“The Gods do not deduct from a man’s allotted time, the hours spent in whale watching…” – sign above the door here
I’m winding slowly along Highway One, taking pictures and doing a bit of walking; I’d been having problems with my big toe but fortunately the cortisone shot I got last week seems to be working (although it prevented me from giving blood last weekend).
I don’t think I’ve quite relaxed yet. Didn’t sleep very well last night; I recall that after a beer or two I might fall asleep, but end up waking in a few hours and being unable to get back to sleep. Which I suppose means I ought to confine my drinking to daylight hours.
This morning was my first visit Hearst Castle. The location and scale were impressive of course, but actually I was struck by how thrown-together it seemed; the kind of thing inordinately rich people might do, with artworks and architectural styles from vastly different cultures and time periods – Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Renaissance European – mixed together apparently at random; it also seemed as if works may have been selected based on visual appeal or monetary value rather than based on significance or quality. Or maybe I should have started the day with a little more caffiene. I did enjoy myself. Think I may drop by the Monterey Aquarium this afternoon or more likely tomorrow.
Got the second battery hooked up in the van; with overpriced instructions and wires from the Westy place it was simple so I guess I got my money’s worth; have yet to check whether it’s actually charging the battery. I have a solar panel I’d like to get put up on the roof not so much because I need the power (though it will be useful at Burning Man) but so that I can get it out of my living space. The fridge is being cranky; it works when stopped but doesn’t stay on; but it’s not a fansastic fridge anyhow and I’m happy using my supercooler, just have to get a block of ice every few days. I’m happier if I don’t have any food that I actually need to keep cool, but other than a bit of smoked salmon my Uncle Mario gave me (from his trip to Alaska) and a little margerine and cheese, I think I’m clear there. Need more quick snack foods. I have three bottles of two-buck-chuck, but didn’t bring a corkscrew (tire bouchon, corkenseer) and every place I’ve checked it would have cost me more than the wine so I couldn’t justify it.
I need to make a plane reservation to have Becke visit me in Seattle, but I’m not entirely sure when I’ll be there; I could easily burn up there in about two days if I wanted to but I’m thinking it’ll be around the weekend of the 21st; need to check with Chris and Kwren to see when they’re headed to the San Juans. Can’t get away from schedules and agendas, quite yet.
I suppose the fact that I’m eating the fries that came with this overpriced sandwich means I’m slipping on the diet; if I can do more beach walking than sitting on my butt in the truck I should be okay.
Highway One seems a little old hat to me; I’m looking forward to the Northern California coast and Oregon, which I’ve only been to once, about ten years ago, at which point I was in a hurry to get back down South, and as I recall was carrying Telenomics’ server in the back seat of my tiny car.
Hmph. First occurrance of restroom doors marked “Gulls” and “Bouys”.
(18:53 – downtown Carmel)
I don’t know if I’ll grab dinner here, or more likely up in Monterey, but I grabbed a wireless connection, and now my email is working again so I suppose I might as well send. Photos to come tomorrow.