Yeah. Yeah. I was gonna write every day, but I didn’t. So what? It’s Friday and time flies and distractions abound. I seem to be the proverbial Magpie Swooping down to grab every shiny object. Ooh. Aah. That’s interesting. I’ll be right there.
My dance card has been so full with daily meetings and meals none of which are entertainment business related which is surprising given I’m so close to the studios. Of course some of my friends are in the biz and I have seen them, but I’m not taking meetings with my agent, mainly because I don’t have one (should I say yet. Naw.)
Now, some of my precious time has been spent slogging through the ridiculous traffic that has grown exponentially since I was last here, just weeks before Covid lockdown. Sure, sure Austin’s lack of a real mass transit is nothing to write home about, and I35 is a clusterfuck beyond proportion, but the traffic in LA is a Godzilla-like beast that destroys even the best laid plans with a swoop of its bumper to bumper clogged on/off-ramps and interchanges. Some civil engineering. Bah!
When I lived here, only a mere four and a half years ago, I used to have alternate routes I could employ to fool the traffic trolls. Apparently I was not alone cause even Waze uses them now. Basically, now if you want to go from point A to Point B it’s best to have a full thermos of calming tea, snacks and a good book on audible or nature sounds on Spotify if you have an appointment three miles away. If you think I’m exaggerating come here and see for yourself…don’t forget to pack a travel mug and remember I told you so.
Yesterday, I wised up. I had a business lunch downtown at Phillipe, The Original – home of the beef dipped sandwich. Yes, I travel not from meeting to meeting alone, but meal to meal. I used to laugh when my parents would come back from a trip, ply us with rich, you’re not leaving til I say so food, guilt us into plopping ourselves down on the living room sofa and show us slides of this locale and that with emphasis on where they had breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert, in infinite, yawn, detail. I can’t and won’t do that to you, besides I don’t have The time or inclination to do so. Besides, who has a slide projector these days? Back to yesterday.
Instead of beeping and creeping through traffic from riverside drive in studio city to union station downtown LA, I chose to take the metro. If you’ve not taken the underground here you might consider waiting for The implementation of hyperloop or future means of teleportation, but if you do come soon to this area of Southern California, go ahead.
First Descend into the bowels of LA using the manual Stairs, escalators, or if your mask has essential oils, the stench filled elevator. Load your TAP card with the required amount (seniors pay 35 cents, yay) of one way funds, and hop on yet another descending tool to reach the trains. Then, wait in visibly clean but still stinky surroundings while your appropriate train arrives, hop on, claim a seat while you hear warnings to both stand clear of the doors (I am reminded of the Tube in jolly olde) and to watch out for and report troublesome criminals. Comforting.
I arrived at Union Station thirty minutes later, crossed Alameda, and made my way past an assortment of people – homeless, gangster, urban professional, prostitute, juror and the like, all so diverse, each adding to the flavor of this my “taste of Lalaland” and to the home of Phillipe The Original, purveyors/inventors of the original Dip sandwich (though that’s debatable) and creator of hotter than fuck mustard (truth).
It was there I spent a delightful business lunch with Jon where we talked a bit of personal, business and political (is it avoidable?) as we munched on dipped sandwiches and sipped from the tiniest glasses of ice tea. Too soon it was over and thankfully Jon dropped me off at Union Station (thus my avoiding the walk through the throngs, even though I could’ve probably used a few hundred more steps), but who cares?
There again I made my way to the train, and rode back to Universal city metro station where I had parked my car.
Have you ever had an ice blended mocha from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf? I have but not since they closed in Austin due to Covid. I quickly located the nearest shop and once in my car I headed over. I had a zoom meeting within the hour and knew I’d need refreshment- at least that’s my excuse. There at the shop I met a very large, very black and very sweet Doodle named Pizza. I paid little attention to his human, but isn’t that usually the case when it comes to our relationship with dogs? Well, for me it is. So, while waiting for my order to be ready I rubbed his belly and we shook paws. Alas it was Delightful to have a mini rendezvous with the furry guy, but it was way too short.
I reluctantly bade adieu to Pizza, grabbed my cup and straw, got back in the car and raced to my hotel for Zoom-a-rama with Jared, my book yenta or maven (you pick) where we continued to fine tune my book on mastering our personal mythology. Sounds interesting, yes? Tune in next week/month. That lasted an hour, then my brain was fried so I took a nap.
Sleep is so underrated. As I’ve gotten older I have realized that the power of a good nap is required if one is to remain young(ish) and healthy. Now I don’t care if it is a twenty minute power nap or a one hour extended snooze-a-thon, napping is good. Got it? good.
I woke, got ready for dinner with good friends Michael and Claudine. He’s in the biz, an actor fantastic, with such comic timing. She is a former actor who is now working through some heavy health challenges with such inspiring Grace and positivity. I adore these folks.
We managed to order and eat an exorbitant amount of Greek food, Opa! We laughed, we cried, we shared stories, we talked about nearly Everything. It’s so good to have people in your life with whom you can pick up where you left off years ago. It’s not a rekindling a friendships past, it’s the welcome continuation of communion. Am I getting too deep?
Okay then. I’m done for now. Today’s a new day and I gotta run. Have a good one.
See you soon
Janet Bernson 