Getting there was painful. 3 hours in LA traffic (really due to my bad planning). But I obviously got there early enough to score a perfect seat – C12 which was 4 rows from stage and center stage.
The performance was great. Performers were Sean & Sara Watkins, Jon Foreman, Fiona Apple, Grant-Lee Phillips, and others. The format was very loose. Sara would discuss with the band what should be the next song, and this changed due to the guests on-stage. There were 4 others in the band, and 3 other guests that I did not recognize or catch their name.
I did not recognize any of the songs except for a few of the Christmas songs. Fiona belted out “Frosty the Snowman” which was incredible. That girl needs to eat a cheeseburger. Everyone was on stage for a “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” version set to the Police’s Roxanne.
At the end of the concert, Sara said some of the musicians will be playing in the Largo “Little Room”, a bar with room for about 100 (my estimate). I chose to leave when seeing the line to get into the bar was about 110 people. It would have been awesome to get inside.
Largo does it right for performers and customers. No devices are to be used: no phones, texting, calls, pictures, etc., or you are booted out. No late admittance, and starts close to the scheduled time. A limited beer/wine selection at The Little Room.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Another Excellent Costa Rica Trip
Just finished another 2 week Costa Rica trip.
Flew into LIR with Bert. We met at the Houston airport. Time for a burger and beer then board the aircraft. Rob met us at the airport for the 2.5-hour ride to Nosara. A long ride on paved roads except for the remaining .5 hours. No sleeping in the back seat.
Rob and Anne were, as always, the most excellent hosts. Morning surf sessions were followed by a ‘Rob’ – which is a one-half orange and one-half water in a large glass by the saltwater pool. Need the sugar – need the water.
This was followed by a combination of nap and computer time. Rinse and repeat. Most times we bailed on the second session of the day due to sloppy conditions.
Karla and Jeff were on the beach on my first day. Karla asked when I arrived – my response was that I just arrived and would be in CR for 2 weeks. Her response was, ‘welcome home’. Wow. Thanks Karla.
Tres Amigos and Anne enjoyed Nosara dinners. Tuesday night was at the Iguana for schnitzel! BBQ was another night, and Rob put on his usual incredible dining experience. Usually, by 8pm most were nodding off.
I met Heather from Nova Scotia, who was in town for 2 weeks? We talked and surfed a few sessions together. Enjoyed the conversation and hope for more future surf sessions. Good person.
Rob took Bert, me, and our boards to WRSC at the end of the first week. WRSC had a different vibe. This year had a large turnover of workers. Julia from Canada was surfing. Later, Jon from Boston was there. I did catch a few surf sessions with some new faces. One of which is a guitarist who asked if I knew where to get some guitar sting in Costa Rica. Huh?
Turns out Casey Clark is quite the accomplished guitarist. When just hanging around post surf session, I realized his guitar musings were what I usually pay to hear. Good stuff, Casey.
Robert August was at WRSC for a few drinks and dinners. I ran into Courtney and Ginger (known from previous trips) and they said Robert was a dirty old man. You expected different? Robert participated in two evening talks and signed posters (and my cap).
There seemed to be quite a bit of drama in the camp. I usually slept thru most of it, but a 25-year-old New Yorker girl flaunted her body enough to get the attention of m-a-n-y guys the proceeded to string them along. She managed to get Robert August to sign her poster and chest (shouldn’t have been hard to do). Last night got ugly with her roommate’s belongings being tossed out of their condo. You cannot make this stuff up. I have always said, there is a movie here.
Casey, Phil, Eddie, Phillip, Jim – good new surf buddies. I’m not too keen on WRSC anymore, but the surf buddies make up for it. Just wish we got to Ollie's Point (too much wind).
Flew into LIR with Bert. We met at the Houston airport. Time for a burger and beer then board the aircraft. Rob met us at the airport for the 2.5-hour ride to Nosara. A long ride on paved roads except for the remaining .5 hours. No sleeping in the back seat.
Rob and Anne were, as always, the most excellent hosts. Morning surf sessions were followed by a ‘Rob’ – which is a one-half orange and one-half water in a large glass by the saltwater pool. Need the sugar – need the water.
This was followed by a combination of nap and computer time. Rinse and repeat. Most times we bailed on the second session of the day due to sloppy conditions.
Karla and Jeff were on the beach on my first day. Karla asked when I arrived – my response was that I just arrived and would be in CR for 2 weeks. Her response was, ‘welcome home’. Wow. Thanks Karla.
 |
| Jeff and Karla |
Tres Amigos and Anne enjoyed Nosara dinners. Tuesday night was at the Iguana for schnitzel! BBQ was another night, and Rob put on his usual incredible dining experience. Usually, by 8pm most were nodding off.
I met Heather from Nova Scotia, who was in town for 2 weeks? We talked and surfed a few sessions together. Enjoyed the conversation and hope for more future surf sessions. Good person.
Rob took Bert, me, and our boards to WRSC at the end of the first week. WRSC had a different vibe. This year had a large turnover of workers. Julia from Canada was surfing. Later, Jon from Boston was there. I did catch a few surf sessions with some new faces. One of which is a guitarist who asked if I knew where to get some guitar sting in Costa Rica. Huh?
Turns out Casey Clark is quite the accomplished guitarist. When just hanging around post surf session, I realized his guitar musings were what I usually pay to hear. Good stuff, Casey.
Robert August was at WRSC for a few drinks and dinners. I ran into Courtney and Ginger (known from previous trips) and they said Robert was a dirty old man. You expected different? Robert participated in two evening talks and signed posters (and my cap).
There seemed to be quite a bit of drama in the camp. I usually slept thru most of it, but a 25-year-old New Yorker girl flaunted her body enough to get the attention of m-a-n-y guys the proceeded to string them along. She managed to get Robert August to sign her poster and chest (shouldn’t have been hard to do). Last night got ugly with her roommate’s belongings being tossed out of their condo. You cannot make this stuff up. I have always said, there is a movie here.
