staycations, a list of my weekend ( the first good one I've had in a long time)

Today is game day. Even hermits are aware of this. A big game for the chargers. go chargers.or as fech says 'go sharjurs'

Let me start with yesterday. So everyday in san diego is the same, incessantly sunny. It just doesn't stop. but yesterday it was 71 degrees in january. I started out yesterday at the aquarium at 8am to tour with a huge girl scout group. I had my groupies who shared all their stories, observations and introduced me to the seadragons, the seadragons were easy going, seeing that I had been approved by their personal groupies. After about an hour, seadragons and me are tight.
Driving home I stopped in little Italy to hit the art supply store ( new sketchbook with pages for painting, expensive hot pressed watercolor paper, inks, rubber cement and a new brush) and meandered through the open market that was just closing. I found an awesome succulent vendor, john, with a bright red face and quiet motions, and lovely healthy fat succulents and cacti that he raises at home.

I got home and threw on some shorts and grabbed bike and book ( I adore quiet times with my old man Bukowski) and rode to the park near my house. The small dog party showed up and I was out of there. Rode as far as I could down Adams observing the scene (skate shop with a gang of 9-13 year olds tricking it up out front on the sidewalk, I walked by later and the oldest one said, 'hey guys watch out for the lady, please')

My brake cable ( I only have one) on my bike was starting to fray so I popped in to Adams bike shop to see how much it would cost to replace it and discuss maybe putting a rear brake on. My only opposition being I don't like new parts on my bike. So when I start telling the guys what I want they immediately go in the back to find some oldschool weinmann brake handles, and a motobecane caliper brake. sweet. and to my surprise they expected it to be done in a matter of hours. sweeter.

I leave stoked to get this job done, and wander up to the thrift store and one killer used book store ( found Studs Terkel,"Hard Times" $3)

After an hour and a half I get the call, bike is done. yowza!!! I'm so giddy to get back I nearly run. and there's my baby bike with new brakes and silvery cable and new housing. and I can't pay fast enough to get her out on the road. This bike shop never fails me.

I feel 12 years old, powering my white raleigh up the hill to home, the brakes work so good I don't even want to stop. I'm in love!! I noodle around all the alleyways, riding fast and swerving all over, until it is too cold to be out and I'm late for my dinner date. ( Cerise and Dale, who are also late)

So Sunday began in an amazing way. Biked to the farmers market, where I found john and his succulents and found some babies to come home with me, wandered the bustle of the booths, sampling the yummy and found Spenser Little, my favorite man, wire artist extraordinaire, pliering that wire into words and figures while he laughs and explains how to make his moveable sculptures work and wiggle. hah. I leave wondering if A. and I would have stayed together if we came to the farmers market more often. Maybe, if only we had... it's ongoing.
Rode up University to check out the local hardware store, price some items, see what kind of selection they had on parts I need for projects, got some ideas, raced home to jot them down,made lunch, worked on a painting, then back on the bike to read at Balboa park and catch the giant organ that plays @ 2pm. Bach blasts me out of my shoes it's so loud.

Everyone thought this was a great alternative to the game and joined me with kids and picnics and cameras and dogs in toe.

After sunning myself like a wild lizard I rode up to the market and bought some groceries.

And while I was riding I had this thought, that even though I would have never decidedly chosen san diego, if you dropped me anywhere, anywhere in the world I would gradually make it mine by exploring by bike and foot. The ability to do that made this weekend just golden. (And This american life is on at 6pm. What luck!)