Shell fish specifically.
I can eat and do love fish and chips.
Tonight I had the halibut and chips at El Segundo Fish Co. In, go figure, El Segundo, CA.
If you should find yourself in the area, give them a try. Portions are good, service was friendly and the price was reasonable.
Including a beer, my dinner was $21.
El Segundo Fish Co. I will be back!
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I had the privilege of dinner with my boss and his son this evening. We went to watch the Lakers play and as fate would have it the game was a blowout. For me, being one of the first times I actually went someplace to watch a basketball game, it was kinda boring.
Now, just for the record, this was not a baby sitting father and young son night out. Mark and Michael are both adults. They are co-managing the company as the elder imparts years of wisdom in the younger. Their conversations are varied and often passionate.
I can't help but smile at the struggle I know they have as the wisdom doesn't quite hit home for the younger and the unbridled passion to jump in with both feet escapes the conservative nature of the elder. I know my sons and I had these same struggles and I wonder who in my life was watching and smiling as I do now.
As the three of us sat half not watching the game the conservation took many paths, work, the people there, LA, the mid-west... politics.
The younger says to me "my dad wants to ask Obama a question. Has he told you? Dad, tell DNR what you want to ask President Obama."
The elder says to me, "Why do you want to change this country? I hate communism [socialism]. He is trying to make this country into a social state. Take my money and give it to people that have never worked. Not poor. Never tried. This is a wonderful country, you can be anything you want, you want a lot of money, you can make it. You want to be President, YOU can be President. When I left my country they were bringing about change. We were a strong country. Our currency was accepted all around the world... now &%€@ [cursing in another language]. My question for my Obama is this, 'what did you have when you were eleven?' [looking at me with great passion in his eyes] What did Mr Obama have when he was eleven?"
"Nothing." I replied. Half expecting an 'ah-ha' gotcha. But he simply asked "what does he have now...? He is President. Why does he want to change this country?"
So, Mr Obama, we have a question. After nearly 50 years, you have gone from (by all accounts) nothing to President. If it worked for you, Why do you want to change this country?
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Not 1,200 or 2,400 like it used to be.
Life finds me now living one and two tenths miles from the beach. Today is my second or third trip to the place where sand meats water. Since the kayaus that was my life recently has subsided I took time this visit to look, to see.
Remember back in the 70s, there was a PSA commercial where an American Indian would stand someplace and observe the trash blowing up at his feet and we would see a tear fall down his cheek?
Today I watched the tattered remains of a gallon milk jug wrestle with the surf. Ten feet out, two feet, stuck in he sand, lifted back up and taken another six feet out. Ultimately is settled on the shore, partly stuck in the sand. I'm guessing it will stay there till next high tide, then be pushed further up on shore.
Where I sit right now, maybe 20 feet from the water, there are cigarette filters galore, packing peanuts, foam coffee cup scraps, a literal plethora of plastic bits and pieces AND too many other things to mention. I know on the coasts they don't necessarily use landfills as much as us inlanders do. They use ocean dumps. Now, I don't know if the stuff here on the beach with me is just trash from last years beach crowd or if it is the ocean returning to us what is truly ours but I do know it's shameful.
I know why coastal living folks are so pro recycle. This 'stuff' is literally in their back yard.
As conservative as I am, I, personally, need to do a better job reusing the stuff that I have.
As for the milk jug...
I put it in a trash can but I can't help but wonder, will it be back?
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Sitting in a LA area Starbucks, some things occur to me.
I couldn't help but smile at a young Asian couple with their very young daughter. Speaking Chinese (I'm guessing) they chatted. Mom would giggle and chatter something while pointing at the little girl. Dad would smile and look at her in his lap and she would beam with a child's innocent smile. Absolutely the most precious thing I've seen in days.
This are has a lot of Asians. LA is the new mixing pot of America.
Four young men are sitting. outside chatting in their language. I can only imagine it is politics. Heh, maybe they are talking about the fat white guy typing frantically in his BB. LOL!
Outside there is blazing sunshine, palm trees, snow capped mountains, and thunderstorm clouds hugging some of the lower peaks. Truly an amazing place.
