me for not tipping, but sorry I'm not sorry. The duration of my ride was less than a mile ($4.25 on the meter), get over yourselves. I know this crap flies here because "everyone drives" but frankly, I am sick of paying the financial punishment for being responsible or trying to find a safe way home (aka: not with a drive with someone who has been drinking or not walking alone). Here is a tip, EVOLVE!  New York and Chicago both have standardized cabs with regulated fares and credit card machines stationed in the back of every cab. Hell, St. Louis is more accessible and accommodating when it comes to cabs!  News flash: there is no minimum credit card payment in the actual cities of America, they allow you to pay for your actual fare with a credit card like civilized human beings. LA gets away with murder here because they can. I personally, cannot believe that that people here don't realize how disadvantaged they are with the entire transportation system. Seriously. Second biggest city in the country? Step up. I am continuously penalized for choosing to NOT drive my car. I choose to drive to LAX because it is cheaper and more cost effective than taking a shuttle or cab. I ALWAYS took the train in Chicago because was cheaper and more cost effective for me, not to mention better for the environment and at some points, a time saver.  Health conscious?  Environmentally friendly?  Seriously?!?!  Get over yourself LA. You have the worst public transportation of any city I have ever been in. Right now, I'm calling poser. So many people here have good intentions and noble, organic ideas of how to live life, but there is an underlying current of money and corruption that dominates. I'm sick of it. I have pretty much caved to a lifestyle that involves not leaving Santa Monica to try and not be exploited and I still loose. People of LA- demand more.  This is crap. Your services her are overpriced and under-functional. It is not ok. I even hesitate to call LA a city. I have for a while. This is a sprawling metropolis of bullshit. Talking it up doesn't make the shortcomings disappear. And tolerating it perpetuates the problem. Believe me, I want to love LA, but these "nuances" are making it difficult...

and stupid and elitist...

Off the Wagon...

Hi. I'm Taylor, and I'm a Target-holic. The last time I had shopped was in December back in Iowa.  It was a quick trip, very under control.  My sister and I were putting some finishing touches on Christmas gifts. I didn't really choose to stop shopping at Target, it just kinda happened. See, there is no Target in Santa Monica. There is no Target in Venice, West LA, Marina Del Rey, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Westwood, Beverly Hills... there is no Target that is remotely close to me and my job.  It is one of the top things that I dislike about living here.

The closest Targets are in Culver City, there are allegedly 3 of them (selfish hoarders) according to Google maps though I can only account for two in my mind. Distance wise, Culver City is not far from me, but it requires a trip on either the 405 freeway or the 10 freeway and during peak hours, this is a nightmare.  I could plan to go on a Saturday morning or something, but I usually end up sleeping in, going to yoga, and enjoying relaxing and fun weekend time in Santa Monica.

So, due to distance and travel time, my relationship with Target had to end.  It's been a challenge for sure, but I've figured out where to buy things that I would usually get at Target around Santa Monica. The combination of the grocery store, Walgreen's, Bed Bath & Beyond, and the hardware store pretty much take care of it.  Four stops in a day can be super annoying, but it's better than the 405 at rush hour.

After semi-making peace with my Target-free life, I saw an opportunity yesterday, and I took full advantage.  Yesterday, my boss, one of our research assistants and I went down to the San Diego VA to hold a focus group and collect data for our new research project.  My boss lives south of me in Manhattan Beach, so we met at her house and went to San Diego from there. On the way back, it struck me. I was away from the Westside, and making my way home would be the perfect opportunity to shop at Target.  My excitement turned to elation when my boss informed me that there was a Target right in Manhattan Beach. Boom. Game on.

LA in a Day

As I mentioned in my previous post, my sister was out here visiting last week.  Even though she was on spring break, I still had to work all week and even though she was at my house for a total for 7 days, we really only had one full day to hang out together and experience my new city.  Kendall came armed with many things she wanted to do and see all over the city and I had the challenge of figuring out not only how to fit everything in but how to combat traffic to do it.  Miraculously, we managed to have one perfectly crazy LA day with no traffic issues.

After coffee and a light breakfast at home, The Duchess and I took Kendall on a scenic drive up the PCH and through Topanga Canyon to our first stop:

Dash Calabasas

Gettin' Dough

I'm a big fan of cupcakes.  Big fan.  I'm one of those people for whom a completely terrible day can be totally turned around by someone handing me a red velvet cupcake. Seriously.  As intellectual as I can be, I'm really still as easily pleased as a small child.  I've earned me the nickname "The Little One" at work given that I'm the youngest and that things like my new business cards are the COOLEST thing ever even if they have my e-mail address wrong and I have to rip them from the Avery printable sheets myself. Anyway, I digress...

