There are seven kittens splitting their time between my apartment and my neighbor’s. Already in a week of fostering them I’ve learned about the challenges cat ownership poses to the carfree lady. My local grocery store just down the block sells itty bitty bags of my preferred cat litter, and in search of a larger bag, plus some kitten formula, I rode over to Silver Lake on Saturday. Pet and Leash carries a wide variety of pet things, and I crammed a huge bag of Feline Pine into my backpack. Then I hoisted it onto my back and took off down Hyperion, hoping that if I rode home fast enough I wouldn’t much notice the 25 pounds on my back. No such luck! I wobbled past the brunchy types pulling in and out of parking spaces on Sunset, and was fairly tired by the time I hit Parkman. Anyway, I made it home and did a bunch of kitten stuff.
After the kittens had been handed over to my neighbor for the weekend, I decided to indulge in the American pastime, shopping at Target. I took the subway up to Vermont and Santa Monica and hopped on a 704 toward La Brea. However, when the bus was approaching La Brea, it mysteriously stopped and let us off. When I got out I noticed that there was a helicopter (more common than seagulls here, for serious) buzzing overhead, and a bunch of police hanging around the intersection, shutting me out. Turns out there was a car chase that ended with a suspect at large around the Target area, and the whole plaza was closed. So I wandered around West Hollywood instead of buying an overpriced lampshade. I happened upon my favorite bargain retailer, Ross, and got some summer shoes. Then I shoved my way past the Hollywood and Highland mall complex to get back on the subway. I saw a bunch of lackluster street performers, and not one but two Jack Sparrows on the same block. The second Jack wasn’t even doing much, just standing there, as if he understood that he’d been upstaged by the more charismatic Jack down the block. Then later I tried to go shopping at a Ralph’s but a security guard tried to search my bag, so I went home. Puh-leeze!
Sunday was consumed by food. If I wasn’t cleaning the kitchen, I was sorting vegetables for the food co-op’s boxes. I started the day by making up a recipe for cornmeal pancakes, which turned out A-OK, and then rode over to the Hollywood farmer’s market. One of my neighbors at the ecovillage has been a bike messenger like since the dawn of time, and consequently he knows how to get around LA like no one else. He told me about a great way to get to the farmer’s market from K-town. I tell you what, it sure is pleasant riding through wealthy neighborhoods like Larchmont and Hancock Park. They have mature trees! After wallowing in organic apples and delicious lemonade, I strapped a big bag of grapefruits to my bike rack, rather precariously, since it was on top of my backpack crammed with stuff. The strain appears to have done something funky to my front brake, and the bike was so unwieldy that when I got home it toppled over as I was struggling to get my front gate open. But the raw milk was uharmed.