Casey, Phil, Eddie, Phillip, Jim – good new surf buddies. I’m not too keen on WRSC anymore, but the surf buddies make up for it. Just wish we got to Ollie's Point (too much wind).
Sunday, August 21, 2011
God Is An Astronaut @ Troubadour
I traveled to West Hollywood to see God Is An Astronaut at the Troubadour. GIAA is an obscure band I have heard on Radio Paradise. Well, I thought they were obscure. After finding easy parking I see that the entrance line was already to the end of the block. I guess others have heard of GIAA.
The line quickly entered. It was not a sold-out concert so I explored the Troubadour. Such music history. Read it for yourself at the site. I sat at the bar while waiting for the opening act to leave the stage and got to talk to the bartender. Amanda said her ‘wow’ moment was when Jeff Bridges walked up and asked for water before taking the stage for a private show.
GIAA took the stage. I think the bass player had a 6 string bass? The band was great AND LOUD! The drummer seemed to be more of the bang-as-hard-as-you-can variety. Hey drummer, get some microphones then watch Gavin Harrison videos to understand what an Art Rock drummer should sound like.
Still, a great show. DID I SAY THEY WERE LOUD??? Mental note: bring earplugs next time.
The line quickly entered. It was not a sold-out concert so I explored the Troubadour. Such music history. Read it for yourself at the site. I sat at the bar while waiting for the opening act to leave the stage and got to talk to the bartender. Amanda said her ‘wow’ moment was when Jeff Bridges walked up and asked for water before taking the stage for a private show.
GIAA took the stage. I think the bass player had a 6 string bass? The band was great AND LOUD! The drummer seemed to be more of the bang-as-hard-as-you-can variety. Hey drummer, get some microphones then watch Gavin Harrison videos to understand what an Art Rock drummer should sound like.
Still, a great show. DID I SAY THEY WERE LOUD??? Mental note: bring earplugs next time.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
New York State Visit July 2011
I took a United red-eye to Syracuse on Wednesday, June 29. Due to the $35 for second checked luggage (golf clubs were the first), I used USPS for a shipped large box and carried on the small luggage. Of course, it was a full flight and United was board-checking carry-on. Fine with me; no costs and carry-on luggage was checked all the way to Syracuse. It was an uneventful flight with some shuteye.
Bill was considerate enough to leave a car at the airport so I drove to his place for some downtime. Later, Chris, Bill, and I went to Borio's for our annual fish sandwich and watch the Hobies. Borio’s is a madhouse on hot summer days. Fleet 204 was rolling in just as we were leaving at 9:30. Chris and Bill both had to work in the AM so we could not stick around.
Friday was the beginning of the Clash of the Golf Games. The common theme was that Bill misplaced his golf game. Then he said he knows why he is always slicing by powering thru the ball, opening up his clubface. Maybe this is my problem, just in reverse for my hook. That was it!
Tina and Adam came over for dinner. She and I had some inside jokes on Bill’s place (ha-ha). After dinner, we traveled to the Inner Harbor for first some ice cream then churros. Tina enlightened me that the cooked pears were not really a dessert in Adam’s world since they are a fruit. Thus we had to have ice cream. No argument from me. We also found Laura and her boyfriend.
Saturday, Bill took off for the Adirondacks and I drove to Albany (thanks Bill for the car). Google directions did not list the thruway exit but I called Tracy after I felt I missed her exit. Future note: get off at exit 24. I needed some downtime so Tracy power shopped for the party. The party was the usual good. Some people I recognized or recognized me, and some new faces.
Sunday began with rain. Wished I brought my raincoat. Well, I did bring it on the trip but left it a Bill’s. DOOH!! We decided it was a good day to visit the Norman Rockwell museum in Mass. It was about 40 minutes from Tracy’s place. I have been before but worth a repeat visit. Awesome grounds (Norman’s studio was a separate building) and views.
We traveled to Stockbridge, the village that was the basis for many of Norman’s pictures. A perfect place for a late afternoon drink was found, unfortunately after m-a-n-y other people found the place. So we traveled back to Albany.
Monday was a golf day. I apparently left my games somewhere else as Tracy spanked me around the course. And for the evening, we traveled to downtown Albany to watch people and fireworks. We decided it wasn’t our scene after 5 minutes we returned to Tracy’s place for an evening of discussion.
Tuesday was back-to-work for Tracy, so I traveled to Syracuse. Bill joined in later and we had another kick-Bill-around-the-golf-course session. Bill and I then traveled to Wendy and Gordon’s. Ben and Christopher were finishing up music lessons so Mesi gave Bill and me a tour of Wendy’s garden. Very impressive garden!
We piled into their Monster SUV and traveled to the Brewster Inn. Our usual table on the lawn was ready, with another awesome Cazenovia lake view. Bill and I chased kids on the lawn for a while. Wendy decided to go ahead and order from the petite menu (good idea) then Sara showed up. We had the usual miscommunication when ordering desserts – think we ended up with two too many desserts! But then did not stop us from enjoying them.
Back into the Monster SUV and to the Yacht Club for a sunset swim. The water was cool but throwing kids into the air warmed me up.
As we were leaving, Sara’s car did not turn over. I was voted to stay with her, with Bill coming back to Sara’s to pick me up. A Good Samaritan at the yacht club gave us a jump. All was good until Sara turned onto the road from the yacht club. The car again died. AAA was called and then Bill pulled up. We followed the tow truck (with Sara inside) to ensure she got home.
Wednesday was another kick-Bill-around-the-golf-course session. Bill decided he no longer liked golf. Collins invited us to dinner so we got there in time to see the awesome landscaping he had done. After some catching up and clams casino (very tasty), we took rides in his GT-R. WOW! 0 to 70 back to 0 – in his driveway. Sorry, cannot say what we did on the highway. Gotta get me one of those.
