Serpentine Shelly. Serpentine!

Part 1 (February 3rd):
Tinga was happy to learn that she would not be driving in the car at all. Her hide and dance routine was not performed, much to her pleasure (and ours). In all honesty, this was not a very noteworthy day. Nor a day that mom and I prefer to remember. So, we'll skip over it. Except, I should mention that I did get a new phone. Not a shiny, pretty iphone like I had my fingers crossed for, but an identical replacement. Which is better than a non-working phone.

The night: My cousin, Nathan Acker, is stationed at Camp Pendleton which is about forty minutes north of San Diego. We picked him up from base and I'm still kind of shocked on how we all managed to fit in Bowser's tiny bench seat. My cousin is a marine, which means he's big. And has remarkably broad shoulders (and the obligatory shaved head) that took up much of the truck's interior seating. I was a little disappointed that he wasn't wearing his marine camo, but apparently casual wearing of his uniform is a big time no-no. We went to Ocean Side Harbor where Tristan joined us for Mexican food and margaritas. I don't know how it's possible, but my "epic burrito" was most definitely epic. I feel like I cut and chewed on the world's biggest burrito. Also, margaritas were half off because it was hump day. Yes, hump day. Apparently hump day means Wednesday and not what all of you out there are actually thinking. Or, perhaps the more venerable readers probably don't have a gutter-mind and knew exactly what the definition was.

After dinner mom drove back to La Quinta and we went straight for the Saloon. We met a guy named Jason who used to be in the Navy and challenged Nathan to a cricket duel. So, in the middle of the bar this guy just starts doing this pushup and spring upward combination while the rest of us peered over him with quizzical and astonished looks on our faces. Um, sir, are you really working out at the bar? And challenging my cousin? LOOK AT HIM. HE'S HUGE. I promise, he can take you. The band playing was really loud and said phrases like, "Put yo hands up in the ayuhh (which means air)" and then continued playing their version of Punk Rock. Which did not align with my version. The night was cut short because Nathan had to get up for a 5:30 am mandatory workout. I would like to say, that I nearly died getting out of bed at 8:15 this morning. According to Nathan, by the end of his cardio-exercise, he was sweating margaritas.

Part 2 (February 4)
My plan failed and the same routine was repeated with Tinga this morning because she's a slippery little thing. So, we have come up with an even better game plan: the harness. This, I am positive, is fool-proof.

Mom and I decided we could not endure another La Quinta waffle and yogurt breakfast. We went to the Broken Yolk Cafe, where the logo is, "We've got huevos." And that is exactly what we were in the mood for. Finally, a little protein for breakfast! While there I met a parrot. That's right, a living, squawking parrot (not you, Aaron) named Dry Rot. I had to take a quick look around to make sure that I did not somehow materialize on a pirate's ship. Dry Rot apparently likes girls and hopped over to my fingers while his owner cracked parrot jokes.

San Diego feels like summer. It's tropical and I kept imagining "Spring Break! Woo!!" (while Kitty lifts her shirt up, Arrested Development reference). California drivers are insane and no one drives the speed limit. I swear, even all the memaws on the road were racing down the highway. That is, until we got stuck in 45 minute, turn-the-engine-off traffic (yes Aaron, I will admit, wimpy compared to what you endured on 75). We weren't even out of San Diego and already bumper to bumper. We kept our fingers crossed that this was not the traffic to get into LA. And luckily, it wasn't.

The California money definitely leaks out on the highways. At one point my poor truck was surrounded by an infantry of BMWs, a Lexus and some zippy, expensive looking car. I think bub would have been jealous of the car eye-candy. We passed Sunset Boulevard which made me want to watch a Billy Wilder movie. In fact, it made me want to watch Sunset Boulevard. Soon after getting through LA, a highway patrol car started making S's on the highway. Mom and I looked at each other wondering if that was really happening and were slightly jealous of this man's power to legally serpentine down highway 101. Seriously, five minutes of going back and forth, back and forth. Watching the policeman reminded me of my dad's story about swerving in and out of the reflection bumps on the road before being pulled over. Dad, I found the trick: you just need a highway patrol car. And a uniform. And probably a badge. In the end, it wasn't just fun and games, but the police car was slowing traffic down while a work truck was fixing potholes.

Highway 154 is now my favorite road. The view was breathtaking. I made mom nervous with my dual tasking, driving and taking pictures. So, to appease her fingernails, I pulled over at a view point. Beautiful doesn't begin to describe. The scenery made the drive seem short and we checked in to the La Quinta in Paso Robles. This La Quinta has class and had a complimentary wine and cheese tasting, which of course, mom and I attended. Paso Robles is charming and has a downtown that I want in my hometown. The reason why: Powell's Candy Shop and Basil Thai Restaurant (which gives out jolly ranchers instead of fortune cookies at the end of the meal).

"This must be a Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays." Mom and I finished reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy today.