8.6.07 / 5:26pm
Santa Cruz Snapshots
For the first time in a while, I feel like I'm Home. I've been living here since May, but I've always had travel plans, always been going somewhere. I have no plans to go anywhere at the moment, and it's really allowed me to appreciate what Santa Cruz has to offer, and why I came here in the first place.
For instance, I've been paying attention to the people. There's Pinky, of course, who dresses entirely in pink (including a fake pink mink stole), paints his face pink with extra pink circles on his cheeks, carries a Tweety Bird umbrella on his shoulder, the inside of which is lined with tin foil, and he spends his days walking, very slowly and very precisely up and down Pacific Avenue. When I say slowly, I mean that it takes him about five minutes to move ten feet. And he's always smiling. I'm happy to smile back.
Then there's the lady who's turned her Rascal into a veritable palanquin, complete with tasseled canopy and leopard spots. She's large, but I'm convinced that at least half of the weight consists of pure awesome.
There are also many hoboes here, but they're largely benign, rather than the Scream In Your Face About Nixon variety.
I make it a point to see the ocean every day, and I even find myself contemplating the purchase of a bicycle or (gasp!) walking places instead of driving.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go deliver a computer to my new business partner.
For instance, I've been paying attention to the people. There's Pinky, of course, who dresses entirely in pink (including a fake pink mink stole), paints his face pink with extra pink circles on his cheeks, carries a Tweety Bird umbrella on his shoulder, the inside of which is lined with tin foil, and he spends his days walking, very slowly and very precisely up and down Pacific Avenue. When I say slowly, I mean that it takes him about five minutes to move ten feet. And he's always smiling. I'm happy to smile back.
Then there's the lady who's turned her Rascal into a veritable palanquin, complete with tasseled canopy and leopard spots. She's large, but I'm convinced that at least half of the weight consists of pure awesome.
There are also many hoboes here, but they're largely benign, rather than the Scream In Your Face About Nixon variety.
I make it a point to see the ocean every day, and I even find myself contemplating the purchase of a bicycle or (gasp!) walking places instead of driving.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go deliver a computer to my new business partner.
And I just saw where "Outside" magazine selected Santa Cruz as one of their "howevermany most awesome places to live" cities.Great ice cream, an ocean to ogle, and a new business partner all in one place you call home -- makes my brain sing on your behalf just thinking about it :-)
it IS pretty awesome! i try not to ogle anything these days - i ogled a walrus once, and let's just say that "tusking" is a verb you never want to encounter.i STILL have not had the ice cream. i am waiting. we will have to do something about that soon!
If you're looking for some more belligerent-type hobos, you know where to go. There's a guy outside my building who literally speaks gibberish (selected quote: "gleeboo cranskag arkanrankan"). Further, I approve of Pinky. A lot.
justin: the rough translation of that HoboSpeak is "May I place a cuttlefish in your armpit?"I would suggest that you decline. And refrain from eye contact. Few things are as unpleasant as an unwanted cuttlefish in your armpit.
The pink guy, aka the umbrella guy...did I tell you he used to shout at people from underneath a pile of plastic bags in front of Jamba Juice? That's what I hear from people who have been here longer than I have. He didn't have an umbrella then.
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