Bill and I got more of Collin’s home tour than last year. Very nice place. And over dinner, Collins said he received his first Father’s Day card this year. Apparently, the daughter of the person Collins has been seeing has taken to liking Collins also. Great dinner conversation.
Thursday, Michele (LaMontagne) Hughes and her son Brian were in Jamestown for his golf tournament. Bill, Michele, and I found a diner to nosh and chat while Brian was at his golf tournament. We finally agreed it has been a decade since we got together, and Brian has doubled in height. Mom is VERY proud of her son (and for good reasons).
Afterward, we played at an executive course nearby. Two things happened but they were actually the same reason: Bill left his golf game somewhere else, and Michele and I got continued laughter out of Bill’s miss-strikes. Bill hit the same tree THREE times, once from one hole and twice on another. Bill really made the tree pay for getting in his way. We traveled back to have lunch with Brian afterwards, and he continued to impress Bill and I as to what a fine young man the teenager is becoming. Good times.
Friday, Bill and I made the trek to Ithaca. The plan was to find the visitor center, gather maps and information, and have brunch to plan our day. The visitor center went OK, and brunch was in the Commons over a beer and fish sandwich. OK, we are not that sharp. Afterward, we walked to Ithaca Falls. Impressive and in town. We then walked back to the car to plan our next move when the rain started. Smartly we decided some downtime in the car was needed while the rain poured. The plan then was to walk around the Cornell campus. A BIG uphill but worth the walk. Huge gorges unfortunately now with fences over the railings. We walked by a building and noticed young people (students?) having beers. What? We can blend!!!! So we had a few terrible beers in plastic cups at Cornell’s Big Red Barn.
Then we walked back to town to look for the Dalai Lama’s Ithaca home. Yes, when he fled Tibet he settled in Ithaca. Well, wouldn’t you know it we walked by it twice? OK, it was food time. I remembered hearing about a place called “the Nines” for awesome pizza. We found it and had a beer/water while deciding what to have. Two women were also there and told Bill only to order a slice – a pie is too much. We talked with George (bartender) who recommended the beers and what to order. We got seated then two women also got seated and jokingly complained they went to school here and NEVER got seated at our table. Wow, the pizza was good. The two women were in town for a reunion. We talked for a while and took pictures. Later, Bill and I discussed – were those women hitting on us? We did not know.
Saturday, we traveled to Baldwinsville for the Jimmy Buffett cover band (all the way from Dayton, Ohio!). The band took a break and we decided to leave then. We got back to Bill’s place in time for Chris to show up with his friend Paula. We talked for a while – enough for Paula to impress both Bill and me.
Sunday, Bill was fired up for another fire tower (and not another golf round). Surprising me, Tracy also agrees. Bill and I traveled to pick up Tracy and continue on the journey to Woodstock. We stopped for a killer carb-load brunch (at Oriole 9) where 2 women next to us coveted my French Toast). Then on to the climb. Hot, in the sun, and high humidity. We passed the empty shell of a hotel to get to the top. Some volunteers said we should check out the ridge view and they were right.
Wow, what a view. The fire tower was good but cannot beat the ridge view.
Once we descended to the parking lot, we noticed Buddhist prayer flags around a structure. Bill walked around and after a while, we followed.
Yes, we could walk into the temple but had to remove our shoes. it was a beautiful oasis.
We then traveled back to Woodstock, expecting to see tie-dye and beads. A drum circle was starting up in the town circle. Tracy and Bill had never seen one before – I had seen drum circles in Venice and Balboa Park. The dancers were entertaining but some of the drummers really knew what they were doing. How do you get so much out of a cowbell????
New York State Visit July 2011 Photos
Bill was considerate enough to leave a car at the airport so I drove to his place for some downtime. Later, Chris, Bill, and I went to Borio's for our annual fish sandwich and watch the Hobies. Borio’s is a madhouse on hot summer days. Fleet 204 was rolling in just as we were leaving at 9:30. Chris and Bill both had to work in the AM so we could not stick around.
Friday was the beginning of the Clash of the Golf Games. The common theme was that Bill misplaced his golf game. Then he said he knows why he is always slicing by powering thru the ball, opening up his clubface. Maybe this is my problem, just in reverse for my hook. That was it!
Tina and Adam came over for dinner. She and I had some inside jokes on Bill’s place (ha-ha). After dinner, we traveled to the Inner Harbor for first some ice cream then churros. Tina enlightened me that the cooked pears were not really a dessert in Adam’s world since they are a fruit. Thus we had to have ice cream. No argument from me. We also found Laura and her boyfriend.
Saturday, Bill took off for the Adirondacks and I drove to Albany (thanks Bill for the car). Google directions did not list the thruway exit but I called Tracy after I felt I missed her exit. Future note: get off at exit 24. I needed some downtime so Tracy power shopped for the party. The party was the usual good. Some people I recognized or recognized me, and some new faces.
Sunday began with rain. Wished I brought my raincoat. Well, I did bring it on the trip but left it a Bill’s. DOOH!! We decided it was a good day to visit the Norman Rockwell museum in Mass. It was about 40 minutes from Tracy’s place. I have been before but worth a repeat visit. Awesome grounds (Norman’s studio was a separate building) and views.
 |
| Norman Rockwell's studio |
Monday was a golf day. I apparently left my games somewhere else as Tracy spanked me around the course. And for the evening, we traveled to downtown Albany to watch people and fireworks. We decided it wasn’t our scene after 5 minutes we returned to Tracy’s place for an evening of discussion.
Tuesday was back-to-work for Tracy, so I traveled to Syracuse. Bill joined in later and we had another kick-Bill-around-the-golf-course session. Bill and I then traveled to Wendy and Gordon’s. Ben and Christopher were finishing up music lessons so Mesi gave Bill and me a tour of Wendy’s garden. Very impressive garden!
