This morning I had another fabulous adventure at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Hill St., aka, Los Angeles Superior Court. They need to call it Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Hill St. because someone in their infinite wisdom decided Stanley Mosk was so significant that they also created a Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Grand Ave. It's really the same building, just two different ways to get in. The name thing is a device to confuse postal carriers and probably fuck things up on other levels for a place that's already pretty fucked up. It seemed real apparent on my first visit, for example, that jurors frequently didn't know which entrance they needed to use to do their civic duty.
Stanley Mosk was an Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court for 37 years (1964–2001), and holds the record for the longest-serving justice on that court. Before sitting on the Supreme Court, he served as Attorney General of California and as a trial court judge, among other governmental positions. Mosk was the last Justice of the California Supreme Court to have served in non-judicial elected office prior to his appointment to the bench. I have no idea if he was a good person or not.
Haws is a company that makes drinking fountains, among other things I suppose. It's also the name of the attorney my mother had when she (we) went to court in a lawsuit claiming damages for a tragic auto accident which took the life of my dad and two other men in 1961. The first time I visited the court over my current probate case back in July I noticed the drinking fountains were still made by Haws. Back in the 1960s because of the association I just mentioned my sister and I took a drink from about every Haws drinking fountain we saw at the courthouse. Perhaps we thought it would bring good luck. I don't believe it did. It did however make me rather sick to my stomach. To this day I walk into this courthouse and again I feel sick to my stomach, although I wouldn't consider drinking from one of the faucets. My nausea is for very different reasons now. Imagine that.
On to the walk...
Last of the Apache Plume flowers, lots of plumes are left.
California Towhee (Melozone crissalis)
Cactus flower, no ID.
Partial ID. Family: Darners-Aeshnidae. From some posturing I believe this is a female.
Sunset. Freaky sky. I don't think there were fires. This is low clouds and fog.
I don't know how far I walked but it was far enough considering the mental anguish I went through prior to leaving the Los Angeles, Superior Courthouse on Hill Street. I had Hill Street blues. I still have them but I'm working it. At least now I know that the overwhelmed feeling that place gives me is just an illusion and it fades.
Just for example and without having to get into a bunch of boring details about the probate process, which is what I'm going through, here's a scenario from my day at the courthouse...
I was trying to find out what "form" was being referred to by 4 different people in 3 different offices. All of them seemed to have knowledge of a form but none of them knew what the form was. All I got was a "judicial council attachment form" from one party. She was very helpful, don't get me wrong, but whoever you speak with in the court only knows their piece of the puzzle... or so it seems. So... for this "form"...
I went from room 429 to 426, 426 sent me to 425, 425 was helpful but said to get the elusive form from 426. 426 said no, go to 429 again and 429 said go back to 426. 426 then shrugged his shoulders and told me to come to a workshop. The workshop takes on only the first 8 people in line when they open the door one time a week. No reservations. No slipping the maitre d' a $20.
In between the first trip from 429 to 426 was a lawyer who overheard my confusion, offered some advice in a very sketchy sort of "you need my services" way. 425 however promoted the concept of "you can work through this, lots of people do."
Not really in a picture taking or walking around mood after all of that, plus once I got my camera from the car, by 10:35 AM, it was already approaching not so comfortable walking weather.
The famous 2nd Street Tunnel under Bunker Hill in Downtown Los Angeles, California. That I can give you a measurement on, it's 470 meters long and I walked it both ways. If you're a Sci-fi fan you will know this tunnel from the movie Blade Runner. Lots of horn honks and waves for the guy in the tunnel!
But I really didn't have a plan or know where I was going....
By the backside of the Disney Hall I decided I didn't feel like walking to the front side to take photos of an over photographed building which I find borderline ugly.
So I walked back toward the tunnel...
I was planning to go to my old stomping grounds in L.A. if everything had gone well DT but they had not. Maybe next time.
