My (way) better half, Silver, agreed. She could get outta the house too.
You know, she's pretty cool. She was already riding her own scooter when I met her umpty-ump years ago, so she's no wanna-be. We gets on our respective noise makers and putt on down the 10 freeway -- about 23 miles, and we're there.
We got messed up looking for parking, and crossed each other up a few times (snarling like tigers) before we chanced on the perfect two-bike spot a half-block from the boardwalk (ok, so it ain't really a boardwalk; it's concrete, but you know -- buildings on one side, beach on the other...)
Just like the Ferris Beuller movie, from there on things were just kinda magical. One mini-adventure after another, you might say.
First off, it was just one of those flat-out perfect Southern California beach days. Sunny, but some clouds, very warm, lotsa people, stuff, things happening all over.
It sure made Silver happy:
We just kinda walked around for a bit. But before long, up rolled the world-famous roller-skating guitar guy in the white turban! And here's where the magic started. He just kinda picked us out of the crowd, and followed along beside Silver, singing and playing a song about a "mysterious lady" (if only he knew... but we won't talk about her getting kicked out of Chile just yet).
Ok, so sure, he ended up hoping to sell us a CD (which he made appear from a leather bag he carried), or a T-Shirt (which somehow appeared when we didn't buy the CD). I only had ten bucks, and didn't want to blow it all right then, and I told him... to which he said "no problem -- I can take credit cards". He assured me one of his leather pouches had a machine for this!
In the end, I gave him the ten spot, and he was going to give me a CD, but I told him to keep $4.00 for the show. He saw my wallet was empty, and had no problem handing over the change. He was totally friendly, and I'd be happy to buy the CD (even the T-Shirt). Silver said she first saw him there on the beach 20 years ago, and he hasn't seemed to have changed. Perhaps there's a Dorian Gray-like picture someplace?
A bit later we hear this rhythm thundering from the beach, and see a large crowd of people.
This is like, crazy stuff. We walk out there, and there must be 30 to 40 people on various drum instruments there on the sand, in a large circle. Even more people are dancing every kind of dance you can imagine, but mostly just grooving to the beat.
Everything from full-on drum kits to congas and more. And these guys are just wailing the most intense 4-beat with tons of sub-rhythm.
Surrounding the circle of rhythmists are people -- onlookers like Silver and myself, just enjoying the sound and the dancing.
After that, we walked around a bit, and again we were picked out from among the hundreds around us by a lady who asked me if she could get my opinion.
"Sure... on what?" I asked.
"Well... that's the point. You see, its for a video documentary on something, and we don't want to tell you what it is until we start the interview."
"Ummm...," says I.
"It's something we want to know if people know about. Something people are doing that could be hurting them."
"Well... ok."
"You have to sign this release first."
I sign. Several other people appear -- a cameraman, another lady, and a tall guy who is introduced to me as "the producer". Everybody is quite friendly.
Then they begin by asking me, "What is BDSM?"
For those who don't know, that's "Bondage, Discipline Sado-Masochism". They were hoping to get a funny reaction, or something juicy or whatever. Anyway, I gave them a good interview -- had them laughing several times (like when I told them about spanking small animals). Who knows if it'll air? They got some good footage, and I had a good time.
We walked more, saw interesting and strange people and acts of "art". Had some great nachos, and just had a strange and wonderful Day Off. Nothing to bitch about.
A. Biker
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