San Diego

We had the whole of Saturday night to get to San Diego, meet up with Mike's girlfriend Shelly & find some entertainment, then sleep in her parents' giant house and get to a relaxed Sunday afternoon game. We started off on the road again...

California hills, man.

The ocean!

Trippy highway backdrop.

Lo and behold, we found a cool concert to check out in San Diego at a club called the Belly Up Tavern.

The opening act was a great jammy band called Endoxi. Sax, jam! They had their own "hype girls", dancers, Endoxi Girls, whatever they call 'em... one of them was super hot. And there was the San Diego Chicken!

Rock. I own two Endoxi CDs. Lead singer's name is Chris, nice guy!

And then, inexplicably, there were suddenly Ghostbusters on stage.

Endoxi was actually opening for this band... the Dave Matthews Cover Band. No joke. What are the odds?! I went to my first DMB show with Mike! Thirteen years ago! They were pretty good.

Finally, to the game the following afternoon.

Every Sunday, I think, the Padres wear camo uniforms in support of American troops, many of which are stationed in San Diego. Aren't they effin' ugly?

Bonus! Root against the Mets!

Much like Camden Yards in Baltimore, they built this park right around this cool old building. Nice.

They're quite polite in San Diego.

Mike's employer!

Out just behind centerfield, there is this... which is a miniature ballfield, where kids can come in and take an at-bat, for free, and also play the field!

Damn, that's pretty sweet!

In between the two ballparks is this centerfield beach!! Basically a huge sandbox right behind right-center, where kids can hang out in the sand and watch the game, while their parents watch the game (and them, presumably) in the bleachers. Friggin' awesome.

San Diego is a huge Navy town, and they had this aircraft carrier model on display in the concourse.

Mike's shot.

Wyld Stallions!

Box Score Research: we got to see Johan Santana pitch (well) for the fuckin' Mets (8 innings, 1 run), and K-Rod closed the game out. Santana also had two hits and an RBI! Fuckin' Mets won 5-1.

I was in California, and before I was allowed to leave, I was legally bound to eat at In-n-Out Burger. Good! Not great, but whatever. Best service, ever!

Mike then took me on a mini-tour of San Diego on the way to Ocean Beach... that's right... OB! I have my own deli there, too.

Sweet beach sunset over there at OB.

Nice pier.

Gorgeous.

There's my hostel!

And my fashions. Plural.

I surf, and I sk8.

I auto.

I'm also very, very fast.

There were tons of these.

Even with a Kenobe! I tried in VAIN to find any more of those oval black & white OB bumper stickers (Erin Price bought me one there YEARS ago), and that was a royal bummer. But still, OB on OB!

And then on the way to the airport, I made Mike stop at the Pollo Loco, which is just the best name of a fast food joint, ever. (The Crazy Chicken). Food was... marginal... but it was fun just being there. It was also very greasy being there.

All that was left after that was to ogle hot teenage girls at the airport, stomach my way through a stomach-full of Pollo Loco on a cross-country airplane ride, and get the hell home. No sweat. Good times, man. Good times. :-)