Being in LA....

Has been a trip, literally. I mean, I grew up here -- spent the first 17 years of my existence in this place, but you'd never know it. Whatever the *image* of a woman from Los Angeles is, I clearly don't fit it. For that, I am grateful, particularly as I watch some of the women that are here, it's a disheartening sight. At the same time, as much as it pains me to be here, being a 3rd generation Black native Los Angeleno is something rare, as I am coming to understand, and that is a piece of history that I hold onto, although if I can help it, there won't be a 4th ha ha ha ha....

Anyhoo, so I'm in the City of Angeles for an undetermined amount of time and people ask me why I despise this place I grew up in so much. Truly, if my folks weren't still here, there would be no reason to return. EVER. There are a myriad of reasons why LA is not the place for me, and I put some new ones on the list in the week I've been here, one being:

Random Shootings on the Freeways

WTF? Talk about nonsense. Since I have been here there have been two: Few days ago, man driving down the 55, his tires get shot out, for no apparent reason. Man waves gun at him, shoots his tires, drives on. The one yesterday just so happened to occur about 1/2 hour after I'd passed that point on the 110. Couple in a car, one gets hit in the head, the other in the shoulder as they are entering an on ramp to the 110 freeway. Not even 2 hours later, one of those infamous - only.in.California - police car chases down the 110 through Carson to San Pedro and it ends in deadly gunfire, broadcast LIVE ON TELEVISION in Long Beach. Incidents are completely unrelated, but just a sample of the madness that occurs on the freeways of the LA Basin;

and two being:

The Cost of Bread

The cost of living in Southern California -- scratch that -- California, is astronomical and one of the major reasons why living here is a not an option, but this week, my gripe is with the cost of bread. I was in Albertsons, perusing the aisles and I like to do in all grocery stores, because grocery stores are one of my favorite places (and I have a love affair with Publix, but that is another post), and because my old folks no longer eat bread, and I had a taste for sandwiches, I THOUGHT I was going to pick up a loaf. Not so fast Senorita -- that shit is $3.95 a loaf!! WTF?! Same bread costs me $1.79 at Kroger with a Plus Card, but here, it's damn near 4 buckaroos. Even ketchup sandwiches become unaffordable when bread costs that damn much....

I could go on and on with gripes about LA, but there have been small pleasures about this trip out West. Normally, I arrive with intentions to be in and out within a few days. The smog can kill you if you haven't been breathing it regularly and back in the day when I first returned home from living elsewhere it would land me in bed with respiratory issues. I've since moved on to equally smoggy places and my respiratory system has adjusted nicely, tankuberrymuch LMAO In any case, this trip's return date isn't set in stone, so I've had more time to do things, and see people that I wouldn't normally have the opportunity to do and visit and that has made this trip all the more pleasant. A couple of stand out moments thus far have been, one:

I finally caught up with some friends from my junior high days. We hadn't seen each other since graduation day back in 1988. We've managed to move all over the country and sporadically keep in touch; but we finally got face to face after 17 years. The more we change, the more we stay the same. I'll post photos later, but it was a good mini-reunion. My girls are doing well -- married, raising families, designing fashions, dj-ing on 100.3 The Beat, coaching basketball teams, -- it's good to know that some folks have come out of LA and done good, because unfortunately, such stories are the exception and not the rule;

and two:

Seven years ago, right after I came back Stateside from Costa Rica, I was helping my mother at the LA Black Business Expo. Two things stand out for me from that weekend: 1) A.C. Green is really good-looking, in person and 2) the Watts Coffee House has some slammin' chicken wings. So slammin' that when I cam to visit the following year I tracked them down, to find out the restaurant was undergoing renovations and wouldn't be open for a while. I never forgot about the Watts Coffee House, but never had the time to make my way over there -- until now. That was a treat. The waffles ain't Waffle House or even Roscoe's worthy, and the chicken was a tad saltier than I remember, and being your average Black establishment, I needn't even discuss the service, but I was pleased with the atmosphere and environment nonetheless. And with any coffee house/watering hole/hole in the wall worth it's salt, if you sit around long enough, you will find out all the drama and gossip you need to make you feel part of the family or at least make you rather familiar with the family being discussed. Learned somethings about a family that went to my church - you just never know who you are gonna run into LOLOLOL

I've got more than a few more days here, and I look forward to catching up with more folks from my youth and seeing the fam-bam and I even plan to hit the beach, cuz lawd knows a sista feels LANDLOCKED LIKE A MUTHA in the ATL.....and let's not forget that quintessential LA experience, the Swap Meet!! I shall find myself up in the mix in the morning....can hardly wait LOLOLOL

..::More to Come::..
[Song of the Day: "Slow Down" by Bobby Valentino]