Beachbumaxp's travel blogs:
|
|
 | |  |
The Rental Car Nightmare
Entry 1 of 6 | show all | print this entry |
|
Upon arriving into the City of Angels, I immediately shuffled through my iPod to find Randy Newman's classic "I Love L.A.". Yes, I am that corny guy, fueled by the elated state of finally feeling summer arrive. Although it was July, we had been snowboarding in Colorado through mid-June. I had never been so proud to wear a T-Shirt and gym shorts.
You see, we Coloradoans are spoiled, especially behind the wheel. We wait for people at green lights, we are quick to let someone cut in or pull out, and we do it with a smile. I learned quickly not to bring that naive attitude to California. When we pulled out of that rental car parking lot at LAX, I unwittingly found myself being forced to transform into Dale Earnhardt Jr. just to make it to I-405 in one piece. The advice we received from the seasoned Californian drivers: look both ways multiple times, step firmly on the gas, be ready to burn some rubber, and have your middle finger ready in the holster. I started wondering if Los Angeles was the right choice when we were immediately thrust into the 405 rush hour. Imagine being trapped in a situation similar to the game Frogger, and then combine that with the opening sequence of the movie Office Space. Get the picture?
My girlfriend's estranged uncle was kind enough to let us stay at his house in Torrance. We were immediately introduced to the "no basement" lifestyle. Growing up in VA, I thought not only was it mandatory to have basements, but if you were fortunate enough to live in yours, you ran the household (or so you thought). After all the "wow, you really look like your mom" talk, we went where everyone in Torrance should be: the beach. As a long-lost and widely proclaimed beach bum, I felt right at home. Having spent three summers in college in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, I was familiar with the attitude of every day being a vacation. I am always one to capitalize on a moment, and bring it to the fullest. Fortunately, I brought my $40 iPod jukebox, and set it on a towel in the shade behind our beach chairs. Going with the whole "plan before" theme, I had, of course, a pre-arranged playlist made especially for this moment. Within a thirty yard radius of us, everyone was enjoying the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. And in that moment, we were true beach bums.
On the second day at the beach, I somehow forgot that SPF-15 isn't enough for Scotch/Irish guys like myself spending an entire day at the beach. At least I managed to delay the inevitable until the second day. The delicious tri-tip beef that I never had was quite the cure to forget that sunburn.
Afterwards, I got to know a lot about my girlfriend's family history over dessert at Cheesecake Factory on the water. Since we hadn't been "out" yet, we went with my girlfriend's cousin to "The Shore" which is a trendy bar in Hermosa Beach. We also met a man who I swore was Kevin Youkilis' (Red Sox first baseman) brother. Either way, he took Youk's fashion faux-pas of a goatee and embraced the hell out of it. I had to repeatedly remind him that a bright orange goatee is more scary than it is manly.
Where I stayed:
Torrance, CA
|
|
If you like this entry, search for other entries by beachbumaxp, from California, United States or try a new search. |
| |
Back to Entry - Back to Home
|
