San Diego - my old home town during the late 70's. I rolled in mid-day to my friend Tony's house. He and his wife Faye were out in Boulder and their daughter met me at the house and got me all situated. Sunday was quiet and I headed out to check out the old hood - Ocean Beach. I had two apartments in OB but decades ago. The exact addresses eluded my mind. That happens. There is just so much room on my brain's hard drive. First I drove up to the cliffs for sit and breathe time and then I went down to the beach. It was a lovely overcast day. I drove down the main avenue and was a bit disappointed to find that the STRAND theater is now a t-shirt shop. Oh the good old days are gone. The Rocky Horror Picture Show played every week at the Strand back in "my day." Time marches on.I then headed inland to Allied Gardens to find the first house that I stayed in in San Diego back in 1978 (5530 Fontaine St.). I lived there with a band and a friend from Newton High School. He wrote a song called Fontaine Street. "We found something real on Fontaine St..." It was fun to see it again. All day slowly names of streets began to come back to me. I was finding my way around again.
Tony and Faye got back into town that evening and we all headed out to dinner. I so wish I had my camera because after dinner we went grocery shopping to a store that was closing. I will forever call it The Apocalypse Store. There were so many things not on the shelves that it was a little bit creepy but fun.
Monday I went to AAA for maps. I definitely had arrived to the west coast. AAA has it's own huge building and when I asked for a map of San Diego I received about nine of them: coastal, freeway, south, north, east, etc. I need a separate shoebox in the back seat of my car just to hold them. After the map stop I headed to downtown via Hillcrest, got stuck in a huge bumper to bumper traffic jam and seriously questioned if I could ever move back to San Diego ever again. But I also reminded myself that I need not live in Hillcrest or work downtown (I found my old office location from my first advertising job - Fourth and Ivy by Balboa Park) nor did I have to move back to the beach. I now had nine maps. San Diego county is pretty big and there are many choices.
Monday was also the Super Moon. Taking photos a block from Tony's house was the top super pick for the evening. Moonrise was Super! So was Tony's stir fry later.
Tuesday was my day to go to La Jolla. Years ago I would go to the beach by Scripps Institute of Oceanography. It is only a 20 minute drive from Point Loma. The parking was a bit tight so I bopped over to the La Jolla Cove and finished off some California roll, taunted to seagull beggars, watched the sea lions and worked on a mandala painting before driving over to another old hood of mine called Tierrasanta. TS is inland by I 15. Again I could not remember my exact address but I drove with my internal GPS. When I passed my old street I knew I had the right road.NOW I COULD LIVE HERE. Tierrasanta ist also is 20 minutes from La Jolla but has a woodsy-ness to it. I am not a beach girl. I resonate with wooded areas and that is what TS has. Now San Diego was becoming more of a possibility. I am still thinking. I have much to explore in the coming months. There is so much I have yet to see.
Getting back to my roots... SHIATSU
I DO Shiatsu - or at least I used to and now I am DOing it again.
I had promised Faye a full shiatsu session before I left to go up the coast. I got back to the house, showered and set the scene. I am traveling with my magnetic mattress pad and pillow and some of my "work" items in the car. I have been in private practice since 1996. I am certified in shiatsu but took my studies further and specialized in acupoint therapy and teaching. Shiatsu is hands on energy work utilizing the pathways that the acupuncture points access. It is a type of bodywork traditionally done on the floor, clothed and without oils. It is done in silence save for a few instructions to the client to breathe or turn. I am finding myself in need of getting back to my roots and to the bioelectrics that began my private practice. I found the session to be profound, and a good payback for the hospitality given to me.
Later that evening Tony and I went to OB and out for some pub food and I came back to the house to back to leave the next morning. I drove several hours up and past Los Angeles not stopping until south of San Luis Obispo. I timed it right to avoid in freeway traffic. My Couchsurfing host Keith texted me that he could meet me at the house an hour earlier than planned. Perfect.
Keith is a fantastic tour guide. His friend Ann came along with us and she too learned a great deal. He also has a beauty of a veggie garden behind his bungalow. I was sent out back to pick the salad. We all ate together and shared stories and laughter. This is what Couchsurfing is about - sharing, support and community. I was asked to stay longer but I had already made plans to get up to San Fransisco so that I could spend two nights with my friend Tom before arriving to my help exchange assignment in Fort Bragg. I shall have to pass that way again in the upcoming months. I like SLO. |
| SLO - BUBBLEGUM ALLEY - COLORFUL ICK |
And that brings me to San Francisco and 6am. I best check this for typos, make the blog post and go wash my face. The day is dawning. This catches us up. Many details are missing but this is getting long. The day is dawning and I must go.
"Rollin' along Pacific Coast Highway -
Bummin' along to my radio.
Saw a blond hitchin' my way;
Rolled up and said "How far do you wanna go?"
She'd been hummin', thumbin', hitchin' and wishin'
For a good day on Pacific Coast Highway."
1971 - let's get rollin' along...
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