I could learn to like LA.
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I have a fan!
Nice post, in a drunk, profound way. You're posting less and less these days. You hate California, and your life there, right? You left everything behind, the Barn, your friends, your family, the PGR...
At least, try to post more often. You have a good, direct and amusing, straightforward style, that its not that easy to find. In 4 words, you're fun to read. Despite all our differences.
Cheers from Europe/Portugal
I never thought my troll would be the one that comes back regularly to read my posts.
So, sincere or a smart ass jab? meh, who cares.
Everyone can stop reading here except "Europe/Portugal"
-------------------
Yes, I'm posting less and less. I'm on face book daily... or more. I must admit, I do kinda miss your ranting and posting here in a more anonymous manner.
No, I don' hate California, the weather is great and I'm meeting some really great people. I do miss the Barn, my friends, family, the PGR... There are PGR here and like i said, I'm making friends.
And thanks for the complement.
It’s 12:30am Wednesday morning and I’m not sleeping again. Not sleepy… maybe choosing not to sleep. I’m actually not sure which.
Earlier today a friend posted on FB (by the way, that’s where I’m spending most of my time these days) he was headed up to the barn to get some ink done. Sigh. Sitting at my desk (it’s really a table, I don’t have a desk… and don’t even ask about ‘an office’) I pondered on that statement just long enough to get a lump in my throat.
I’m here, they’re there. And life goes on.
I may have to drink a bottle of Jack this weekend just so I can pretend I’m there.
If, somehow, someone, were to read this and happened to get the Barn Bunch together for a ‘biker’ style (you know, fingers, moons, maybe ‘twins’) group photo and sent it to me… I’d be really grateful.
Again, Not what I expected.
I expected a culture of hug the planet, save the trees, flow control faucets on everything, don’t drink sodas, only eat salads, you know, the left cost way of life. I also expected PC-ness to be running rampant.
From the people here, I have observed, they are worse than any Midwesterner. They litter, freely. We’re talking sandwich wrappers, empty cigarette boxes, multiple napkins… it’s almost disgusting. Use it, drop it out the car window. On the freeway, at traffic lights, in a parking lot… wherever they are.
There is fast food everywhere and everyone eats it. Now some times they tend to go for the ‘chuck-wagon’, (one of those traveling trucks that brings food to a business) What they get from there are fries with cheese, super sloppy burritos… all kinds of stuff that isn’t good for you.
Sidebar – the chuck wagon is more like a carnival food truck, not the little pick-up-with-a-heater-and-refrigerator like the other factory had. These have deep fryers, griddles, freezers and 2 or 3 workers in them. They must come from somewhere near by here because in the mornings, I see a half dozen of them on the road. Oh yea, they are here for breakfast too.
My apartment does not have flow control on the shower head. I was genuinely surprised to see this. The water pressure is great. I have the hot and cold valves turned less than one-eight of a turn and I can spray parts into my hair. Any more opening of the valves and I think the shower streams would cut my skin.
There are TV and radio commercials (PSA’s) telling everyone there is ‘mandatory water conservation’. Don’t hose of your driveway, take only 5-minute showers, fix broken sprinklers, etc.
PC – again, political correctness seems to be an elitist philosophy. Some customer name and or job name had something like fine china in the name. ho boy, you wouldn’t believe the vagina gags running around and being shouted over the walls. Funny, yes. Expected, no.
Maybe what I have been told is just from Hollywood. Maybe these people are too busy working and trying to get by in this crazy economy (like the rest of the country) to worry about what the Hollywood Elite seem to worry about. It’s kind of comforting but in the same since, it’s disheartening.
Being conservative doesn’t mean I’m not ecologically aware. I don’t litter, I try to eat right when time allows. And does any body really ‘hose’ off their driveway weekly or daily??
If I’m more conservation conscious than 70-80% of the left coast… what does that mean?
What would you give up for a job?
Would you move...
... across town/city?
... across the state?
... the country?
I know, I know. I'm beating this to death.
BUT
I've said before, these PGR guys (and gals) around here ARE family. There is more love here than any church I've ever attended.
I'm gonna miss them. All of them.
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