A drive in the day of L.A.

Muse for a day reminisces on Los Angeles traffic

Is it normal to use a friend to further one's creative endeavors? In Los Angeles, yes! Yes! YES! We feed off each other, providing needed inspiration and support.

Today, my friend Lloyd drove me to his place in Hollywood, two blocks from Sunset Blvd. and The Comedy Store, in order to compose music.

I'm his muse!

My job is to sit quietly in the livingroom with my Dell Inspiron laptop, while he creates musical genius upstairs. He's got a TV network president of production interested in his spec song for a new show. Which means one or more of the following: She's being polite. She fancies him. She may give him a deal.

So while he's upstairs, strumming on the guitar, I'll recount our drive from Westwood to Hollywood.

Construction was everywhere!

We departed the Westwood area from Santa Monica Blvd., construction two years and counting, and maneuvered side streets, like peaceful tributaries off a reckless bay, making it to Wilshire Boulevard. Tall condominiums of glass and concrete towered over us, the sort of massive structures you don't want to be in or around during a big earthquake. Driving in their shadows, we turned left onto...

"Lloyd, what's the name of the street we turned left on?!" I shout upstairs.

Jester, the lab, barks and Lloyd saunters down, leaning over the staircase's white iron railing.

I repeat, "What's the name of the street we turned left on from Wilshire, getting into Beverly Hills?"

"You're not going to tell everybody?" he says, politely as his face scrunches up as if to say, Are you nuts?!

Knowing shortcuts in Los Angeles is a means for survival. He who knows the best short-cuts gets to

his destination on time and wins.

Lloyd's secret route will remain safe with me.