Thursday Thirteen: 13 Things I Missed About Los Angeles

I almost forgot that it's Thursday, so that means it's time for another edition of Thursday Thirteen! I had a lovely five weeks away, but I'm so glad to be back in my own space here in the City of Angels. Along those lines, here are...

Thirteen Things I Missed About Los Angeles

1) Low clouds and morning fog: I love how it's all cloudy and cool in the morning till the sun gets high enough in the sky to burn it all off. No, we don't have the same weather all day, because in the morning (unless the Santa Ana's are blowing in) we get a slightly damp, cloudy morning. It's great.

2) Ice cream vendors pushing those carts with the bells: You can hear those carts coming from two blocks away and my sons were sooo excited to run outside and get some ice cream this afternoon.

3) Looking out my window and seeing the Hollywood Sign: Before I left there was some hubbub about building high end homes up there. It seems like ground hasn't been broken yet. Let's hope it all stays that way.

4) House of Pies: I haven't been yet but I drove by. I can't wait to go and eat some apple pie. Still can't believe Tarantino banged out his script for "Pulp Fiction" in there. I'd consider adopting it as a writing spot except then I'd eat every time I go there. Not a good idea for the waistline.

5) The insanely crowded Silver Lake Trader Joe's: Everybody's so saccharinely nice in there. It's a little unreal because folks will try to kill you in the parking lot over a space. But once they get inside, they're all, "Oh go on ahead and cut me in line." Psycho! And oh yeah, I picked up a box of their much cheaper and better tasting version of Oreos, "Joe-Joe's". It's, cough, for my kids.

6) The hills in my neighborhood: No not those silly young ladies with ridiculous nicknames that somehow ended up on an MTV show. I mean the hills in my very lovely neighborhood. I've missed walking and driving through them. Gosh, the Midwest is flat!

7) Hearing Spanish everywhere: I don't even speak the language and can only understand maybe 20% of what's being said, but I've missed how lovely it sounds. I need to learn it. I really do.

8) Roosters crowing in the morning: Yeah, even though this is the city, everybody's got farm animals in their backyard and the roosters are up at the crack of dawn letting us know it's time to rise and shine.

9) Our "news" anchors: When I first moved here I was astounded by their hoochified outfits and the amazing hair color combinations on their heads. Trust me, those descriptions apply to both the men and the women. Yeah, they make me sick, but I found myself somehow missing them. Stockholm syndrome? Go figure.

10) LAPD Chief Bratton: This guy... he says stuff like today's quote about our paparazzi problem: ""If you notice, since Brittany started wearing clothes and behaving; Paris is out of town not bothering anybody, thank god; and, evidently, Lindsay Lohan has gone gay, we don't seem to have much of an issue." Gotta love his crazy self.

11) My couch: Ok, so it's not specifically a Los Angeles thing, but I have dearly missed lounging around on my couch. I have some comfy pillows and a cozy blanket that I love to curl up with. Ahh, it's nice to be back reunited with them.

12) My neighbors: Everyone's neighborhood back home was really quiet, especially my sister's since she lives out in the boonies where the only noises at night are frogs and crickets. Although the quiet was nice, at times I missed the crazy folks across the street who do things like put a live DJ out on the lawn on a Thursday night. And the floozy underneath me? She moved out on Monday, one day before my return! Darn, the eavesdropping was so good!

13) The Walking Man: There's this guy who walks my neighborhood non-stop every single day. He's called the "Walking Man". I read here that he covers up to 15 miles per day, which is pretty amazing. Sometimes it seems like no matter what time I'm out, there he is strolling along.


So, those are 13 things I missed about Los Angeles! What about you? When you go away, what do you miss about where you live?

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Comments

pussreboots said…
Your neighborhood in Los Angeles is a lot like my neighborhood up here at the other end of the state. Happy TT.
Anonymous said…
It's good to take stock now and again of what you love about your home.
1969 said…
Welcome Home. How come this is the first I am hearing about House of Pies?!?!?!??!
Nerd Girl said…
When I come back to MS after being in CA, I am always so thankful to see greenery again! I never realize how dusty, dry and brown my hometown is until I roll back in Jackson and see trees and shrubbery - so pretty!
Anonymous said…
That's one thing I really noticed in the States, Liz, so many people speaking Spanish! Or was it Portuguese? It would certainly have been eye-opening to know the language and what they were saying.

What do I miss about Belfast when I'm away? The humour and friendliness of the people. And like you, the hills. Just about everywhere in Belfast you can see hills rising in the distance.
Liz Dwyer said…
Pussreboots,
I love northern California but I don't get up there as frequently as I'd like. It sounds like I'd be right at home in your neighborhood.

Citizen,
It sure is. I had such a great visit but I really missed being here.

1969,
Because since I want my pants to fit, I only go once in awhile nowadays! A few years ago we used to go almost every other Saturday night. It's the perfect little diner with the best strawberry cheesecake and apple pie. Yum.

Nerd Girl,
Yes, it is "browner" here, isn't it? It was nice to experience so much rain over the five weeks that I was gone. That way it won't seem so long till the rain starts back up in October/November.

Nick,
Not Portuguese most likely. You definitely here more Spanish in LA than in either Chicago or NYC. People here are friendly but they need to work on the humor part. So nice that folks in Belfast have that.
Anonymous said…
Sorry I missed you Thursday - this is awesome stuff. I miss the fog and the gentle sun rays. (Denver has only death ray sun due to the altitude) I'm glad you are home!

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