Playing tourguide and meeting with friends

It's funny, but I usually think that people come to LA in the summer.  In the last week I have met up with friends traveling from Australia and my cousin from England.  We met up with our Aussie friends in Santa Monica for lunch.  These are the type of friends that you have an instant connection to, conversation can go on for hours and even if it's been several years since you were in the same room, it feels like just moments.  One day, we hope to visit with them in Australia.  It's on my list of places I want to see.

I was SO excited when I heard from my distant cousin that he and his partner were coming to LA.  I found this branch of the family via Ancestry.com, as I have found most of my recent family connections.  I think his father and I share great-great grandparents.  It was wonderful to meet them; they are the nicest people.  I dragged the two of them on a walking tour of downtown LA which included Central library ( well I took them to two, just because we were there in Little Tokyo)  We went to Olvera St and has taquitos  at Celito Lindo.  We went to Little Tokyo and took the DASH bus past the Music Center and The Disney Hall.  We skipped Angel's Flight.  I heard the operators were cited for some irregularity recently ( the story goes that they were using a tree branch to slow it down- YIKES!)  I ALMOST talked them into posing with the stuffed donkey at the entrance to Olvera St.   ALMOST!  We agreed that they would have needed a bit of tequila to do that one.  It was a beautiful, if a wee bit warm, day.  I really enjoyed myself and hope they did too!

The owners of my building are going to be replumbing our unit, starting this morning.  I have NO idea what I will be coming home to, but I trust I will have water of some kind.  We will deal with whatever it is.  The water in the pipes comes out rusty right now so ANYTHING is an improvement.  This is an old building.

I missed my Tuesday Tai Chi class.  I got caught in hideous rush hour Dodger traffic, no matter where I went I was in bumper to bumper traffic.  What I want to know is WHAT GENIUS has designated the right lane as a BUS LANE?  This forces all the CARS into two lanes.  THAT'S working out real well, I can tell you.  I blame AnVil , the "transit mayor"  he had more cockamamie ideas than anyone in the last few months of his term; including "every lane a bike lane"  which is just foolhardy if you've ever DRIVEN in Los Angeles. It's dangerous enough in a car!