"Two Paychecks from the Street" by Michael Pisano

About 10 years ago, my dogs and I became one of those "two paychecks from the street" stories when I lost my job and was illegally evicted from my Franklin Hills home bordering Silver Lake. I became known around town as the "Dogman" and we spent our time collecting change and materials. When the car we were living in broke down we took to the streets and set up camp above the L.A. River in an abandoned lot near Fletcher and Riverside. We saw many things go down from our perch, which I won't go into, but it was truly a transformative 3 months in my life.

A few nights ago, I took to the bikeway along the river, with my dog in tow in her very own doggy cart. The memories came back, but did so facing a transformed L.A. River, which seemed vibrant and alive, and healthy, unlike the river of 10 years ago which was suffering a bit. The new bikeway is stunning, truly a L.A. treasure in the making. Unfortunately, I spent a little too long recovering today and missed the inaugural ceremony. But if you can still use my story I'd be happy to oblige. It's a good one!