Monday, January 25, 2010

On Feeling Normal



That's my husband in the video. His name is Alonzo; we have the same last name.

At eating and drinking establishments, there's a fine line between feeling welcomed when warmly greeted by staff and customers and feeling like Norm from "Cheers." I guess it depends on how one is feeling on a particular day. For example, if I was entering the establishment wearing a pair of pants with a too tight waistband feeling more and more snug with each sip of beer, I might feel a bit Norm-ish (which, hopefully, doesn't become too normal of a feeling). And I'd most definitely feel Norm-ish if I wore sweats because none of my pants fit. On the other hand, if I was freshly showered and scrubbed with well-fitting pants, I'd feel more like an honored guest.

The moral of this tale is that how others are feeling at a specific time or place oftentimes has nothing to do with anyone else than that one particular person.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

What's with some Season's Greetings?

As a born and bred Southern Californian, I don't feel any real compunction to go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather as I know such days are a dime a dozen. Last Sunday, though, was an exception. I don't know the name of the blue shade the sky was and I have never seen the Channel Islands pop more clearly out of the horizon. It was sheer desire, rather than pure guilt, that got me bike riding.

The photo above was taken on January 7. Christmas Day didn't look too different. The people's clothing indicates how warm the weather is.

What a glorious way to reflect on the past holiday season and ponder the new year and decade (though, technically, I'm not convinced we really are starting a new decade). "Season's Greetings, indeed," I thought as I pedaled between the mountains and the sea. "How lucky am I to be riding along this beautiful patch of country on such a fine day." (Well those are not my exact words, but they capture the sentiment in a more refined manner than what was actually going through my head.)

Delving further into the "Season's Greetings" bit, I got to wondering why Southern Californians send other Southern Californians Christmas cards with snow scenes representative of New England or another faraway place? Why does the insurance agent who handles my auto coverage send me a "special wish" that is so off-base from both our existences? I'm not asking for a surfing Santa, but certainly a poinsettia is a closer to a Southern California Christmas. (And, I'm not complaining either. The card from the insurance agent is placed on the mantle along with all the other cards -- snow scenes and otherwise.)

If you'd like to see proof of the glorious weather I'm talking about, check out
Carpinteria Magazine. This is the latest issue of the magazine I am lucky enough to help publish.