I remember when I had started to move things to this rental house in Burbank - a gigantic mistake in the realm of my life. Real Estate mistakes are so painful because, often times, it takes at least a year to correct. So, I was returning to my old place to get a few last things and...oh my is it not hotter than shit over here. This is nice. So is everything else. Oh well.
Having eventually settled in to a better place in Burbank, I quickly found the advantages. I already wrote of why I liked it so, but a return visit yesterday spelled it out. I finished running 4 errands in under 30 minutes...something unlikely to occur here in the new neighborhood. And I do like the proximity of Beverly Hills...it just puts a spring in your step. But, you know, if you are driving to the bank, and you have to use Rodeo Drive because it is the entrance to the underground parking lot, well...you drive on it. And it does not move as smoothly as, say, Lima Avenue in Burbank. I've got to dodge the tourists, and go around the window shoppers. This 1 task has now taken 30 minutes, seemingly out of nowhere. I have no want to complete any other tasks. What has happened to the day, I ask you?
Had you visited me in Burbank, there would have been the great Southern California myth, Street Cleaning. But that's it. No permits, no other rules. The new neighborhood? I'm not actually sure if you're allowed to walk on the streets on certain days. Shit, these are the same rules in most of Beverly Hills, including streets with a lot of homes. You want friends to come over, and then remind them to move the car a foot every hour? Of course not.
So, what is it about this side of town that is such a stickler? Is it because they KNOW that it's a "better neighborhood" and therefore nickel and dime you with red tape and fees? Is it the unbelievably cash-strapped State of California, who's governor is considering putting ADS ON YOUR LICENSE PLATE?! Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's the fact that people are always out to fuck your shit up.
This is still Dealville. This is still the goal. It's just a recurring surprise when you remember how hard it is to live the completely easy life. Sure, there have been times when I sat on a beach drinking Riunite straight from the bottle, and I didn't have a care in the world. The same rules applied. I was likely drinking away a street cleaning ticket at the time. I didn't care, because it was $30, and I was lazy. It's just that now, a ticket of such minor consequence has doubled and sometimes tripled that it makes one pause. That, to amble around a neighborhood, parking now costs $10 when it used to be free. And I start to wonder if it's worth it.
Wait, what the fuck am I saying?
Well, it is...for now. The ads on the plates? I'll be one of the first on my way back to Halewia, starting my own low power radio station. Or something. Right?
