Writings from the Road (almost!) Cont'd:
April 1: This morning, just to prove to myself that I'm not superstitious, I got out of bed on the other side. It seems to have started things off, in the approved manner.Obscure. Suggestion: 'So, although I proved myself un-superstitious, the day was thereafter hexed.' Touch of irony. Those old wives must know of what they whisper.
As I rode my bike down Sunset this morn a car pulled out directly in front of me from a side street. No unusual occurrence. But upon seeking the eye of the driver into which to deliver a swift dirty look (as I performed a quick avoidance swoop), I was taken aback by the absence of one. This blank extended ultimately—there was no driver. The car rolled squarely into the center of Sunset Boulevard and stopped. No one hit it (whilst I was in hearing distance, anyway), but the sound of honks pervaded the morning smog.
The workday was hectic, pressured, chaotic, forgettable, repressible, and it had better be unduplicatableNot a word. 'Unduplicated' would work. .
Riding my bike home from work, two officersTwo officers fit upon her bike??—Oh, must be a dangling modifier (but not officer) did pull me over on following my progress through an undisputably ruby light. I told them I was cold. They told me not to get creamed. (My very intent.)
April 4: A cold front suddenly covered with clouds the sky yesterday and made the air feel quite a bit like the air of Colorado, on an exhilarating very early spring day. Rare enough to see clouds in LA; added to that was the luxury of being able to see as far as the eye could muster. We went walking the myriad, unfathomable maze of narrow, winding streets that access the Hollywood Hills so near from where we very live; from one unlived-on lot when we had found our way toAwkward; 'atop' is better. the highest hill around we could see sharply southeast the tall buildings of downtown, way past the shorter Southwestern law school whichThe dependent clause adds information. If this information is essential to the meaning of the sentence the clause is 'restrictive' and to be introduced with 'that' rather than 'which'; if it is not essential but more peripheral, it is 'nonrestrictive' and the 'which' requires a comma to precede it. In many cases it's your call, but a little of both won't cut it. is not visible from twenty stories high at Simply Blues; we saw to the west the dark blue demarcation of ocean; behind us the sun emphasized the folds of the hills, making them appear desolate, undiscovered and more beautiful than ever before I've seen them. Incredible that such expanse of uninhabited territory shuld span miles through the very midst of the largest city in the USA.
Later last night it started to rain—a rare event for April—and this morning the overcast remains, occasionally producing of drizzle. The alarm had been set for an early ride up Mt. Wilson with the members of the club, but when the time came, chill and slumber overruled it.
April 14: My left knee, originally hurt skiing seven years ago, exacerbated occasionally but cumulatively ever since, particularly by our friend the bicycle, e'er more doth make its presence known to me.
Nevertheless, off I be to my little place in the park, to ride and dream of soon camping in the great outdoors—should things turn out as plannedDo they ever? .
April 23: I rode down to Fedco today, a membership department store of the highly-sung variety, and procured a membership card through use of my student ID (they never inquired whether still the card be valid). Prices seemed comparable (in the caomping department, anyway), to those available through mail-order catalogues, with the advantage of being inspectable. I picked up a 2-man, 3-3/4-pound copper-colored tent, a stuff bag and a roll of film. The tent was one dollar less and one-quarter-pound heavier than those available through mail order. It made hardlynot? a whimper in my backpack as I rode it (first tent I ever owned) home.
April 28: Rode my bike to work, anticipating a pretty late night. Riding home at 3:30 was beautiful—the air, freed of its daytime burden of filth, was able to carry a variety of scents to rival its counterparts in the country. Partries and warm bread I could understand—harder to understand was the origin of the scent of apples as I passed a place most assuredly not an orchard. Until I got up to Hollywood Boulevard, only two cars passed going my way. The birds were beginning to sing in some places.