It's no surprise that receiving the following e-mail from my father on Sunday completely changed the focus of my week:

Sprinkles Announces 24-Hour-Cupcake Access

Maybe something that you guys should check out while Kendall is visiting.  It’s a 24 hour cupcake ATM in Beverly Hills. http://laist.com/2012/02/28/sprinkles_announces_24-hour-cupcake.php

Oh yeah, my sister is here.  That's pretty cool too, but I've had her for a little over 23 years.  A cupcake ATM is brand. spanking. new.  I'll write more about her visit later.  Right now- cupcakes.  Clearly, Ken and I made sure to jaunt over to BH on Sunday after dinner to check out the newest way to get your sugar fix.  The result:

FYI: Kendall's shirt is a brand new style
from Jill  Aiko Yee's upcoming spring line!

Yep.  The ATM was not yet up and running.  The article was extremely misleading.  And we were heartbroken, as you can probably tell by Kendall's expression.  Regardless, I began following the ATM on Facebook.  On Tuesday, the ATM updated it status and announced that it was open for business.  On Wednesday, Kendall and I again made our way to Beverly Hills after dinner to find this:

Psh.  Yeah.  Even I am not enough of a fat kid to wait in that line for a cupcake that may or may not even be fresh.  According to YouTube this is what my experience would have been like:

Chelsea Handler also had some comments about the new addition to our metropolis on her show (that I was not able to find on YouTube), namely recognizing that there are no drive-thrus in BH for a reason, the ATM is just asking for an "influx of drunk assholes" to the area and that they should really focus on a cupcake delivery service.  At this last point, my heart filled with pride and nostalgia, knowing that such a magic thing existed and that it was only in Boulder.

http://www.boulderbaked.com

Yes ladies and gentleman, Boulder,CO: Home of the Drunk Asshole has been doing delivery desserts since... well... at least since 2003 and probably for many, many years before that.  And they are fabulous.

In summary, the Cupcake ATM is exciting and seems awesome.  But like most over-hyped places in LA, there is no way that you can get near it for the time being and trying is going to be annoying as hell.  When they install one at the Jack in the Box I live next door to, life will be complete.  Mostly, I'm just bitter because I've failed at using the ATM.  Twice.  And because I drove down Rodeo Drive.  Twice.  In one week.  Wha wah.

Also, delivery deserts would be so clutch in LA and Boulder rules.

Make a list, check it twice...

Soon after I made my trek out West, Gnat gave me a list of things that would make me a true Angeleno and measure my assimilation to the Cali lifestyle.  Since receiving those items, I have accomplished getting stuck in traffic.  That's it.  It's quite clear that I belong here as much as an arctic penguin.

With that said, it's no surprise that Gnat sending me an e-mail link to 150 Things to do in LA a few weeks ago struck fear through to my very core.  I was already sucking at one list and now here was 150 more things for me to suck at.  Awesome.

Soooo... I took a deep breath and prepared to feel overwhelmed and hickish- yet determined to read the entire list and really see what I'm up against out here.  The result- pleasant surprise!  I've actually done a lot of things! And I got some great ideas for new things to try!  For the full list of 150 items, feel free to click the link above.  Otherwise, enjoy my highlights below...

Blending in

Ever since we were little, my mother stressed blending in and not acting like tourists when were were on vacation.  Especially when we were in Colorado- Mom wanted everyone to think that we were locals.  Blending in was no easy task with my father aka Tourist Man taking pictures of EVERYTHING:

With his tiny camera backpack of power and the hat he only bought
yesterday, he dons his socks with sandals and sets off to experience
AUSTRALIA!

Yeah, ok.  We all kinda failed on this one...

Mom would fight the powers of Tourist Man by not letting us eat anywhere we could eat at home and making Ken and I keep walking when Dad jumped into a random bush to take a picture of a flower.  In Colorado, we were supposed to try to dress like locals (aka, wear our pajamas to breakfast- done and done!); the hallmark of fitting in was being asked for directions by some "lame tourist."

Hurry up and wait...

Today is one of those days were I do everything I can to move a process forward and them am left to rely on others to finish their part before real progress is actually made.  Thank goodness it's sunny and nice here or I would be going crazy right now.  These past few months has been a total exercise in patience for me, something I am not very good at.. on with the life updates!