Tried to meet my friend Christian in Pasadena today via bus. Where there’s a will, there’s a way — unless you’re trying to take public transportation to an LA suburb. I typed in the addresses into MTA’s handy Trip Planner, and got this message: TripMaster found NO trip(s) leaving from [my place] to [his place]. Try changing walking DISTANCE or travel TIME or MODE. Make sure the locations are correct.

Sometimes, LA sucks.

So I took the 10 to the 110 and we carpooled to the Norton Simon Museum, which both of us hadn’t been to in a coupla years. I remember a high school field trip there. Our teacher, in front of “Woman with a Book,� asked: What do you think Picasso found interesting about her? A friend: “Red-hot nipples.�

Devoid of painting talent myself, I took pictures – which you’re allowed to do in the permanent collection, provided you don’t use flash. Above: Picasso’s “Woman with a Book,” seen through an aperture in Barbara Hepworth’s abstract sculpture “Assembly of Sea Forms.” This aperture was an “eye” of the “sea king.” Right: Picasso’s “Women of Algiers,” seen through an aperture in Isamu Noguchi’s abstract sculpture “The White Gunas.”

For a small, suburban museum, the Norton Simon has a damn good collection — especially an extensive collection of Degas’ paintings and sculptures. Best of all, admission’s free for students, and on your way out, you get a free, high-quality print of an artwork. We got Degas’ “The Laundress.”

And on the way back – what I believe was construction had closed off the 110 near Pasadena. I had to take the 134 to the 5 to the 110 to the 10.

Trying to relax now with an organic Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages –

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