June Gloom

So we are dead in the middle of June Gloom. Each morning greets me with grey skies which eventually burn off to reveal a lovely haze that shrouds the surrounding hills. But regardless, I had loads of fun this weekend.

On this past grey and drizzly Saturday morning, I drove up to Camarillo to meet up with my friend Adam and we hopped in his car and drove up the Pacific Coast Highway. The skies cleared up the further north we went and the day was filled with winding roads, tunnels through the Santa Monica Mountains, good conversation, and my random music collection. We found a perfectly unpopulated beach spot just off the highway, a little south of Hearst Castle, where we sat and watched a couple of kiteboarders trace graceful arcs across the waves. The cherry on top was watching a speedo and bikini-clad middle-aged couple prance their way down the beach in the shallow waves in a sad attempt to pass their spastic movements off as some form of jogging. Nothing like spending your day on the shore catching a buzz in an aimless frame of mind.

On Sunday, my friend Alex took me to lunch at Toi where we had the most delicious Pad Thai and a pumpkin, eggplant and tofu dish over a bed of delectable brown rice. After a mild debate about her accent, we discovered our waitress was from Wilmington, NC. It was kind of nice to hear the sweet sounds of home right smack dab in the middle of LA. I must admit that this whole poverty thing has me a bit homesick.

After lunch we braved the freakshow that is Venice Beach. I decided I needed a pair of rose-colored spectacles to brighten my outlook and Alex found a pair of Elvis sunglasses. Can't beat that for $3 a pair. So we donned our cheap sunglasses and walked down to Muscle beach where our relaxation under the palm tree was suddenly interrupted by the splat of birdshit on my bare shoulder. Much tear-inducing hilarity ensued. We passed a huge drum circle on the beach and watched some pretty badass breakdancers before we wandered into the German beer joint recommended by a couple of girls sitting outside at the hookah bar. A pitcher and a plate of nachos later we headed back to the glider swing in my quaintly landscaped courtyard to enjoy the cool evening breeze as the setting sun cast its pink glow upon the surrounding hills.

Here's to new friends.