Tiger Blood: San Diego, CA

Hey, remember this whole thing? Yeah, neither do I…

Out Of Sorts: Santa Cruz, CA

The Most Familiar Place In The World.

Please excuse me if I’m feeling a bit out of sorts as of late. Between being sick with the flu (sick with “a few things” says the doctor) for 19 days and counting, work getting out of control with balancing the sick days and our springtime push (records have a long lead time) and my freelance work (It’s basketball season now? Wait, what?), and former co-workers of mine being SHOT in Hollywood (he’s okay) – yeah, it’s been a crazy few weeks. How are you?

Exit 161: Santa Barbara County, CA

Its mystery is incomprehensible.

Okay, this has kind of bugged me for years. As you may know by now, I make somewhat frequent trips up and down the 101 freeway between Los Angeles and Northern California. I may go up and down the road about a half a dozen times per year, in fact. Along the way, I drive through some of the most beautiful and diverse land there is in the state. However, every time I pass Exit 161, I just have to ask myself: What The Hell Is This???

Field Of Dreams: Lone Pine, CA

If you just spray the weeds, rake the infield, and clean the place up a little bit, They Will Come.

11:45 PM, Sunday: I’m alone on my couch, watching my second straight Sportscenter of the evening. The highlights haven’t changed at all; it’s all NFL, all the time. Chris Berman’s voice will haunt me in my sleep tonight. I’d turn to the FSN Final Score, but I think it’d just depress me more. I realize that I’m having a difficult time coming to terms with the truth: It’s November, and the World Series is done, over, and Written In The Stars. It is no longer Time For Dodger Baseball. Don Henley’s Boys of Summer have gone. We will not see you tomorrow night.

The Standard: Las Vegas, NV

Comes in Regular, Plus, and Monopoly.

Las Vegas. Sin City. The Land of Second Chances. The Land of Quickie Marriages and Quicker Annulments. “What Happens In Vegas…” and so on and so forth. There is so much to be said about this town – its mere existence in the middle of the desert is in and of itself a miracle. You’re hit with so much sensory overload, anybody who is easily amused or distracted by flashing lights or loud random noises doesn’t stand a chan… Ohheylook – there’s a gas station – and it’s different!

In The Name Of Orgel Vreten: Costa Mesa, CA

All for the want of a floor lamp.

Have you ever found yourself sitting in your home in complete darkness, not by choice, but rather due to a lack of a reasonable amount of light fixtures? Of course you have, right? Until today, I counted myself amongst the lighting-challenged portion of the populace. So, what changed between yesterday and today? I went to Ikea.

Side B: Kings Beach, CA

...is the key to eternal bliss. Science doesn't lie.

(Continued from Side A) …which brings me back to California. Before, I mentioned that this state is a big place. Indeed, you know this – if you’re reading this, you’re probably in California right now. And if you’re not in California right now, there’s roughly a 98% chance that you’re from California, and you’re just taking the opportunity to leave this place for a while.

Side A: Crystal Bay, NV

A frequent swim in a cold body of water...

There used to be a time, long since passed, when places like Nevada seemed exotic to me. I’m not talking “exotic” in the traditional “tropical island paradise” sort of way, but “exotic” in a “different” way. “Exotic” meaning that things were just different and unknown over there, which therefore made visiting Nevada more desirable than wherever I was. These days, I’m not sure that I’d use the word “exotic” to describe Nevada, but “different” sure fits the bill.

The Absence Of Something: Wellington, NV

Dirt for sale!

About ten years ago, I visited Northern Nevada for the first time ever. As a 15 year-old raised on the Central Coast within shouting distance of a pretty major urban area, I didn’t exactly fall in love with the vast emptiness of the Smith Valley.

The Next Big Thing: California City, CA

It's kind of like... Phoenix "Light".

Throughout the course of this country’s history, people have settled in previously uninhabitable areas and thrived. Hardy settlers have taken looks at rugged, barren, desolate land and turned that land into arable terrain. Cities and metropolises have been built upon terrain so unforgiving, it is as if these cities only exist in order to spite Mother Nature. Prosperous, successful, and shining cities like Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and California City.