Lambiedog

Descent into evil

 

     My trainer was busy sleeping on Saturday morning, so for my workout I joined my owner and Teresa and Janise on Walk #42 of the Secret Stairs book.

    We had expected Walk #42 to be daunting because it was rated a 5, the toughest in terms of challenge.  It turned out also to be daunting because of the sense it provided of exposure to evil.

    The walk took us up Capri and then plunged down into Rustic Canyon to the one-time stronghold of Nazi sympathizers who had set up their estate with its own greenhouse and independent power supply so that they could live hidden in the Santa Monica mountains.  The buildings are in ruins but their outlines are still there, and, adding to the spookiness, now covered with graffiti.

    By the time we ascended the narrow 512-step stairway back up the canyon, we were ready for sunshine.

New trainer; fresh start

   My last brush with formal exercise did not go well.  My trainer quickly became exasperated and refused to work with me further.

    Now, however, an upbeat new trainer has taken me on and resolved to get me into shape.  His plan involves regular hikes, as well as some attitudinal shifts to toughen me up.  For his philosophy, he quotes from a movie called 'Green Street Hooligans': 

Once you've taken a few punches and realize you're not made of glass, you don't feel alive unless you're pushing yourself as far as you can go.

How that translates for me is: (1) no coddling, (2) no being carried, and (3) no stopping and refusing to move. But my trainer strives to put a positive spin on this regime.  For example, rather than knocking my frequent sofa-sitting, he pointed out that my regular jumps up onto the sofa have given me skill in traversing vertical inclines.

  On our first hike together, to Inspiration Point in Will Rogers State Park, I acquitted myself well.

The atmosphere when we returned home was congratulatory.  I rested and basked in the good will. 

What I didn't realize was that my good performance had fed a monster:  The next day my trainer scheduled us for a hike up the top of Capri Drive.

    
I was not terribly enthusiastic, but I cooperated, for a while.  And then we got to go home again.

Will I keep this up? 

I wouldn't have initiated the hikes on my own, but I knew they had been good for me.

   And, although I have not been the most enthusiastic client, this trainer is willing to stick with me.  I appreciate his devotion, and will try to improve my attitude to be worthy of him.

   

Magic pose

Nearly a decade ago, Jamie Lee Curtis posed for an amazing photo spread in More magazine.  The spread showed Jamie Lee first in her plain-Jane skivvies, then looking glamorous after thirteen assistants had worked for three hours on makeup, lighting, and wardrobe.  

 

Here we have a similar set of photos.  On the left:  Me and Magic looking glamorous. Below, the back story: raw footage of our preparation for the photo shoot.   

The article accompanying the More photos quotes Jamie Lee as saying, "I’m trying really hard to take the veil off the fraud, to be real, to start with me."  

That's what I'm trying to do as well.  I don't want people to see photos of perfect Lambie and be discouraged thinking that my photogeneity is effortless and unattainable.

A boost on the uphill leg

    Teresa's husband, Roger, and daughter, Janise, came along on the Secret Stairs Franklin Park East walk.

    Roger turns out to be a softie who picked me up and carried me along up the hill behind my owner, who didn't even notice or think to question how I was doing such a good job keeping up.

    On the downhills, however, he left me to my own devices.

    In the course of the walk we encountered a ferret.  I myself have never seen the appeal of ferrets.  Just another rodent, I would say.  However, Janise and Teresa were quite enamored of this ferret that we met.

    
    Janise was very careful to make sure I got lots of attention too, so I didn't feel jealous of the ferret, just incredulous that anyone could ever find it cute.

Supporting the injured

        Thomas steered his wheelchair over to visit his beloved skateboard, the very cause of his injury.

It was a dark moment.

I knew Thomas needed moral support, so I jumped aboard the skateboard to show that I was with him.

I think my encouragement means a lot to him.

Whitley Heights

  

     Hollywood's Whitley Heights was the scene of our latest Secret Stairs walk -- Walk #36.  This was a classy area, with our first staircase being entered via a wrought iron gate.

Whitley Heights is an appealing and well maintained neighborhood.  Even the dogs we encountered seemed upbeat and welcoming.

        

Following the itinerary led us through one of the parking lots for the Hollywood Bowl, where we were surprised to encounter friends who were there to take part in the Amazing Los Angeles Race.

I wished them well as they embarked upon their endeavor.  

        Later we heard that they had come in first! 

    If the encouragement that I provided them helped in any small way, the sweat I expended on the stair walk would be worth it.  I live to serve.

Bluff buff stuff

    As I was completing a bodily function at the bluff this morning, my eye was drawn to an adjacent Crossfit session being held by a group called Functional Fitness on the Bluffs.  

    I had vaguely taken in these sessions before, while in passing, but never paid much attention. Today, however, I took notice. 

     I wandered over to take a look.

        On the plus side, it seemed like something that might help me with my back pain.

    On the minus side, the class looked rather challenging, and taking it would defer my breakfast.

    The minus side won. 

Sunset Junction

Another Sunday, another stair walk.  Last weekend it was Walk #20 from the Secret Stairs book.

       

             On the agenda:  evocative architecture, magnificent views, and lovely flowers.
    
          

We also met a number of dogs. Several were on a group power walk with a trainer.  Another was being carried, in a manner familiar to me.

At the walk's end we stopped at a cafe. I had a moment of anxiety while my owner went inside to place our order, but Teresa comforted me.   And soon everything was back in its place.

           

Transformation

            I started yesterday morning out as a rugged St. Bernard herder.

  By the afternoon, after a hair appointment,  I had become a contemplative flower appreciator. 

            The medium is the message.

A luta continua

    

    Another day, another weight loss walk. A luta continua. Last weekend the agenda was a long staircase walk in Silver Lake and the Angelino Heights area -- Walk # 12 in the Fleming Secret Stairs book.

    We started out at Echo Park Lake.  There were some ducks there, although I did not find them all that fascinating.

     I encountered a dog on Laveta Terrace. 

 
    But the high point of the walk was our exposure to the homes in and around Angelino Heights.

     We saw several lovely Craftsman houses, and a lot of Victorian homes.

    On Carroll Avenue, we encountered a Japanese tourist come to pay homage to the house, shown at right, that appears in the Michael Jackson "Thriller" video. (Photo from laist blog.)

    My favorite property, however, was neither Victorian nor Craftsman, but Spanish, and it was not located in the center of the Angelino Heights neighborhood but rather on the outskirts, on Kensington Road near Laveta Terrace.  It is actually two houses, fronting on an incredible cactus garden.

    You can see me posing there with Teresa in the photo above.