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kleer001

26 Blog Entries
1 Trip
188 Photos

Trips:

Tijuana to Vancouver

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/kleer001


just a dude


Day 1c

Pasadena, United States


It was the night I was moving out of Pasadena. The new job was a terrific opportunity. The car was packed to the brim. I was making my way back to the uhaul van that my step day was driving. We were in for some serious driving. 300+ Miles

This is the corner where I saw a man get shot. What would you have done? The memories are fuzzy, staccato like a damaged film reel. The roaring sound of traffic. I think he was unarmed. He pulled over and got out of his truck. He wore a white t-shirt. The absurdly small pop of guns. Yes, it was a white t-shirt and the bullet hole blossomed on his chest like a red carnation as he fell. The light turned green and I went on my way. I'm no hero, man. Fuck that shit. None of my business. I only add it here for local color.

permalink written by  kleer001 on November 17, 2008 from Pasadena, United States
from the travel blog: Tijuana to Vancouver
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Day 2

Santa Monica, United States


Los Angeles is of course a city for by and about cars. I was surprised how quickly the old driving patterns returned. I'm an asshole on the road. Get outta my fuckin' way. Go faster, it's the pedal on the right, signal you bastard signal! I hit the tail end of rush hour traffic getting to the beach. Technically I missed running the beach from Laguna Beach to Venice. I think a negotiation is in order. I'll run the coast during the day and drive up the highway during the night.

The Jolly Roger is flown proudly over the main building at Digital Domain. Finest moments I remember there are 4am smoking out of a janky aluminum foil pipe, I was that poor, and watching the 4th of July fireworks with a work pal. I've noticed an independent spirit in fellow DD grads. Maybe I'm projecting. It takes all kinds. But there's a technical panache and carbon fiber titanium reinforced work ethic I seen shine out when I've worked side by side with those peeps.

This freakish sculpture is on the corner of Rose Ave and Ocean. A quiet icon no one talks about, but you can't miss it. If anyone knows the story I'd love to hear it. You live around there it becomes a welcome sight on drunken nights unless you've gotten drunk at the Firehouse across the street from it. That just means that you have to get back to work.

I don't know how I could have feared that Venice would become any less freakish. Nothing's changed except for some innovations in bong technology. Harry Parry still jams on. Chill dance music still pumps out of the native American boutique. Hippies still ply their wares on the side walks. The walls are still covered with awesome murals. Now they're just a little older, a little faded.

I didn't go out to the water, but I did get some cheap sandals, got some postcards. I couldn't find the guy selling fresh incense. There will be plenty in Berkeley. It's probably just because it's Monday. I want to bike up and down the strand next time I'm down here, oogle the bikini clad babes with silicon tits and slathered in coconut oil, get a white egg omelet with goat cheese and broccoli.

permalink written by  kleer001 on November 17, 2008 from Santa Monica, United States
from the travel blog: Tijuana to Vancouver
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Day 1a

Tijuana, Mexico

Tah-da, the requisite beer. One frothy cold and delivered to my table with chips and salsa. Just outside the resturant was a family band, brothers and cousins on accordian, bass, drums, and tiny preteen cousin on the mike belting out the lyrics like she owned them. I wish I had gotten them in the beer pic. It's not just a treasure hunt, damnit. I missed out on the picture of the fly dying on it's back in the urinal at the Burger King outside of the border, but I think that was more a matter of good taste. Right as my alarm went off, in the middle of a conversation with an American prophet, there had started a troupe of costumed Mexicans doing an apparently traditional dance. They were in full feathered regalia, young son on the skin drum and infant shaking a rattle. The prophet was an older woman, her pale makeup was smeared around and her maskara caked lashes behind large dark glasses framed pale green eyes. She wanted me to warn my father about the dark forces, the ones he has abandoned, for they are angry. I'm sure he'll be fine.
Apparently it's not cool to buy glassware and take it over the border. Next time I'll just put it in my fucking pocket. Oh, yeah, and you need a passport to get back into the states. Well, they let me through, "But remember it next time." I'll surely remember it for Canada. The only borders I like are on imaginary planes and shift based on your calculations. I did however get away with some lovely jewlry for some select lady friends.
Amsterdam Pharmacy, Srsly, wtf? SmartShop it ain't.
This one too. Multinational Mexico, go go go!
Ok, I've seen these damn things all over the world. London, Amsterdam, Seattle, Boston, Los Angeles... this however is the first one to grace my data stream. Lovely. Frida. Lovely.


