Rock City On Mount Diablo

Anybody remember that Saxon song, "Rock City?"

So we went hiking in Rock City, on Mount Diablo. This is a wonderful area and unfortunately, our experience was spoiled somewhat by the brush fires that have been happening just south of the Bay Area. This forced the gnats to seek moisture and when they weren't flying into your mouth or ears, they would fly into your eyeballs.

Check out this Jimmy Durante-like formation. "Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are..."

Some of these sandstone formations have taken on almost a lunar-like quality, though of course you have some vegetation to dissuade you of that association. Here below is all the pertinent information about the "Wind Caves" and how old the formations are-

Some of the formations are grouped close together and some are a hundred feet away.

I climbed this Jabba The Hut-looking hill and did you ever have a hill wink at you?...

...well I did. I climbed this one right below, as well. The beauty of Rock City is that you don't need climbing gear at all, just a good pair of sneakers with a reasonable amount of grip. The handholds and footholds are easy to find and the sandstone is forgiving enough that it doesn't cut into your fingers, as evident by these footprints.

I wonder if Dana married him or her...

Without any perspective, this tunnel looks bigger than it is. It's actually fairly small, a German shepard would bump its head on the roof.

You can just visualize how a section of this rock just split, eroded and crumbled away one day. We'll be back up here, probably after the second rain of the season and next time, we'll bringing insect repellent.

George Carlin's Last Interview

I found George Carlin's last interview with Psychology Today, via the N.Y. Times blog, Papercuts.

I Beg To Differ

Vincent D'Onofrio?? Did you ride that thing so many times that you couldn't see anymore?

Um, what I was referring to, was his resemblance to D'Onofrio when he was in a certain Kubrick movie, called "Full Metal Jacket." Not the D'Onofrio that is currently starring in "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Do you kind of see what I mean, now?

Odds & Ends From Our Santa Cruz Trip

This ride is the "Cliffhanger" and it's a lot of fun.

It is as close to flying as you are going to intentionally get in an amusement park. Note, the dude in the middle pod on the top, looks a little like Vincent D'Onofrio.



Here is the bluff, overlooking the Boardwalk from the north. There are some nice hotels and motels up there. There is one in particular that is under renovation and it has given me a great idea for a story. The apartment building down below is also very inspirational.

I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"

Actually, I didn't hear a mission bell, Don Henley, but I did hear Sublime, the first time we walked by. It wasn't colitas I smelled either, but raggediest of ragweed. Yet, La Bahia apartments are a fine representation of the Spanish Colonial-style and they definitely give off a Hotel California-vibe.







Nice balcony, eh? If a great writer is not among the current tenants or has not ever lived there before, it's not the fault of the building, for it teems with motivation...or is that Ghost of Unrequited Writing Past?




Here is a bed and breakfast on the left, a new townhouse condos with a Victorian flair in the middle and a railroad bridge on the right. At the bottom of the pic you can see the dedicated bicycle lane along with the rubber baby buggy bumpers...I mean, the rubber bumpers to keep cars off of bicyclists.


There are somethings that Santa Cruz does better than any other city in California and this dedicated bike lane with protection, is one of them.

Finally, Good News This Week

Quin's blog hits the big 400th post.

She spent some time in New York, so hopefully she won't wind up making me cry.

So We Went To Santa Cruz Part II.

So in Santa Cruz, the main attraction is the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk...

Then of course, on the "Boardwalk," you have the "Board Wok." Ha, puns abound down there, as well as movies. "The Lost Boys" and "Sudden Impact" were filmed there. We didn't see any conventional vampires or people menacing Sondra Locke.



This is an animatronic pirate, though I can't remember his name, the parrot's name is "Seaweed."



Then this is my childhood nightmare transplanted some ninety miles south, "Laughing Sal." She used to be near the front gate of Playland.

As it was explained to me several times, "she used to scare the hell out of your when you were a kid." Of course they placed her on the beach side of the Boardwalk, as opposed to the street side where, I don't know, a paintball drive-by might happen? Needless to say, this isn't over, animatronic wench...

The long view of the Boardwalk.

Where is there a casino that no one can gamble at?

Games of chance for kids where they get paid off with crappy plastic toys and have absolutely no chance of getting the better prizes because they need at least $3,000 worth of winning tickets, don't count.

You can have a wedding reception or party at the Coconut Grove, I guess. I never looked into, though that's what it says.

And a touch of the South, comes to California. "Deep Fried Twinkies," because regular Twinkies somehow do not clog your arteries fast enough.

And since you asked, why, yes, they are.

I waited ten minutes for Pamela Anderson to come out of this shack...needless to say what did come out of that shack? Well, you wouldn't want to see it running in slow or regular motion.

The mural above the mini-golf course. The lava glows...kinda. The course used to be an indoor pool.

Junior and me on the Tornado. You decide how fast it spins by turning the inner wheel...

"Anne get me off of this crazy thing!"

Another twenty seconds and I would've hurled.

The Boardwalk at night, a fitting end to this post.

