Entries this day: California Kinkos Lunch Not_four_seasons Reading Tired_poetry closer hottub munching sally thanks_to_Annabeth z_sally

California

8:00am PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Livin' it up in the Hotel California...

That was the most comfortably I've slept so far this trip. It was definitely warm warm warmer, though I didn't make it all night without my sleeping bag.

I'm going to ride my bike back to Sally's apartment and see if she is home. Actually I'm going to ride around a while and maybe find this elusive Kinko's and then visit her; give her a bit more time to sleep in on Saturday.

But first, I'll describe what I see.

I'm parked in a parking area for about 50 cars. There are ducks swimming in shallow water to my right with little penninsulas sporting sand and some prickly looking bushy plants (2 feet tall). Past the ducks to my right the bay extends for a mile before being surrounded by a 100 foot bluff with trees and houses on top.

In front of me I see bushes. They are right here in the parking lot and block my view of the bay.

To my left I see a rocky faced bluff facing the bay. It looks about 100 feet tall with big trees on top.

To my left left is the parking lot and a bluff behind it.

Overhead the sky is blue with little fluffy clouds and a jet corridor as they keep flying overhead. Temperature is quite comfortable, like 75 degrees.

Perfect.

Kinkos

9:19am PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Wow. Kinko's was a bit tricky for me to find. But I found it. Now I've got my bike locked to some steps near a sign that says

                              	   NO
                              	BICYCLES
                               SKATEBOARDS
                              	VIOLATORS
                              	 WILL BE
                               PROSECUTED

But I asked the cat at the desk and he was all, "'scoo bro."

So now my car is parked in a place that I don't know how long it can stay there, my bike is parked in a no biking zone (but at least I can see it from my vantage point)..

But I'm happy.

Lunch

10:34am PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Such a fantastic lunch. I could find myself bored with nothing to do, cold with no warm bed, but instead I'm enjoying the incredible outdoors, timelessly, mindfully, thankfully.

Stunning.

Not four seasons

11:04am PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Funny:

After finishing my tuna and crackers lunch, I walked to the trashcan to throw away the tuna can. The trashcan happens to be between two outhouses, on one side of the parking lot in which I slept last night.

As I approached, one of the outhouse doors turned from IN USE to OPEN and the guy opened the door a bit, presumably to verify the approaching footsteps were human. "Excuse me!"

"Yeah?"

"Can you see if there's paper in the other outhouse?"

"Sure." There was not. "Nope, but I have some in my car; just a sec."

Thank you, Janette, from the cat stranded on the john not at The Four Seasons.

Reading

2:12pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

After lunch, after standing in Tadasana, experiencing the beauty around me, I remembered I have my library of books to read. I read the remainder of _Mutant Message Down Under_ by Marlo Morgan. Excellent mind broadening book reminding me that the universe is infinte and can bring me anything I need at any time. Reminds me to append all my requests with "if it's in the highest good for all."

I sat meditatively for several minutes after reading, grokking the fullness of the message.

Took me a while to get back into California speed demon driving techniques.. then I just switched it on like a light. zoom to Sally's and Sock Monkey dialed with his tail again. It was in the highest good for all involved for me not to see Sally at that time, so I've been visiting with Mike who works at Kinko's. Cool cat. Quite friendly. I wonder if he would enjoy working at Container Store. hmmm.

I called Sally's cellie from Kinko's phone, told her where I was and that my phone is dead.

Tired poetry

3:15pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Hahah. I can tell I was tired when I wrote this sample poem while working on Kim's website.

hickory dickory dock

ta dump

the mouse ran up the clock

ta dump

the clock struck eleventy-seventeen

bang bang bang bang bang

hahahaa

I'm funny when I'm tired.

closer

3:44pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

As I drove from Kinko's to Sally's NIN "closer" was on 94.9, the radio station I found in San Diego. When I called her number, I could hear her actual phone ringing; her apartment is visible from the front of the building. Either that, or in an incredible irony, someone else's phone rang exactly the same times as the speaker's phone rang on the keypad on multiple times that I dialed. I'm getting closer to saying HI to Sally...

4:36pm

Made it! They were out riding bikes for an hour and had just arrived back when I tried calling again. We're going swimming now! I'm hoping to get some just Rob-n-Sally time esp. so I can inquire about last night's apparent wackiness.

hottub

7:17pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

The pool was freezing (Silly Sally and Rick think it was warm enough to stay in it for a long time) so I moved to the hot tub and discovered a table thing in the middle - a vertical tiled column seat thing that was perfect for pretending to be a dolphin or porpoise leaping from the water onto the deck for a treat and then lumbering backwards or sideways into the pool again.

