Just Getting Along!

I spent the weekend in Santa Barbara, California. I took my laptop but managed to go the entire weekend without using it once. I didn't post, read blogs, surf the web, or check one single email. Oddly enough, the world did not melt at my feet as a result of my failure to do so. It's funny how that works. Things usually manage to go forward without my meager input. And believe it or not, I didn't miss anything important.

It was a clear weekend and the temperature reading in my car showed 68 degrees -72 degrees for most of the time. The clear skies and bright sun made the temperature seem hotter. The slight breeze had a nice cooling effect but standing around in the sun proved to be quite warm. The nights were pleasant, cool, and refreshing. It was really a nice experience.

On Saturday, I enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch at a restaurant named:

"Left at Albuquerque." located at 700 State Street in Santa Barbara. The atmosphere and dress are casual. If you go there, try the fish tacos.... They were good. The house salsa, served with colorful chips, left a bit to be desired. I found it to be really plain and somewhat tasteless. Not the way I like it. I asked the waitress (her service was great and the gratuity reflected it) for some jalapenos to "kick it up" a bit. That seemed to do the trick. After that, I needed something to put out the fire in my mouth so I bypassed the traditional margarita and went for their seasonal beer instead. It was a Sam Adams - Summer Blond Ale - I believe. It was Supreme! It was served in a frosted "Miller Lite" glass with the Los Angeles Lakers logo on it. A really cool glass but probably an etiquette blunder in the eyes of good ole Sam. I overlooked the Miller Lite logo, not that I have anything against Miller, and enjoyed the awesome beer in spite of the oversight. It was quite nice after a morning in the sun and a touch of sunburn on the back of my neck. The bar area was lively and had a wide screen plasma television and they were showing the Belmont Stakes. As you probably know, Da' Tara, a 38-1 long shot, shocked the field and took home a victory while Big Brown disappointed and failed to be anointed as the 12th Triple Crown champion.

Da' Tara

After lunch I came upon a gentleman with three of his friends. The young man seemed to be a bit down on his luck but very long on his sense of humor. I marveled at how his three pals were snuggled up together and I took the liberty of dropping some change in his hat and snapping this photo:

Can't we just Get Along?

A mouse resting on a cat who happens to be resting on a sleeping dog. The obvious paradox - These guys are generally regarded as natural enemies and appear to be getting along fine. After reflecting on this picture for a while, I was immediately reminded of the words of the great statesman, humanitarian, and philanthropist - Rodney King - who I've quoted below:

"People, I just want to say, you know, can we all get along? Can we get along? Can we stop making it, making it horrible for the older people and the kids?...It’s just not right. It’s not right. It’s not, it’s not going to change anything. We’ll, we’ll get our justice....Please, we can get along here. We all can get along. I mean, we’re all stuck here for a while. Let’s try to work it out. Let’s try to beat it. Let’s try to beat it. Let’s try to work it out " (reference link)

So armed with this new insight, motivated by this revolutionary philosophy, and refreshed from my weekend break, I'm now off to conquer the world!

May you all be equally moved!