The day was crystal clear, almost blinding in the clarity of the landscape. Smog often clouds the view, making the mountains appear etched in the background like a matte graphic, an illustration of the moment. But on this day, the mountains bulged into the view, giving me a fresh perspective on the somewhat industrial area I was passing through . I was on a mission to renew my passport at the Hollywood Way, Burbank California USPS. The Bob Hope Airport (where you still walk onto the tarmac and out to the stairs rolled up to the aircraft, sixties style) is practically across the street. This is the hub of the birth of aerospace and aviation. I rather liked the idea of making the passport pilgrimage, with anticipation of a transatlantic flight, in the shadow of aviation pioneers like Howard Hughes, who got his start right in this very neighborhood. There's a bronze statue of Amelia Earhart in a nearby park. Earhart became the most famous female pilot of all time. I bet p...