Count On A New York Woman To Break Your Heat...

...I mean The Missus does that several times of day, but this is a real thump to the old ticker.

Don't mind me, I'm going to crawl up into a fetal ball in a corner and cry.

So We Went To Santa Cruz

So we went down to Santa Cruz this past Sunday, a beautiful town that isn't quite bucolic and it does have a touch of city in it. The one aspect where they fail to live up to city behaviour is in how polite they are. I mean if you pull up to an intersection and there is someone crossing, they will insist that you go first...even if you wave them on.

Even if you firmly insist that they go.

Even if you shout at them to go.

Even if you threaten them at knife-point, they will insist that you go first.

Sometimes it takes five whole minutes to cross an intersection in Santa Cruz, they are even too polite to be Californians. If they weren't so damn polite, you'd want to slap and say "wake the f**k up, yo! You're in f**ckin' California and you need to rude it up!" But you don't, because they are so incredibly polite that they make you tilt your head and go "ahhhh," just like a basket of puppies.

This is the Boardwalk, though they have another almost adjacent to it with an amusement park and I'll post photos of those tomorrow or the day after. Thank God that they have rude-ass bums just like we do in San Francisco, or they would be no hope for that town ; )

R.I.P. George Carlin

I'm sure that you are one of the few famous people who would rather be remembered as older and wiser man, as opposed to your wet behind the ears days with Jack Burns...

No, I don't remember those days as I was a toddler then, but everyone told me that you had not quite hit your stride at that point. I came in around your second or third HBO Special and let me say, that you made high school that much easier; by letting people like me who were different, just how stupid some people were that got high on their own self-righteousness.

You were never at a loss for words, though I am now. I will say that you changed the face of comedy and observational comedy so much for the better. You gave a voice to kvetching, to reason and...to getting old.

You were the Diogenes of comedy and I wonder if you had ever realized that you were one of the only honest comedians. Well, rest in peace, my friend.

You Know That You Know That You Want To Know What I Look Like Under The Sheltering Sky

I never really understood The Sheltering Sky, but I doubt Bertolucci wanted me...or anyone else to really get it. Perhaps it was the book and the inner narration that could never translate into a movie. I have no idea because I've never read the book and unless I am stuck in a foreign country or at work with nothing to read, then I'll delve into it.

Of course it doesn't help when Paul Bowles allegedly said "it should never have been filmed. The ending is idiotic and the rest is pretty bad."

Malkovich, Malkovich, where was I? Oh, yeah, um, Malkovich.

At any rate, it was hot as hell today and where this picture was taken of Mr. Greybeard, it was over 100 Degrees.



The Missus took this pic without my permission, but I love the clouds more than I like the way she framed me in the shot. Also, when I see clouds with patterns like these and heat, I think of that particular Bowles title.

Blow the pic up, because those of you who don't know what I already look like? This is as close as you're going to get to seeing me...that is, if it really is me. Note the beard has almost turned completely grey and yes, people keep bringing it up as if I've never had grey hair before. At this point, it's just an excuse to hide behind the fact that they don't like the grey hair or to be rude.

Note the hat-hair, too.

Now put on your sunglasses for the next picture, because it's going to blind you-



Wooo, talk about a farmer's tan!

I'm Just Curious...

...at what point will refer to something as "turn of the century?"

Another Beth Meme

Were you named after anyone?

A friend of the family, thus the weird foreign name.

When was the last time you cried?

I sniffle all the time, when children are saved or if a movie can pull a miracle off. I haven't actually cried since my grandmother passed.

Do you like your handwriting?

I hate it, though I love some of my script that was influenced by 70's graffiti.

What’s your favorite lunch meat?

Andronico's has some killer Kobe roast beef and I had some excellent roast pork this morning, leftover from the Father's Day dish that The Missus cooked.

Do you have kids?

I have five kids rolled into one and he's called Procrastinator Junior. The Missus decided to take the Six Million Dollar Man approach and she built him, bigger, stronger, faster.

If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

That depends when on what day I caught me. I would probably be friends with me because of the multi-racial thing, but I can be a bit of an a**h*le when the job gets me down.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Um, do you read this blog?

Do you still have your tonsils?

Yes and they get me incredibly sick, every time I live in a winter clime.

Would you bungee jump?

I've answered this before on another meme...hello, part African-American here, I don't deal with ropes and jumping, ya now what I mean?

Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Naw.

Do you think you’re strong?

I can always be stronger.

Red or pink?

I don't know why I don't own a certain Aerosmith album, but I should because this song says it all.

What’s your least favorite thing about your body?

My middle-aged metabolism.

Who do you miss the most?

I miss my grandmother for sentimental reasons and the fact that she kept the family together, but I don't miss people in general. People ebb and flow into other people's lives just like water. Enjoy your time with them, but nothing and no one stays with you forever.

What color pants and shoes are you wearing?

Blue jeans, probably Levi's. In keeping with Asian tradition, I don't wear shoes in the house.

How about your shirt?

This one is on me today, though I have about eight Cafepress shirts that I rotate during the summer.

