Robert Greene blogs on the LAT site about why our city's birthday gets lost in the shuffle, and what it was like to take that long, long walk on Sunday. Cake at the finish line? Dream on...

Now, across the street, Villaraigosa is at the microphone. "I've walked every year for the last few years!" he says. But not this year. "It was a great walk!" Huizar says. I think you mean half a walk, councilman. Greuel takes the microphone. "I walked outside this morning and it was 110 degrees," she says, "and I knew -- I'm not going to be able to walk."

Come on people! It's the city's birthday!

Which means, by the way, there is cake. For the walkers? No, it's for the elected officials on the stage. The assembled walkers are told to just sit tight (in the sun) while the folks on stage take photos, and we'll be right with you.

In L.A.-style anti-climax, the walkers wander away as officials present each other plaques. "It's hard to believe," says my walking companion, "that these people can run a city."