Alex:  Why does it have to be so difficult to meet up in this city!? I live on the west side, closer to the ocean, and the majority of people I have met or knew before I moved here live on the east side, closer to Hollywood or Studio City. At first the traffic didn’t bother me, but now it’s what is killing my friendships with people! That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to meet up with someone, but didn’t because of traffic. Forget crossing the 405 anytime between 2pm to 8pm. That leaves a small window of time to hang. It sucks! Don’t even bother trying to make dinner plans anymore. The only people I can see regularly are those I live with or those who live west of the 405. Sad face. Maybe I need to drive with you the next time you run errands, to start learning the back roads so I can get around this city faster. An app I sometimes use that takes me on alternative routes is called, Waze. A couple friends swear by it. It alerts you of anything…cars pulled over on the side of the road, an accident, construction, a waiting po-po, traffic, etc.
Nik:  Yeah. It happens. I usually meet my friends in the middle. We make plans way in advance because last minute things are impossible with LA traffic. Make friends that live by you and take turns with friends on the other side of LA–make them come to you one time and then go to them the next. It’s a pain in the ass, but you’ll get used to it. Also, don’t be a flake. It takes so much effort to hangout with people here that I usually end up drifting apart from flaky friends. The plus is that you get to explore different hoods. That’s never a bad thing.
Alex:  Excellent use of the word hoods. I’m proud of you.

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Alex:  Parking enforcement does not mess around out here. In Wisconsin you could get away with a lot more! Today I went to Runyon to hike. It has such a different vibe than Temescal. Can’t complain though, I’m happy hiking anywhere. Whenever I’m this cheesy, I actually crave cheese. Is that weird? Anyway, I loved how many dogs were at Runyon. I felt like I was walking up a mountain, surrounded by puppies and a sunset over the city background screen saver. I hiked it this morning with 4 other friends. We stopped periodically throughout the hike just to appreciate the beauty around us. Some found it in the sky, some found it in the puppies, and others found it in the hotties with their shirts off. Moments like that keep me sane. I’m reminded of what’s important. I’m feeling refreshed on the walk back to our car. Just as we’re approaching we spot parking enforcement. A Reno 911 lookalike. You see them and instantly your insides hurt. I run up to my car and see that I got a parking ticket. I looked up at the sign and realized that the only day you can’t park on this street is Saturday. It’s Saturday. SHIT! I opened the ticket… $68! ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That’s ridic. I was bummed. All the other cars around me had tickets on them too, this area must be a hot spot. I tried not to let it ruin the fun adventure I had just gone on, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was a little grouchy on the drive home. Lesson learned, read the street signs CLOSELY!
Nik:  Um, yesterday, I parked in a spot that said 1 Hour Parking. What I didn’t bother to look at was the yellow curb which said No Parking. I’m confused. And annoyed. And it was $58. I’m contesting this one. I took pictures. A**H****!
Alex: You should. If I was a parking enforcer I’d just leave notes on the cars saying “Can’t park here biotch! Read the sign. Enjoy the warning! Go Packers.” PS- Can we get Aaron back already? I don’t think my heart can take another week without him. And yes, we’re on a first name basis.

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Alex:  One thing I really miss about Wisconsin is how easy it was to run errands. I could get a lot accomplished in one day. Or should I say one hour! Out here in LA running errands takes an entire day. Hey that rhymed, sorta. Anyway, yesterday I had a few things I needed from CVS, a check to deposit and my tank was on E. You know how long that took me? 3 hours! Yes, you read that correctly 3 hours. 3 hours to get make-up remover, Q-tips and nail polish remover. 3 hours to deposit a stinkin’ check. 3 hours to freaking fill up my gas tank!! The majority of that time I was in my car. Getting anywhere in this city takes more time than I anticipated. It’s annoying and I always think I can get it done in an hour but I’m learning the hard way that I’m wrong. Have any secrets? What are the best hours to drive to avoid traffic? Or should I just burn a new cd and get comfy being in my car?
Nik:  Get comfy in your car. Podcasts and audio books are great. I also suggest that you plan your errands according to location. For example, I play tennis Saturday mornings and so I plan a ‘loop’ of errands post-tennis. I pick up my mail, get gas, stop at bank and go the market. I literally map out my errands geographically and order them so I’m doing zero backtracking. I also try to group any appointments. If I have two appointments in the same area, I’ll schedule them on the same day and give myself an hour for the appointment and thirty minutes in between–if I’m early, I’ll grab coffee or something. Oh and when I’m working I always have to take the first appointment of the day. That way you don’t wait. I know it sounds annoying and like a lot of work, but if you get in the habit of running your errands in a very methodical manner, you’ll save tons of time.

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Rant from Nik:
Dear Sir in the unoriginal-black-SUV-that-everyone-in-LA-drives,
I see nothing on your U.B.SUV.T.E.I.LA.D that indicates you are the traffic police. Green means go. It does. Check any drivers education manual. Just because you’re worried that your bumper will be stuck in the crosswalk when the light turns red, doesn’t give you the right to try and control the flow of traffic (at this very busy intersection that takes 20 minutes to get through during rush hour) by STOPPING at a GREEN light. Please **cking GO while the light is green! And by the way? I’m right behind you! So even if the light changes this very second, it’ll be MY ass in the intersection, not yours. You know what else? It’s not gonna happen! You know how I know that? Because the walk sign has 14 seconds left. So please, take a xanax and Step. On. It. before I release the bitch I try so hard to contain.

*Alex please note that you can actually get fined for blocking some intersections in LA. You’ll see signs posted.

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