off by one for 2005 August

Wed Aug 10 02:26:04 the eagle has landed:

Well, here we are in beautiful Los Angeles. Well, Pacific Palisades, really. We're living, yes, on Sunset Boulevard, which to non LA people sounds really funny and ridiculous (or maybe cool), but to LA people it just sounds normal. Saying that you live on Sunset in LA is like someone in Chicago saying that you live on Western Avenue. In Northern California (which split from Southern California after Emporer Norton I's death) saying that you live on Sunset Boulevard is slang for saying that you have infectious boils.

Incidentally, there is some argument as to what is actually the longest street in the world. Canada claims Yonge Street in Toronto to be the longest (at 1900km) and Guinness agrees, however this depends if you consider Yonge Street to be synonymous with Canada's Highway 11. If Settlers of Catan has taught me anything, it's that The Longest Road is an important asset. I have to believe that there's somewhere in America where I-80, or I-90, or US Hwy 2 is named "Bob Johnson Way" or something like that and so we can steal that crown jewel from Canada's, um... crown... jewels. But that said, Russia probably has Tchaikovsky Way from Moscow to the Bering Strait. which would beat us, so let's just let Canada have it.

Anyway, I digress. Yonge Street may be the longest consistently named roadway in the world (about 99km in Ontario before Highway 11 starts), but Western Avenue in Chicago is a continuous, arrow straight city street that stretches 23.5 miles (37.8 kilometers) within one city's limits. Canadians can't even hope to have that kind of city planning technology.

(3) Wed Aug 10 14:38:03 the most dangerous game:

Went running in Topanga State Park (via Temescal Gateway Park) on the trail between Temescal and Will Rogers State Park with alhp. Pretty great trail, although I am having a hard time getting used to the dominant vegetation being scrub brush and cacti. I don't think I'm going to miss that when we finally leave.

M*A*S*H* was filmed in the Santa Monica mountains, and I have a feeling that I saw the mountains in the opening credits today -- or at least ones that looked so much like them that for the whole run (or run/walk since I'm so out of shape) I had the M*A*S*H* theme song stuck in my head.

Did you know: The M*A*S*H* theme song is titled "Suicide is Painless" and was written by director Robert Altman's son? The iMDB says that Mike Altman made more money off the royalties to that song than his dad made for directing the movie!

Anyway, it was driving me crazy. When I have a song stuck in my head while running, the pace of the song slips into rhythm with my breathing (which is in rhythm with my footsteps) and it makes me start to feel really claustrophobic. I tried my sister's tactic of singing "Hey, Jude" whenever she has something stuck in her head -- it works for me. The worst thing that could happen is that you don't get the first song out of your head. And the second worst thing that could happen is that you get "Hey, Jude" stuck in your head which, for me, isn't much of a punishment. That song is so long, there's tons to appreciate. There are the regular verses, then there's the bridge, then there's the na na na part, and then there's the part at the end (my personal favorite) where Paul sounds like he's being electrocuted whilst trying to sing the lyrics.

Did you know: if you're attacked by a mountain lion, you're supposed to fight back? The theory goes that mountain lions can't afford to be injured predators and so would rather let a meal go than get injured in a fight. Before fighting back though, you're supposed to be loud, look big, bare your teeth, throw stuff, pray, etc., and hope you don't have to remember your karate.

In Chicago, the most dangerous animal you might come into contact with is some random rabid mammal, or perhaps a pit bull or something. In LA however, the most dangerous animal you might come into contact with is a real live mountain lion. The kind with sharp fangs and claws whose M.O. is to leap on your back and sever your spinal cord as you run by. This freaks us out. Now, truth be told, no one has been killed in our area in 110 years and we're much more likely to be killed crossing the street -- but those cats are out there, and I have to say that I think I probably look pretty tasty.

Thu Aug 11 19:57:12 the DMV in Santa Monica:

Went to the DMV today, without an appointment, and got both drivers licenses and both cars registered in CA. Not too shabby. The key was getting our number taken *before* we had to wait in line outside to get the cars VIN numbers inspected by a certified car VIN reader person. Then once we got back inside, we only had to wait about 20 minutes to see one person who handled everything for us. It was great to see one person who was drivers license, plates, cashier, judge, jury, and executioner all in one. So now we're really officially residents.

I had to run around the block to find an ATM since they didn't take credit cards (although the pamphlet with the Governator's picture in it said he made it easier to use credit cards at the DMV... not sure how.

Anyway, it worked out fine, and the lady who helped us was super awesome.

So, our last feature here at bread and cheese was the "will miss/won't miss" list. I think the new feature will be "That's Not How They Do It In Chicago!"

That's Not How They Do It In Chicago #1:

In Chicago, politican's names and faces are plastered everywhere. When you go to the DMV, you see Jesse White. When you go to the park, you see the commissioner's name. Richard M. Daley's name is everywhere. In LA, you see celebrities' faces and names instead. Restaurants, billboards, in your grocery store, and yes, even the DMV. I think that Arnold is the center of this Venn diagram -- he is both celebrity and politician.

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