We piled into their Monster SUV and traveled to the Brewster Inn. Our usual table on the lawn was ready, with another awesome Cazenovia lake view. Bill and I chased kids on the lawn for a while. Wendy decided to go ahead and order from the petite menu (good idea) then Sara showed up. We had the usual miscommunication when ordering desserts – think we ended up with two too many desserts! But then did not stop us from enjoying them.
 |
| Next time, Gordon needs to get in the pic! |
Back into the Monster SUV and to the Yacht Club for a sunset swim. The water was cool but throwing kids into the air warmed me up.
As we were leaving, Sara’s car did not turn over. I was voted to stay with her, with Bill coming back to Sara’s to pick me up. A Good Samaritan at the yacht club gave us a jump. All was good until Sara turned onto the road from the yacht club. The car again died. AAA was called and then Bill pulled up. We followed the tow truck (with Sara inside) to ensure she got home.
Wednesday was another kick-Bill-around-the-golf-course session. Bill decided he no longer liked golf. Collins invited us to dinner so we got there in time to see the awesome landscaping he had done. After some catching up and clams casino (very tasty), we took rides in his GT-R. WOW! 0 to 70 back to 0 – in his driveway. Sorry, cannot say what we did on the highway. Gotta get me one of those.
Bill and I got more of Collin’s home tour than last year. Very nice place. And over dinner, Collins said he received his first Father’s Day card this year. Apparently, the daughter of the person Collins has been seeing has taken to liking Collins also. Great dinner conversation.
Thursday, Michele (LaMontagne) Hughes and her son Brian were in Jamestown for his golf tournament. Bill, Michele, and I found a diner to nosh and chat while Brian was at his golf tournament. We finally agreed it has been a decade since we got together, and Brian has doubled in height. Mom is VERY proud of her son (and for good reasons).
Friday, Bill and I made the trek to Ithaca. The plan was to find the visitor center, gather maps and information, and have brunch to plan our day. The visitor center went OK, and brunch was in the Commons over a beer and fish sandwich. OK, we are not that sharp. Afterward, we walked to Ithaca Falls. Impressive and in town. We then walked back to the car to plan our next move when the rain started. Smartly we decided some downtime in the car was needed while the rain poured. The plan then was to walk around the Cornell campus. A BIG uphill but worth the walk. Huge gorges unfortunately now with fences over the railings. We walked by a building and noticed young people (students?) having beers. What? We can blend!!!! So we had a few terrible beers in plastic cups at Cornell’s Big Red Barn.
Saturday, we traveled to Baldwinsville for the Jimmy Buffett cover band (all the way from Dayton, Ohio!). The band took a break and we decided to leave then. We got back to Bill’s place in time for Chris to show up with his friend Paula. We talked for a while – enough for Paula to impress both Bill and me.
Sunday, Bill was fired up for another fire tower (and not another golf round). Surprising me, Tracy also agrees. Bill and I traveled to pick up Tracy and continue on the journey to Woodstock. We stopped for a killer carb-load brunch (at Oriole 9) where 2 women next to us coveted my French Toast). Then on to the climb. Hot, in the sun, and high humidity. We passed the empty shell of a hotel to get to the top. Some volunteers said we should check out the ridge view and they were right.
Once we descended to the parking lot, we noticed Buddhist prayer flags around a structure. Bill walked around and after a while, we followed.
We then traveled back to Woodstock, expecting to see tie-dye and beads. A drum circle was starting up in the town circle. Tracy and Bill had never seen one before – I had seen drum circles in Venice and Balboa Park. The dancers were entertaining but some of the drummers really knew what they were doing. How do you get so much out of a cowbell????
New York State Visit July 2011 Photos
Monday, June 20, 2011
Solana Beach - Bill & Tracy Visit June 10-20, 2011
Written by Bill Whalen
Friday: worked the AM. I was actually out on time (didn’t plan for that). Then I headed to the airport and consequently arrived very early. Checked my bag and hung outdoors reading until time to go back inside. My first leg to JFK was uneventful. The big jump (6 hours) to SAN involved a screaming temper tantrum of a 3-year-old in the seat in front of me. He did not want to wear a seatbelt and let the entire plane know that. Seemed like a good time to have a drink. I wanted to buy a shot for the kid just to shut him up. Oddly or intentionally, I was never charged for my drink. I arrived at SAN on time and one hour prior to Tracy’s scheduled arrival. Unfortunately, when Randy called Tracy, she was still in Albany. She thought her flight was Saturday instead of Friday. $300 later, she was rescheduled to a Saturday night arrival.
Saturday: Randy and I did the northern loop. Breakfast at Pipes Cafe checked out the surf, usual walk up to Swami’s, walk-thru Cardiff, drove up to Carlsbad, shopped at Costco’s, went to the art show in Pacific Beach, late dinner at Rocky’s, picked up Tracy at the airport (10:30pm), went directly to Belly Up for the English Beat concert.
Luckily for us, the concert was delayed so we got there for the entire show. It was great. The lead singer seemed so happy and upbeat for the show.
Sunday: Bread and cheese for breakfast, packed bread and cheese for lunch, and drove off to Temecula wine country. Very confusing directions once we got there. There were minimal signs and hard to find places. Several name changes since the brochure were printed. Most had pricey tasting fees. $10-$20 per person. The first stop was at Falkner.
