DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Real quick before I pop out to the Art Walk... Today in less than two hours I successfully took the subway to two Blockbusters and to a Borders, where I bought a book I'd been looking for.

I left my apartment at 3:25 and walked over to 5th/Hill. There I caught the N. Hollywood red line, and took that to Hollywood/Western. Walked upstairs, crossed Hollywood, and dropped off a dvd. Crossed again, back downstairs, got to the platform just as the train was arriving. Went back SE to Sunset/Vermont, walked upstairs, went a block east to Sunset/Virgil, and dropped off my other DVD. Then I decided I wanted to get System of the World, so back down at the platform I again caught the N. Hollywood train (which happened to show up at exactly the right time) and took it to Hollywood/Vine. Walked one block south to Sunset/Vine, and bought the book at the Borders there. Then back to the station, wait for the absolutely packed Union Station train, and ride back to Pershing Square. I arrived back at my apartment at 5:15.