5 posts tagged “los angeles”

I'm not going to go into the disappointment I feel regarding last nights NBA Finals. What I will go into are all these anti-LA things I'm hearing from people. The first things I hear from people in my own office are comments like "39 points" and "Doc Rivers is such a great guy."

Wow. People that I work with saying this shit and we live in freakin Los Angeles. The best part is these people who had said things like "Go Boston" or "C'mon Celtics" who couldn't even name 3 of their starting players. Listen, if you don't know shit about the game, don't talk mess because you can. Yes, Boston won last night and they deserved it after the way the Lakers played but fuck off if you don't know anything. I had someone say, "I like the Celtics...Go Irish!" Go Irish??? Really? You like the Celtics because you're Irish. I know they're mascot is representative of Irish culture but shut up. I'm pretty sure no one in the starting lineup is Irish so don't use that as a reason to support a team you know nothing about.

To the bandwagon fans. That's what this series was for. On both sides too. People that started supporting the Lakers midway and now they are the ones talking mess on the Lakers. Apparently some people are saying the Lakers should trade Pau Gasol. That's just stupid. He may have played like shit in the finals. In fact, it's my belief that if Odom and Gasol had stepped up in Game 6, we could have had a chance. We needed them to perform and they didn't. Plain and simple. But trade Gasol? He's one of the main reasons we made it to the finals in the first place. Does no one remember the change in the Lakers when Gasol showed up? Just stupidity.

I could sit here and rant all day but I got work to do. I just want to say, I still hate Boston for having the Red Sox, the Patriots and the Celtics but congrats on your finals win. Seriously. KG, Pierce and Allen really wanted it and they went for it. Those guys deserved it because they played one hell of a series. To the REAL Lakers fans, if you have faith like I do, then you know that this is not the end. With Bynum back next year and maybe the addition of a key defensive player, we will be back in the finals next year.

GO LAKERS!

Word.

P.S. Nothing changes the fact that you can go anywhere in the country, do something really cool and then make the motion of shooting a basket and say, "Kobe!" and have it universally understood.

Kobe...you're still my hero

Beautiful and intriguing; what a great place!

It's May and that means one thing...my lease is almost up. I'm sad and excited to say that I will be moving out ofglorious downtown LA and moving to the Westside. I'll be honest, I'm more excited than anything. Not only will I be a hell of a lot closer to work, but I'll be living two blocks from the beach! Venice Beach to be exact. Home of The Doors, George Yung, super tramps, the last refuge of the hippie culture and every other person who's lost his way and wound up in beautiful Southern California. Needless to say I'm to fit in fairly well.

This is not to say that I'm not a little sad about leaving my downtown hub. I mean, it is downtown LA and nothing is better than the reaction I get from people when I tell them I live there. People always seem to be concerned that you're going to get stabbed down there or something. I can honestly say that in the last year that I've lived there, not once have I ever been scared walking downtown at night. Mainly cause I've been somewhere drinking copious amounts and the only thing on my mind is usually trying to get home to eat or continue the intoxication efforts. It's not as unsafe as everyone thinks especially with all the new developments downtown.

Always seen in Venice...Crunchy

I will also miss my crew. It's safe to say that I've spent the last year hanging out regularly with the same people and that is by no means a complaint. We've had one hell of a ride the last year and I wouldn't have had my first year of college any other way. I'm glad I'll be living with my friend Dave rather than alone as awkward silences are killer...especially when you live alone. I'm sure I'll stay in contact with my crew and we'll continue to dominate like no other so I'm not worried. It'll just be different. We'll be moving our efforts to the westside soon enough.

I'll be moving within the next month and I hope to bring more time and energy to my writing. It's not like I'm writing a novel here but it's been a great outlet these last few months and all my friends/neighbors on Vox have made me feel welcome. It's nice to know people read this every once and a while. My hope is to buy a new camera and start meeting some interesting people on the Venice boardwalk. Could be quite the adventure.

Until then, I just want to provide two quick lists of my Top 5 worst things about downtown and Top 5 best things about downtown:

Definitely not going to miss the traffic

Top 5 Best Things about Living Downtown:
5. People think you're either a baller or hardcore to be living downtown...or just crazy.
4. Several bars are downtown giving you the opportunity to stumble to the bars and home from the bars.
3. The Staples Center is so close you can literally walk to Lakers' games...if we could afford tickets (at least there are free passes to the Rhino)
2. You really feel like an urbanite and LA becomes your bitch.
1. I may have hated my building in the end, but living downtown gives you a great view of one great city.

Top 5 Worst Things about Living Downtown:
5. Traffic exists on and off the freeways.
4. Sometimes you forget you're still living in an English speaking country (I love other cultures and all but if you're living in the States, learn some fuckin English)
3. No one wants to visit you downtown because of bums/muggers/bad parking/fear of losing valuables/having to navigate the mysterious one way street terrain
2. Everyone you meet in the bars is either a) completely full of shit, b) annoying as shit, c) a piece of shit, or d) smells like shit (that is not meant to be offensive but a bunch of people in a tiny bar start to smell)
1. Living downtown can really make you feel trapped in it. You need to really make the extra effort to get out.

So there it is. One month to go and who knows what crazy adventures will happen before the move out. It's been interesting so far and I expect nothing less these last few weeks.

Word.

A flash and then another

I've been having this dream lately except it's not a dream. It's a memory. Something that actually happened in my life playing over and over again every night. The most interesting part about it, is that it's not in first person. It's like I'm a fly on the wall. It's like a memory flashing over and over again. It's pretty cool when you think about it.

I'd explain the dream but it's a personal one. One for me and me alone...

Sorry about that. I get caught up in my memories. And that's why I bring this all up. We all remember some of the great memories. Winning a championship. Your first kiss. Your first *cough* time. Or the first time you blacked out...or there is no memory of it which is probably better that way.

Then there are those memories you wish were dreams...or nightmares. Your first day at a new school. A break up. Lots of shitty things...so let's drop it.

I rarely remember dreams, which really sucks sometimes. You ever in the middle of a dream and you're like, "awesome!" Then you wake up and you can't remember any part of it other than "awesome!" It's lame. But I cannot shake this dream/memory. It reminds me of not only some good things but a few bad things. It's quite annoying. I wish it was lucid dream like in Waking Life or Vanilla Sky. Then I could do whatever I wanted. Probably would do the same as the memory. Yea, it's that good.

A couple memories I'd like to recall. Like the time Gloria Estefan's "Conga" came on while my roommate and I in Vegas where enjoying ourselves with our dates...*cough* What?! Neither one of us would give up the room! Or the time I was in Rosarito for Spring Break and I two stuntmans per night including two at a bar which even made the Mexican bartenders cringe. It's intense. Try it. Then there was the time a brother of my fraternity nearly broke his leg on top of a mound of boulders in Joshua Tree. Had to carry him 3 miles back to camp. And one of the best memories: getting blackout for the first time with my buddy Kevin Freshman year of college. We played the Bad Boys drinking game with Jack Daniels and Miller High Life as a chaser. Every time they same the name "Mike Lowry," you take a shot. We didn't finish the movie.

So yea. Memories are great. Now that I think of it, having the dream every night has reminded me of some pretty great things. It's hard every once and a while. But I'll get by.

And one final memory for all to see. It's kind of long and not very interesting (I'll admit it) but be sure to watch the end.
This is Dave, Renzo and I skating a parking structure at the Convention Center and a few Natty Lights. Good times. We were kicked out shortly after.

Word.