There are small joys in your every morning — a cloudy day after years of desert living, good coffee and music. We do everything else because of the promise of more small joys to come.
My name is Patricia Elenie, and these are my stories.
Santa Barbara and Friends
Out of my own volition, it would have never occurred to me visiting Santa Barbara. I had heard of it, but I had no idea what people do there, or why one would go there. Thankfully, I have friends who not only know of great places, but invite me along on their adventures. My friends drove from Phoenix, spent a day in LA, picked me up Friday night, and we drove north. Although the posts on this Web site don’t show it, there have been tiring and stressful moments trying to start a new life out here in Los Angeles, but seeing familiar, welcoming faces made me feel so at ease and happy.
The next day, we found a Farmer’s Market. It was full of life and color, and the feeling of community. I’ll have to find one near me, so I can get fresh produce and flowers.
What a life
Mark and his family invited me out to Catalina for the weekend.
On the way over, in the ferry, the guy working the bar on the upper level came over to chat with me. I took the Saturday 2:55 p.m. ferry from San Pedro, and it was relatively empty. He said he used to have a job that paid him a lot, but it was too stressful and he never spent anytime with his family. Now, he told me “I get done with work some days and say ‘This doesn’t suck’ .”
And that was the theme for the weekend, in fact the same statement was repeated by several random people I met.
Sunday night we had dinner on board a Lagoon 400 owned by a friend of Mark’s. Brothers Frank and Charles BBQ for us, and it was another lovely evening in which I felt I was living a life belonging to someone else. I met some incredible people, with fascinating stories and lives.
Jody is sizing up the “real estate”. Early on Sunday morning, we went on a dinghy ride to adjacent coves, where some of the most incredible boats are moored. Mark explained the hierarchy of moorings, and how the more exclusive boats are at 4th of July and Cherry coves. He said there are wait lists to buy moorings, and that some boat owners are on those lists for 30+ years.
Mark was doubling down on those Buffalo Milk drinks. In his own words “I don’t think I left the bar all day Sunday.”
What a life.
A new home by the beach
I’m living in Long Beach at the moment, and I’ll write more about that in a future post, but for now, I believe there’s been too much talking and not enough photos around here.
I met Manuel and Maria fishing by the Long Beach Marina. Manuel kept asking if I was from Univision, I’m guessing because of the big camera.
Manuel and Maria own a ranch out in Lancaster. A long time ago, two sales people came by his ranch and sold him a laptop, which he thinks he overpaid for, and I’m sure he did. They also sold him a hard water filter. The fact still bugs him, yet he gripped about it without the least trace of ill-will or bitterness. Since this anecdote was relevant enough for him to share with me, it’s relevant enough to write about on this post. Manuel and Maria come fishing quite often to catch dinner, and “because I like spending time with her,” Manuel said pointing his shin in Maria’s direction.
“You have to tell women things like that,” he said, in a lower voice, as if giving me advice. “So they feel flattered.”
Recent Comments