Content-type: text/html Ray Manning

Monday, August 28, 2006 9:00 PM

Santa barbara, Fort Wayne, and The World!


On Tuesday and Wednesday I have productive days at work and productive days afterwards with the weights. I use the new weights and lift heavy on both days (with good form). And then I go out walking each night. On Tuesday I watch a videotape that I have - I don't remember taping it, I don't remember what it was about, and it doesn't seem familiar. It's called, "Nowhere", and is described over the Internet as "Beverly Hills, 90210 On Acid". Yes, this is a strange video and it is 90210 on acid. But it's entertaining. And I almost, vaguely, recall the very last scene in the movie.

On Thursday I drive to work. (I cannot remember the last time that I drove a car to work - maybe March?) At 7 am two co-workers and I are headed for points near Santa Barbara as we visit two vendors. The Thursday morning and afternoon visit goes well. And we are done by 4 pm, so my co-workers and I check into our hotel and start walking along the ocean and up State Street where all of the restaurants (and ChiChis) are. I flash back to 1983.

Fiat station wagon to get over being dumped by...um...someone. I have brought my bicycle with me and I check into the Motel 6 (I'm a poor student) and change into cycling clothes. I take my lock with me and for the next 4 hours I alternate cycling with running (leaving the bicycle locked to something solid). The alternate cycling and running occurs on the ocean bicycle trail that is the subject of the current date's diary entry. I can remember the bird refuge, the pier, and some of the other points of interest from 23 years ago even though I was entirely emotionally gone due to being dumped by...um...someone. At the curent date I try to recollect my emotional state as a sense of "continuous renewal", but I have a hard time getting entirely back there. As my co-workers and I continue walking I try find a restaurant, I note some of the other landmarks that I remember from 23 years ago. I start to think of some of the changes in life in 23 years starting with mobile phones, but then I quit thinking about this because life is so much different now.

restaurant where we sit out on the patio and watch the passersby as well as the museum across the street (which is having some sort of affair tonight). Occasionally I say aloud, "ChiChi", to someone walking down the street and my co-workers wonder what the heck I'm talking about. But I just tell them, "It must be the root beer that I'm having". But there are a lot of people to watch tonight before we head back for the hotel.

On Friday I'm up early to go walking in the opposite direction past the bird refuge and the zoo. I note that there is a nice giraffe topiary at the entrance to the zoo. And then my co-workers and I drive to the second vendor to visit. This visit also goes well and we see a test and discuss design details for our satellite. And then we hit the road for home - running into the usual backups on the 101 and 405. I jump into my car and head for home - squeezing in an abdominal and lower back workout before it is time for sleep. It is nice to be back in my own bed.

On Saturday I get up just a bit late but I'm out the door for the loop ride near 7 am. On the ride there's a bird (a pigeon or something) standing next to the bicycle path and as I pass, the bird decides that it is time to fly away. Unfortunately the bird flies towards me and I feel it hit my right foot and then possibly get something caught in my rear spokes. I just keep going because there is nothing for me to do regardless of the outcome.

When I get home I take a shower and start my errands. I get gasoline for the car, get the car washed, buy a new shredder (since a hidden fake plastic card has caused my current shredder to give up the ghost), do some grocery shopping, and buy new wheels for my inline skates. I've decided to patronize a small skate shop a few miles from my house but in towards gangland territory. The guy is helpful and I tell him that I'll be back for future skating needs because he knows what he's doing more so than a generic worker at any other sporting goods store. When I get home I give the car a coat of wax. And then I relax for a few hours during the mid day heat. At 2:30 pm I lay down and fall asleep for a good 90 minute nap.

After the nap I mow the lawn and install the new skate wheels. Well, I'm exicted to have new wheels, so I have to try them out. So I skate around the neighborhood for ten or fiftenn minutes. When I return home I retorque the bolts and pronounce the skates ready for action.

After hemming and hawing with Person T_U, I make the command decision, "I'm going up to Los Angeles. If I don't go now, then I'll fall asleep and not go out at all". Person T_U is non-commital, but says he'll call if he is coming up. The instant that I walk in the door to the club I know that I have made the right decision - the music being new and fresh and not as available at other clubs (especially not in Long Beach). When I get to a club in West Hollywood Person L_M calls and says that she will join me - her girlfriend needing to sleep so that she can work early on Sunday morning. Before I know it Person L_M is there and shortly thereafter Person T_U has joined us. Person L_M and I have planned this evening out - no girlfriends, no boyfriends, just fun. But Person T_U only stays a little while (because this club is not as crowded as usual) and heads for another club down the street. As person L_M and I are sitting at the club in between other activities, she says to me, "That guy over there keeps staring at you and keeps moving closer". I haven't noticed at all but pretty soon the guy is sitting at our table. We make a break for it and head off to go dance. As the hour pushes past 2 am and into after hours, Person L_M heads to the bathroom. Before I can figure out what is going on there's a hand in my pocket and the guy whispering in my ear, "I'm leaving now. But you should call me". I just smile back and wish Person L_M back soon. Later I realize that the guy gave me his name and phone number on paper in my pocket.

