WHAT?

NOVEMBER 25, 2003

Where We Live

part i

so i was at starbucks, getting a grande decaf soy cappuccino. after the cashier rung up my order, i headed to the "get order" counter. the blond-haired guy working the coffee machines looked vaguely familiar. he announced my drink as he handed me the cup.

familiar looking curly hair.

familiar looking smiling face.

"are you my neighbor?" i said.

his eyes fogged over. it was tough to decipher my actual appearance behind my uber-nerdy black rimmed glasses.

"oh my god! jane?" he said.

"oh my god! ...?" that's right, i forgot his name, he is our new next-door neighbor and moved in two months ago, and i forgot his name. "... so how long have you worked here?"

"about two months! oh god! jane! i can't believe we didn't even recognize each other!" he said.

"er, i look really different with these glasses." i said, feeling stupid for having my coffee made by my neighbor for the past few weeks and never recognizing him.

"i just see so many faces each day, you know?" he said, still incredulous. ok, he sees many difference faces at starbucks and couldn't recognize me right away... and what was my excuse? his coworkers smiled. they probably think this was lame, and they'd be right.

"damn...man! we need to get to know each other better!" i said, more for my benefit than for his.

"yea! yea!" my neighbor agreed. then i walked the few blocks back to our apartment with my coffee.

part ii

so i was watching huell howser's pbs program, wondering what interesting california place he'd visit this time. the program series was "california's golden parks." huell was standing in the middle of acres and acres of nature.

turned out huell was in a 43-acre nature preserve.

called the madrona marsh.

in torrance, california.

less than ten miles from redondo beach.

where we live.

"what the hell? i've lived here for four years and you've never taken me there?!" i screeched to my husband. his reaction? "i've lived here for almost twenty years and i didn't even know about this place."

we need to get out more often. good thing the tv told us what was in our backyard.