Echo & The Bunnymen

Pismo Beach - Highway 1.
Water to the left,
hills to the right.
Flip-flops on my feet,
New Wave on the stereo,
a latte in my belly,
and a smile on my face.

Beach Weather, Head only, and Monkey Toes.

I'd seen lots of signs in parking lots that say "Head in Only" and thought it a little strange. PARKING. One word added that makes the topic sound 86% less dirty. ;0) This was taken at the parking garage across the street from my hostel. (Appears Santa Monica does not take well to backwards parkers? They actually have a law against it?!)

I forgot how much I love beach weather! The beach itself is often overrated- crowded, and you find sand in places it was never intended to be. But driving through Santa Monica, I was right on the coast, and WOW... I'd forgotten how awesome it is... how good the air smells. How cool it is day and night... I'm in love with the beach right now. I'd been deciding whether to drive on Hwy 5, or Hwy 1, and thought I'd choose 101 as a nice compromise from the LA area to the Bay Area, but after today, it's soo resolved: Highway 1 for SURE!

My hostel is fantastic.. uber-clean. And though sharing a room with 9 other girls gets warm and a tad musty, I wouldn't change it for the world. Love this place. Too bad they limit you to 14 days/year max.. I wouldn't mind living here. There's lots to do, and it's lively here.

Got to hang out with an online friend IRL, and it was a blast.. really enjoyed his company, and am glad to solidify a friendship! We went to the Getty museum in LA. We really didn't have enough time to do the whole thing, but what we did see was awesome. (There was so much damned marble there! The whole thing was friggin' rich.) If I had time, I'd really do a whole day there... Would love to have toured the gardens, but even checking them out from the overlook was fantastic!

I'd heard somewhere that there's this theory that as a species, our toes are shrinking. I'd always thought that was a little strange, but didn't dismiss it. Today, I've officially decided there's merit to the theory. Every statue and painting from the 1600's-1700's seemed to have monkey-toes. Yes monkey freaking toes. Wish I could rattle off examples, but I was not really a good museum-goer.. I don't remember.. I just remember seeing an awful lot of Monkey TOES!!!

Interim Update

I know I've written a few things down on paper that I need to transfer here to my blog, but I haven't because it's been a strange wild ride, what with the no internet, no computer situation.

I'm writing this while sitting in the common room of a hostel in Flagstaff, AZ. I drove from Amarillo here today, and the ride was gorgeous. As I hit AZ, I could see light filtering down amidst a faraway rainshower, and I felt like I was in God's country. I'm always in awe of the land when I drive through the southwest. I remember studying geology, and really not enjoying the subject (too much bleh, not enough action) but whenever I find myself looking at the big red srata in the land, I ponder how it got that way, and find myself interested all over again.

I also decided that practical people in Arizona must say, "Screw it; let's just get orange carpet." (Maybe thus the inspiration for the popularity of terra cotta tile?)

I spent time in OKC visiting with family, and had a blast. I really got to bond with my aunt while staying with her and truly enjoyed her company. Visits with family are food to my soul. (As are road trips, so I'm feeling downright gluttonous right now!)

My brain is weary, and I'm ready for bed... I gained 2 hours today, so I'm all messed up. It feels early, but I've been up for a while.