See You Later L.A.

We're out of here tomorrow. We've sold just about everything there is to sell, just a little packing and cleaning and left. My parents are coming up tomorrow to help us move down to O.C. for May. Unfortunately this week has been a waste. I came back from Big Bear with a stomach virus and was wiped out. It now seems as if Claire might finally be succumbing to it as well.

Here are just a few things I'm going to truly miss about L.A.

1. The Food-Even though Portland thinks it's a food town, it doesn't come close to L.A. I'll admit that as far as fine dining goes it might be a wash, but how often do you spend $100+ on a meal. The $10- or less options here are amazing--every nationality, every American classic, new discoveries on every block, at all hours, everyday. From In N' Out, to Lamonica's Pizza in Westwood, to taco stands everywhere, to Koreatown for bibimbap, to Philipe's for French dips, to Canter's pastrami , chopped liver and coleslaw on Rye, to Pink's chili-cheese dogs, to this little whole in the wall Japanese place in Los Feliz selling pork katsu for $3.60, to empanadas in Venice, the food here is amazing.

2. Hancock Park-Athene and I have spent on average 2 hours a day there, everyday, for the last 6 1/2 months. A wonderful, big, green park, surrounded by the La Brea tar pits. I've never once been hassled for having the dog off her leash. It's full of quiets spots where we can eat sticks and write.

3. LACMA-Claire and I got a membership when we first arrived (we live 6 blocks away). I've been there about 50 times and never get tired of it. They finished construction to the new building in February and doubled the size of the museum. The curators are constantly revolving exhibits (including an incredible one of James Ensor's work currently being shown). I've been working on series of poems based on a number of the pieces there.

4. Amount of things to do or not do on any given day.

5. Only working about 150 hours in the time I was here.

6. My good friend Toby Forrest

7. The number of beautiful women.

8. The sun.

What I won't miss-the traffic (the #1 worst thing out L.A.), parking, our asshole next door neighbor who bumps her fucking music all fucking day, the $$$ of just about everything.

Thank you to everybody who helped make this experience a great one for both Claire and myself. I'll keep updating the blog until the L.A. issue comes out late June/early July (we just got a poem from Ralph Angel!!) We're definitely sad to leave L.A., but who knows, maybe well shall return to stay.