Caution: Rock Climbing May Cause Shortness of Breath, Dizziness

Strangely enough, the most fun I had in LA also involved the scariest moment of my life.

Hanging in a seated position from a rope no thicker than my index finger, I look down to find another foothold. Instead, I see a hole under the rock my brother's standing on while he holds tight to that rope I don't really trust. I look left to see if there are any holds (hand, foot, elbow...) and have a fantastic view of the valley, the tops of the evergreens, and the mountains in the distance where the land meets the really big sky. I look up, to see the slightly curved top of the rock and the other rock, sharp and jutting out over the one I'm on, which is where the rope I don't trust is anchored. Above that, just sky - a beautiful clear blue I'd have appreciated from a different position and location.

I've been breathing fast and short for about half the climb by now, and I've convinced myself, muttering under my breath, to go just a little bit further at least three times. I've even blinked back tears. During the first part of the ascent, I was encouraged by my brother, and a stranger. She's very sweet, and she watched me as she belayed her Italian partner. I also still had a sense of humor. We joked for a bit about me using any excuse to get back down to the bottom, like when her partner asked to be lowered, and I said, "OK!".

And then, there's nowhere to go. Up until this point, the positioning of hands and feet has required thought but still had not reached "impossible". I look up at the rest of the rock remaining above me, and see absolutely no hand- or footholds. None. Look down again, try to find a lower handhold to move my right foot up a few more inches. Still, nothing.

I've already pushed myself way beyond my comfort level. In reality, I reached "outside the comfort zone" before I even started. I make one last attempt to find something, anything, reaching up and feeling the rock with my fingertips at arm's reach, and I slip.

The rope catches me before I fall an inch, and I sit quietly and hyperventilate while the harness, and the rope, hold me level. I look up one last time, and think, "I have absolutely no desire to reach the top of this rock. Why did I think I wanted to be there? Because I really don't. Want to be there, that is".

Now I have to get down off the rock, which means sitting back into open space and walking gently down the wall while my brother gives out a little bit of slack at a time. I take a moment to collect myself, wishing I didn't have to get down, because it's even worse that getting up, but knowing there's no other way. I reach the bottom, safe and sound, and try to pull myself back together while the strangers valiantly attempt to make me feel better.

Truthfully, I'm more proud of myself than I've ever been. Pushing myself beyond the edge of what's comfortable isn't something I do very often. I know my limits, and I stop when I reach them. Shoot, I never expected to climb one rock successfully, let alone start up a second one. I know why people love it. The puzzle, the physical workout, the mental workout... So I haven't crossed rock climbing off my to-do list forever, but it's definitely in last place.

Did I mention I have a phobia of heights?

LA Times Two

Just arrived in LA a few hours ago, and have already eaten a vegan garbanzo bean sandwich (think spicy egg salad with chickpeas instead), discussed sweatshops and how to avoid them - any suggestions? - and had a most excellent Korean (vegan) vodka with pomegranate and cardamom. Cardamom has to be one of my favorite spices ever. Yum.

Now I'm tipsy, it's 2am East Coast time and people are just arriving to play a strategy board game. Oh, dear.

Los Angeles in May Part 2

My brother lives like a prince on top of a mountain. Overlooking a valley, and in the distance, downtown L.A.

Five minutes away, The Coffee Table in Pasadena serves excellent brunch as well as very good coffee. There's a famous pizzeria nearby, called Casa Bianca Pizza Pie, where I would definitely recommend the sausage and garlic and Hawaiian pizzas. From what I saw, the pizzas are not pricey, especially for an extra large shared among four. The chianti is perhaps not worth it, but they do have a corkage fee so you'd be better off bringing your own bottle anyway. Has anyone tried this recently? How did it work out? Was the restaurant friendly and open about allowing brought wine?

Back to the pizzas: They even come on whole wheat crust, for which I must admit I harbor ambivalent feelings. Or is it that I just can't decide? At any rate, the pizza was very enjoyable. Buona, you might say.

One morning we spent walking around the Fashion district in downtown L.A., the Menswear district and Santee Alley in particular, where (surprisingly) I was not the one to make any purchases. I especially wanted to hear vendors hawking their wares in different languages, but when it came down to it, I was too distracted by all the merchandise (my brother calls me "magpie") to remember I was listening for them. I was a little disappointed to find that, in the section of the alley we saw at least, much of the style was punk, but I wasn't in a purchasing mood anyway. Mostly I enjoyed people watching, and for once in my life, didn't mind the crowds.

For any of those outdoorsy-types, the hike to Switzer Falls in Angeles National Forest is both beautiful and challenging (though I haven't hiked in months and quite possibly am out of shape - read: I am out of shape). And for anyone who might start later than planned (i.e. my whole family), this is a great hike to do on a hot summer midafternoon, as much of the walk follows a forested stream. If you ever liked to hop on rocks across streams as a chiled, this could be your hike; there are plenty of stream-crossings on the trail. It also offers great views of the surrounding mountains. When we got to the waterfall, I was less impressed than I'd supposed, because it was much smaller than I'd imagined. Not to worry, though, we had fun climbing up the rocks to one side of it, where we saw another, higher, pool.

Overall, I left L.A. with a much broader, more realistic idea about Los Angeles, California. The impression we get over here on the East Coast doesn't do it justice, I've found. More than just a landing-place for celebrity, it includes beautiful natural scenery, a wide variety of outdoor activities, and a very diverse, large population.

Though I did also see the traffic, Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards... which easily fit the Eastern idea of L.A.

Los Angeles and Laughter in May

I giggled, guffawed and just plain cracked up more times in the past four days than I have in the past four months combined.

That's probably the most memorable thing about my short vacation in Los Angeles, California.

There was the beach (Hermosa) volleyball hilarity of team members getting hit in the face, hitting opposing team members on various upper body parts, people getting knocked over, falling down, tripping over each other and most especially calls of "I've got it! - nevermind" and "Not mine!".

Then there's Star Trek. I love love love this film, by the way. In part the love is due to the fact that I just about died of laughter near the beginning. I haven't laughed that hard in a movie theater, oh perhaps since I was a kid.

As for the rest of the laughter, I have to give the credit to my brother, who could be a comedian without very much effort at all.