California Coasting (pt 1)

Song: The wheels on the bus
Food: Wheels from a bus

Left Santa Cruz this morning on the Greyhound headed for Salinas, CA. While driving in I saw a sign for the National Steinbeck Center, so I got off to check it out. Then there was a sign to the "Steinbeck House", so I walked over to it too, mainly in honor of many of my pals. Craw, D, J, Trev, J-Mac, Mom, Caroline, Dad, and whoever else has talked to me about Steinbeck, I have a message for you: You're not missing anything in Salinas California, stay away. I hopped on another bus headed for Monterey, where I am now. Got checked into the Monterey Hostel and walked over to "Cannery Row". Ehhh.
This is me trying to simulate what I look like walking around today.

 

Well, there doesn't appear to be much of a "public transportation" method for getting down to Big Sur from here, so here is the scoop: I am going to leave my crap at the hostel, get on the bus headed for Carmel CA, and then hoof it as far south as I can (or until I find a place to stay). I will either do that, or find a fast food joint that has a playground and say that I went to Big Sur. So, count this as my blog post for today and tomorrow night.

How is LA David?

Santa Cruzing, USA (pt 7)

Song: "To Go Home" - Daniel Johnston
Food: Raisin Bran

I am in a race to finish reading "One Hundred Years of Solitude" for this book club I am in. All of the other people (only one other person) in the club are probably upset at me that I have not finished. Walked over to the Boardwalk beach and fused with the damp sand. From there, I walked to the University of California Santa Cruz campus. On my way, there was a tree, and I saw him, clear as day I saw him, and I knew deep down that if I did not make him come to life I would later regret it. So there I was, on the side of Bay street, creating my tree man.

UCSC, holy moly, what a beautiful campus. Mann, just enough trees and hills for my beard to feel at home, but still close enough to the beach for my god-like tan. I wanted to be a freshman, living in the dorms, and experiencing all of the beautiful confusion all over again. The ultimate goal of the trip was to see the second night of "UCSC Kinetic Poetics" featuring the flock printer himself, Buddy Wakefield. Unfortunately I had the night mixed up and the event is next week.
No worries though, we still had time to drive over to Capitola for Ugly Mug's Open Mic night. I walked in the door, signed up, and was on the stage in a few minutes. Ehh, it was, ehhh. Good experience, but I think my intense, whining music did more damage than good at this place. Great little coffee shop though.

Tonight ends my stay in Santa Cruz, and let me tell ya, it has been a grand time. Much gratitude to the warrior queen Andi B and her roommate Rebecca K for putting up with me in their kitchen, bathroom, and social lives for as long as they did. Thank you girls and may your souls receive substantial cuts in the buffet line of your heavenly cafeterias, one day far from now.

As I progress toward Los Angeles, I thought I would do a better job of informing you of the weather. And what better way to do it, then to have Mr. David Lynch present the information?