But better than that, I could do a sea otter and slide on my stomach across the thing like superman or super otter or Silly Rob playing in the hot tub.

Sally and Rick went back to the pool about the time that a couple (?) came to the hot tub. We never exchanged names formally, but I think he referred to her as Heather once. As of three weeks ago, he's no longer doing commercial real estate, but now has a possible job doing something else in that industry. I forget the term he used.

She's a school teacher for 7th and 8th grade science. Xylem and phloem and Na in H2O - that kind of thing. She enjoys it, but doesn't know if she'll do it for 30 years.

They inquired a lot about my adventure; he was interested because he's actually sorta in a position to do such a thing. He asked about finances and I was all, "um.. I just wing it; I've had to release the whole concept of a budget; I just trust that the universe will provide for me as necessary." I nodded to Heather, "this is right out of _Mutant Message Down Under_..." (she has started the book but not finished it)

Heather has just recently taken a long road trip; she encouraged me to see Zion and Bryce canyons; I forget in which order, but she specified a preferred order. And the Crazy Horse monument under construction is awesome she said.

She's been to OZ, wants to go to New Zealand (is there a pronouncable abbreviation for New Zealand?) and explore a bit. He's considering going to San Diego to set up shop down there, but doesn't know if he'll like it better enough to make it worth the shift.

I didn't have my adventure cards with me, but I verbally gave them my URL as they were leaving.

Sally and Rick returned from the pool and Sally warmed up in the hot tub again. I can't believe Rick did not; the pool was so cold!! I did one more Super Silly Otter Rob and bruised the muscle above my kneecap. D'oh!

- - - -

Showers and music and we're about to go out to food and maybe a movie. Wow; they are dressed more nicely than me. He's not way out of my league, but has on a button down colorful shirt and jeans. I'm in shorts and T-shirt, but that's not surprising.

munching

11:21pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Munched dinner at Thaifoom (?), a Thai restaurant on (get this:) Fashion Island.

Fashion Island.

Fashion Island is not an island. It's just a glorified shopping center have I already said this? Anyway, whatever; who cares.

Dinner was lovely and included sake, which was poured to overflowing, symbolizing money is no concern.

I had a meal called "Evil Jungle Princess." Basically chicken and peanut sauce and green beans and rice.

sally

11:27pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

It's hard for me to be non flirtatious with Sally while she's got a boyfriend. She's all smoochy on him and saying nice stuff "what would I do without you?" and "Aw, Rick, you're an angel.." when he does nice stuff.

But it's not my time right now.

This makes me realize that I'm not loving her unconditionally. I'm not 100% happy that she is happy.

I'm open to learning whatever lesson this has for me.

I'm feeling tired now; I don't know if this is my way of checking out of the situation or what.

- - - -

I wonder if I'll react by being extra flirtatious when he's gone. Yikes. I better not do that. Better to sleep than that.

thanks to Annabeth

11:47pm PST Saturday 30 November 2002

Wow.

We were talking about the joke of Moses coming down with three tablets, "My people, I have from God the 15.. er 10 Commandments" cause one of the three tablets broke.

So I mentioned that Pope John Paul II recently added 4 thingies to ponder in the rosary or something, and Sally goes, "Rick, what are they?" and then joked that he's a bad catholic cause he didn't know.

Then he goes, my sister was amazed that I could quote a bible verse recently, John 3:16.."

Thanks to Annabeth, and my willingness to do anything for a hamburger at OB one day, I know that verse.

z sally

3:15am PST Sunday 1 December 2002

Wow it's later than I guessed.

Once Rick left, Sally and I have been talking for hours on her couch. So great to share stories and tell the same story of her crisis last night from different points of view.

Fond memories exchanged of visiting her in Austin for her thesis presentation and how much my presence meant to her.

I told her the whole behind the scenes story that was going on during my eastern state trek.

Summary of my YRUU advising career, though we got sidetracked before I could get caught up to missing San Antonio Rally.

hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs hugs before I sent Sock Monkey to tuck her into bed for the night. I have a warm sleeping bag situation on the soft couch. So thankful for a real place to sleep tonight.