Huntington Beach, California

Ah the beach!! There is just nothing like it. Crashing waves, clean, clear air and plenty of sunshine. No matter if the weather is hot or cold, the beach is just plain rejuvenating. Last weekend Bobbie and I decided to escape the craziness of Las Vegas and exchange that for the craziness of Los Angelos. Actually, the LA traffic is much worse than here in the heat of the desert. The drivers suck worse than anyplace else I've ever lived. Even the drivers in Naples, Italy drive better than they do in LA. At least the Italians give you the common courtesy of using their horn!

Anyway, back to the beach. Huntington Beach is huge compared to the others we've visited further south of LA. You can literally see for miles. Checkout the picture of Bobbie on the right. There is endless sand everywhere and the surfers dot the close-in shoreline like seals waiting to be fed. The weather was excellent but just a bit on the cool side for this time of year.

The highlight of this trip was just plain good 'ole rest! Something Bobbie needed in a big way. This No Child Left Behind bullshit is a serious republican pipe dream! But, that's another rant for another time. I'm not much for sitting around, but this trip was great for the overworked, stressed soul. No grading papers for 4 hours a day on the weekends, no chores around the house to do, and no bloody telemarketers ringing the phone off the hook. Yep, just plain rest and fun.

We treated ourselves to some great long waits in the LA traffic on Highway 1 through Long Beach and up to Manhattan Beach in search of these rather precious blue jeans that you can only purchase in California and New York. Bingo! Found'em! And...yes, they were expensive. But, boy, do they fit nice!

We cut the trip short one day and headed back to the desert because the dog missed us, the birds missed us, and we missed them. The drive back was really fun on I-15, especially on a Saturday! I'm doin' 80+ and you would think I was in a parking lot sitting still. I guess all these Californians can't wait to pay for my electric bill. Yep, the lights are still on in Vegas! Thank you California. Now, we'll send you some more water out of our Lake. Oops, yet another rant for another day.