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The good folks at Garmin decided to replace our faulty GPS unit, and just in the nick of time. I really tested Emily on my trip to LA this week. In fact, as I sat on I-5 (pictured above), Emily’s lilting British voice was welcome company. (Jeff has dubbed her “the new Emily”, quoting from The Devil Wears Prada.)

It was Emily’s job to route me from Bob Hope Airport, to the LA civic center, to the Santa Ana civic center, and finally to John Wayne Airport. Along the way, I ignored her to take short cuts, inserted intermediate food stops, and took several wrong turns. Emily kept with me…patiently “recalculating” at every turn.

The one upside to my “traffic time” was catching a few odd building signs along the way. You can vote for your favorite:

1. First (and my personal favorite) was the permanent sign for a Swap Meet, with a temporary sign underneath announcing a weekend tribute to Ozzy Osbourne. (This reminded me of a classic scene from Spinal Tap…”I’ve told them a hundred times: put ‘Spinal Tap’ first and ‘Puppet Show’ last.”)
2. Then, there was the sign for the “Taco Bell Discovery Science Center”. That’s just frightening…it must be where they invent new combinations of meat + cheese + tortillas.
3. Lastly, a rather sketchy sign for surgical supplies. Its more about the quality of the sign and building…so I actually snapped a shot of the sign (below).

Well…at least his airport.

For several years, I have been flying from San Francisco to various LA destinations via the tiny Bob Hope Airport…formerly know as Burbank-Pasadena Airport. This has got to be my favorite airport, because 1) it sits smack in the middle of LA and 2) it remains small enough that that there are never more than a couple of people in line.

And let's not forget 3) its not LAX…which is the exact opposite of convenient. Of course…LAX actually flies to lots of places.

But SF to LA? Bob Hope ROCKS!

To soothe my nerves after a trying morning in the office, my dear friend Sarah recommended a new guilty pleasure: Oreo Cakesters.

These little morsels of sugar have the flavor of an Oreo…only puffed up like a balloon animal…if cookies were in fact animals…which they aren’t…although Oreos do make you smile…like a puppy makes you smile…before it makes an Oreo-colored pile on the carpet.

Anyhow…in my month of celebrating new-ness, this new indulgence definitely hit a sweet spot…thanks to Sarah…my new sugar/crack dealer!

October rolled in with a light morning drizzle that created a classic “autumn smell” for my morning commute. For many reasons, this has always been my favorite month of the year.

The skies cleared by midday, and I was able to take a long after-work walk along Mission Street to pick up my car from its 5K check-up. My route along Mission passed the new SF Federal Building, a striking modern building by noted architect Thomas Mayne. The building is heralded for its green features–particularly its natural air conditioning fed by the city’s year-round moderate temps and strong off-shore breezes. The neighborhood around the building is definitely a work-in-progress, with shocking scenes of neglect and homelessness.

This evening, Jeff and I tried a new restaurant to inaugurate a month of new experiences. We visited the recently opened Bistro 9–on 9th Avenue in the Inner Sunset–which specializes in rotisserie and grilled items. Definitely worth a repeat visit.

I find it ironic that the very same credit companies who put so much personal information on credit applications that junk mail becomes fuel for identity theft, that those same companies cannot be bothered to fill out my frickin’ marketing opt-out form.

Of COURSE they will make me work hard to avoid having my name sold off to other junk mailers. Here is a concept…how about asking me to opt-IN before you whore me out and fill my mailbox with more forms that could compromise my identity.