Joanvb wrote:Congratulations, Bob!
Gee...You make Long Beach sound like a hell hole. :)
As long as you don't want to drive anywhere outside of Long Beach, it's just fine. :lol:
I had tentatively planned this message, but after seeing your comments, I realize that it is an imperative. I should apologize for for being so negative in that last message. The positive aspects of the trip far more than outweigh the negative aspects of smog and traffic. The Saturday morning trip to the Long Beach Rowing Association alone was worth the trip. With the clubhouse renovation completed, except for the fancy new decorations that are planned, it is really a beautiful setting. The weather was ideal that morning — warm sunshine and glassy water. I got there just as the college men and women were finishing up and putting their boats away and hung around long enough to see the veteran 8 crew with its 4 (or more?) Olympians take off. I had a nice chat with the one of the greatest champs of all, Angela Madsen (
www.rowoflife.net), and got caught up on the current status of her planned trans-Atlantic row. The other boat traffic was fairly light for a weekend and I had the pleasure of watching a couple of seals cavorting on the other side of the back channel.
The day before, after the trial, I had a great lunch at the little cafe inside Mother's Market in Costa Mesa. After that I did a bit of shopping at the South Coast Plaza. I gotta admit, they ain't nuthin' much like that hyar in Big Pine.
Staying at Boris Beljak's beachfront condo in L.B. was an out-of-this-world experience in itself. On both Friday and Saturday morning I took advantage of the opportunity to use Boris' model D for my daily 10' wakeup piece. It is out on his balcony, looking directly south over the beach. To the right, I could see the old Queen Mary and the dome that once housed the "Spruce Goose" and, in spite of the haze, Catalina was visible to the southwest and rising sun was to my left. Directly south, I could see "the Queen's Gate" opening in the long breakwater and meditate on the fact that the only land between that and Antarctica is the little island of San Clemente about 50 (?) miles away.
There were a few joggers and cyclists using the paved path just below the balcony, but I missed out on the sunbathers that came out when it warmed up later in the day. No matter — the "bird watching" wasn't all that bad in C.M., at the S.C.P., and at the LBRA — not only the collegians Saturday morning, but the lively bunch of juniors Friday evening.
Bob S.
. Tomorrow is UT1 2x12min.
), awesome to watch and I will keep it for inspiration.