At 2:15 am Person L_m and I leave. I give her a ride to her girlfriend's apartment and rush for home. When I get home the people across the street - who had been having a baby shower or some sort of girl's party - are just braking up and they see me coming home near 3:15 am on Sunday morning. I just smile and head in the front door.

On Sunday morning I'm up near 7 am and out for the aquarium bicycle ride. After a stop at he grocery store I watch the MotoGP race from Brno, Czech Republic (which I was at two years ago). Rossi gets second place and the title chase is becoming more and more muddied as the championship leader falls to eighth place in the last few laps. I clean boh bathrooms (except for the floors) and then head out skating near 2 pm. I's a good skate and the new wheels feel very good. I'll have to call the skate shop and tell them how good that they feel. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing and talking with Person C_T and I even leave a message with Person T_J (who put his number in my pocket).

Monday is a great day! It feels great to be back on the motorcycle after four days away. I'm fairly productive at work (after missing two days at the office and having deadlines loom large). And I lift very heavy on Monday night with as slow and good form as possible and with an extra set thrown in. Later I have phone calls with Person T_U, Person T_J, Person Shari (A former student from UCLA), and Person C_T.

On Tuesday I lift heavy for the other muscle groups (that were not hit on Monday). On Wednesday I come home and, what the heck, I add more weight and go for heavier lifts - these being the heaviest that I've ever lifted. I venture out into the unknown and struggle and grunt and groan. The last repetition for each lift is fantastic and it is a great workout. I offset the pure brutality of lifting by trimming the roses and bringing some inside the house. And I return and/or receive phone calls from Person Shari and Person M_C (who is still trying to sell his townhouse down here). Late in the evening Person T_U calls and is having computer trouble so I try to walk him through some diagnostics before we both give up. "Call me tomorrow and I can try in person".

On Thursday I lift weights before work and have a reasonable day at work. When I get home I relax for a bit and then mow the lawn. There are missed telephone calls today from Person M_Fl, Ruby, and another phone number that I don't recognize. And, as I try to synch my Palm Pilot, it will not boot up or start - not even after putting in fresh batteries. Well, considering that I bought this Palm Pilot many many years ago refurbed on auction, I think that I got my money's worth out of it and can think about a new one.

On Saturday I'm up early for the loop ride in the clockwise direction. But I notice that there are 5 missed phone calls since the time that I went to sleep and the time that I woke up. It's a good ride as I crank along and before I know it I'm halfway done and then, before I know it again, I'm riding back into my driveway with the ride finished. At the end of the ride on Del Amo I see that someone is throwing out a three panel door. I make a note to go back over there with a screwdriver just in case the door has the door knobs and fittings that I have been trying to match for quite a while.

By noon on Saturday I've done the aforementioned ride, taken a shower, watched qualifying for the F1 race from Turkey, done the laundry, gone to the ATM, filled the car up with gasoline, recycled some old electronics at Staples, and bought an external hard drive to back up data. (I've taken Person T_U's hard lesson to heart and bought the hard drive as backup.) Just as I want to get down for a nap Person Shari calls and we have a 40 minute conversation. And then I talk with Person C_T for another 15 minutes. And then I finally get my nap.

When I wake up I go to lift weights as Person C_T surfs the Internet and makes dinner. Later Person T_U calls from a birthday party and we agree to meet at a club in West Hollywood. Person C_T and I head on up and actually find a free parking spot. The music tonight is good, but not quite as good as last week. Person T_U joins us and we hang out. Tonight, as with last week, Person T_U stays for about an hour and then leaves for another club. I see a number of acquaintances and make idle chit chat with each. Just before 2 am as Person C_T and I decide to leave, we start pushing our way towards the door and I see somebody who looks familiar standing in a drink line, but I can't quite place who it is. Finally she sees me staring and it takes her a while to figure out who I am and then we simultaneously recognize each other. It's Sabrina the HVAC (Half Vietnamese American Crossdresser). We give each other hugs and I introduce her to Person C_T and we talk about how long it has been since we've run into each (probably two years). Eventually I extricate myself and Person C_T and I head for home - making it by 2:45 am on Sunday morning.

On Sunday I'm out the door for the aquarium bicycle ride before 7:30 am. After a shower the racing fest starts with the Turkish Grand Prix, the Montreal CART race (that gets red-flagged because there is lightning and thunderstorms), and the IRL roadrace where Marco Andretti (son of Michael Andretti and grandson of Mario Andretti) wins his first race. Person C_T, because he is not a race fan, leaves a bit after noon and I finally finish watching the racing at 3pm. I go to work cleaning the garage and making room for stuff that is still laying on the kitchen floor since my hardwood floors were refinished. And late in the afternoon I don't even get out for a walk - no inline skating today either because my body has been giving me signs lately that it is worn down.

Obviously the trip to Fort Wayne has been slightly delayed but will be the subject of the next diary entry.