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| On the Road |
For everything there is a beginning. So this is the beginning of my blog. I've never given blogging much thought until I took a temporary assignment with the LAX Airports Development Group at LAX and many of you began asking me what do I do, what's going on, and how is it living in LA. I started responding individually, but that got repetitive. So, a blog.
For the past 16 months I have been working as a Project Manager developing the concessions program. There will be more on my job in a later blog post. Everything involved with taking this job assignment, from moving, finding an apartment, to working for an employer was new. I haven't done much of this in quite a while, which made the experiences quite interesting, frustrating, and aggravating all at the same time. So the first couple of blog posts will be catching up. I promise to hit only the high points and not recount everything from the past.
As many of you know, or should know, LAX is on the coast in the NW corner of LA Metro (I'm not counting the Valley for this location.). Knowing this, and the fact that traveling by car in LA is a full contact sport, I decided to live near the Airport. The two black boxes my apartment (the upper one) and where my office is at LAX (the lower one). On surface streets I can get to my office in 15 minutes - 30 minutes if I stop at Starbucks. By address my apartment is in Marina Del Rey - more on that in a future post. Most all of my weekly conveniences are within walking distance or a 5 minute drive.
This is a view, looking west, of the terminal area from the old air traffic control tower. The room at the top is called "The Cab". It's accessible and I've booked it as a conference room. The Central Terminal Area (CTA) is right and left of the parking structures in the foreground. The tall structure in the center is the current control tower. The Martian looking structure in front of it is called The Theme Building, and, until recently, housed The Encounter Restaurant - it is to be remodeled. The wedge shaped roof structure in the background is the new departure building (Bradley West or BW) for the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). The terminal buildings range in age from the 1960's to just opened 4 months ago. My current office building is directly behind the control tower, so you can't see it. Beyond is the Pacific Ocean.
My work involves the concessions spaces within the various terminal buildings. It's a 5 mile drive between my office and the CTA. I park in an employee lot and walk to my various project sites. On a day that I visit every site I can walk about 7,000 steps. On average I am out of the office and on site 3 days week. Just before and after the opening of BW I was on site everyday.
My job is exciting, challenging, and frustrating - sometimes all three at once. In spite of the fact that I am away from Esther, my home, BeBe (Esther's cat), and all of you, this is a tremendous experience. So look for more updates. Until I get caught up, future posts will include something old, something new. I know what some of you are thinking - Oh no, another email. This will not be an everyday thing. It might not be an every week thing, but I will be writing. I am using the same mail list from the Image of the Week. Those will continue to go out separately on a regular basis as well. If at any time you want to be dropped from the mailings, let me know.
FoodSpace
What: Tripel
Where: On Culver Blvd. in Playa Del Rey, CA
Architect: Unknown (actually the server didn't know and there was no manager on duty)
Style: Contemporary
Elements: This is a contemporary remodel of an existing building. It is on the smallish side for size. If it seats 30, including the bar, that would be generous. A framed ceiling hides the nasty stuff. Painted drywall, recycled wood paneling, chalkboard, concrete floors and metal furnishings make up the rest.
By-The-Way: There is nothing extra. If you have to think about what you're about to do in the Restroom, do it before you walk in - it's real small.
Since-You-Asked: This is the second time I've visited. They have the best lamb burger I've tasted in LA. Garlic fries are on the menu, but you can ask them to tone it down and the result is very tasty.
RANT
OK, I get it that Angeleno's love their cars, driving along with the windows/top down, their favorite tune on the whatever, and just enjoying the Stage 4 pollution, but for crying out loud they need to learn how to drive - in this case how to park. This lady, in full view of several shoppers who are coming and going, pulls in and stops several miles short of the forward line. She gets out and causally walks away with the look that says "I don't know why all these people have to park in MY lot?"
FoodSpace
What: Tripel
Where: On Culver Blvd. in Playa Del Rey, CA
Architect: Unknown (actually the server didn't know and there was no manager on duty)
Style: Contemporary
Elements: This is a contemporary remodel of an existing building. It is on the smallish side for size. If it seats 30, including the bar, that would be generous. A framed ceiling hides the nasty stuff. Painted drywall, recycled wood paneling, chalkboard, concrete floors and metal furnishings make up the rest.
By-The-Way: There is nothing extra. If you have to think about what you're about to do in the Restroom, do it before you walk in - it's real small.
Since-You-Asked: This is the second time I've visited. They have the best lamb burger I've tasted in LA. Garlic fries are on the menu, but you can ask them to tone it down and the result is very tasty.
RANT
OK, I get it that Angeleno's love their cars, driving along with the windows/top down, their favorite tune on the whatever, and just enjoying the Stage 4 pollution, but for crying out loud they need to learn how to drive - in this case how to park. This lady, in full view of several shoppers who are coming and going, pulls in and stops several miles short of the forward line. She gets out and causally walks away with the look that says "I don't know why all these people have to park in MY lot?"
