California Dreamin...
I moved to Southern California in 1993. Two years after the LA riots. One year after the floods. Two months before the Laguna and Malibu fires. Five months before the Northridge quake. Nine months before OJ. And one year before the inevitable Malibu mudslides.
People would regularly ask me why I wanted to live in this place. Especially after they learned I was paying $750 bucks a month for a one bedroom apartment in Costa Mesa without a refidgerator. And keep in mind, that was TEN years ago. Hell, people were wondering why ANYONE would want to live here.
I'm betting it has something to do with 300 days of perfect weather a year. You know, in between all those natural disasters.
We are environmentally bulimic. Kinda like most of the women in LA. Binge on paradise and then throw it all up later. And if we don't like the way something looks, nothing a little cosmetic irrigation and implantation couldn't help.
Sure, eventually it's gonna kill us all, but we pretend not to notice.
Now where did I put my tanning oil...
Comments
'environmentally bulimic'...
I think you just created a wonderful new phrase. Hell, that whole paragraph was genius.
Now I need to pick myself up off the floor and perhaps change my pants.
Posted by: Nicole | November 16, 2003 09:06 PM
the post that mentions "tanning oil" is really was the one that deserves the beefcake link!!
Posted by: dvl | November 16, 2003 10:05 PM
I suppose it's all in what you are used to but I would die in weather like that all year around. I suppose I'm used to having the 4 seasons, spring and fall being my favourite. If any part of California was about 68 degrees all year round, I'd go for that.
Posted by: Kim | November 17, 2003 03:11 AM
You know, I hate to poop on your party, but I lived in Hermosa Beach for over two years ('93-'95) and I was not all that impressed with the weather. California Dreaming is more myth than reality at this point, I think.
Typically, there was very little sun until 11am or so with all the fog/haze, and what I remember most were the almost constant inversions. Stinky, heavy, unhealthy brown haze. Pollution has to be downright scary for it to creep out over the ocean like that, but creep it did. The Santa Annas sucked ass, too. I lived ON the water, and that time of the year was miserable -- I can't imagine what it was like further inland.
I like a little variety too, as Kim commented. I also like real rain every once in a while. I mean real thunderstorms, not just tired drizzle, better known by the LA TV news crews as STORMS!! IN!! THE!! SOUTHLAND!!! Ferfucksake.
I do like the ocean, and there are some real perks to living near one, I just wasn't meant to be a California girl, I guess.
Posted by: Reecie | November 17, 2003 06:15 AM
see. this just goes to show that i am still clueless about what the people want. i write an entry that i think is great and get a whole four comments. i bitch about NOT being able to write and get 20.
i can't figure you people out.
Posted by: the mighty jimbo | November 18, 2003 08:30 AM