LA Stories

Just got back from Los Angeles. I hadn't been there in many years; probably more than ten years.

1. Even though my business wasn't there, I stayed in Santa Monica, in a hotel I used to stay at in a previous job. This way, I got to run on the beach and see the freak show. Why just run when you can run and observe a free freak show?

Speaking of which, there was one store front in Venice Beach whose sign actually said "Freak Show". The store seemed to be shuttered. Of course. Why would anyone pay for a freak shoe in Venice?

I fell victim to a rookie mistake during my run. First, I ran from Santa Monica to the end of the Venice Beach. I was feeling fine, strong, as a matter of fact. Then I turned around to go back. Wooooshhh! A headwind the likes of which I haven't felt since last year's bike ride in the Negev. It was a struggle to get back. What a dope I was not to have checked the wind.

2. I also got to eat at two of Los Angeles's finer kosher establishments, Shiloh and Prime Grill. The food was very good in both but the Shiloh was extremely loud and crowded. The ambience at Prime Grill was head and shoulders better and the food also better. I went with non-Jewish business associates to PG and they came away impressed.

3. The highlight of the trip was on Wednesday evening, when I got to dine with Robert and Karen Avrech. As Robert noted, when you finally meet bloggers who write very personally, it is rare that what you get is not what you read. That was certainly the case with the lovely, charming and funny Avrechs.

4. On Thursday evening as I was walking from the Beverly Wilshire Hotel (where my main business gig was held) to Prime Grill, I passed a street sign that had been painted with grafitti. The grafitti said, and I'm not making this up (you can't) MoC. Not even MOC or moc, but MoC!! My left coast double lives!

All in all, my impression of Los Angeles has not changed. Nice weather, nice place to visit, but too weird to live in.