Observations...

The Ralph's supermarket down the street has valet parking...there is a Hare Krishna enclave two blocks down from us, right next to the Masonic Lodge...as a group of us left the Temescal Gateway Park yesterday afternoon, a limousine drove up into the parking lot...After lugging them around for weeks, I finally dropped a king-sized comforter (it sustained rain damage during my cross-country trek due to the poor quality of my roof-top carrier) and a blazer at the environmentally friendly dry cleaner. The man behind the counter said all cleaners should be environmentally friendly after January. Not only was the shop immediately adjacent to a Starbucks (the reason I found it in the first place) and incredibly close to my apartment, but it is also along my new, quicker route to the interstate! Really, this new road is the answer to all my problems, if not world peace!...I tasted Starbucks yesterday for the first time since arriving in L.A. Although I trade in credit card points for gift cards and therefore never actually give my own money to the world-domination-through-caffeine corporation, I have still avoided the place for six weeks. I am pining after a good java chip blended ice from Mug 'N Bean. And I miss Kris' beautiful, smiling face...Liza says she's trying to be content with what she has and not wish for items indigenous to Chattanooga. I guess I still have the luxury of asking my mom to send me things...There is no food tax in California. So buying a bag of lemons (who buys a bag of lemons? Who even needs more than two at a time? Really, Trader Joe's, stop the insanity!) priced at $2.99 means paying $2.99 or ordering a grande iced mocha with vanilla syrup means paying $3.50 (not the usual $3.83). Even though the state is getting 14% more of my livelihood than I'd prefer, at least they're throwing me that small, small bone...There was heavy traffic on da 405 as Melanie and I drove back from church at 11.45 a.m. ON A SUNDAY. Yes, a back-up. ON A SUNDAY...In doing graduate-schmaduate research yesterday, Melanie discovered that ferrets are an illegal pet in the state of California...Tonight, driving home from an evening at the Roxbury, Melanie and I noticed that it's actually cool. Chilly. Wow. Kudos to warm, sunny afternoons and brisk evenings...Hannah and Rankin are both going to be in a movie that a guy from church is making. I might make a few calls, pull a few strings, call in some a favors; I mean, I must begin somewhere...