An Adventure in Los Angeles

Last weekend was my first real first weekend off since sometime in August. I had plans for this to be a great weekend. My weekend started really good by playing some beach volleyball and hanging out at the beach on Saturday. On Sunday I was to head down to LA for AIDS/Lifecycle Volunteer training. I was also to meet up with an old co-worker (Nina) who is now working in LA with the Lakers organization.

Nina and I had been texting each other all week trying to figure what we were going to do and where we were going to meet. By the time Sunday morning had rolled around we still did not have a decided meeting place. It was a long night for me the evening before as I went out and had some drinks with some friends from work. So, I woke up Sunday morning got ready and hit the road for LA. I got down to Malibu and stopped to fill up my gas tank when I realized that like an idiot I left my cell phone at home! I immediately started freaking out, because with my cell phone the only numbers I have memorized are my own cell phone and my office number. I essentially had no way of getting a hold of Nina! As I got back on the 101 to continue down to LA I started trying to figure out a way of how I could get a hold of Nina's number and call her from a pay phone. Luckily, I had Nina's number on a laminated phone list of the staff before I joined.

Once I found the place where training was at I began searching fro pay phones, but the two that I visited were not working. One of the volunteer training people was nice enough to let me call Nina with their cell phone and Nina called back with a place to meet at. After volunteer training I made my way over to the Staples center and began looking for parking. In my pursuit of parking I circled around Downtown LA for about an hour. Eventually, I found a parking spot. I went straight to the Holiday Inn to use their pay phone to let Nina know that I would be standing on the corner waiting for her. Of course I giggled a little when I said that.

I worked that corner for a good 45 minutes before Nina showed up to rescue me from the ticket mongers. I got asked by three different guys whether I had tickets for the game that night. I even got a fist bump from one. Nina promptly told me when I got in the car LA is not a place to talk to strangers!

After Nina and I finally met up and the day was saved we charted our plan for the rest of the evening. Our friend Rob was meeting us as well to hang out. Nina scored some tickets to the Lakers game that night so we watched the first three quarters and then headed off to get some grub.

Finding a place to eat was another adventure as Rob guided the three of us each in our own cars through LA to Little Ethiopia. We've done this whole thing before after trips down to curl and we always seem to get lost somewhere along the way while dodging in and out of traffic. This time there was the added wrinkle of myself with no cell phone. We made it work though and had an amazing meal. At first I was a little nervous about the meal, but once the food arrived and I had a taste I couldn't help but dive in and eat it up.

It was an amazing Sunday in LA. I went to my first Lakers game and had my first Ethiopian meal! And all without a cell phone! I should leave that thing at home more often and go off the grid!