GOOD MORNING LA

 

What constitutes an LA sorta day? Friday was definitely one.

Starting with Mr. Squeaky Clean.

These wonderful windows in the room we’ve dubbed porch west came with a problem. They were dirty, dirty, dirty:

 I made it my mission to get them washed. Not something I could not do myself; they’re way higher up than any ladder we have. I went to Google and entered “window washers near me.” That produced thousands of results. Trying again I entered “window washers in Silver Lake”. Among the results up popped Squeaky Clean with an address in the neighborhood. I called on Monday and left a message on voice mail. The how things get done in SoCal process was launched. That evening I received a text from Fred, Mr. Squeaky Clean his very self. It was the first of several texts and calls from Fred most of which postponed his arrival to look over the gig until eternal tomorrow. He showed up on Thursday morning. I accepted his offer and he said he’d be back that afternoon to do the job. Of course, because this is LA where one day is pretty much like the last, he showed up on Friday. And, hooray, hooray, he and his partner did a super-duper job. Wow, what a difference, day and night.

That afternoon I left Shelley off at Bang Bang on Hollywood Boulevard. I rolled on to Rite Aid with a list of items I could nab for her while she was getting her hair cut. And that’s where I met Deliciosa. Upon entering, I was approached by an imposingly large woman outfitted as security. “Can I help you find anything?” she asked. Not a question I’d expect from security. I declined her offer. But soon, I realized that I could use some help, found her and took her up on her offer. Deliciosa and I had fun shopping together as she led me through the vagaries of a LA Rite Aid.  Like toothpaste. All the toothpaste was locked up but fortunately Deliciosa had the key. She took the tube I chose from me. 

“I’ll put it at the register for you. You can get it when you check-out.”

I crossed the street to the bank of user-friendly ATMs. I’ve used ATMs all over the world and they’re pretty much the same everywhere. Except, of course, here. It started out as you’d expect: insert card, enter pass code, request a withdrawal. Then, well if this were a movie the ATM would be played by Owen Wilson and it would go like this:

“Hey, I’ve got bills in all kinds of denominations. Want me to choose for you?”

“No. let me choose.”

“Hey, no problem.”

“I’d like all twenties.”

“Oh, bummer dude. I’m all outta twenties. Here comes your withdrawal “

I got a big pile of tens.

 

         Los Angeles in the Time of Covid

 

Right off the bat the title is pretentious. Los Angeles is a sprawling five hundred square mile megalopolis. (By comparison, Buffalo is fifty square miles.) To say I know this city is at best an exaggeration. It’s not possible. There are huge sections that are a mystery to me. Then again there is a whole lot I know very well. I can get around, get around. But this visit, constrained by the pandemic, I haven’t been outta Silver Lake, our neighborhood. Even so, we’ve noticed real differences between this visit and those halcyon before times.

TRAFFIC

Writing about LA and not about the traffic is akin to writing about the forest and leaving out the trees. For years I’ve defended LA traffic. Yes, it’s fearsome I’d say but it rolls along. But in recent visits it was clearly worsening.

This was particularly noticeable at our corner. We’re on a semi-major street that connects one block away to Sunset Boulevard, a maxi-major street. During our last stay on this corner, we were concerned that it was becoming untenable. The traffic never stopped. Day, night, it didn’t make any difference. It was loud, it was constant.

But not now. Day time traffic at our corner is back to ignorable. Night comes with long stretches of quiet.

                                                          THE NEIGHTBORHOOD

We’re in Silver Lake where the city begins to climb up the hills. It’s funky and flashy, a typical LA mix of classic SoCal cottages and contemporary wide glass windowed boxes. Flowers bloom everywhere. Palms sway in the breeze and all size and shapes of cactus abound. Parking can be tricky although during the day a new space opens up about every twenty minutes. Get a good spot and you’re loathe to leave it. Since just about everything we need is in walking distance my car hasn’t moved in days.

Nighttime used to attract crowds to the restaurants and shops on Sunset. Now two of the trendy restaurants have closed and the remaining places have, as best they can, moved outdoors. The crowds have thinned out. Saturday night around ten all was quiet.

 

                                                          MASK AWARENESS

 

Everybody here is much more mask conscious. Everybody is masked all the time. Basically you put one on when you walk out the door and don’t take it off until you’re home again.

 

                                                         DEVELOPMENT

The breakneck pace of development has ground to a halt. In before times those quaint California cottages were being ripped away from the hillside to be replaced with big undistinguished multi-tenant apartments. Over on Sunset the old Army Navy surplus store where once you could find anything if you could maneuver the narrow aisles between the big piles of stuff is gone. Construction of something new and way bigger was started but is now stopped. This all means our views west over downtown Hollywood has been, for now, saved. It also means that the abandoned Church across the street is now a total eyesore surrounded by plywood fences topped with concertina wire. Well, it was slated to be resurrected as a boutique hotel which would have added lots of coming and going. We can put up with it.