The blog of a single guy. Who's a geek. And a hiker. Betch'a didn't see that coming, eh?
(So, I’d been pondering why this post didn’t get any comments. Then I looked tonight and found out that I’d drafted it, but never actually clicked on “Publish” last Friday.
Oops.
So here it is today. Light blogging over the next week or so as traveling ensues…)
I don’t know why, but for whatever reason I’ve become a reading fiend the last six months or so. I’ve been going through one book after another, finding myself eyeing the shelf for the next one as I near the end of whatever’s currently in my hands.
I’ve been going through books I’ve had for years but “just never got around to reading,” the books I picked up from UC Press (where, on the last day of the sale, I placed another order), and books from the local library.
In fact, I’ve rather re-discovered my love of the library, usually finding something new (or two or three something new-s) every time I walk in. It’s finally gotten to the point where I keep a file on the BlackBerry of books to check out in the future, just adding to the list whenever I go in.
Kind of ironic, using the modern BB to keep track of books to read. The librarians get a kick out of it.
Last week was the twisted event of my office Holiday Party.
Not familiar with that particular demented occurrence? Take a few minutes and peruse this post from a couple of years ago.
Caltrans opened Highway 2 a couple of weeks ago into the Angeles National Forest. I headed up on Saturday, hoping to get a few photos in before the storm that hit the L.A. area on Monday caused the whole area to slide or be covered in snow.
As I drove up, there were lots of people doing the same thing: touring the disaster area. In between, road construction crews were moving up and down the road, desperately shoring up what they could before the wet season began. The forest itself is closed.
It’s the holidays, which means two things:
1) WordPress turns on the falling snow app
and
2) I turn on the blindingly colorful Holiday Theme
Because, burning your retinas with an obscene splash of neon red and green? Yeah, that’s how I roll.
So, I guess I have to start this travel post with a caveat, which isn’t the most elegant way to start a travel post.
See, Mel Heth left a comment (thanks Mel!) that apparently started all of your imaginations going way, way out of control.
Yes, I did go down to San Diego to meet someone: the lovely fellow blogger TCD of The Coconut Diaries. She does not, in fact, currently live in San Diego, but used to and was back in town to visit friends. She currently resides, works, and lives her life in Texas. With her HUSBAND.
Perhaps I’m just getting older. Or lazier. Or, quite possibly, both.
Whatever the reason, as time goes by, I find myself doing less on the Thanksgiving Holiday, even while society at large seems to be pushing everything and everyone to rush around at a more and more frantic pace every year.
I went down to San Diego last weekend weekend before last; just a quick overnight trip.
I’ve only been there a few times in my life, which is kind of strange considering that both a) I like San Diego and b) it’s really not that far away from L.A. On this trip, too, I realized that San Diego (in the downtown section at least) actually reminded me a little bit of Portland. Plus, both cities seem so much more at ease with themselves than L.A., which always seems to want to be all things to all people.
That subject, though, is probably deserving of a post of its own.
Still, I always feel a little mixed, feelings-wise, when it comes to the city of San Diego.
Saturday morning, with winter (such as it is for Los Angeles) settling in, I headed out to The Secret Spot. I didn’t arrive as early as I’d hoped, owing to an accident on the freeway, then road construction, but nevertheless felt an immediate sense of calmness as I turned off the road to the parking area.
I disparaged as I pulled into the parking lot at first, as it appeared to be completely packed. Rounding a corner, though, I spotted a single, solitary open space left. Apparently just for me.
It’s not the first time that’s happened, and I while hesitate to anthropomorphize too much, it’s dammed hard not to feel like the place knows I’m coming sometimes.
|
