If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard enough divisive hateful political rhetoric to last you at least one lifetime; even a few more if you’re also a little like Shirley Maclaine. Sometimes you just have to go for a walk.
So when I was a kid, Saturday mornings were all about walking 2-3 miles to the park and spending the rest of the day shooting hoops or playing over-the-line. These days, courtesy of twin hernia repairs coming up soon, the walks have become not only the exercise but also…useful mental/emotional recovery time.
And I’m not saying I don’t miss my Saturday AM Equinox experience, including the greetings from charming Bruin apologist Chrissy and Spin Class guru Bruin apologist Pearl (she doesn’t follow sports but who can blame her?) It’s just that, lately, I’ve been forced to get my walk on…and I’m not complaining.
These Saturday mornings, the walk from Madison Heights past the Pasadena Playhouse lands me right in the middle of that bubble that excludes politics, hate, and violence and all the other depressing stuff that you can’t control.
Today, the bubble included a stop at the Vroman’s Newsstand and some serious time spent with the Sports Page, a cup of coffee, and Yahaira’s special breakfast enchilada. I also booked a 10:45AM starting time across the street at the Laemmle…where I saw my fave film of early 2016.
And what’s not to love about spending 96-minutes with Pulitzer Prize-winning restaurant critic/poet Jonathan Gold while he spins a heartfelt, inclusive L.A. love story? In the City of Gold, food is the not-so-secret handshake shared and learned among people accounting for one of the richest and most diverse cultural mosaics in the world. The film begins with a quote from preeminent food writer, the late MFK Fisher; Fisher wrote, “First we eat. Then we do everything else.”
So I’ll remember City of Gold and MFK Fisher and eat just before the Trojans play the Crimson Tide. I might even buy a Bruin a dinner or a Republican a hot dog; it can’t hurt. I’ll re-visit Ye Loy. Gold was actually traveling straight down Las Tunas in Temple City right up there on the Big Screen when he shared, “White people used to own the restaurant and they served Chinese-American food to white people. Now Chinese own Ye Loy and they serve Chinese –American food to Chinese who find the food exotic.”
I went back into Vroman’s after the movie and bought a book; it was “Gratitude”, written by Neurologist, best-selling author Oliver Sacks. Just seemed like the right choice for a Saturday.
As I walked back home I thought, “For the love of God, will someone please chauffeur The Donald to a food truck? Gold recommends Guerrilla Tacos; might be a better concept than building that 20-foot wall.”
