Some last minute ideas came through for the 4th and I rolled down to San Diego with some boys to hit the largest 4th of July celebration on the west coast. Pacific Beach and all it’s dirty, ghetto, bikini clad, So-Cal glory. The residence was accommodating, complete with 3rd level viewing deck for watching the Marine World’s fireworks, or just practicing nude T’ai Chi Chi Kung. No rest for the wicked, but obviously the wicked were not at Larry Flint’s Hustler party. Apparently he was casting for some movies at his sex shop earlier that day and had the after party at On Broadway but I didn’t see any pornstars but of course I’ve never seen any porn so I probably wouldn’t know what to look for. I find it a little pretentious that they call this place an event center…it’s just a bank turned club and yes it’s nice but tell it like it is – a bank turned wanna be upper echelon club!
DJ Dan did play a wicked set, actually better than I’ve heard him in the bay lately…I guess he’s tired of the home town crowd. And I give props for Paulie P and his crew as we seemed to roll with to each event he had going on all week (respect D Reyes for the hook ups).
The beach was off the hook…about a million people on both the bay side and beach side of PB, cruzin’, boozin’, dancin’ and celebratin’ for America’s freedom. I can say I did here quite a few renditions of the Pledge of Allegiance with God in the verse. I was a little worse for wear thinking that my thin white shirt would protect me from the Hades like burn I received that day. I would have to say the highlight was the old skool feelin of groovin’ on the beach, having a great time and not giving a shit about responsibilities and regulations – just going for it!!!
Random thought: More burritos than toilets in SD but at least most of the time there decent…well at least the burritos are.
Managed to meet everyone in SD down at Ole Madrid’s in DT San Diego. Nice place except the first DJ was playing not only CDs but he was playing the whole Mixed CD disc of Mark Farina’s Session One. He was even pretending to work the board to Farina’s trademark filters and EQ tricks…. what a spoof! And worse the promoters thought we were hating on the DJ…well yeah?!?
After the close out of Ole’s we conjured up the cabs and headed to Club Montage located in the warehouse district of northern SD. It’s quite industrial and ghetto (2 porta-potties located ground floor by the entrance for bathrooms – build a toilet why don’t you!) SRH and Paulie P’s Studio 54 was going on/off this Friday with Paul van Dyke and Scooter & Lavell. They don’t like when the club boasts of the 5-room maze, my first time through got me twisted. Not a PVD fan but S&L DJ’s rocked the house with some dope scratch-hard house combos…yeah I said HH… I guess it helps when you 2×4 and you don’t have to listen to the same rhythmless beat for 4-5 minutes. Good party, but the roof is the spot in the summer.
The week didn’t end without a trip through the PB bars and relaxing the day away on the beach, by the pool and over all a great road trip with friends showing that socially American’s know how to live it up. What I still don’t know is how long will it take for the GP to learn respect for our environment and will we as a people learn to be as vocal within our own private circles as should be about our public/global portrayal of ourselves.
President Honors Veterans at West Virginia Fourth of July Celebration
“Sixty years ago, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, General George C. Marshall declared that “before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom, on the one hand, and of overwhelming power on the other.” This is our purpose again today. Once again, history has called America to use our overwhelming power in the defense of freedom. And we’ll do just that.” ~ President George W. Bush
Chewbacca: “Aaaaarrrgh!”
C-3PO: “He made a fair move. Screaming about it can’t help you.”
Solo: “Let him have it. It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee.”
C-3PO: “But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid.”
Solo: “That’s ’cause droids don’t pull people’s arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that.”
Chewbacca: “Grrrrr…”
C-3PO: “I see your point, sir. I suggest a new strategy, R2 – let the Wookiee win.”
STAR WARS Episode III
I came out to SD for my new job training and I decided to extend my trip for Ben’s birth celebration the next week… So in between hotels, I stayed at the cheapest spot in hotel circle, that had internet connection (Gaslamp and downtown hotels were booked solid or garnering 200+ a night, and the circle was a quick 10 minute shot to my office). So I get the Travelodge. A low end housing complex juxtaposed with newly renovated hotels.
I’m greeted by the overly excited hotel clerk (although not necessarily to see me, probably he’d been sucking crack fumes in the back) and got my ground floor room just off the highway. I enter the stale smelling room, forest green carpets, gym style flooring in the bathroom and a newly installed safe oddly placed on the floor under the coat rack. As I roll my golf clubs over 4 flyer/menus entering, I drop my stuff on the bed and pick up the laptop bag to start my search for food when I see these signs…
The follow up trip in my “Cali” (as my gf says now that we’re in NY) tour, I flew down to SD to start training for a new job. An excellent position at start up, that allows me to work at home and has the flexibility and control of the true field position. It’s exactly what I wanted both in responsibility and getting away from the huge corporate red-tape laden enterprise business.
