Just Journaling...

THURSDAY

Cafe Aroma-
Tucked on the "not so flashy" (and more comfortable) side of Melrose. This coffee shop, like so many that I visit, has a few things that I like a lot, but still does not encompass everything I'm looking for in my perfect coffee shop. To be honest I'm probably looking for a New York Coffee Shop / Bookshop combo, that I'll probably never find in Los Angeles. But it's still fun to try out different shops and make new discoveries. This cafe is on a corner, across from a bike shop, which is luring me and making me bitter that I can't afford a beautiful vintage bike. Ha. The look of the cafe leans more towards Java Detour on Santa Monica, going with the clean colors of black and yellow, and the solid color Ikea look. There are little counters lining the walls with comfortable stools with backs (we all know how I love sitting on stools! this wins points for me) and there are a couple fun, vintage looking couches. The floor is another novelty, looking like a European street made of large paved stones. The coffee is good, and the cookies fresh baked, and the menu looks good although haven't tried any of the sandwiches. My one major critique is that the place is a bit dirty. Looking around there are crums and bits of food here and there on the floor, and little spots of grim and dust here and there that just makes you feel like the place hasn't been deep cleaned for awhile, or even that the employees take more of their downtime to chat than to clean the place up. And looking up just now...one is on the phone and one is eating something. There are 3 customers besides myself...meaning there's no reason the employees shouldn't be cleaning this place up. So that's what I'd fix. It's not dirty enough that I wouldn't come again, but it's a bit distracting...sadly.

Well...the bikes and the vintage shop down the street are calling me. I must resist spending money today though, because I think I'm going to buy a lovely little 60's typewriter today from someone off Craigslist! Maybe I'll walk by STATIC hair salon I so badly want to go to...I just don't know if I can afford a trim from them...they look too great. But then again...they are on THIS side of Melrose. Maybe the Yelp.com reviews were right in saying it was well-priced. Hmmm...I wish Sara or someone was able to be with me right now....but despite being alone...I LOVE this: exploring city streets and shops. LOVE IT!

SATURDAY

Melrose Ave-
Sara and I explored Melrose Saturday. There are some great clothes shops on the east side. I don't think I could even walk into the shops on west Melrose...I hate being watched and "sized" up by those elite shops. heh. We explored American Vintage, and I found the newest desire of my soul: roller skates. Heh. There were a pair of used speed-skates (roller skates but without the high-top of usual skates...I always used speed skates back during my Harborina skating days) and they were actually my size! They were $45. I didn't let myself buy them though because I haven't had too much work this month, and I just blew $35 on that typewriter from Craigslist. Well...i didn't really blow it. It'll be nice decoration for my home. It just...doesn't work as well as I'd hoped. But I should have expected that for 35. My friends have been asking me "Why...did you buy a typewriter." I've realized it's because when I enjoy something I love it's history as well...and buying antiques makes me feel like I have a magical peice of that history. heh. So Since I enjoy coffee and tea...I like buying vintage mugs and tea cups. Since I like traveling, I like vintage luggage and trunks. And since I'm a writer...I wanted a vintage typewriter. Well...I should have been more patient and found one that really works, because I really wanted to use it. And now I'll have to wait for the roller-skates too. Maybe I'll have enough birthday money to get them...

Back to Melrose. We also checked out the bike shop (Sara really wants one now...but that's definitely way way down on my list...cuz the vintage-looking ones are at least 200) and the puppy store. I'm definitely going to have to wait awhile for that Great Dane puppy of my dreams. Because puppies go beyond the initial payment. *sigh* I just want the simple things in life: Typewriters....Roller Skates....Puppies...ahaha.

To finish the day we went to Aroma Bakery Cafe on Sunset (not to be confused with the Aroma Cafe on Melrose that I went to...and different from Aroma on Tujunga which has my favorite coffee-shop atmosphere in LA so far.) The hostess asked if we wanted to sit inside or outside. "Um, can we sit on the second level?" Sara asked. There were 3 sort of levels to this restaurant: Tables on the outside right near the sidewalk, another outdoorish section, and then the inside. "That's the smoking section." "Oh...ok...um" There was a long pause. "We'll sit inside." I blurted. Heh. Then we get inside, "Would you a table or to sit at the bar?" I looked at sara. "Lets sit at the bar." She said. Then we get seated at the bar and, "I kinda want to sit at a table now..." Sara said. I gave her a look like, we're not moving. heh.

Our waiter brough us free little smoothies to start us off, but seemed kind of "cold" toward us. Well, at least not friendly. "Is he just being sarcastic?" Sara wondered. "I...don't think he likes us." I chuckled. And when we asked if we could have a Creme Brule before our meals he said "Before your meal?" And hesitated with a you're strange look lingering behind his eyes. Ahah. But after our meal (I had pesto pizza and she had...some sort of veggie, bagel, sandwich) he brought us fruit parfeits for free. "We thought you didn't like us." Sara blurted. "What?! Really?" He said in surprise. And I was laughing cuz I couldn't believe she'd just said that!

MONDAY

M Street Coffee-
Favorite window seat in the coffee shop. This is the seat for the rainy or gray days. It's gray today. If it was sunny I'd be sitting outside. I guess I should be sitting at my "writing table" because I'm planning to write today, but I feel like the window today. Heh.

I woke up at 1pm. Gah! I hate being a sluggard. Sometimes I tell myself days that I sleep in make up for the days I have to work late into the night. But...I haven't been working much lately, so that's not an excuse right now. Well, not a good one. I'm determined to make this day productive nonetheless. I got a free copy of the Runaway Bride screenplay from a writers store in Santa Monica, so I'm going to read it and study the format and style. Then I'll work on my own script. And since I'm not running today I'll do my hiphop workout tonight. Heh. More fun anyway.

And as always...looking for work.

Barf! It's already almost 5pm and I've been journaling instead of writing my script! And this shop closes at 6pm! Oh I wish they were open later. Maybe I'll go to Aroma on Tujunga later to write. It's hard to write at home with people around.

Matt's supposed to be meeting me here soon to chill for a bit. Where is he? I want to do a candid camera deal on him from my window seat. heh..