September 21-23 California and Beyond

I have been to southern California now a number of times and I just don’t get it.  It must be the small town southern genes that I carry.  I mean why don’t they number the exits on I-40?  It would be so much easier on out-of-towners.  Why is their gas $3.25 when the rest of the world is $2.25 or so?  The freeways were terrible here in 1968 and they have built about 25 more freeways for 1,000,00 more cars.  A 30 minute drive to Dodger Stadium took over an hour and that was with normal traffic.  Why did the beautiful Hispanic attendant at Dodger Stadium have to put a blonde streak down the middle of her gorgeous black hair so that hear head looked like an oreo?

On the positive side:

The Santa Monica pier is an experience.  It is almost a hundred years and is chocked full of good restaurants, shops, and even an amusement park.  The feeling is laid back and there all kinds of street vendors doing paintings, sculpture, music, etc.  We spent a nice Thursday afternoon there, and on the beach dipping our toes in the Pacific.

Thursday I fulfilled yet another lifelong dream by going to Dodger Stadium.  When Don Wilson and I roomed together at U.N.C. I remember well sitting glued to little transistor radios trying to listen to the Dodgers play.  In those days we could only get them when they were playing a team East of StLouis because there was just no way to get reception further than that.  Wilson and I were about the only old Brooklyn Dodger fans hangng in there but we reveled at listening to Koufax or Drysdale pitch.  The park was all I had envisioned and it is hard to believe it is now the 4th oldest major league park.  Tommy Lasorda sat right in front of Nancy.  Well, actually he was 40 rows closer to the field but he was still right in front of my wife.  We got a picture.  The Dodgers won and that was the icing on the cake.

Yesterday, Friday, we made the trip from Santa Monica to Las Vegas where we are until Sunday when we begin the serious drive back.  This is certainly a different world from Mother Road.  It cost me more to get from my car to the room than my room cost at the Wigwam Motel.

But although different it is still a lot of fun.  Upon the advice of friend Jeannie we went to see a show last night called Love which is a Cirque de Soleil presentation based on Beatles music.  It was great.  Tonight we are going to another recommended show called Mystique.  It will have to go some to be better than the Beatles.

This morning, again upon the advice of friends, this time my buddy Wilson, we drove over to Hoover Dam and it is, in my opinion, the man-made equivalent ot the Grand Canyon.  It is an unparallelled engineering feat that was accomplished over 70 years ago.

I just spent an hour playing blackjack and ended up exactly even so I count that as free entertainment.  I also count it as lucky and I’m staying away while I am even.

I gotta get off of here because they are charging me a $1/minute to use the Internet.  God I love the free enterprise system.

Talk with all of you soon.  ETA in Hartsville is Thursday or maybe Friday but I’ll be on here when it’s free again.

Life is Good….although currently expensive.