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posted by Web Turtle 11:59 PM ~ link
I went chasing the sunset on foot tonite, to see where it went off the edge of the earth, but I forgot that it was going to be dark behind me, and ended up in a rather creepy part of Arcadia, CA. I had blisters on my feet before I made it back to the hotel. It was a good walk... I discovered that I will not starve as long as I am able to make it out of the hotel, and I've already staked out where I'll eat for the next three weeks :-) Last time here I became a mexican food snob, snubbing every burrito that crossed my path in Albany. There is no guacamole on earth like Southern California guacamole... mmmmmm.So, I'm in California again. Its so much prettier than it was back in January, all blooming with flowers and sunny skies. Most of the day, of course, was spent inside the lovely bunker of ParaSoft, working, but thanks to daylight savings, I had a few hours of wonderfulness to roam around in. I took a drive, first, after work, across the foothills, and was stunned at some of the beautiful homes up there. Then I parked and set off on foot, which is what led to my blisters.
As usual, the 8 long hours I spent working were super-productive. I have to laugh, thinking about my work quarters this time there. The arrival of a few new designers made it more crowded than last time, so Marek and I were put into the gym space, which is lined completely with floor to ceiling glass mirrors. Rather than sit there facing the mirrors all day, I turned the whole setup around so our backs were to the mirrors - but facing the men's room door. So, there I sit, all day long, at a long buffet style table with my laptop, in front of the men's room. It was pretty hilarious - listening to people apologizing for going to the bathroom too many times during the day, asking where the sign up sheet was... I threatened to charge admission, and promised not to listen to any embarrasing noises that came from behind that door.
When I arrived last night, it was at the end of a long cross country nap, and I was raring to go flying around the freeways to Monrovia. When I checked in, though, I quickly realized the differences between the luxurious quarters of a hotel, and an extended stay hotel, and quickly turned around to go shopping. I was on a little high, remembering again all the things that I like here... windows being down, the faint smell of perfume on the air, the awesome vintage cars, even the fun of listening to west coast rap on the west coast. I picked up some groceries, and a bottle of wine and went back, to discover I didn't have a corkscrew... so back out I went again (to a different store though!).
The only thing that would make this visit more fun would be if I knew some people here or knew where to meet people. As much of a loner as I'm capable of being, it still makes me a little nutso to be in a hotel room by myself and eating by myself day after day. But, such is life, I suppose... can't have everything, even in paradise...
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