The Driving Thread

Amazing mural. Either it's too new, or there is an honor code among taggers.

 

If you ever do the Rt 6. trip, there is a great little old-fashioned railcar diner in downtown Wellsboro. At least there used to be.

Your post brought back many memories of trips from WNY down US 15 heading back to Virginia for college or to visit relatives. The view from the Mansfield bypass, driving by Christy Mathewson Stadium at Bucknell, or Susquehanna U in Selinsgrove, past Gettysburg and finally to Thurmont, Emmitsburg and Mt. St. Mary's ... good times!

 

I do enjoy that drive, too ... although I could never imagine why anyone would have wanted to spend four years at Mansfield University.

On the other hand, Lewisburg, the home of Bucknell, is a gem of a little town.

 

The pickup truck is the rolling avatar of our national ... whoa, sweet 'vette! ​

 

That would make a killer jigsaw puzzle.

 

Sort of understand the razor blades around the Ferrari shop. But, if you're willing to put at least $1 million worth of F-40s in front of your shop, why not front with a showroom that can showcase them while cutting down the liability - or other forces of Mother Nature - that could do damage to those machines?

 

Went for a long aimless walk into the guts of Beverly Hills and was standing at the corner of 3rd and La Cienega waiting for the light to turn, listening to the sounds of cars whooshing thru the intersection, when I looked up and saw Magic Johnson in another billboard.



A few streets later at luh-JAWLA I looked up and saw Pat Riley:



Found myself on Beverly Boulevard, tempting the fates while trying to get a shot of the CNN+ sign, or maybe I wanted to get smashed into blivion.



A minute or two later I crossed Kings Road and thought about taking a photo of the street sign but didn't.

A minute or two later I crossed paths with this fella and gave him a buck.



Had nothing better to do so I began a chat with him since I'm a day closer to being as homeless as he is.

His name is Ray which is funny because Ray (and Rey and Roy) means King, and I had just crossed Kings Road; a real knee-slapper, huh?

Ray reached into one of his bags and pulled out a small ringed notebook and showed me some of his doodles of women.



Now I'm fucking amused like no other so I sit down and tell Ray I'll give him another 5 bucks to see more of his doodles of women.







He said this one is Kirsten Dunst:



Then he asked to read my palm and sure, pourquoi pas nous pourquoi pas maintenant?

He hovered one hand over mine and his other hand beneath and after 30 seconds said he sensed Belinda Carlisle.



I told him I grew up listening to The Go-Go's. They were good. And they drove in their videos.

Told him about a Twitter interaction I had with Belinda about Mike Marshall of the Dodgers. Not sure Ray got either reference.

We spent the next 15-20 minutes talking as traffic behind him zoomed up and down Beverly.

He mentioned gypsy women a lot and wants to know where they all went.

I asked him about homelessness and if after 30 years he wants to live in an apartment.

He kept wanting to talk about gypsies and I kept pressing him to answer one question: do you want to live in an apartment?

He said yes and at the same time I could tell he didn't give a shit. Which is where I'm heading at warp speed.



I said goodbye to Ray and kept heading west on Beverly and in a few minutes I was back on La Cienega.

Stopped to eat a big fat sidewalk cart burrito across from Macy's which you can see here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/e6iyF6EDvCtQcCVGA

Walked home listening to the sounds of traffic. I didn't see any more Winning signs.

 

RAY CROC!​

 

It isn’t my business and at the same time I will hate myself if I don’t say anything.

Please reach out for help. Clearly things are going on a bad track for you personally and emotionally. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, go to an emergency room and tell them.

I enjoy the pictures and stories, and at the same time I feel guilty because I feel like we are just enjoying your art and not addressing the obvious pain millimeters from the surface.

 

I must be missing something there. Perhaps I've been away too long.

 

I don't think I'd let myself get hit by a car. Or eat a gun or anything that's too easy. ||| All's well on that front. |||

Getting back to the driving ...

Out of the gym I got a left across San Vincente without dealing with oncoming or turning-onto traffic.

And the immediate light at Pico turned green ...



The light at La Brea was green too, and then Redondo.

First time I've gotten these 3 greens at the same time and I'm thinking I'm going to get greens all the way to Olympic.

That was the hope anyway.

Linkin Park comes on the radio:

Windows down, volume up, blue sky, sunshine, clean cool air blowing in.

Approach Hauser and see the red light and hope hope hope the timing works out to get the green.

< C'mon on. C'mon on. C'mon the fuck on. >

Nope. Fucking red. Hit the brakes. Have to stop.



Broke the streak. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Waiting for the green at Olympic I look over and see a funny.



Got to La Cienega, red light, took a photo of what a perfect day in L.A. looks like. Not a lick of smog.



And notice the Sunday traffic in Mid-City ...



... and think about traffic in Mariupol.

Evgeniy Maloletka/Associated Press​

Was home before the next song came on the radio.

Would've taken the long way home, windows down, volume up, had it come on a few minutes earlier.

 

Think I got my first beer stein at Shakey's back when they were national. Their pizza was damn good.