That place had the killer view and a Jazz player. Wines were not very impressive except for the port. It was still a great stop. 2nd stop was at Maurice Car’rie. They had a bunch of vendors set up by the parking lot. Reminded me of a flea market. We drove out without getting out of the car. The 3rd stop was at Wilson Creek. $15 per head. Randy’s friend was a member there. She loaned us her membership card so we tried to sneak in under her name. We got busted at the door and left. We went looking for Briar Rose but couldn’t find it. Stopped at Ponte, but at $20 per head, we continued on. The last stop was at Van Roekel. Split 6 tastings three ways. It had a great view. On the way home, we stopped at Von’s grocery store to stock up on some food. Cookout at Randy’s. Randy grilled up some awesome steak, asparagus, and pears.
Monday: today was the southern route. Into the city. We had breakfast at Bread and Cie, and then off to the San Diego Zoo for many hours. Leisurely walk thru Balboa Park. There was a gay pride thing going on. Tracy and I got our picture taken with a crossdresser. Walked thru Little Italy. Felt too underdressed for fine dining so we went to Pizza Port.
Then off to home for a 9pm bedtime.
Tuesday: We started the day planning our trip today up to LA. It got very complex trying to book a hotel, so we changed the LA trip to Wednesday. Instead, we walked the beach at Del Mar. We had to visit Torrey Pines and check out the grounds and the lodge. Then off to La Jolla we went. Saw some seals trying to get to the beach. However, there were children playing in the water so the seals stayed away. Randy says it is very controversial on who, kids or seals, should use the beach. Then we cruised thru town, having lunch at “The Living Room”. Tonight was cookout #2 at Randy’s place. Randy grilled up some bacon-wrapped scallops. John was able to stop by just as the food came off the grill.
Wednesday: we planned a late morning trip to LA in order to miss rush hour traffic. The main objective was a stop at the Getty. 1:30 to 4pm. Besides the usual awesomeness, they had a special exhibit on “Paris: luxury and fashion” (I took that tour), a photographic exhibit of Cuba, and “the gods of Cambodia –“(a Buddhist and other gods sculptures).
Then we cruised Sunset Blvd, Beverly Hills, and Westwood. We drove by the Troubadour, Whisky-A-Go-Go, House of Blues, and then on to our hotel - Cal Mar Hotel and Suites. We walked down the pedestrian-only 3rd Promenade. We had a great dinner at a Thai restaurant Buddha’s Belly. Tracy went back to crash while Randy and I did a walk down to the ocean for a view of the carnival on the pier.
Thursday: up at 7am. We went for a morning walk down to the pier. We had a great breakfast at a creap restaurant. 11am check out and back on the road. The next stop was at Venice Beach. The usual stuff of muscle beach, street performers, vendors selling everything, and now with the new marijuana laws there were many vendors selling marijuana for “medical use only”. The next stop was at the Wayfarer Chapel. Unfortunately, there was a wedding going on so we couldn’t get inside. Still, time well spent to see it from the outside. We left there and headed to Long Beach’s “Aquarium of the Pacific”. After a shrimp taco lunch at Bubba Gump, we only had 2 hours before the aquarium closed. At $25 per person, we blew it off and did a walk-about instead. We needed to kill time for rush hour traffic to subside before getting back into the car. We drove down to Seal Beach. That was Randy’s old stomping ground. That was also Tracy’s favorite community. She liked it due to the less hustle and bustle. As I slept, Randy drove us home with a necessary stop for more sambuca and baileys.
Friday: we spent the morning hiking around Torrey Pines.
There were a lot of kid groups also there. On our way back up from the beach, we encountered a huge swarm of bees so we took an alternate longer route. For dinner, we drove up to El Especial Norte for the famous tortilla soup. I ordered the small soup and another fish taco. Awesome!!! Of course, it was too much food.
Saturday: 4am goodbye to Tracy. 6am flight. Unfortunately for Tracy the cloudy weather finally broke and gave us a hot sunny beach day. There was a huge beach party (“BroAm”) at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. We got to watch a dueling surf contest where they try to knock each other off their board and also a real surf competition. There were bands playing all afternoon with Switchfoot as the headliner. On the way home, stopped at Pizza Port for 2 beers. They had Pliney The Elder on tap. John joined us for the 2nd round. Then the three of us were off to Randy’s for another steak cookout. John’s stop for bread also included un-needed but tasty clam chowder and smoked fish from Fish Market. Add some bailey, wine, and sambuca and it was way too much food (a recurring theme).
Sunday: for the morning we rode up to Oceanside to check out its museum and pier. A lot of military stores. Then we began the long beach drive back to Randy’s and on to the airport. We went thru and I said my good-byes to all the various beaches. I had to stop at El Pescador for fish tacos. We made it as far as Mission Beach before time was up and headed to the airport. I had a 9pm red-eye. Amazingly, I was able to catch maybe 3 hours of sleep on the JFK leg. I tried, unsuccessfully, to sleep at JFK. The chairs were so uncomfortable and I had a 4-hour layover.
More Solana Beach Visit Pics
Monday: after arriving home at about 11am, I threw in a load of laundry, took a 1-½ hour nap, and then began my Monday rituals.
Misc:
Don’t let Randy ignore cash spent at:
Friday: worked the AM. I was actually out on time (didn’t plan for that). Then I headed to the airport and consequently arrived very early. Checked my bag and hung outdoors reading until time to go back inside. My first leg to JFK was uneventful. The big jump (6 hours) to SAN involved a screaming temper tantrum of a 3-year-old in the seat in front of me. He did not want to wear a seatbelt and let the entire plane know that. Seemed like a good time to have a drink. I wanted to buy a shot for the kid just to shut him up. Oddly or intentionally, I was never charged for my drink. I arrived at SAN on time and one hour prior to Tracy’s scheduled arrival. Unfortunately, when Randy called Tracy, she was still in Albany. She thought her flight was Saturday instead of Friday. $300 later, she was rescheduled to a Saturday night arrival.
