And I’m not talking about the cost of admission, but rather the emotional cost of parking.

The Hollywood Bowl is a 100-year-old Los Angeles cultural institution. It has hosted many renowned singers and bands over the years, notably including the Beatles (remember them?).  The Hollywood Bowl now seats 17,500 guests.  It’s located in a canyon near Hollywood Boulevard and Highland but offers only about 1,750 parking spaces on-site (this is my own estimate, which may be too high).  Even though their shows often sell out, they only have parking for about 20% of the audience (assuming two in a car).

For that reason, the Bowl provides “off-site” parking.  I live in the San Fernando Valley, so I can drive to the Eastern end of Ventura Boulevard, park in the large lot there, and take a 20-minute bus ride to the Bowl.  Last night I met my son at the venue to enjoy a performance that began at 6:00 pm.  By 9:00 pm we were both exhausted, and he had to be at work early the next day.  We walked to where he had parked his car at a private lot six blocks away. It’s a lot where the cars can easily leave at any time and are not blocked in by the hundreds of other cars parked around them.  He then drove out of his way to drop me at the Ventura Boulevard parking lot where I had parked my car earlier in the evening.

And there my adventure began.

First, I had to find my car in the dark.  I thought I knew where it was, but my car always seems to move around by itself after the sun goes down.

After ten minutes of searching, I finally found my car, but it was totally blocked in by other cars.  So I sat in the driver’s seat for one hour (thank goodness for the solitaire game on my cell phone), waiting until other drivers showed up to let themselves out, and release me from Hollywood Bowl Parking Prison.  I left the Bowl at 9:00 pm and finally got home after 11:30 pm.

One benefit from watching sports events and concerts on TV is that when the show is over you’re already home.  And a hamburger doesn’t cost $18.00.

Also – an added benefit – I don’t have to search for my car, then sit in the dark for an hour.

Grumble mumble.

Alan

On a Sunday morning many years ago, I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom when Scott, my teenage stepson, barged in.

“I don’t know if there’s anything wrong,” he said, “but the housekeeper just jumped into the swimming pool at the deep end, and now she’s at the bottom of the pool.”

It took me a few seconds to process that. Then, even though I was completely naked, I raced to the pool, dove in, and dragged the waterlogged woman to the side of the pool.

Meanwhile, Scott was on the phone with the 911 operator relaying instructions to my wife Susan on how to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

A few minutes later the ambulance arrived to take her to the emergency room.  Fortunately, she was okay.

But talk about a shock. Evidently, the housekeeper had decided not to take the day off, and Susan had loaned her a swimsuit.  But the housekeeper did not know how to swim, and for some reason jumped into the deep end of the pool anyway.

Before this experience I always assumed that adults knew their limitations, although I flashed back to an experience I had as a kid when I was walking through our kitchen to the dining room, carrying an open umbrella.

“What are you doing?”  Mom asked.

“This is my parachute.  I’m going to jump off the balcony.”

My mother’s face turned ashen, and she grabbed my umbrella.  “No, you’re not.”  She was seldom that firm.  But seven-year-olds are not known for their mature judgment.  I’m sure Mom saved me from death or injury many times.

The lesson I learned from the swimming pool incident was this – never take good judgment for granted.  People are always capable of doing things that defy all logic. Even on a languid Sunday morning.

Alan

Before I get to the punch line, I’ll share that when I was a child, the answer to that question was very easy for me. Back then, I thought my mother could solve all my problems. I also thought that she saved me from “stunting my growth” by refusing to let me drink coffee.

As a teenager, how to ask a girl for a date was one of my biggest problems. At that time, I was overweight and obnoxious — not exactly a dream date. (And I haven’t even mentioned pimples.) And yet, the only way to get a date was to ask, and face the risk of potential rejection, and the only one who could solve that problem– was me.

Somehow, I managed to survive those years, and was lucky enough to marry a very nice woman when we were both 21. For many years we helped solve each other’s problems, though at 84, that seems like a long time ago. Although we moved on to other marriages, we shared many years as co-parents, and still live only a few miles apart.

I’ve had many different doctors who’ve helped solve various health problems. The scariest was when I had to have emergency surgery after I developed a post-surgical infection in my neck.

When I formed ACF Property Management in 1968 I ran the company with twelve employees, eleven of whom were women. I thought that was a nice balance. I guess you could say I’ve always enjoyed being in the company of women. For my tenth birthday party, I invited ten girls and, at my mother’s insistence, one boy.

Over the years I have owned and managed hundreds of commercial real estate properties for more than five hundred investors, assisted by a loyal and reliable staff of 25 or 30 employees.

So what is the punch line?  One obvious answer might seem to be “me.”  After all, the problems were mine.  But nope. That answer would be incorrect.

I have not solved my own problems (to the extent they have been solved).

My problems have been solved in collaboration with many others. I am grateful, as we all should be, to the large team of people who have helped me through the years.

With special thanks to Nancy, problem-solver extraordinaire, who has helped to edit my blog since it began more than ten years ago, and to Zatesia who has posted my blog and a photo, even when Monday was a holiday.

And thanks to all of you for being a part of my life, for reading my blogs, and for being amongst those who might just help me solve my problems in the future.

Alan