Thursday, December 13, 2012

Morning In the Valley


Walking down the sidewalk in an unknown direction I see the sun bouncing from the distant hills as another day begins here in the San Fernando Valley. It is a warm glow and it helps. Next to me on this sunrise sidewalk are eight lanes of steadily increasing traffic. Already I am surrounded by more automobiles than I have experienced in the entire year just past. But I am happy enough to be here. Right now I am on foot and in search of coffee. This is California: there has to be a Starbuck's close by.

The coming day is a mystery. As near as I can tell it involves carpentry work repairing a rickety old deck perched precariously on the side of a steep hill in Laurel Canyon. I had originally misunderstood that it was attatched to a house once occupied by Jim Morrison, but that is not the case. Instead, the Lizard King connection is that two guys who work for my son live next door to the old Morrison House there in the heart of the Canyon behind the fabled Canyon Country Store.

The traffic is getting worse as I trudge along looking for coffee. The Hilton where I am staying is located in one of those heavy-handed office developments. There is no horizon, only the stark face of the next building in front of you, and the growing and growling and honking line of worker-bees in their generic automobiles heading for the hive. I am out of place  at six a.m. and wondering why my son would think that I would be comfortable here. I was very unprepared for this trip. I live in a shabby trailer park and I look the part. Passing through the lobby on my way out this morning the desk clerk was not quite able to cover her surprise at the hobo that somehow had sneaked into the gilded palace.

I cut around a corner and there are the hills again, positively alight with morning fire and they look good to me and I wish that I was up there in those hills and out of this damnable noisy concrete canyon, trapped here with these stupid cars. I haven't really slept since leaving Florida and I feel shabby and poor and out of my element.

I can't find a coffee shop. I could go into the restaurant in the hotel but I looked in there this morning and definitely didn't feel right about going in. When did I become such a bum?

The house in Laurel Canyon where I am supposed to save the day is on a street that I remember. I was a young buckaroo gunslinging carpenter working with a crew building a house there. That was over thirty years ago and I never sold a script and the novel from those days is still in the bottom of my trunk. It wasn't very good.

And it would be quite something if I were called forth from the trailer park to salvage a broken script for Travolta or Cruise or any other Scientologist that needs help. But instead I seem to have been called here to the Other Coast for a different kind of saving.

I give up on the coffee search. This is more walking than I have done in a long, long time. Any trek outside of the Whispering Pines is done on two wheels and indeed, I have almost lost the ability to simply put one foot in front of the other for a sustained period. Man, I wish I had my bicycle.

Whispering Pines Trailer Park on location:  Back To LA!
#85

14 comments:

  1. I love that this story is slowly unfolding, like a serial. Looking forward to the next installment. And the next...and the next...

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    1. I was not answering comments as some kind of art statement buty the Voice said "Yeah, the statement is yer a dick" so here I am. And here we go...

      tj

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  2. TJ,

    I wish you had your bike, too. That would be the one thing that might make it tolerable - if you didn't get pasted by traffic.

    Keep your head up and eyes open.

    Steve Z

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    1. Swampboy, I was actually pretty impressed by the LA cycling scene. If I don't cover it in this series, I will later.

      tj

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  3. Replies
    1. I don't know how I feel about any of this, starting with "Tribulation." But I am doing it. I was surprised at how many people liked the Chicago piece (Love the One You're With).

      That was just a goof off piece from a rainy saturday with hot chili and cold beer. But I could do pieces like that all day long...although it feels like a cheap knock-off of the Snob.

      Opinion?, Thanks Brian.

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  4. Looking forward to hearing what happens next. I'm not sure I realized why you were going to CA. I assumed it was just to visit your son. Now I'm thinking it was to get some work and a change of pace.
    I've had the same out of place feeling in California too. It's just a wierd place all around. But dont fret. It's California! Everyone is out of place!

    Jason from Colorado.

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    1. Thanks, Jason! It will all come out by the time we get to the end. Thanks for following along.

      tj

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  5. It might be better that you don't have your bike. Damn frustrating to get tossed into that meatgrinder that the cars and California traffic would present to you.
    All for a cup of joe.

    Enjoying the unfolding story!
    Jim

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    1. Jim, I will never go anywhere ever again without my bicycle.
      Never. The first night home I brought her into the bedroom with me and I literally slept in my bibs and hopped on at first light and stayed out most of the day. There is more on the subject but it comes out soon enough. This series is five installments, I think. "Tribulation" was the prelude and there will be an afterword. Seven posts in all.

      tj

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  6. Echo the others good story arc man, I sent you some mail on some possible Coffee options cause man I cannot start a day with out some of the bean.

    Ryan

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    1. I got your mail Ryan but I went out there without my computer and I ain't cool enough to have a smart phone. My phone doesn't even have a camera. I really do live in a trailer park. I wasn't ready for all this and...well, stay tuned.

      tj

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  7. If The Lizard King didn't live there, I'm sure he's either shagged someone and/or gotten high/drunk there. I think there was a law that he had to do that in every house in Laurel Canyon.

    And starting a morning without coffee should be illegal.

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    1. The Canyon Store coffee was strong, black, and pedestrian. Just the way I like it. But not the pedestrian, part, Shawn. I really missed my bike, athough cycling in Laurel Canyon...it would be bad on the climb, but you could leave the Beemers and the Mercedes in your dust on the downhill side.

      I don't know if it was the Movie or if there is a minor cult forming around morrison but he is everywhere.

      tj

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