Saturday: Randy and I did the northern loop. Breakfast at Pipes Cafe checked out the surf, usual walk up to Swami’s, walk-thru Cardiff, drove up to Carlsbad, shopped at Costco’s, went to the art show in Pacific Beach, late dinner at Rocky’s, picked up Tracy at the airport (10:30pm), went directly to Belly Up for the English Beat concert.
Sunday: Bread and cheese for breakfast, packed bread and cheese for lunch, and drove off to Temecula wine country. Very confusing directions once we got there. There were minimal signs and hard to find places. Several name changes since the brochure were printed. Most had pricey tasting fees. $10-$20 per person. The first stop was at Falkner.
Monday: today was the southern route. Into the city. We had breakfast at Bread and Cie, and then off to the San Diego Zoo for many hours. Leisurely walk thru Balboa Park. There was a gay pride thing going on. Tracy and I got our picture taken with a crossdresser. Walked thru Little Italy. Felt too underdressed for fine dining so we went to Pizza Port.
Tuesday: We started the day planning our trip today up to LA. It got very complex trying to book a hotel, so we changed the LA trip to Wednesday. Instead, we walked the beach at Del Mar. We had to visit Torrey Pines and check out the grounds and the lodge. Then off to La Jolla we went. Saw some seals trying to get to the beach. However, there were children playing in the water so the seals stayed away. Randy says it is very controversial on who, kids or seals, should use the beach. Then we cruised thru town, having lunch at “The Living Room”. Tonight was cookout #2 at Randy’s place. Randy grilled up some bacon-wrapped scallops. John was able to stop by just as the food came off the grill.
Wednesday: we planned a late morning trip to LA in order to miss rush hour traffic. The main objective was a stop at the Getty. 1:30 to 4pm. Besides the usual awesomeness, they had a special exhibit on “Paris: luxury and fashion” (I took that tour), a photographic exhibit of Cuba, and “the gods of Cambodia –“(a Buddhist and other gods sculptures).
Thursday: up at 7am. We went for a morning walk down to the pier. We had a great breakfast at a creap restaurant. 11am check out and back on the road. The next stop was at Venice Beach. The usual stuff of muscle beach, street performers, vendors selling everything, and now with the new marijuana laws there were many vendors selling marijuana for “medical use only”. The next stop was at the Wayfarer Chapel. Unfortunately, there was a wedding going on so we couldn’t get inside. Still, time well spent to see it from the outside. We left there and headed to Long Beach’s “Aquarium of the Pacific”. After a shrimp taco lunch at Bubba Gump, we only had 2 hours before the aquarium closed. At $25 per person, we blew it off and did a walk-about instead. We needed to kill time for rush hour traffic to subside before getting back into the car. We drove down to Seal Beach. That was Randy’s old stomping ground. That was also Tracy’s favorite community. She liked it due to the less hustle and bustle. As I slept, Randy drove us home with a necessary stop for more sambuca and baileys.
Friday: we spent the morning hiking around Torrey Pines.
Saturday: 4am goodbye to Tracy. 6am flight. Unfortunately for Tracy the cloudy weather finally broke and gave us a hot sunny beach day. There was a huge beach party (“BroAm”) at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. We got to watch a dueling surf contest where they try to knock each other off their board and also a real surf competition. There were bands playing all afternoon with Switchfoot as the headliner. On the way home, stopped at Pizza Port for 2 beers. They had Pliney The Elder on tap. John joined us for the 2nd round. Then the three of us were off to Randy’s for another steak cookout. John’s stop for bread also included un-needed but tasty clam chowder and smoked fish from Fish Market. Add some bailey, wine, and sambuca and it was way too much food (a recurring theme).
Sunday: for the morning we rode up to Oceanside to check out its museum and pier. A lot of military stores. Then we began the long beach drive back to Randy’s and on to the airport. We went thru and I said my good-byes to all the various beaches. I had to stop at El Pescador for fish tacos. We made it as far as Mission Beach before time was up and headed to the airport. I had a 9pm red-eye. Amazingly, I was able to catch maybe 3 hours of sleep on the JFK leg. I tried, unsuccessfully, to sleep at JFK. The chairs were so uncomfortable and I had a 4-hour layover.
More Solana Beach Visit Pics
Monday: after arriving home at about 11am, I threw in a load of laundry, took a 1-½ hour nap, and then began my Monday rituals.
Misc:
- Should have brought more long sleeve shirts or a vest. The mornings were cloudy (June gloom) and cool, the afternoon was warm, and the evenings were cool again.
- Need/want a headset for an airplane ride.
- At layover, find a couch/bench/floor space to sleep. Those 4 hours would have made a big difference.
- $15 Getty parking
- Gas, sambuca, bailey, fish tacos, Pannikans, Pizza Port, strip bar (or was that just in my dreams)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Psychedelic Furs @ Belly Up!
Just got back. I ran into Chaz from the Young Dubliners. I mentioned I was on the 2006 Ireland tour and Chaz said they just finished an Ireland tour 3 weeks ago. Springtime would be a better time to see Ireland. Chaz said he moved to San Diego 2 years ago, so I will be seeing him around.
Richard Butler and the Furs were great as always.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Nosara, Costa Rica 2011
Rob and Anne invited me for another Nosara visit. Always a good and exhausting time, hey, let’s see if I can avoid injury this time!
Jon dropped me at the airport (Thanks, Jon!). Continental took take of getting me to Liberia airport by 7:30pm Saturday, March 26.
I brought gratuitous gifts: Encinitas surf car rack pads, surf wax, and a water spray gun for the pesky pazotes.
The previous week had double overhead waves. Lucky for us this week only had chest high waves. The high tide was about 10am so we had hopes of double sessions each day. Ocean temp was about 86-88F and pool temp reached up to 94F. Oh yes, and the air temp was just HOT!
Waves were typically fast with closeouts. Rob and I struggled to find a corner. Rob succeeded several times for 15-second rides to the beach. I found some late takeoffs, screaming to get a turn in. I did catch a nice left, walked to the front, and hung 5 while cruising in front of Rob. Yahoo!
