The Signs of San Diego

Let’s face it there are way too many signs in the world. Some are useful because they tell you which direction you should go, others are just pollution trying to sell you something like legal services or warning you of some obvious or not so obvious danger. There are some signs however that are cool works of art, beautiful indicators that you have arrived at a particular destination. San Diego has a number of neighborhood signs that fit this description, mostly in the older neighborhoods closest to the downtown area. Signs such as NORTH PARK, HILLCREST, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, LITTLE ITALY, NORMAL HEIGHTS and of course THE GASLAMP DISTRICT. When you see one of these signs in person you have no doubt where you are and have a chance to admire a beautiful piece of art. Each of these signs have their own character and design and to appreciate them in full you should see them during the day and during the night when the neon gas is brightly lit within the tubing spelling out the neighborhood in their appropriate colors. It’s hard to explain the feeling you get by being near one of these signs but if you can imagine how it would look and feel without the sign; starker, empty, less warm then I think you can appreciate that the sign is there, for you. Thanks to the artists, sign makers, and visionaries who knew to do better than much of what we see today for signs.

A Day in San Juan Capistrano

If reality TV show producers were filming a series called The Original Housewives of Orange County they would have to consider making it in San Juan Capistrano because Mission San Juan Capistrano is considered the Birthplace of Orange County and San Juan Capistrano has the distinction of being home to the oldest building in California still in use, a chapel built in 1782. But the Padres being who they are have no wives and so the producers would have to look for the next location.
Frank and Joan are my in-laws and are here for the month of March. The plan was to take the train to San Juan Capistrano and sight see last Thursday. This is a perfect day trip from San Diego. We had a late start catching the 12:34 pm Amtrak Surfliner train from Solano Beach and took the Business Class car north. My in-laws haven’t been on a train for quite some time so this was a treat for them and on most of this route you see the Pacific Ocean just yards away. In business class you get a package of snacks including cheese and crackers as well as a “free” small glass size bottle of wine.
The trip only took 45 minutes by train and as you begin to walk around you realize that this is a small town in Orange County. Our main objective was to see Mission San Juan Capistrano and it was an easy two block walk from the train station. The Mission is probably best known to me and many others for the annual "Return of the Swallows" which is traditionally observed every March 19th. It’s funny because the following day as I was working on the dock in Mission Bay and I noticed a few groupings of perhaps a hundred swallows flying and swooping in formation northward. I felt the connection to nature because here it was March 13th and the swallows are doing their thing just like they’re supposed to. I’d venture to say most people in the area didn’t notice them at all, but I did and I knew where they were going. There were two different groups at about one hour apart and I noticed they both made the exact up and down move in the exact up and down space over the bay. It was as if they were following a very detailed and specific flight path that only they could see and that is probably true. The Mission was founded on November 1, 1776 and if you love history and want to get a true sense of early California this is a must see. It’s a peaceful location where you get a real sense of what it was like to be there during its early days.
Near the end of our Mission tour, Lauren and Joan decided to head out early and walk to the newer Basilica just down the street. As I was taking a few more pictures about 25 yards away they said something about staying with Frank and I thought I heard him say he would be right outside the gate waiting for me. Because they often all talk at the same time I heard something like; wha, wha, wait, wah, Frank, gate, wha, wha, church, okay? I said okay. After taking a few more photos I returned my audio tour guide gizmo and proceeded to the exit. I didn’t see Frank standing there like I assumed but it was sunny so I looked across the street to where the shops had covered sidewalks. Still no Frankie. Hmmm…did he walk around the corner a bit which happened to be curved, so slightly blind? Walking, walking, still no Frankie. Frank has had knee replacements and doesn’t move as fast or far as my mother in law, so I’m judging in my mind that he shouldn’t be this far down the street. At this point I’m at the Basilica so I run in to check. Awesome alter, peaceful music, and a few souls engaged in prayer. Nobody I knew though, so I took a photo and went out the back door to loop back towards the center of town. Across the street I spotted Lauren and Joan window shopping. Walking up behind them I contemplated….do I tell them I’ve lost Frank or walk behind the buildings and continue my search? Take it like man Pete.
Me: Boo!
Lauren: Where’s Frank?
Me: I lost him.
Lauren: You what?
Joan: Oh, he’ll be fine.
After the appropriate butt-chewing I walked a little faster down the sidewalk. It wasn’t crowded so he should be easy to spot. My mind said he may have popped in to one of the local drinking establishments for a beer, so I’m scanning for this type of business as I walk. About four minutes later Lauren called to say “she” had found her father back inside the walls of the Mission dutifully sitting and waiting for me to pick him up. Sorry Frankie, I’m just adding to the chapters of stories that can be told mostly by Lauren who never forgets any of them.
Before catching the train back we had a bite to eat at Sarducci’s restaurant which is right next to the train station and apparently was the train station at one time. The food, the atmosphere, the service, and the price were all good. The bathroom was located in a converted boxcar and I thought the architecture was interesting however the urinals in the men’s room were too close to each other and to the wall of the toilet.
After visiting the Rios Historic District across the street and with everyone accounted for we caught the train ride back in time to catch the sunset in Del Mar.

