I skipped two days of writing in a row, which I said I would not do! But things happen and I don't feel bad about it. You'll be relieved to know that instead of writing I finally won 2048.

I went for a drive last night. I love going for drives. I haven't Gone For A Drive since I moved here. I've become diurnal, though this writing practice has me remembering and loving the quiet time alone at the end of the day, staying up thinking and writing and fussing on the internet.

Last night I drove up to Sunset and then took it left until it ran out of road. It went through the Sunset Strip, full of billboards and neon and clubs and people. It went through Beverly Hills, full of scolding signs and big trees and empty roads. It went through Pacific Palisades, full of big homes but a few Subways so you can tell the difference between it and Beverly Hills. It went through UCLA. Most of the time I had no idea where I was; it curves and climbs and drops in ways I was not expecting until finally, after much longer than I expected, it spit me out on the PCH, where I took a right and headed up past the Getty, past Malibu, past Pepperdine, until I pulled over and sat in my car with the windows down, listening to the waves and writing in the dark. The ocean hid beneath the fog. Palm trees on the hills were lit from behind in a dramatic and foggy fashion, like we were in a noir film. I didn't go down to the beach because I felt a little lost and confused about whether that was a) legal and b) a good idea. I try not to follow my questionable ideas when I'm alone in the dark far from any other people.

I realized while I was there that I wrote a short story a while back with a character who did this exact thing–hiding out on a secluded California beach at night.

Eventually I turned around and drove home on the 10, singing my heart out to Fiona Apple and mentally writing something about how important she is to me. The Pacific to my left and the city to my right. Los Angeles is an excellent place for driving as long as everyone is asleep; the roads are fast and curvy and the views are lovely (though I've had a good sunny late morning drive on the 405). Good for a vampire bat. (Living in a sunny place again means I can shift into my New Mexico mode of loving the dark and the clouds.)

In Albuquerque or Minneapolis, I know where to drive if I want to be around people, or if I want to be alone, or if I want curvy roads or easy roads. In LA I can get around to where I need to go but I don't really know my spots yet. More late night drives are needed!