From Bixby Bridge in Big Sur

Car Shows, Riding on a Harley, Fried Artichokes, and fresh, hot Cinnamon Rolls!

What an amazing weekend it’s been! I’ve been out showing my friend from Meeneesooota the sights and it’s been an tour of the senses.

That’s partly why I haven’t been around much. Like anyone’s noticed. (I can’t yet tell you all the other reason just yet, but will tell you all as soon as I can. And I promise you’ll love it! ‘Cept for maybe my parents. But they’ve got to be use to me by now.)

It is truly a delight to show someone the sights who has the ability to let their inner child out, experiencing the world with that same sense of wonder and appreciation. He was amazed by the beauty of the Big Sur, California coast, and let himself express it and immerse himself in it. That’s the part most people seem to find hard to do. For me it comes naturally. Probably because I’ve never grown up. I’ve often been considered the ‘oddball’, the ‘wild card’, the unpredictable non-conformist, and am certainly considered so by my family, but I’d never trade the exhilaration of seeing the world through a child’s eyes for anything – especially not for social acceptance.

1954 Buick Special

Friday we went to a small, local car show: CCOC Custom & Classic Car Show pictures. Yes, the pictures are fine. It is your eyes that are fuzzy.

One of the great things about showing someone around whose never been to California is there are so many ‘firsts’ for them. My friend had never had Ahi tartar (raw tuna, a personal favorite of mine). He’d ordered wild board ribs, but loved my tuna. (I’m gonna leave that one alone.) He’d also never had wild boar, and sourdough or focaccia breads.  He said playfully, in a small voice, ‘I’m a virgin’.

Well, ya know what I said? Yes you do, and yes I did. After summing up all of the new things he’d just eaten I said, ‘Well, you’re not a virgin anymore because I just popped your cherry.’ His reaction clearly indicated he hadn’t see that coming, but I think he’s starting to get an idea about me now.

Harley's at House of Thunder in Morgan Hill

The next day was the Motorcycle Run to Big Sur (pictures here). This is one of the most beautiful coastlines in California –  if not the world. there were about 100 bikes on the run. It was Meeneesooota’s first time seeing the California coast, with the exception of one brief trip to Santa Cruz the week before. (Yup, I popped that cherry, too.) My legs are sore from holding on for the 170 mile round-trip ride. His hips are probably bruised from me holding on with my knees! But I bet he liked it.

On the way back we stopped at the Castroville Artichoke Festival. There was a large selection of food booths, which was surprising for an event focused on one type of food: Artichokes. They had artichoke jewelry, artichokes on pizza, in tacos, in burritos, etc. They also had artichoke cupcakes, but we didn’t. Instead, we had fried artichokes and the world’s best cinnamon buns hot out of the oven! This event was a first for both of us, so it was a double cherry-popper.

We smelled and tasted wonderful food, saw the beautiful ocean and smelled the sea air, felt the wind on our skin, and the purr of the bike beneath us. (The only thing missing was Tantric Sex.) After weekends like this I find it extremely hard to go back to my little bit of square-shaped hell. I call Mondays ‘Sensory Deprivation Monday’. When a weekend is filled with fun events, rides on a really nice Harley, great food, friends and conversation, and all the wonderful things that stimulate your senses, it’s supremely difficult, actually depressing, to return to a padded 8×8 cell cubicle in a creativity-squashing environment my government job. You all probably know how much I’d love to quit (see this if you don’t), but I’m not making much off the adult toy store yet. What? Oh, sorry, did I forget to mention that? Check out the link in the section to your left… the one that says “Toys For Adults”. Go ahead, you know you want to. It’s completely anonymous (I won’t know if you bought anything or what you bought) and the prices are great!