so i did end up playing basketball yesterday! i drove on down to venice beach, where i had located some courts on google maps... it took a long time to park, but that's ok. i walked over to the courts and waited a game or two before asking two dudes if they needed a third, which they did, and we played a game . then another game. then another one! i'll be honest with you i was not in my top form. which makes sense because i haven't engaged in much if any athletic activity in the past 3-4 months. i just couldn't get the touch right for layups. not sure why. but i'm a scrappy player and i try really hard and play decent defense so people tend to not mind that i miss so much. haha. anyway, i hobbled off the court because i was pretty much dying after so much activity, and sat on venice beach and watched the surfers and the sunset. i called mom and she was worried about my coughing but i told her i'm fine, which i am. i did take this picture, too




bluetooth'd a few pictures to the computer...

here's the nice dinner i had the second night i was here. it was potato and chicken pizza and margarita pizza. then we watched doubt. really nice to be welcomed to california like that.



then last night i was like 'i'm gonna go to a show or something! so i looked up local theatre and decided to hit the Upright Citizen's Brigade, which was having a free show in Hollywood. so i hopped in the car and drove the 30 minute drive to get there, knowing full well that i might not make it due to traffic and whatnot. but i did finally get there, and the line was around the building. so i figured i'll check my gps for more live theatre. i tried a few places but none were showing anything last evening. soooo i kept driving and found this big ol' hill in Glendale and i said f it, i'm gonna just drive upwards. so i did. i took every road to that was uphill, til i came to a cul de sac, and i was about to turn around and head down again when i saw an empty lot at the top. it was fenced off and said no trespassing and whatnot but i said i'm gonna live my life and snuck through an opening in the fence. i walked out on the plot of land and saw one of the most amazing sights i've seen in my young life. before me was almost all of los angeles, glimmering with the lights of the freeway and the streetlights and the crazy lit up buildings. it was beautiful and so so so quiet. i took a few pictures with my phone because it was all i had on me, but here they are. i'm gonna go back and bring my camera and video camera and maybe go during the day.