Walking in LA

This morning I woke up with such pain in my stomach and having such an awful cough that I decided to get myself to the doctor. I don't currently have a primary care physician (was using the school doctor for the past few years) so I looked one up on the blue cross website. I live in Korea town. There are lots of doctors. Korean doctors. But I assumed, if they made it through medical school, they must speak English fairly well. We'll get to that later. SO, at 9:15 this morning I left my house to go to the doctors office less than 50 yards from my front door (no appointment necessary.) However, between here and there I walked by my car and realized it needed to be moved (street cleaning today, starting at 10). SO, I (less than 10 feet from my dr's door) got in my car and tried to park it. I drove around and around. Every spot on every side of every street that did not have street cleaning was taken. Finally, I found a 1 hour spot in which to park that was only about 4 blocks from the doctor's office (and my house). SO, I parked, and walked, and 20 minutes after I left my house, I arrived.

Of course, by the time I finished, went through a pharmacy fiasco (next entry) and made it back to the car to move it (again), I had exceeded my hour. By a lot. I was sure that on top of the $140 I spent going to the dr and paying for my drugs, I would have a ticket. But, the parking gods were not SO mean, and I sneaked by. I drove around. And around. (Don't people go to work? Why are their cars here at 11am on Wednesday?) I cursed Orin again and again because his car (the one he doesn't use anymore because he got a new one, but hasn't sold yet) was in one of the 5 available parking spots behind the Korea Galleria where there is never street cleaning, and no parking restrictions. Finally, I found a spot that was...(I hope) JUST over 15 feet away from the fire hydrant on the corner. Perhaps I will be paying that ticket after all.