permalink written by  kleer001 on November 16, 2008 from Tijuana, Mexico
from the travel blog: Tijuana to Vancouver
tagged Mexico, Beer, TJ and Tijuana
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Day 1b

Laguna Beach, United States

Ahh, the landmark boobs. I've saw these things many times while commuting to San Diego with my ex and her daughter. Tijuana brought back plenty memories, the good times mostly. I'm not an astological kind of guy, but it was a house of three scorpios. Just sayin... Lot's of drama, basically a tar baby.
Wet toes, soaked cuffs. As I write this in a Starbucks ($4 for wifi, dejected pirate "Arrr") my cuffs are cold and wet. I do not fear for my ankles to getting the flu, but should probably change them away.
Laguna Beach. There were dozens of wake boarders. 12 year olds to a couple mid thirties scruffy guys in lazy goatee and all watching the waves with perfect relaxed zen lasers beaming fiercly from their 6th chakras. I wandered through the wave beach interface up past a few clusters of photographers and shiny white families all dressed in white. Walked up to a rocky area with tide pools and didn't trust my feet to the sharp and slippery. The people are familar, not as individuals but the spread of the phenome. I fear I shall always ache for the true multiculture stew of the megalopolis London. The guy sitting next to me at the starbucks has a russian accent and that makes me happy.
Crystal Cove and the sun is setting. 2 hours and two blog posts in the previously mentioned bucks of stars. Upper class and white, I gotta keep going. Going to head up to Mom, Step Dad, Sisters in Altadina tonight. More friends tomorrow and then outta this crazy place. I am not looking forward to the thick rush hour craptastic traffic.

permalink written by  kleer001 on November 16, 2008 from Laguna Beach, United States
from the travel blog: Tijuana to Vancouver
tagged Water, White, SoCal, LagunaBeach, Boobs and UpperClass
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Day 0

San Diego, United States


blissful in berkley

Suze is the bestest Slurker any Slurk can ask for in any dimension possible in all of possible existences. This wonderful lady picked me up and drove me to bliss at a real honest to god awesome Mexican diner in Berkeley. I cried in my Horchata. She grinned and at her salad.
Her domocile was home base for the few days I was in the East Bay juggling all my shizzle. She is the red haired fiery creator and we talk in LOLspeak all day long.


oakland airport

It was odd not going through passport control in the airport, not hearing a dozen languages from passers by, and these thin little green bills are atrocious. And, oh my, the free Wi-Fi. Free as in beer. Free at last.
Up in the air, during take off I was witness to the bruised red full moon set above the fungal growth like circut diagrams gone mad of the city below. I wanted to stay up there forever, witness at five thousand feet to the noise and fury below.


birthday boy

Like many families we have traditions. This particular one stretches back to my own first birthday where I devoured my cookie monster cake with my furious fists and even got a little in my mouth. Ever since then and with the enthusiastic participation of the babies involved we have reveled in the cake destruction. NOM!


1st birthday fam gather

Simply focused on the birthday boy, all attention and joy. Oh, family, I love them so. To be in such an extended tribe here is me and witness to the continuation plain and simple. Sorry to poetify, but is so precious.


playafied duckies

Box of playa dusty ducks my sister brought me back from the 2008 burn. I hope I wasn't too harsh in refusing them, or showed disgust. It seemed in good humor, but white elephant gifts I will refuse when possible. The smell though, wow, brought back some serious memories and the heat and the dust.



permalink written by  kleer001 on November 15, 2008 from San Diego, United States
from the travel blog: Tijuana to Vancouver
tagged Birthday, SanDiego, Day0, T2v and PlayaGift
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Day "-1"

Berkeley, United States

Though not technically on the road yet I wanted to test out this blogabond stuff and reach out. I should probably twitter this too.
Here's the plan: Down to San Diego tonight and spend the night and tomorrow with family. Give friends in LA some kind of warning. Drop down to Tijuana for a beer and tourist crap. Then zoom up to Los Angeles for a couple days and visit more family and friends (if I can ferret them out). Then it's up the gorgeous coast to Santa Cruz for a couple days. More friends. Then probably up to Los Gatos for lots of childhood memories and beautiful cityness. San Jose for more family for a day and change. San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, then across the bridge to Marin and continue up the coast some more. There's not much until Eugene and Portland for more friends. A few days up there and then Seattle, even more friends. Vacouver for family for a couple days. Finally back to Seattle and a flight back to SFO. Hopefully I'll be ready to work by then. Damn, I love driving.

permalink written by  kleer001 on November 14, 2008 from Berkeley, United States
from the travel blog: Tijuana to Vancouver
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