San Diego's First Impression on Me
First off, I have the best woman in the whole world to love me, bar none. After waking up at 7 or so this morning because the cat was demanding both attention and food, we lay in bed for a bit talking and enjoying our bodies being so close to each other.
She let me fall back asleep and get another three hours of sleep in! Knowing I was beat from travelling and work and everything. I love her more and more with each moment. Too sweet for words. Though I continue to try.

So eventually I did wake up and we made a light and excellent breakfast, Einstein's bagels with light cream cheese from Trader Joe's (LOVE Trader Joe's! love it, love it, love it!) and then capers, red onions and finally some fresh smoked salmon lox on top. Washed down with a Smirnoff Ice (I AM on vacation down here and it was coming up on 11).

After breakfast we headed out to see about renting a bike for the weekend so we could pedal around the beach area and all over. First stop was outrageously overpriced at $14 for 4 hours of bike usage. The second stop was much, much better and the guy working the counter was great, gave us a great deal of $20 to 4:30 Sunday afternoon. Paula mentioned we were interested in maybe buying a cruiser if he knew of some being sold, amazingly enough, he did and we rolled down the street to the other spot in the family chain. Another really nice and fun guy behind the counter, the other guy's uncle, and we found a cruiser we could easily deal with and at a price that was easily justified. Seventy-five for the bike, $15 for the basket on the front, a few more duckets for some cool stickers (who DOESN'T need a Dr. Zog's Sex Wax sticker?) and they even let us apply the rental cost to the bike price.

And soon we were wheeling around on our own new bike, the first joint purchase of our young and wonderful relationship. We had to retrace steps for a bit and ended up back at Paula's apartment because she was positive she'd brought her license and didn't have it at the shop. But it was laying on the floor of the apartment when we got back. As sometimes happens, we experienced a minor delay before heading back out into the beautiful San Diego sun.

Before too long we were pedaling towards the beach and the long frontage path between sand and houses (the proper name is escaping me presently, maybe I'll edit later and put it on but don't count on it). Keep in mind that its January and there were tons of people out, in bikinis, tank tops, roller blades, bikes and whatnot. One of the first real observations I made is that San Diegans are a pretty healthy lot, many, many men and women in phenomenal shape out running or biking. My second observation is that there are a huge number of bulletheads here, bulletheads meaning military types with haircuts high and tight, buff bods and a slight fuck you attitude (the one near collision I had was because the guy, who wasn't a bullethead, was basically looking to crash into someone as an excuse to get into it with someone, gotta be a few assholes, right?).

But truly, he was an extraordinarily minor annoyance in an otherwise really enjoyable cruise amongst throngs of people out enjoying the day.
We rode our bikes down a good ways before realizing that we were going to have to make a move to get back to the apartment and get to Ocean Beach (or OB as everyone calls it, which reminds girls of tampons and boys of golf) for sunset. It was close but we made it to the rocks above the water just a few minutes before the sun dropped through the clouds and dazzled us with a gorgeous display. Well worth the effort to go and enjoy it, and I'll have the pics to prove it when I get home Monday night.

As darkness descended over San Diego we talked about things we might want to do with our early evening. As we were both a little hungry we spun through a place called Santana's for some carne asada nachos with both their rojas and verde salsas. Paula reminded me that we were on our way to Ikea (I'd never ever been before because the closest one to Santa Cruz is in Emeryville which is right next to Oakland and that's 75 miles away and OJ, my old VW, don't play that unless he's got to!).

So we spent the next couple of hours winding our way through the big old Ikea, learning about styles that the other hates, or that we both dig on. I'm open to lots of different styles really and have a predisposition to modern furnishings but I also love the classics, wood is always good, chrome and stainless steel works perfectly for the both of us. Though I will have to carry all of my goodies home, I did end up having to buy a bunch of things, spending a whopping $50 and getting some cool stuff. They have sooo much, and the prices are pretty well eminently reasonable (one or two things made me wonder what they were smoking when they priced them, $25 for a pillow? What?). I could detail all the goodies but why? The main import is that Paula and I had a ton of fun shopping together. She got some excellent fun stuff and the biggest issue we had was making sure our purchases more or less jibed with the other's stuff so that, when do that fated merge of possessions and lives, we will not clash at the very least.

A couple of hours of fun time, low speed shopping later and we checked out, Paula won the sweepstakes by buying more stuff than I did, or spent more at least. The aluminum photo boxes set her over the top but she was also pushed ahead by the cool glass square vases (though one's now her abused fish's new home, the others took turns beating it up) and the others will be used for forcing bulbs to bloom indoors or where ever.

Among my cool stuff was an excellent shaker with a pint glass that had a ring of rubber around the top making for one heck of a fit and great cocktail mashing action. The other good thing is another new light for my office (too dark makes it too easy to nap). But really, overall, I'm truly happy with all the cool things I did end up getting. And Paula and I realized that we both really do enjoy the heck out of shopping.

Ikea behind us we stopped in at Chez Target (pronounce it properly, Tar-shay) for various sundries and more fun. Really, as long as its the two of us together, we'll always have a good time. She makes me laugh and I make her laugh and I love her all the more for it. Q-tips in hand, we stopped in at Trader Joe's for more supplies (vodka, peanut sauce, Toblerone fun pack, apple cereal bars) and then home for dinner.

And dinner kicked ass! Salmon under the broiler with a white wine, shallot, butter and Dijon mustard sauce along with quinoa (a new grain to me but nutty and very tasty with some of the sauce over it) and some steamed asparagus. Served up with some Charles Shaw (thanks TJ!) and we were most definitely in business!

Which brings all of the world up to speed on current events in San Diego. I'm liking being down here but expected to as I'm spending it with both my best friend and my lover, and future wife. How could I be unhappy here with her? I hope everyone out there gets a taste of the happiness she's brought to me and, hopefully, I to her.

In Uber Geek Heaven News
Apple to Unveil Vid iPod? Enough said for now because its just speculation and friends have been talking about a Bluetooth enabled 'pod too. But its all cool by me, more toys from Apple that catch the world's attention and I can thumb my nose yet again at all those naysayers (you hearing me, Peter?) that predicted Apple's demise again and again and again through the 80's and 90's.

You rock, Steve Jobs! Continue to kick the world in the pants, it needs it!