Dispatches from the City of Angels
I'm a writer and humorist living in and writing about Los Angeles. You can catch my novel LOSING CLEMENTINE out March 6 from William Morrow. In the meantime, feel free to poke around. Over at my website you can find even more blog entries than I could fit here, as well as a few other ramblings. Enjoy and come back often.
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"Taint what a horse looks like, it’s what a horse be." - A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
"Trying to take it easy after you've finished a manuscript is like trying to take it easy when you have a grease fire on a kitchen stove." - Jan Burke
"Put on your big girl panties, and deal with it." - Mom
"How you do anything is how you do everything."
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L.A. Marathon XXII
After 26.2 miles in 80 degree heat, I crossed the finish line, took a picture, took my medal, smiled for my husband and then promptly walked behind a bush, crouched down against a building and threw up. And let me tell ya, I felt a heck of a lot better after that.
And I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. Here are a few highlights.
1. The Carl's Junior next to the start line at Universal Studios was a like a little gift from God. Instead of standing out in the pre-dawn cold, I had a nice cup of coffee, enjoyed unlimited use of the last real bathroom I'd see for hours and then, at the last minute, stripped off my sweat pants and ran out to the start in my shorts. (You haven't lived until you've taken off your pants in a fast food restaurant dining room.)
2. "I Love L.A." blaring through the speakers as the starter pistol sounds. This is the last time any of the 26,000 or so of us will have the energy to sing along for awhile.
3. The first few miles are through Hollywood, past all the classic monuments and into some of the swankiest neighborhoods, which are absolutely deserted. Ghosts towns. They heard we were coming, and they all packed up and went to Palm Springs. On the other hand, the poor, working class neighborhoods we'd pass in the second half of the race rolled out the red carpet. High school cheerleaders lined the roads. Kids yelled and high fived. Adults waved. And people who couldn't afford it, ran up their water bills dragging their garden hoses out to the street to shower off any overheated runner who wanted it. Every house. Every hose. All smiles. The Four Seasons doesn't have that kind of service.
Oh, and the dude handing out the ice, God bless you.
4. LA Fire trucks performing their version of the garden hose service with the big truck hoses and industrial fans. We love you.
5. Food smells in Koreatown, up and buzzing not that many years after it was pretty well leveled by the L.A. riots. You can't even see the scars.
6. Past the temple in Little Tokyo.
7. Over the 6th Street bridge with the skyline of downtown laid out at your feet.
8. Around the Memorial Coliseum, used by the city to host the Olympic games. (One of the official photographers snapped a picture of me running past with the Olympic rings over my shoulder. Sweet.)
9. My new t-shirt that says, "The race doesn't start until mile 20." Goes nicely with my shiny new finishers medal.
And I'd do it all again in a heartbeat. Here are a few highlights.
1. The Carl's Junior next to the start line at Universal Studios was a like a little gift from God. Instead of standing out in the pre-dawn cold, I had a nice cup of coffee, enjoyed unlimited use of the last real bathroom I'd see for hours and then, at the last minute, stripped off my sweat pants and ran out to the start in my shorts. (You haven't lived until you've taken off your pants in a fast food restaurant dining room.)
2. "I Love L.A." blaring through the speakers as the starter pistol sounds. This is the last time any of the 26,000 or so of us will have the energy to sing along for awhile.
3. The first few miles are through Hollywood, past all the classic monuments and into some of the swankiest neighborhoods, which are absolutely deserted. Ghosts towns. They heard we were coming, and they all packed up and went to Palm Springs. On the other hand, the poor, working class neighborhoods we'd pass in the second half of the race rolled out the red carpet. High school cheerleaders lined the roads. Kids yelled and high fived. Adults waved. And people who couldn't afford it, ran up their water bills dragging their garden hoses out to the street to shower off any overheated runner who wanted it. Every house. Every hose. All smiles. The Four Seasons doesn't have that kind of service.
Oh, and the dude handing out the ice, God bless you.
4. LA Fire trucks performing their version of the garden hose service with the big truck hoses and industrial fans. We love you.
5. Food smells in Koreatown, up and buzzing not that many years after it was pretty well leveled by the L.A. riots. You can't even see the scars.
6. Past the temple in Little Tokyo.
7. Over the 6th Street bridge with the skyline of downtown laid out at your feet.
8. Around the Memorial Coliseum, used by the city to host the Olympic games. (One of the official photographers snapped a picture of me running past with the Olympic rings over my shoulder. Sweet.)
9. My new t-shirt that says, "The race doesn't start until mile 20." Goes nicely with my shiny new finishers medal.
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