Street Signs

Oh my God, I truly had forgotten how nice it is to be in a state that recognizes that when it comes to driving, 'we are all lost.' I lived in the L.A. area for over 15 years and I do know it pretty well. I know that the 405 goes south to San Diego. The 10 goes east. The 101 to Hollywood, etc, etc. Sunset Boulevard may look kind of stark the further east you go, but go west from Dodgers Stadium and you will hit super trendy areas like Silverlake, then Hollywood, and then it will begin to curve and take you through postcard pretty areas like Bel Air, Brentwood and on into the Palisades. And if you want an insanely gorgeous drive hop on Mulholland Drive most anywhere like from Topanga to the Valley - you'll wish you could stop, sit on a porch, and 'codge' forever. (If you missed my blog on the joy of codging just imagine a happy, old codger sitting in the late afternoon, just sitting.)

But with all the twists and turns of the roads in L.A. and the many times you quickly turn left or right just to get off a traffic-jammed street, it's way too easy to get turned around and upside down. I'm forever twisting my head left to right and towards the back window looking for the sun and repeating in my head, "Rises in the east, sets in the west," while realizing I'm heading the wrong direction.

Thank you L.A. County and all of California for SIGNS. You lead us, point us, give us the road forward. I'm not talking about only highway entrance signs. If you aren't familiar with CA, if you are a road traveler, I assure you that you would appreciate the many signs on these roads. When I'm driving and begin feeling that anxious, oh my goodness, not sure where I am, maybe I'm lost, queasy sweat thing break out on my skin, I take a breath (a very Zen thing to do in L.A. despite what you may think of the air) and I know that in a block or two a sign will appear and I'll know what to do. Another thing to note, u-turns are pretty much legal anywhere here. So, see a sign, realization hits, 'got to turn around,' make a u-turn. Sweat dissipates. Queasy stomach relaxes. And, I'm back on the road, driving righteous, headed to my destination.

Oh, alright, it's not perfect here. Way too many cars. Streets aren't so clean (we need a Mayor Daley and his brigade of Polish street cleaners or Mayor Bloomberg and his clout). But I'm telling you, directional signage is significant and important. It's why I'm here. It's what I'm looking for. No, not little Armenia. Not Hollywood. Just some signposts so I know I'm going the right way.

Not so much to ask for, is it?

Marcia's advice for today: Watch for signs.

Marcia's 'listen to' song for today: I Don't Know by Lisa Hannigan (Sing along, "If you walk my way, I could keep my head, we could creep away...." Dance along, too. It's mega fun.)