had the “pleasure” of attending my brother-in-law’s wedding over the weekend. At the end of the eight hour drive, when I started seeing the Human Barbie Dolls and tasting the air, I knew that I was in Los Angeles. Los Angeles does have its advantages, usually two at a time, bouncing along merrily for the whole world to see.

Anyway, for the night of the wedding, we stayed in a hotel, and my brother-in-law and his wife stayed at their home. Kind of a reverse wedding thing, I guess, but all the out-of town relatives on the groom’s side stayed there. Down a block and across the street from the TraveLodge is McCabe’s Guitar Shop, which is often frequented by The Bobs when they are in the greater Santa Monica Metropolitan area. Just to add more insight to the narrow market sliver in the narrow market niche of a cappella music, The Bobs have a song called Valentino’s. An actual restaurant Valentino’s is one block up Pico from McCabe’s.

I live across the street
Across the street from Valentino’s
For every car there’s valet parking
It’s my boyfriend who parks
All the cars at Valentino’s
He’s always so polite

For the evening, I lived across the street from Valentino’s, and I think they have valet parking, but I’m not sure. It was just like living in a song. Next time I’m in Arizona, I’ll go into a tavern and have chicken fajitas, and nachos with peppers, just so I can do it again.

The real pisser of the trip was yesterday. As soon as I got off the plane, I checked my voice mail. There was a message on my cell: “I hope you have more keys, because I have your keys right here!” Talk about a real pie hole experience.

Today’s Travel Tip

Before you fly anywhere, make sure that you go to your automobile association and get a CreditCard Key made. These “door only” keys fit right in your wallet, and chances are low that you will not have your wallet on an airplane. Unless you lose it or it gets stolen. Then you’re really screwed.

Make copies of all car keys, house keys and other keys that you will need. Put them on a key ring and lock them in the glove box of a car that you’re leaving at the parking lot or the car that you’re leaving at home, wrapped up in a $20 bill. Then, the worst that you have to worry about is making it home. You have that $20 to bribe someone into giving you a ride from the airport if needed. If they need it, make sure to yell BLOW IT OUT YOUR PIE HOLE! at them after they leave because they’re taking advantage of your position.

To recap, be in the song in real life.

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As I was walking to the train station this morning, I thought about how hard it really is to be a blogger. Especially now, with my car still in the shop, I’m not listening to the news during the commute, not finding out about someone’s finger in the soup and what have you that is happening in the world.

I walk under the walnut trees, with their sickeningly sweet walnut fruits rotting under them, trying to come up with something exciting to write, incorporating the walnut allergy I have. I try, and come up with nothing.

I just spend the weekend in Phoenix. I flew in, and arrived at the hotel just after 11:00 am on Friday morning. It was “downtown.” Between Central Station and Chase Field. I was struck by how empty the streets were. Empty. Bare. The streets in our city are more crowded at 2:00 am than the streets of Phoenix at high noon. Maybe it was the fact that there were no Diamondback games, basketball season hasn’t yet started, there was no hockey, and there was no football for another two days. Maybe. Maybe no one wants to go outside in the hot summer sun. Don’t know, but it was sure good to come home.

I think about the pennies, discarded on the streets that I stoop to pick up. Each penny is a month’s worth of interest on a dollar. Well, depending on your rate, it might be a month’s interest on $4. Old Ben Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Old Ben Kenobi said, “This was your father’s light sabre.” I say, “A penny found is a penny earned tax free.”

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