Friday, June 29, 2018

L.A., day one

I'm in L.A. for an extended weekend to catch Saturday night's LAFC match against the Philly Union. Thought I would create a travel log.

It's currently 8:51 PM on Thursday, June 28th. I got up this morning at 3 AM. The scheduled cab picked me up at 4 AM. The driver was a retired Verizon worker, who knew my uncle. Small city.

I got down at the airport a little after 4:30 AM. The TSA line stretched back at least 300 years — no lie. But it moved quickly. You didn't have to take off your shoes or remove laptops from bags.

Surprisingly, the flight took off on-time at 6:36 AM. I thought it was going to be delayed because the weather predicted isolated thunderstorms. I got stuck in the back row between two antisocial birds, so I couldn't really sleep (I need a window seat to nap). Don't think I'll be taking Alaska Airlines again. They didn't serve any snacks on the five-hour flight, only a beverage. And odd how my Expedia account is set up for a window seat but I had to get a seat assignment at the gate.

At LAX, I was gonna take public transportation because it was about 9:30 AM and check-in for my lodgings wasn't until the afternoon, but Google Maps said it was going to take at least 90 minutes, so I checked a website and it said a cab was going to cost at least $50. I already spent $55 (with tip) for the cab to the PHL airport, so I finally downloaded the Uber app. The Asian immigrant who drove me was really cool. Only cost me $27 and change . . . I gave him a tip so it was $30. He drives his Prius on the side. His day job for the past 12 years is being a cashier at a coffee shop. He has a kid and wants to move to a less expensive city. I, of course, promoted Philly.

I got to the motel around 11 AM after a half-hour-plus ride. My room wasn't ready (I had called at the airport), so I went down to a deli a couple blocks away. I had stayed at this same motel back in 2015. I got a BLT, Dorito's, and a Pepsi in a bottle. It was awesome! I hadn't eaten in about 12 hours when I had a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios after I had gotten up at 3 AM ET.

Around 12:15 PM, my room was ready. However, I messed up and didn't call my credit card company when back in Philly, so my MasterCard was declined. I had to call them to get it straightened out, and it caused problems for most of the afternoon. I was a little embarrassed, cuz the lady at the motel, Julia is nice.

From about 12:30 PM to 2:45 PM I napped. Fortunately it wasn't a deep sleep, which could have resulted in me sleeping until evening. There's construction next door. They were going crazy with a staple gun.

After my nap I wandered up and down the street I'm staying on, Wilshire Boulevard, here in West L.A., looking for a place to eat dinner. I also hit a supermarket to buy Werther's caramel candies, mints, tissue packs, Fuji water, and a TAP card for public transit — $27 for a weekly pass . . . think I'll take the buses when I fly home on Monday cuz I need to check out by 11 AM, and my flight doesn't take off until after 9 PM. I'll have all the time in the world.

For dinner I settled on a Chinese restaurant across the street. I got scallops and asparagus with a side order of white rice. All the major food groups! It was a real treat. I haven't had scallops in ages, and the asparaguses were cut up in about three-inch bits, including the white ends, not just the tips. They didn't have any hot tea, so I got Thai tea.


This picture doesn't really capture the color. It looked like orange paint. Those little black things at the bottom are Bobas. I didn't consume them. They went up the straw but were a bit much. The tea was actually interesting. It was a little sweet and you could taste the tea, however, it had a chalking aftertaste, like with a milkshake.

After dinner I hung out in my motel room, taking care of credit card debacle on the phone, bought a ticket for a punk rock show tomorrow at the Viper Room, and read a little. Around 8 PM I went next door to CVS and got a Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream cup.

It's now a little before 9:30 PM. Gonna hit the hay soon. . . .

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

An exercise in creative writing: I took the lyrics to "Rabbit and the Rooster" by The Lawrence Arms and reworked it thinking about the Philadelphia Union with references to the Atlanta match from a few weeks ago:


Oh my stars and red cards
What a great time we will have
Athletic activity all the bloody way
Fuck that forgetful ref
We’ll never see him again
Get out of our way
Cuz today is our day

Rip it up, rip it up
Kick, kick, kick
I didn’t sleep nine hours last night for my health
I’m trying, I’m trying to perfect my first touch
To cut down on mental lapses and mistakes
I’ve got a few good years left in me, boy
Then it’s time to retire and grow a spare tire
And with lead legs I shall fall flat down, out of breath
No, I will not dive tonight
I will not dive tonight

Oh my stars and yellow cards
What a great time we will have
Athletic activity all the bloody way
Fuck that Romanian ref
We’ll never see him again
Get out of our way
Cuz today is our day

I’m not into tackling and worrying if studs are up
I’d rather kinda crash into the box
And split those two defenders, then take that goalie one-on-one
C’mon, let’s go
Do the long throw

Oh my stars and red cards
What a great time we will have
Athletic activity all the bloody way
Fuck that overweight ref
We’ll never see him again
Get out of our way
Cuz today is our day

There are visitors in the corner
And our friends in the River End
We’ll never leave them behind
We don’t have all night
To get above that red line
Tomorrow I may get cut
But today our day
Today is our day

Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-DOOP
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-DOOP
Whoah. . . .