After two days we gave up on the second sessions of the day. The on-shore wind made afternoon waves less desirable and we decided to save our strength for the cleaner morning waves.
I was feeling queasy during Thursday’s session. The combination of wave buffet (all you can eat!), hot water, and dehydration made me almost pass out when I got back to shore. Could not talk, could not walk: get me an orange juice now! The effects lingered for the rest of the trip. Lesson: more morning sugar liquids.
A stingray on Friday’s initial walkout stung Rob. Ouch! This occurred just after Rob mentioned how much he enjoys the initial walkout. Not so much anymore.
Thunderclouds were seen inland during the second day's second sessions. While floating, we talked about last year’s rain during a perfect session: the rain cooled off the air and smoothed out the wave surface. That wasn’t what happened on this day. Unlike last year, these clouds brought lightning. We made the right choice by heading for shore early (so we thought) and barely beat the very-close lighting and heavy rain.
During the second night, I got up to pull back the bed covers (running the A/C, so unlike me) when I stepped on a scorpion and did NOT get stung. The scorpion seemed groggy and listless and only started moving when I tried to sweep him into a dust scoop. Apparently, the relatively cool A/C air put him into a state of hibernation. In the middle of the bedroom floor – not good planning. Flush!
This being my third Nosara trip, I am now getting recognized in town. Jeff and Carla (from Colorado) recognized me from last November. Jeff rides a shorter Infinity board and Carla has a GREAT laugh. Later, Jeff spotted Rob and me walking town and gave us a lift on his golf cart. Charles and Fiona came into town from Jersey (GB) and joined Rob, Anne, and me for dinner Friday night.
Rob performed more kitchen magic for several dinners of Fettini Alfredo and pan-cooked sea bass. Rob also baked French baguettes. You eat well at Casa De Kneeland. I did manage to treat Rob and Anne to dinner at the Guided Iguana.
Of course, we indulged in wine, Imperials, and Bamboos. I was on holiday so why not? Imperial is a great precursor to the mid-day siesta. Great conversations and music.
My laptop computer died Tuesday. No working on vacation for me.
I finally investigated duty-free shopping when returning to the USA. Residents can return with 3 liters of alcohol. No extra charges and excellent prices. It did seem strange that I have handed glass bottles to board a plane. NOTE: if continuing on to another flight, the bottles must go into checked luggage. So plan for the luggage room and padding.
More Nosara, Costa Rica 2011 pics
Jon dropped me at the airport (Thanks, Jon!). Continental took take of getting me to Liberia airport by 7:30pm Saturday, March 26.
I brought gratuitous gifts: Encinitas surf car rack pads, surf wax, and a water spray gun for the pesky pazotes.
 |
| Yup, the whole case has upside-down labels |
Waves were typically fast with closeouts. Rob and I struggled to find a corner. Rob succeeded several times for 15-second rides to the beach. I found some late takeoffs, screaming to get a turn in. I did catch a nice left, walked to the front, and hung 5 while cruising in front of Rob. Yahoo!
After two days we gave up on the second sessions of the day. The on-shore wind made afternoon waves less desirable and we decided to save our strength for the cleaner morning waves.
I was feeling queasy during Thursday’s session. The combination of wave buffet (all you can eat!), hot water, and dehydration made me almost pass out when I got back to shore. Could not talk, could not walk: get me an orange juice now! The effects lingered for the rest of the trip. Lesson: more morning sugar liquids.
A stingray on Friday’s initial walkout stung Rob. Ouch! This occurred just after Rob mentioned how much he enjoys the initial walkout. Not so much anymore.
Thunderclouds were seen inland during the second day's second sessions. While floating, we talked about last year’s rain during a perfect session: the rain cooled off the air and smoothed out the wave surface. That wasn’t what happened on this day. Unlike last year, these clouds brought lightning. We made the right choice by heading for shore early (so we thought) and barely beat the very-close lighting and heavy rain.
During the second night, I got up to pull back the bed covers (running the A/C, so unlike me) when I stepped on a scorpion and did NOT get stung. The scorpion seemed groggy and listless and only started moving when I tried to sweep him into a dust scoop. Apparently, the relatively cool A/C air put him into a state of hibernation. In the middle of the bedroom floor – not good planning. Flush!
 |
| This bird really did not like his reflection and kept pecking at the mirror |
This being my third Nosara trip, I am now getting recognized in town. Jeff and Carla (from Colorado) recognized me from last November. Jeff rides a shorter Infinity board and Carla has a GREAT laugh. Later, Jeff spotted Rob and me walking town and gave us a lift on his golf cart. Charles and Fiona came into town from Jersey (GB) and joined Rob, Anne, and me for dinner Friday night.
Rob performed more kitchen magic for several dinners of Fettini Alfredo and pan-cooked sea bass. Rob also baked French baguettes. You eat well at Casa De Kneeland. I did manage to treat Rob and Anne to dinner at the Guided Iguana.
 |
| Guilded Iguana Dinner |
Of course, we indulged in wine, Imperials, and Bamboos. I was on holiday so why not? Imperial is a great precursor to the mid-day siesta. Great conversations and music.
My laptop computer died Tuesday. No working on vacation for me.
I finally investigated duty-free shopping when returning to the USA. Residents can return with 3 liters of alcohol. No extra charges and excellent prices. It did seem strange that I have handed glass bottles to board a plane. NOTE: if continuing on to another flight, the bottles must go into checked luggage. So plan for the luggage room and padding.
More Nosara, Costa Rica 2011 pics
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Great Big Sea @ Long Beach
I told Jon about the extra ticket and that he gets to see a great band if interested in going. He was in, so a road trip was planned.