I Want to Build a House

I want to build a house. I want to build it cheap and I want to build it in Bethel, Maine. That's a simple affirmation, right? What, How and Where, but Why?

I've worked on and built many things since my teens; concrete septic tanks, ocean seawalls, a chessboard, spice rack, metal bench press, acoustic guitar, and various home renovation projects. Lauren and I have seriously considered buying an old house, like 100 plus years old and fixing it up but something in my mind has me thinking about building a house from scratch. The advantages are we would get to design it first to our liking, most old homes have floor layouts we wish were different. Old homes are usually drafty and energy inefficient and we could build one that's very "snug" so when it's zero outside we would feel comfortable inside and not go broke paying for heating oil. We've gotten a bit wimpy the past 5 years living in San Diego. Old homes often have old musty basements with dirt floors and lots of spider webs, all of which I love but I can use a new full concrete basement to greater potential. The other thing is older homes tend to need more maintenance than newer homes. I'm almost 51 now and I'm thinking instead of having things to fix for the rest of my life if I build new and build well then I'll have more time to hike those beautiful mountains and drink good beer.

So why cheap? Well, duh! Why not? When I say cheap I don't mean using the cheapest materials. I'm mean using quality materials in ways that allow it to be a bargain for me. The fact that I want to do as much as I can on my own will make it cheaper for me. We can build it small because most of the time it's just me and Lauren in the house. We can build it one story because that is cheaper, easier and quicker to build.

Finally, why Bethel? The reasons are endless. It's beautiful. It's green in the summer and white in the winter. It's nature, it's small town, it's real. It doesn't have a million and one things to do like San Diego but I seem to enjoy what I do there a million times more. It has mountains, clouds, rain, the green, green trees of summer, open green fields with wild flowers, cows, bald eagles, kayakers, hikers, musicians, locals, color, spectacular foliage in the fall, Suds Pub, the Funky Red Barn, Carter's Farm Stand with the best meat in the world and where you pay by the honor system by leaving your money in the can. Hello America, where have you gone? White churches with white steeples and lots of white snow, Snow White snow, Sunday River Ski Resort, a road named Paradise and of course the river, the Androscoggin River. If the river wasn't here, Bethel wouldn't be here, but it is and it's perfect. Bethel has a town Common, an oval green park with a gazebo where music is played and children play, a bell, a fountain, and a flagpole with the flag. They have an art show here each year and the annual Mollyhockett 5 mile road race ends here. Behind the Bethel Inn across the street they shoot off fireworks each year. It's as close to a Norman Rockwell scene as I can imagine living in and so I want to go.