Amongst the False Applause and the Deafening Cheers, I'm San Diego's Number One Fan


Okay, so the whole Mexico legalization thing didn't pan out. Fox's abrupt reversal the next day literally took the wind out of my sails. I needed a break. It was a blow to my exuberant optimism. Lesson learned: don't underestimate the power of the United States to impose its will and win.

Since then, Vince and I enjoyed a whirlwind 5-day tour of sunny SoCal, including the Imperial, San Diego, and Orange Counties. For anyone who knows me well, I have been filled with contempt for Sunny SoCal and its mindless, superficial population for much of my adult life. But this time everything was different. In what will inevitably be a series of posts, I will explain the 180 on Sunny San Diego by describing the highlights of the trip;

For Vince, it was a day spent in the Imperial Valley desert engaged in traditional desert rituals with his man-friends, including, in order of preference: drinking beer, shooting guns, and swimming in the canal. By the way, that's the All American Canal (I didn't make that up).

For me, being back in San Diego was a real treat. I basked in the sun and soaked up the mellow energy of the people. I thoroughly enjoyed cruising around solo in our rented Monte Carlo, checking out my old stomping grounds with sunglasses on and the radio cranked up, casually drifting in and out of traffic lanes.

It's been more than a year since I drove anything. In DC, A ride in the truck with Vince is a special occasion. (And sometimes, when the ride is a long one, it’s a nightmare.) But after one day of cruising around, I was back in my element. And all the same old crappy radio stations were still there, playing exactly the same songs. 98.7, 105.3, 91.1, 103.7, 94.9, 96.5 - a sometimes painful "soft and contemporary" and a perennial fav of the mama - all of them owned by the same corp. They sounded exactly like I remembered them, but this time I didn't bitch and complain. I savored it all.

It was the same for the weather. For any of you who might have forgotten, DC is built on a swamp, so you might imagine my thrill of appreciation for the incredible San Diego climate. Turns out, all those people I mocked and ridiculed for so long were right; San Diego does have incredible weather. And I took every opportunity to soak it up. (Warning for non-San Diegans: Contrary to urban legend, San Diego is not always sunny. I repeat, San Diego is not always sunny. There had actually been many solid weeks of overcast skies before we arrived, so we were lucky to have one absolutely beautiful sunny day. And I knew it. Damn that was good.)

Cycling through the radio stations (are radio advertisements in SD particularly ridiculous, or was it just me?), I happened upon the jazz station. I was instantly reminded of George, my stepfather of 20 (?) years, who recently passed away. His presence has never left me, but in San Diego his energy was particularly strong. He was a man of few words, a rare constant in my formative years, who left me a lot to think about. I learned more about him at his wake than I did living with the man for so many important years. To this day, when I feel weighted down by life’s challenges, he is the one who comforts me most. For this I feel quite blessed.

I must admit, I have nothing legitimate to complain about, except of course the current state of politics, which I’ll save for all the local talking heads. Life is by no means easy, but it is getting so much better.

For now I will head down to join our WORLD CUP Opening Ceremonies Celebration – everyone is atwitter with excitement! - We're closing for a half day so we can stuff ourselves with all kinds of food and watch the festivities unfold. I think I’m picking Mexico, Turkey, and Argentina for the office pool.

Ciao mes amies,

Lola