We took off early enough to cruise up the coast from Huntington Beach to Seal Beach. This gave us a chance to explore Seal Beach, where I lived in 1998. Wow, that long ago??!? Dinner was at the bar of Walt’s Wharf, an excellent seafood place.
On to the venue. Easy to find, the Carpenter Center was dedicated by Karen and Richard Carpenter. The lobby had many of their gold records, pictures, as well as Karen’s drum set and sweater from a performance (performance pic included).
I chatted with surrounding others while waiting for the concert to begin. Some had never seen GBS and were dragged to the concert (as was Jon). Others had been to all local concerts, as had I – we listed off all venues and dates. A group of women in front row center stage had been on the Ships and Dip 2011 tour.
The concert was great as always. Sean bantered about walking around the UCLB campus and seeing man-made snow, Alan got in an Olympic ice hockey dig. Ushers had to chase down a few concertgoers from dancing in front of the stage. Chris walked down in the audience during a song that he sat out, and Alan singled out two audience kids guitar pick gifts.
Front row seating had its benefits. Never a blocked view but had to be aware of blocking other’s views.
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| The first Row = Great Seats! |
The speedy drive home after the concert. And another concertgoer shared pics (thanks, Crystal!). Apparently, my blackberry pics are terrible compared to a real camera picture.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Back In The Water – Part II
Jasmine called, saying she wanted to spend time with me and surf this weekend. That made me feel special.
But first, my place was still in disarray from the reconstruction. A mad few days of cleaning, replace kickboard, clean, move furniture, clean, and more cleaning. The spare bedroom was finally inhabitable come Friday.
Our plan was to kick back, catch up, and have a pint and pizza Friday night. A family with an alpha mom and 4 kids (including the husband) sat next to us, then a bunch of jarheads on the way to a triathlon. Good times.
Saturday morning we checked out Pipes, then Grandview, and then terra mush. We opted to get in the water at Grandview. OK surf.
Back to my place for a nap. Coldwater brings on that need. Jasmine had arranged to meet a NY friend, Kat, who was in town on family stuff in Del Mar for dinner. We met at Nobu’s. Kat was wound tight and definitely in need of a relief valve. We enjoyed sushi and cocktails for the evening. But the real enjoyment was the conversation. Kat and Jasmine were high school friends and their stories had us all rolling with belly laughter. Their stories made me realize I had a BORING high school life.
But first, my place was still in disarray from the reconstruction. A mad few days of cleaning, replace kickboard, clean, move furniture, clean, and more cleaning. The spare bedroom was finally inhabitable come Friday.
Our plan was to kick back, catch up, and have a pint and pizza Friday night. A family with an alpha mom and 4 kids (including the husband) sat next to us, then a bunch of jarheads on the way to a triathlon. Good times.
Saturday morning we checked out Pipes, then Grandview, and then terra mush. We opted to get in the water at Grandview. OK surf.
Back to my place for a nap. Coldwater brings on that need. Jasmine had arranged to meet a NY friend, Kat, who was in town on family stuff in Del Mar for dinner. We met at Nobu’s. Kat was wound tight and definitely in need of a relief valve. We enjoyed sushi and cocktails for the evening. But the real enjoyment was the conversation. Kat and Jasmine were high school friends and their stories had us all rolling with belly laughter. Their stories made me realize I had a BORING high school life.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Back In The Water
I haven’t surfed since returning from Costa Rica in December. Excuses: I had a home remodeling project (pics coming) and work ramped up beyond normal.
But Jasmine was in town and was only staying Saturday if I committed to surfing. Then Friday I got a call from Sara who also wanted to surf. I met Sara last year in New York when visiting Wendy and Gordon.
At Pizza Port, Friday night, Sara, Trevor (Sara’s brother), and I made plans to surf Pipes Saturday with Jasmine. Elizabeth (Trevor and Sara’s mom) joined us at Pizza Port for a salad and pizza. Good conversation, good times.
Saturday morning we met at Pipes. I had stuffed 3 boards in my car. Waves were 3-4 feet and the water was glassy. Great conditions! Sara was coming off a broken foot so she struggled beyond what a newbie normally does. Trevor caught a few and impressed with his shortboard speed. A dolphin pod was traveling south, so Trevor, Sara, and I paddled out see get a close-up. This was a new experience for Sara, and she was thrilled as dolphins looked up to see her and swim around her. This alone is worth getting in the water.
After a fulfilling session, we stopped at Pipes café for a nosh. W-a-y too much food as usual. Trevor and Sara took off to continue their family visit afterward.
Then Jasmine and I walked to see the Cardiff Kook then the water. The kook was in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. The water was still looking great, making Jasmine want to dry off her suit ASAP and get back out there.
A great day to get back in the water.
But Jasmine was in town and was only staying Saturday if I committed to surfing. Then Friday I got a call from Sara who also wanted to surf. I met Sara last year in New York when visiting Wendy and Gordon.
At Pizza Port, Friday night, Sara, Trevor (Sara’s brother), and I made plans to surf Pipes Saturday with Jasmine. Elizabeth (Trevor and Sara’s mom) joined us at Pizza Port for a salad and pizza. Good conversation, good times.
Saturday morning we met at Pipes. I had stuffed 3 boards in my car. Waves were 3-4 feet and the water was glassy. Great conditions! Sara was coming off a broken foot so she struggled beyond what a newbie normally does. Trevor caught a few and impressed with his shortboard speed. A dolphin pod was traveling south, so Trevor, Sara, and I paddled out see get a close-up. This was a new experience for Sara, and she was thrilled as dolphins looked up to see her and swim around her. This alone is worth getting in the water.
After a fulfilling session, we stopped at Pipes café for a nosh. W-a-y too much food as usual. Trevor and Sara took off to continue their family visit afterward.
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| Sara and me at Pipes Cafe |
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| Cardiff Kook as Cupid |
A great day to get back in the water.
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