What’s the last thing you ate?

It was soft taco night at the Procrastinator House. Ground chicken, Lawry's Taco Seasoning, Wholly Guacamole, fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, Herdez Tomatillo Salsa, and Mission Bell Soft Taco-sized Tortillias.

What are you listening to right now?

ImaginAsian TV is rocking Gankutsuou. Mind you, it's hard to understand because I only know four words of Japanese and my eyes are on this meme, instead of the subtitles.

Who’s the last person you spoke to on the phone?

The Missus.

If you were a crayon, which color would you be?

Angry Orange (is that an actual Crayon color?).

What’s your favorite smell?

Heh-heh-heh.

What’s your favorite sport to watch?

Football!

What color is your hair?

Salt and pepper, though more salt seems to be seeping in, as of late.

What color are your eyes?

Brown.

Do you wear contacts?

I still have 20-20 vision, though The Missus will tell you that I am blind to most things.

Favorite food?

Anything except for Taco Smell and McDogsh*t's.

What’s your favorite ice cream?

Mint chocolate chip.

Favorite dessert?

Chocolate.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary movies.

What’s the last movie you watched?

I can't even remember.

What book are you reading now?

Laura Lippman's "By A Spider's Thread"

Summer or winter?

Summer.

Hugs or kisses?

All those things and everything that accompanies them.

What’s on your mouse pad?

"Dell."

What did you watch on TV last night?

"Emeril Live" or "No Reservations," I can't remember which."

What’s your favorite sound?

Look it up. It's on another meme on this blog, for sure.

Rolling Stones or Beatles?

As a kid I love the Beatles and found The Stones too dark. Now I find that the Stones are just right, Goldilocks and it is the Beatles that have a catalog that is too light.

What’s the farthest you’ve been from home?

Venice, Italy. If I had about $200 on a particular day, I could've checked out Yugoslavia.

Do you have a special talent?

I can turn a phrase here and there.

Where were you born?

The City of Saint Francis in the lovely state of California.

Who do you want to answer these questions?

Only if you feel like it.

"Jackals, Lizards And Birds, Oh My"

Dozens of flights were delayed at India's New Delhi airport Monday after lizards, birds and jackals strayed on to a runway to seek refuge from the monsoon rains.

Animal rescuers rounded up the critters and moved them to habitats outside airport property. But the operation delayed several flights and shut down the runway for some time, airport spokesman Arun Arora said.

Kartick Satyanarayan of the conservation group Wildlife SOS said the animals descended on the runway in search of dry ground.

Big whoop.

My job is teeming with jackals, lizards and all kinds of all birds...nipping at my heels all the damn time. And does that make the news? No-oooooooo!

A Royal Award

I was bestowed an award from royalty. Yes, Princess Ladybug gave me an award and I'll let her explain the details-

So here's the story on this award...It was created by Crystal at Memoir's of a Mommy to honor her son's heart donor. The plan is to help raise awareness for organ donation. That's a plan that I can definitely get behind.

Please, if you haven't done so already take the necessary steps to become an organ donor. God blessed us with this body to use while on earth so it is only right to pass that blessing on when we leave to join Him.

Crystal also says, "SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog.

**All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**"

So there it is folks, a wonderful award to raise organ donor awareness.

Now I have a few people that I would like to give this to...

Katie Schwartz, my best online friend and confidant, where would this blog or me be without you?

John Carlucci, who just like Katie, encourages me to write at every given turn and always gives me a personal kick in the ass.

Dale, who is responsible for about 70% of the readership of the three blogs and he sets the bar for blog humor.

Becky, my favorite blog crush who always manages to give me a fresh dose of snark and makes me feel like we are in seventh grade.

And last but not least Quin, who would make a post like this a thousand times more eloquent and profound.

So I've Been Slacking

So I haven't been by your blog and yeah, I've forsaken you for video crack, but at least I'm honest about it.



Look, how about a dozen roses, okay? Wha? No, don't cry, don't cry. Please, you know how much I hate it when you do that.

I've gotten a little writing done, but unless you were Quin, Dale or Chelene, you wouldn't know that, would you? See, I can cry too and unlike you, I don't need glycerine tears >. P

Hell, I've been writing too, though I only have one completed story to show for it. The problem is the word "completed," it's such a contradiction to a procrastinator such as my self.

I've also been working on my Shelfari page this week, though it isn't where I want it to be.

So I'll be back at your blog this weekend and the days following, just as soon as I reconquer Shi Ting.

Don't Look To The Skies...

...they've already been here for some time.

Separated At Birth And The Official Blog That Sharks Jump Over

Write Procrastinator

Well, as you can see right above this, it is now official. Write Procrastinator has become the blog that sharks jump over. On the other hand, I should glad to be the best at something. Enough with that cheese-

If you've read this blog for some time, you'll know that The Missus contends that this woman (who seems to be just a little too enthusiastic about this jar of salsa)...

...looks just like this celebrity...

Um, I'll stop demanding that people stop lurking.