Another post that is worth forgetting

My residence is a 35 foot sailboat docked in San Pedro which is the City of Los Angeles. There are several marinas here and services come either from the marina provider, the Port of Los Angeles, the City or County of Los Angeles, State of California and the USA Government. The Coast Guard has a base on Terminal Island that is about a mile away if you can swim. The Department of Power and Water provides the lights (that is a guess). Last year many older street light fixtures were updated to use LEDs to reduce power consumption. Our parking lot and the one across the street got the new brighter lamps but the street between the two lots got 4 new lamps that didn't work.

I noticed the lamps that did't work because me and the German Shepherd were out in the dark when we were raising little puppy. To keep this diatribe simple we will leave out those names of who didn't really care. (and still don't) Also several e-mail were sent to several Los Angeles City Departments, several City and Port employees were told, LAPD and LAPort police were told but the lamps remained dark. 

Many different explanations were given but the months continued and we remained in the dark. Then one day the trucks arrived with lifting cranes and the lamp farthest east was taken apart and I was told that the contractor had put in the wrong voltage hardware on our street and fried the internal circuits. The lamp was left open on one with the wires hanging out. 

I thought maybe they would come back soon and finish the work, I guess I had forgot that is not how things are done. Forgetting can be so confusing when you remember how things used to be done and how it is done today. 

Several months ago I saw one of the fellows from Harbor working on some sidewalk lamps and asked him what ever happened to the wrong parts in the street lamps and he said there seems to be some problem with the contractor still.

Well, yesterday the April 16th, three work trucks showed up and the crews started repairing the lamps.

I thought will the lamps work in the dark as they are controlled by sensors on the top of the fixtures, will someone flip the correct circuit breakers or will we still be still lost in the dark. 

Last night was a long one as I turned over and over then finally moved from the main cabin to the v-berth to escape the Yorkshire sleeping on my feet on the top of the sleeping bag. Should I go check out the street lamps at 2 A.M. or get outside early while it is still dark. I tried to see the parking lots lamps from a port window in the cabin but couldn't tell so I went back to bed and read my latest Kindle Book. 

Well, we made muster early as Happy the German Shepherd (always whines in the early morning) was ready to leave early and piss (pee if  you wish a more polite term) and there it was in all of the greatest man made splendors, one of the marvels of the modern world, working street lights. I asked the Happy the GSD to trying pooping under the lights but he refused as he has grown accustomed to daylight sidewalks.

My self, the Yorkshire, and the German Shepherd leave our sailboat each morning to take care of important business and explore our limited domain. We take similar routes everyday lest I forget where I am and get lost. My father used to do that (get lost) when his brain started to short circuit with its tangles.

This morning we were pleased to see less homeless sleeping in our nearest large park (22nd Street Park) and the bird count was low except for Mocking Birds and Swallows (we love crows and Rock Doves are OKay) but today it was cool and windy. 

I always pickup the nails that are thrown in the streets here (see another earlier blog) but this morning we came across a Lime Green Bike with the lock still unlocked, man, we bagged that sucker quick and Happy pulled me around the parking lots and Lucky ran along side. Pure Nirvana... One Dog Power speed is better that a 500 HP big block.