trippy trip part 3

so we were on the way to chez panisse, the famous restaurant that alex, mr. chef, was dying to try. we had a good 6+ hour drive to get there in time for the reservation that he had made a month ahead of time. we left a little more than 7 hours early for stops and whatnot. we stopped in ashland, oregon to check out the cuteness of town and to take a little walk through the park. back on the road for a loooong stretch. thank god for the ipods (although that battery power issue was a big ol' pain!).

next stop, weed, california. we just had to stop there. duh. took a couple pics. then alex was dying to stop for a smoke break. i was warning against it, but he insisted. so we stopped. of course i got a little paranoid (most of you know my oklahoma story... if you don't email me). at that point we were cutting it a little close to making it in time to the restaurant. then the worst happened. we hit bad traffic in the middle of nowhere in northern cal. we were stuck. turned out to be a roadside fire. things weren't looking good, so i called the restaurant saying we might be a little late and could we get a later reservation. no go. and they would only hold our table for a half hour. uh oh.

another snag along the way... we missed the exit to the bay area and the next exit after that was 10 minutes away. a 20 minute lag. we were never going to make it. alex called next asking if there was ANY way we could get in... he was a chef too, was dying to go the restaurant, we came in from NY, we were driving down from oregon, we hit traffic, the whole sob story. and no sympathy! well la di da. the worst part was that they took $50 for the res from his credit card and told him he couldn't get it back if we didn't make it. that just pissed him off and the trip from that point took a turn for the worst. dear sweet alex became very very angry and there was nothing i could say or do to make it better.

the worst part was that we actually made it to the berkeley exit right at 6:30 (the latest we could get there) and we called to see if we could still get the table. they had given it away already. SORRY! good thing was they decided to give him the $50 back. but still, alex was so mad. it was shitty to say the least. i tried to make it better, saying that it was good that we'd get to san francisco earlier, that we'd find a good restaurant there, and we'd have more time to tool around the city. wasn't working. and then we hit horrible traffic on the bay bridge (my most least favorite bridge... i always picture the big one hitting and falling through the cracks). we made it to the hotel and alex was still fuming. put a major chink in the fun.

i had no idea where to go to dinner, so i did a little research online and found a good chinese place (which was his next choice). luckily it was really good and he wasn't so pissy anymore. we had a great walk around the north end, up to coit tower and down around the cute little streets of SF. i really love that city. i lived there for a summer, but that was a long time ago and i blocked out most of that period (or i was just too stoned on dank nugs to retain any of the memories). next was a trip to the top to check the music scene. funnily enough, i ran into a guy i had met before who was djing and working the door. that was a free entry. sweet! the club was lacking, the music ok, the drinks weak. at least there were two lame white chicks getting busy on the dance floor that we had fun watching.

the next day was MUCH better than the day before. started out at crepes on cole (my local fave breakfast spot). we decided since we weren't spending the couple hundred at dinner the night before, that we'd spend it shopping. i knew just where to go: haight street (my old hood). alex got a sweet hat and great shoes and i picked up an amazing japanese poncho and some brown boots that i will where to death come fall/winter in NY. we scored. shopping is always the best cure. i really wished we'd had more time in SF, but alas, we had to get going. alex really wanted to go to the monterey bay aquarium and since he missed the restaurant i was sure to get him there on time. we made it to monterey with 2 hours to spend in the aquarium. it was awesome. we were pleasantly baked and i took a zillion digi pics of the jellyfish which will soon be on my desktop! so fun. i also had planned on us driving down highway 1 to check out the cool view (hadn't been that way in some time). unfortunately it was completely cloudy and you couldn't see the full view, but it was still pretty cool. made it to big sur before dark and walked around the stream. LOVE THAT TOWN!

the rest of the drive down the 1 was totally dark and i opted to drive it. ugh! it sucked. i was driving like an old lady, leaning forward, forehead almost touching the wheel, foot hoovering on the break. the goal was to make it to LA by that night. SF morning/afternoon, down to monterey for the aquarium til 7, highway 1 all the way down to LA in one day??? what was i thinking? after stopping off in san luis obispo for a quick bite, alex drove the rest of the way and we arrived at amy's in santa monica at about 2am. that was the longest day yet. but i was happy to wake up in LA.

we had breakfast with dennis hopper then next morning. well, he was two table down, but that was a pretty good star sighting for alex (he even knew who he was! the boy isn't too up on his celeb. unlike someone else i know. heh). on to venice. muscle beach, silly street performers, bad street arts and crafts. the day was perfect. hot, sunny and clear with a cool breeze. it was definitely a beach day. we headed straight for malibu after that and spent the hottest hours of the day on the beach. it was just what we needed. a little relaxation. i was feeling my painfully white skin getting fried. only thing i could do to salvage the burn was get in the water. AH! so good.

next was meeting up with wanna who took over driving in the convertible (a must for LA sight-seeing). i had been chatting up in-n-out burger to alex the entire trip and we were finally going. and man, was it good! he was dying. so funny to take an in-n-out virgin to have their first. loved it. we picked up michael later and headed to the water park in downtown LA to a free concert. met michele there. great to see her for a bit. the crew wasn't feeling the music so we left pretty early. we had time to kill as the plan was to go to jahmal's (the authentic jamaicaan speak-easy; LA's best kept secret) after hours. another quick stop at the short stop for beers and pictures in the photobooth. next was meeting up with sara, callum, mark, jom, bucky, arya, etc, etc at the red lion. more time killing and beer drinking. and finally, by the time 1:30 rolled around we made it to jahmal's. i hadn't been there in ages and it was cool to be back. that place is such a freakin trip. you really do feel like you're in jamaica (eventhough i've never been, it's exactly how i picture it). we got our drinks and our ganga lollipops and made our way to a side room. fernando joined us by that time along with some other random LA homies. some serious jamaican dude walked into the room, dreads to his butt wearing rasta colors and greeted mark (the resident hanger outer at jahmal's) with an enormous joint. in a room full of 10+ people that thing went around about 7 times. craaaazy. needless to say, we were all very very stoned. good times.

the evening ended at about 5am at mel's diner where bad karaoke was going on. a black dude singing coldplay? HUH?? it was weird. i ordered a waffle which was worse than an ego and we got back to amy's at dawn. what a night. next day, was bay city sandwiches, a walk on 3rd st. and a movie which was the only energy we could muster that day. we met up with wanna, michael and mai for beers at the brewery before heading down to fallbrook that night. it was basically the end of the trip. i could tell alex was bumming, but i was ready. it was non-stop since the wedding and i was pooped!

got to the hometown by 11 and introduced my mom to alex. i wasn't worried. my mom is the coolest and treats everyone equal. we chatted for a bit. alex was shy and quiet, which annoyed me a little, but what was i expecting? meeting the mother? that's always a little nerve-racking. i met with my grandma briefly the final day of the trip. just stopped by to say hello and goodbye. took alex on a mini-tour of fallbrook. met with my aunt. then alex, my mom and i drove down to san diego to meet with debbie, my step mother. poor alex. had to spend the last day of his trip meeting my whole family. well, it was fine. we were at her house for about an hour and then it was off to the airport. sad to say goodbye to my mom as always, but i was really ready for to get home. all in all it was a fun trip... we saw and did so much. i learned a lot about my boyfriend and our relationship (both good and bad). they always say you learn the most about your significant others on vacation. it was an ambitious trip mentally and physically, to say the least.