Beamers, Bentley's, and Benz's, Oh my!

---

July 17, 2010
I am in Los Angeles. Everything here is amazing, the weather, the cars, the homes, the beaches, the food, the bars, the shops, the landscaping. It seriously can not get more beautiful. Even the traffic is beautiful, Benz’s, Beamers, Bentleys…I want this life…

Today, I beached it. Our hotel is only a mile from Venice beach, so walking it was easy. I hung on the massive sandy beach for about 10 minutes until I decided that surfing was in my future. I debated this for about an hour, and then decided that if I didn’t at least go check out the cost and the logistics of it, I would regret it. I walked to the nearest surf shop and spoke with a lady. She recommended a lesson for $95, but told me she would rent me the wetsuit and the board for $40 a day. The catch, I just couldn’t break the board or it would be $400. I decided to take my chances, $40 is nothing for a day full of fun…little did I know.

I guess the surf is what “surfers” would call good. The waves looked very manageable while sitting on the beach, however, once I stepped into the water, they were massive!! I had to leap as high as I could, just to try and enter the surf and keep my head above water. Lying on the board was easy, it was very buoyant, as I had an entry level board. Paddling wasn’t hard either, just a work out, which I didn’t mind. Paddling out was easy, turning the board to face the shore got tricky. Maneuvering the board took serious strength. By the end of the day though, I had successfully turned the board around, while maintaining my balance on it. Once I was facing the shore, I began to paddle to catch some speed and would try to catch a wave. The timing of this is difficult, however I also did manage to successfully catch 4 waves by the end of the day. See I caught the waves, but I only managed to ride them on my stomach. Standing up is incredibly difficult. I was able to push my upper-body up while positioning my knees underneath, however, I couldn’t stand. I would just tip over, then proceed to get battered by the waves, pulled out by the undertow, then battered again. The board would fly over my head, I would drink about a gallon of sea water, get washed up on shore like a beached whale, the board would be somewhere floating in the water (though it was attached to my ankle via a very long leash), and I would have to get my bearings and my self together for another attempt. By the end of the day, I must have swallowed so much water that I lowered the sea level of the Pacific, I was thoroughly battered and bruised (rib cage, hip bones, knees all bruised), and could definitely say that I got my ass kicked by an ocean. I can also say, that I tried surfing. I ended up returning the materials all in tact, with a smile on my face, it was fun and addicting! My mom managed to get some pictures of me, I am the white splash nearly drowning in all of the pictures.

Following surfing, we went for a stroll down the Venice Beach boardwalk. That place is amusing. Our stay at the beach was 2 blocks from the antics on the Venice boardwalk, so we could peacefully enjoy our beach day. The most interesting, Kush doctors selling medical marijuana. Their slogan? “The Doctor is In.” So bizarre. Other highlights include Muscle beach, where a whole bunch of ripped dudes and she-dudes work out between the boardwalk and the ocean. There is a full blown gym, but they all just do pull ups. The bike park was cool, as was the skate park. There was a store called “Botox on the Beach” which made me seriously think, who the hell would get botox on the Venice Beach board walk, right next to a “doctor” selling marijuana. Unbelievable. The boardwalk is probably close to a mile long, with surf shops, cheesing touristy shops, street meat stands (they were actually very tasty), bars, 3 Kush doctors, and 1 botox stand. Street performers and artists also lined the boardwalk selling their skills. Definitely amusing and pictures do NOT capture this.

We ended the day at an Italian Restaurant for Dos Exquis and raw oysters. As it turns out, you can get oysters anytime during the year on the pacific, because the water is so much colder. They were the best oysters I have ever had. Which isn’t saying a lot because I have only eater raw oysters once before.

All in all, not a bad day! On a side note, this day, one year ago, I closed on my house in Alexandria. I have owned the place for 1 year now. I miss it a lot and after this trip, I have truly grown to love my home! Give it a hug for me Just!!

---

Photos

Venice Beach Pier
The waves don't look that big, but seriously, they were

Los Angeles 006
I'm in there, with my board!

Venice Boardwalk
Bike Park

Venice Boardwalk
Muscle Beach