Vacation in California

6/27/15 Indian Wells, California

We flew out of JFK on Thursday at 5 PM on Virgin America.  Maybe, I built up the airline too much to my family since they were not that impressed.  I wasn’t that impressed as well.  If you sit in the back, you will end up paying for the movies you thought you’d be able to watch…for free.  Food was an extra charge, each bag was $25.00 but I get it, this is the way most airlines make some money.  What ticked me off was the the flight attendants who barely cracked a smile.   Maybe they are based in New York?  Most of the flight was smooth, but we hit a little turbulence, as we crossed over Colorado.  The good news, we landed before the estimated time.  We checked into the Marriott Residence in near LAX which was about a five minute drive from Enterprise where we picked up a KIA minivan.  It’s a comfortable ride and there are three rows which is perfect for when we need to pick up Amanda who is flying in on Tuesday.   Although it was late in New York, it was early here and we bought some food at Burger King.   I thought we paid a lot, but when we came through the hotel lobby we saw another family who were coming back from the pool.  The father pointed at the bags we were holding.  “Did you also end up paying seventy dollars?”  “Nope, but it was more than $40.00.” He smiled and made a sour face. Our room was spacious and from the 11^th floor it looked across toward the airport where we could see the white line of bright lights as other jets landed.  It turns out the hotel is only three months old and for the traveler who is in the area for business or pleasure it is very convenient.   Included with our rate was breakfast.  It’s not your typical bagel and cold cereal and juice dispenser; there was actually food, scrambled eggs, potato pancakes, hash browns and turkey sausage as well as the other items which are more common.  I don’t mean to sound like the world traveler but had to share. 

We journeyed into Los Angeles and the first stop was Randy’s Donuts.  This is the famous landmark which has been in movies and TV shows.  The jelly donut was incredible, soft and sweet with a mouthful of sugary jelly.  Ali wanted to go to the Griffith Observatory which is another LA landmark and has one of the best views to the Hollywood sign.  It is free for parking and free for the entrance.  But the main reason she wanted to go was to see where James Dean was as he filmed in Rebel Without a cause.  We slowly winded our way up the hill to the observatory; both sides of the road were lined with cars, trucks.  I dropped off the family and turned around and parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up.  The walk was not strenuous, the air was mild, and there was no humidity even a slight breeze made the walk more pleasant as it blew over the brown hills.  I passed some families who were taking their time and met Ali and the kids outside.  We walked around the perimeter and went inside to see some of the exhibits.  We bought some food, great selection there and priced very reasonably.  We ate and I walked down the hill to fetch the minivan.

We made our way over to Amoebe Music which is on Sunset Blvd.  It is another landmark for the music fan and after watching many YouTube videos of, “What’s in my bag,” I was eager to get in and get lost.  I could have spent hours in there, but we came out with a good share of REM and Replacements CD’s as well a Clash t-shirt I had to have.  And then it was tattoo time.  I’ve wanted this one for the past couple of years and we made it happen.  It’s the REM bicycle which they used for some of their 45’s when Reckoning was released.  We made our way over to Hollywood Tattoo Studio.  Joe had the image of the bicycle on this phone and we went in and asked how much.  $80.00.  I was not sure if that was a good rate.  Both Ali and Emma said it was and it was a done deal.  A sketch was made and it was traced on my skin on inside left arm.  The fun began.  Not really, it felt like someone was jamming their nails deep into my tender skin.  I was wincing, but grateful Ali and the kids could not see my face.  I looked up at the dingy ceiling and the dirty shelf's and hope I did not make a mistake.  I didn’t.  Jay has been there since 1977 and before that he was providing his artistic skills in Hong Kong.  After a half hour of enduring the pain, we left the city…in rush hour traffic.  I had my arm wrapped in plastic which felt as if it was burning and we slowly rolled down highway 10 EAST towards Palm Springs.  After a three hour drive we pulled up to the condo where we are staying.  We are surrounded by arid rocky mountains.  Last night as the sun was setting, the world in which we were standing… appeared mythical. 

Thank you for reading this.

Running in Philadelphia encourages the soul

Running in Philadelphia I get to see the people sleeping on the sides of the train tracks, the man who looked like a black Jesus who ate a sandwich he found. He waved at me but I ignored him. On the way back his clear eyes met mine and I said hey…hey…keep on running. Keep on hiding on abandoned mattress you keep in the grass. Her head was covered by a red hoodie appeared like a solemn monk possessing a chalice of wine but it was something else that caught the attention of a man who leaned in close. Other joggers were running the opposite way. I was the late solo on the street who wanted to go as far as possible before turning around. Up the steps to the museum I glanced back at the grey clouds covering the tips of the buildings, their workers shrouded in the mist and far up from the street. Around the building I could feel the pains in my legs but pushed further. I was not stopping especially when a group of young women - cross country runners - were there. No…impress the younger generation and prove you still got it. There were no hoots. I don’t know if I still have anything, but I kept going, past the old school crew buildings, missing an awkward bicyclist with wobbly front tire, shaking hands. Get the fuck off the path until you know how to ride a bike, besides there are others who need to run by you. Wobbly head with a helmet. The Schuykill River held the faint fog, light wisps

of cool moisture merged in the warm morning air. Two - eight men crew teams were out practicing, their coach yelling into a megaphone…ready? Row….four… you can do better than that….that was a mile and I turned around, passed the statues and monuments…other joggers like the large black woman who I passed earlier and who sung something out loud to all of us within her proximity. She looked like a star from a soap opera which was cancelled ten years ago. Passed the Rocky statue and remember feeling inspired to box when I saw that movie. Each time I run this course I think of the movie, leaving the house before the sun is up an back to crack some eggs into a glass and drink it down. In fact I saw a boxer this time, running side to side sporting a gray sweat suit. He swung out his hands. Go Rock! Before I headed back to the hotel I stopped in the cathedral and lit a candle in front of the St Patrick statue. Next week this time Ma and I will be in Atlanta. Back to running. Each time I run back to the hotel I see the insane freaks who talk to themselves, run in the middle of traffic or just the smoking office workers who watch out for the women….they hunt for the next beautiful thing while I passed them with one eye open, the burning, the dripping out the intoxicants through sweat.