Dave's Thoughts of the Day: July 1st

Hi everybody!

I'm happy to report my successful move to Santa Monica.  It took, officially, two days, but I'm counting Friday night in there because I was wrapping up all the packing that night, and did some cleaning to boot.

Friday night was a scene, Verizon, being the jokers that they are MAYBE, it depends on whether I actually asked them to cut off service on 6/28, but anyway they cut off my phone and internet service on Friday.  So I was stuck.  I couldn't put on any of the MLB.tv games on while I cleaned and packed, so I settled for 100.3 FM the Sound instead.   I was up until 2am getting everything packed an organized.

My mind was all over the place... I couldn't decide between mopping the floor, cleaning the refrigerator, packing, and moving things into place.  I think I just switched off between all of those.

Then, around 2am, I was thirsty.  I mean it was HOT this whole weekend!   I wanted a soda, so I went to the Ralphs down about a mile away, the only food establishment of any kind still open at 2am.   The Ralphs there is open 24 hours.   I wanted a cherry soda and a grape soda, so I was going to get the cherry soda in a glass bottle, then seek out at 2 liter of Crush Grape.  Well!  I go into the store, hardly anyone there, then find a whole assortment of these glass soda bottles.  They had Cherry *and* Grape, and some Orange, and Root Beer, and a bunch of flavors.  Some company in Illinois made them I forgot the name, but DAMN those sodas were good!  I got two grape, one cherry, and one root beer for $1.50 each.  Took that home and sipped two of them.  DO THE DANCE.

Day two, Saturday.  We get into the car and take all the little things over to Santa Monica.  Basically, we moved everything that could fit into a car.  Coach came over to help take some of the things in his car.  It was still *so* hot on Saturday.   After all that moving, it was roughly 4:15 pm.  I needed to leave at 5pm to head to Torrance for a friend's birthday.    I think I showered some time around iono 4:40 pm?   Got in the car at 5:10 (parking in Santa Monica is just as challenging as ever but I found a good space on the street) and took off for Torrance.

Fun drive... you ever hear the song by the Eagles "Take it to the Limit?"   Really got me going.. It sounds like a sad song, and I didnt pay attention to the lyrics so I can't ascertain if it was, but man it was good.

I used to think the Eagles were annoying, but today I really appreciate how good their music was.  They had a TON of hits.  It was Elvis, the Beatles, and them.   You know you're getting old when you start getting into the Eagles.   Right?  Like, when you're younger the Eagles are like "man those jokers again on the radio?"  Then as you get into your 30s and 40s you're like "Oh baby, this is good stuff."  As if there is some sort of Eagles to Age ratio.  I've known people in their 50's who were absolutely gaga for the Eagles.

Ok so anyway, I got over to this restaurant called King's Hawaiian Bakery and Restaurant.  Yes!  It's the same company that makes those Hawaiian Rolls you buy at the store.   Surely enough, they served plenty of those rolls as a side bread.   They also had a good hawaiian food menu... Kalua Pork, Chicken Katsu, Hawaiian Chicken.  I really liked it there.

OH, so going into the place, we were told that the party was a surprise party, but I was utterly shocked to see over 20 people in the mini dining room.   My buddy has a lot of friends!  Pretty cool.   We're all seated, and then they come over, all the while I'm sucking down water glasses like a vacuum.  I was still so thirsty from all the moving.  The buddy and his girlfriend enter the building and we yelled "SURPRISE!"  Hahahahaha, we got him going.. our other friend took video of it on his iPhone.

Dinner was terrific, but you wouldn't believe that the Nachos are my favorite thing there.   It's almost like pulled pork nachos but they put the Kalua Pork in instead.  REALLY good.  Like, scary good!  In all the excitement and moving, I didn't have time to pull out a 20 from the ATM, so I told my buddies that I was going to go to the ATM.  I went to the front and asked the King's staff whether they had an ATM.  They said no, but there was one down the street.  I went out and then used the DROID to locate the nearest Chase, and there was one 1/3 mile down the street in Torrance.   This was NOICE, but the time was flyin'.   My friend texts me that they're going to do the cake and to hurry up.  By that time I was away for about 25 minutes but I was on my way back with cash in hand.   That was a scene, but to be honest, despite the 25 minute over-and-back walk, that really worked out.  There's nothing worse than settling for a different bank's ATM and paying another 2-5 bones for those outside ATM fees.  

Then I came back to Santa Monica, but it wasn't over then.   Coach and his other friends, who I know well went up to the Penthouse bar in Santa Monica.   Home of the Cougs, land of the lame music.   Even so, we enjoyed our time up there.  I cut out early so I could get some sleep back at my old West LA apartment.  My bed was still there along w/ the furniture.

Day two.  Coach and I moved all the remaining furniture with a U-Haul.   I felt pretty bad about one thing as we moved things out... there were two neighbors that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to, and I said, damn they're all out and about it's too late.

Then!  As we're moving the *heavy* box of LP records, I noticed my older neighbor friend stirring about at Apartment 3.   After we put away the box, I went over and knocked on the door.  I said my good bye and he was very nice in wishing me well.   We had a decent conversation, and he told me how the guy in Apartment 1, really nice, dude, I think he had a two story apartment which was like a townhome, there's only one unit like that there.  ...but he told me HE was moving! Now Apartment 1 guy was there for 8 years, so I was a little surprised.   I thought "man, it would have been nice to say good bye and congratulate apartment 1 guy on his move."

Apartment *9* lady moved two days before I did, and I did get in a proper farewell... in fact she gave me some brownies she baked if you can believe that.

So we get the U-Haul to SM and move the furniture into my new home.  Return the U-Haul and then I get a ride back to get my car from the old place.  WOULD YOU BELIEVE Apartment 1 guy parked his car next to mine at right when I got there?  So!  I got to say farewell to apartment *1* guy too!  Do the dance!  I thought I missed all of them, but instead I got in my goodbyes to just about everyone I was in touch with over the last two years.

The rest of Sunday was spent sorting things out and all that good stuff.   I bought in my TV on Saturday and placed it next to Coach's TV so we have two screens in the living room.   I got to watch the Dodgers game and the FIFA Confederation Cup Final at the same time.  That was a lot of fun.

What the heck happened to Spain though?!   Before you could blink they were down a goal... then it was a runaway before you can say "Corner Kick."  I also saw a guy kick a curveball from the corner... never seen a curve for a kick like that before!

That was my weekend in a nutshell, but I've really enjoyed it.  I now live in Santa Monica.   It's a really nice neighborhood, so, so far, so good.  Short week for most of us with Independence Day approaching, but hope you all are enjoying your workday so far.  Til tomorrow!