Los Angeles Is Burning

Nearly 18 million humans call the Greater Los Angeles metropolis home. That's a lot of folks. Without tons of fun things to do, people might get bored.

Bad Religion - Los Angeles is Burning (Station Fire)

Luckily, if you can navigate the traffic, there's always something happening in LA. It will come as little surprise to those reading this that I've become somewhat of a homebody in my aging years.  But, even I manage to get out and about a bit in Southern California.  Since I arrived in early September, there was still time to catch a Dodger game at historic Dodger Stadium. Kirk Gibson's one-legged, pinch-hit, walk-off home run against Dennis Eckersley and the A's in the 1988 World Series remains one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my 35+ years of baseball fandom.  I was happy to check out the scene of that miracle, even for a meaningless game against the Colorado Rockies as both teams played out the string in Chavez Ravine.

Dodger Stadium, Behind First Base 9/17/10

Me, Eric, Erik, & Barry at Dodger Stadium

A much newer, yet no less majestic, sporting venue lies due south of Los Angeles. The Home Depot Center in Carson, California opened in 2003 and serves as home to MLS clubs Chivas USA and Los Angeles Galaxy, as well as the training center for US Soccer.  It is truly an amazing place to watch a match. As such, I've already made the trek 4 times: Galaxy regular season matches v. Colorado and New York, a Galaxy playoff match v. Dallas, and the International Friendly between USA and Chile.

Erik & Eric, Galaxy v. Colorado 10/17/10

USA youngsters Bunbury & Agudelo do the Dougie (far corner) to celebrate the equalizer against Chile 1/22/11

Of course, it's not all sports in La-La Land. In October, Hoosier friends Wes and Melanie Priest jetted out for a visit. We were able to meet up with Abraham Benrubi and check out the Dia De Los Muertos festival, commemorating the Mexican Day Of The Dead, at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in North Hollywood.

My man Abraham & Wesley at Dia De Los Muertos



The grave of Johnny Ramone. You can buy Ramones t-shirts here. In a cemetery. Seriously...

The fitness freaks also managed to drag my dead ass out for some outdoorsy hikes.  While probably a bit beyond my comfort zone, the trek around Charmlee Wilderness Park in Malibu provided some breathtaking vistas over the Pacific Ocean. The gorgeous El Matador Beach, on the other hand, brought us back to sea level where the rocks meet the sand and the sea water.

Melanie, Wes, & Erik high up in Charmlee


And the march to the sea at Matador Beach

Soon enough, Winter would arrive... even here.  Having spent an Autumn and early Winter in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, I had an idea what to expect. Yet, surprises lurk around every bend where the mountains meet the ocean. And good friend E. Cruise Miller helped remind me of all I was missing back in Naptown.

5102 Park at Christmas



Meanwhile, in the City Of Angels...

Life is the same, just in a different place. We have a recurring role, and our character doesn't change, but the setting does. In Indy, when I walked out of my local Target I saw Hedlund's Hardware. Now, I'm in Burbank.

From Burbank Target to the Verdugo Mountains

Hopefully, with another post covering the Burbank days, I can catch us all up to the present day.

timothy dee

Made Up My Mind, Make A New Start.

Since I've been terribly remiss in updating the tale, let's start from the beginning.  "A man who couldn't make things go right could at least go. He could quit trying to get out of the way of life. Chuck routine. Live the real jeopardy of circumstance. It was a question of dignity." Inspired by William Least Heat-Moon's observation in the book Blue Highways, I was off.
 

A lot has happened since, not all of which is fit to be printed today. Nevertheless, if only for my own reflection, I will post some thoughts and images from the journey here at Petulant Monkey.



Summer in Indiana was coming to a close. It was time for me to go. Early September, and a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. IND-LAX. Destination: Malibu.

With a sizable assist from my brother Eric, my longtime friend Erik Margerum offered to let me stay in the room above his garage in the swanky beachside town of Malibu, CA. His hospitality, along with that of Annestasia, her two lovely kids, and their three hounds was above and beyond the call of duty. I will always feel a debt of gratitude for those three months.

   Chez Margerum

I'm understating things greatly when I say that Malibu is a beautiful area. Situated on a narrow strip of land between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Mother Nature has blessed Malibu with incredible beaches and impressive hilltop vistas.

Erik on Carbon Beach

Given the natural charm of Malibu, and its proximity to the glitz and cash of Hollywood, it should come as no surprise that many of its residents do not want for money. Carbon Beach is also known as Millionaire's Beach, and pics of some of those houses probably need a post of their own. The hillside mansions, however, are just as impressive.

View from Erik's backyard

So, for the months of September, October, and November, Malibu was the lush setting for my great adventure. In the next update to Petulant Monkey, I'll add some excursions into the Southern California surroundings and the visit of old friends Wes and Melanie Priest.

timothy dee