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

The Chase

There is something about a pursuit that makes it almost impossible to walk away from before it's over.  And the longer you're after something, the harder it gets to give up before the end.  This concept has been true for me for many goals and dreams in my life, but it is also extremely true for high-speed car chases.

A few weeks ago, I had yet another LA first: first televised police chase.  Apparently it happens somewhat frequently out here and apparently most everyone stops what they are doing to watch the action.  I came home from work and turned on the TV to find every channel taken over by the footage.  At first I was annoyed that I couldn't watch Family Feud as planned, but before I knew it, I was totally invested in the chase.  And it wasn't even a very good chase!  There was a white pick-up truck (I almost thought it was a white bronco at first, damn) driving around the neighborhoods of Echo Park and Silver Lake going about 40 mph.  Not so high-speed... but you can't look away!  And why was this fool not getting to a highway and trying to outrun everyone!?!  What was his plan!?!?  When will it end!?!?  Ahhh, I swear, this is what must have started reality TV.

Anyways, like all good things, this too had to come to an end:  

The conclusion was satisfying, but the best part of this delinquent's endeavor truly was the chase.  The suspense, the effort, the uncertainty of the outcome and the speculation of how it would all go down was what kept me (and many of the citizens of LA) on the edge of the couch.

As for my current pursuits?  We (the other genetic counselor and myself) recently got privileges from the VA to start seeing patients!  I imagined that when this day finally came I would be handed a patient chart, given a pat on the head, and sent into an exam room to do my job.  The process has turned out to be a bit more step-wise and more of a challenge then I initially imagined.  The expectations are definitely high and the learning curve is steep.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't frustrated, both with the process and myself, but I have to keep in mind that this is what I asked for; what I wanted.  I wouldn't be satisfied with a job that wasn't a challenge and didn't push me.  Success is better when it's earned, patience is a virtue, good things come to those who wait, yadda yadda, blah blah.

As much as I try to tell myself all of these things, I'm still dying to get on the highway and hit the accelerator.  But if there is anything a moderate-speed car chase can teach you, it's that the journey is what ultimately makes the outcome worth it.  Guess it's time to set my cruise at 40 and make the most of the ride... and hope I have a better ending than the dude in the white pick-up...

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...

Soybeans to Oranges

Welp, it's been about two week since my last post.  It's not that I haven't thought about blogging, it's just that... well, life has gotten in the way.  Which is good I guess- it means that I have things to do and that my experiences here are becoming less novel and more routine.

Guys, I live in LA.  Crazy.

This also means that it's finally time to write this post that I have been sitting on for quite some time...

One of my favorite learning techniques is to use metaphors or comparisons of things I'm familiar with to get a grasp on something new.  This worked great for my students (I think...) and was also successful in helping me master the rules of rugby when I was in Australia.  Using football as as staring point, I was able to make connections and understand a new game... and meet cute Aussie boys ;)

Anyways, as you may have gleaned, this post is going to make a comparison.  In order to orientate and get my lay of the land out here, I'm going to equate the areas of LA to their Chicago neighborhood equivalents.  I'm also gonna go ahead and say which area I prefer though the total is not generalize-able to an overall LA v Chicago throwdown, they are just entirely too different.

***Disclaimer*** The comparisons are based purely on my impressions and biases after living here for approximately three months.  What I have to say about Chicago is most likely true, but I may have some misconceptions or over-generalizations about LA.  Also, being that I am a fairly open minded person, these impressions are subject to change as I continue to assimilate in the area.  For now, I present you with... (Drum roll please)....

Down & Derby

"Red carpet" entry into the Doll Factory

I've never seen the movie "Whip It"- but for those of you who have, Drew Barrymore apparently did her research for the film with the LA Derby Dolls.  Since I haven't seen the movie or a Roller Derby... match? jam perhaps?  contest?  I dunno what you call it...  anyway, with this being my first Roller Derby experience, I didn't really know what to expect.  I knew it was girls on roller skates and I knew that it got physical.  I guess I kinda pictured girls randomly skating around and body checking each other into walls, hockey style.

My foggy conceptions of Roller Derby were clarified on Sunday evening at "Baby Doll Brawl"- a competition for the newest LA Derby Dolls, the ladies of the Fresh Meat program who are training to make one of the 4 home teams.  The Derby Dolls are one of the few banked-tracked derby leagues in the world, most (98%) are flat track and from my research on Wikipedia, banked-track seems way cooler.  One of Steph's friends was actually competing on one of the teams under the pseudonym "Belle Scorcho."  Yeah... so one of the awesome things about derby is that the girls compete under skater names and some of them paint their faces and add some flare to their outfits.  Yep, little bit like pro wrestling, lotta bit awesome.  Speaking of awesome...