Four Weeks And Counting

I have been in Los Angeles now a little over four weeks. And I have a few more surreal LA moments to share:

Saturday I had lunch with a new friend in Santa Monica and on my way home, I witnessed a horrific car accident on the 10 freeway. I didn't see how it happened, but as it was happening. I was in the far left lane, when I suddenly saw a dust cloud to my right. Within the cloud was an SUV rolling over several times until it landed upside down on its roof! I pulled over to the shoulder and saw a man laying in front of the SUV face down on the pavement. Apparently, he had been ejected from the vehicle. Not a good sign. So I called 911 for the second time in my life (the first was only three weeks prior during my first night in my new apartment -- see below). Unfortunately, I couldn't get over to the crash victims because there were several lanes of traffic separating us. However, several people were assisting them. I did see the other passenger in the car holding the man on the pavement in his arms who was bleeding profusely down his face. I departed after the police and fire department arrived. Alas, I don't know if the man made it or not. It didn't look good, that's all I have to say.

Then, on Sunday morning sometime between 8 and 9am, I was awakened by a cacophony of birds chirping, when my bed started to shake .... Yes, it was my first official California tremor. I later learned Palm Springs experienced a 5.5 earthquake and it was felt as far east as LA.

Last night, I'm watching TV when a special weather alert flashes by on screen. Well, living on the east coast we would get those same weather alerts for, say, a severe thunderstorm or flooding. But no, this was for -- get this -- a TSUNAMI warning!!! I was like, what?! Did I read that right?! Sure enough there was a 7.0 earthquake off the northern California coast, and as a precaution, they evacuated the west coast. I learned Crescent City, CA had a tsunami strike their town in 1964 that wiped out 29 city blocks and killed 11 people. So it can happen. But thankfully, there was no tidal wave this time, only a slight rise in the water level. Whew!

Other than that still pounding the pavement looking for work and meeting and networking, etc. I really have to get back into my writing ASAP, though.

Celebrity sighting: At Starbucks today I saw Jennifer Coolidge from LEGALLY BLONDE and TV’s “Joey”.