Top 5 List

Now that I have lived in LA for a few months I have decided to make a list of the top five things I love/hate about this infamous city. Let’s start with the things I love:

1. The Weather. I know this one is a big shocker. Who wouldn’t love 70 degree weather in July? It sure beats the 90 plus degree weather I am used to in the summer. However, Cali isn’t as sunny as you might think. Most days are overcast for the majority of the day. People say that it burns off by noon, but I have only seen this actually happen a hand full of times (keep in mind this is coming from the same people who think it snows year round in Utah so I guess it is all relative). I am more than okay with this as I love gloomy days. It makes me feel like I live in my favorite city – Seattle- minus the rain of course!!

2. The Beach. It is nice to live so close to the beach that you can just pick and go at a moments notice. It is funny how just sitting in sand is such a thrill. But even when we aren’t at the beach I am grateful for the cool breeze it provides daily.

3. The Ideal Movie Theaters. We accidentally came across the best movie theater I have ever been to one day when we were at the mall and just randomly decided to go to a movie. We were surprised when we walked in the theater and saw only a few couches and some oversized chairs. It was like watching a movie is a home theater but with the yummy popcorn, big screen and quality sound. The only down side is that it makes it that much harder for me to stay awake during the WHOLE movie.

4. The Movie Stars. We have only seen a couple, but the experiences we have had have been magical (see previous post about my b-day). Martin and I are practically BFFs now.

5. The Shopping. We have so many malls/shopping centers within a short distance of our house. It is so nice to have places like H&M and BCBG right down the street as opposed to a few states over.

Now on the top five things I intensely dislike about LA:

1. The Traffic. I know, I know, another big shocker. I am lucky enough to work only 3 miles away from our home, so I do not have to deal with much traffic. But, when it took me an HOUR to get home at 4:00pm my first Friday here, I was ready to drive straight back to SLC. I seriously considered ditching my car on the side of the road and walking home. It has gotten better, but Fridays still take twice as long as any other day. I also can’t stand all the honking. The minute a stoplight turns yellow people start laying on their horns like that magically gets them through the light. So annoying especially since 5-10 cars run the light anyway.

2. Parking. I was spoiled in SLC – the land of the SUV/Minivan - because parking spots were able size there. Not to mention the parking lots were nice, big, and FREE. I am so sick of paying for parking everywhere especially at the gym – so annoying. Even more annoying though is getting a parking ticket. We got one last week for a whopping $50!! I swear the parking police here are worse than the ones at the UofU and that says A LOT!!

3. The Bugs. Due to the moist air, there are about a zillion bugs everywhere including in our house (yucky). Don’t get me wrong it definitely beats the mice/spiders we had in our last place, but it is annoying to open the front door every morning and have a bug land on you. If I wanted to live amongst the bugs, I would go camping (which we all know is something I just don’t do).

4. The Lack of Chain Restaurants. I know my brother would kill me for saying this but it is true. I am definitely more of a chain restaurant person, heck I even prefer store bought items over homemade 90% of the time. It is just the way I am. Seriously, is it too much to ask for a Chili’s within 20 miles of us?

5. Cash Only. So not only do we not have chain restaurants, but the restaurants we do have are stuck in the 90’s. Seriously who carries cash these days? I guess only those who expect to pay for parking EVERYWHERE.

So there you have it – LA anyone?