Monday we packed up the cooler and headed to Bolinas to meet Shannon & her kids and Colby & David and their kids at the beach. Shannon's new love is surfing and she is spending every chance she gets at the Bolinas Beach. Labor Day seemed like the perfect day to join them, even though the traffic would be worse than normal. We followed the instructions Shannon gave us and arrived at the beach entrance around noon. I dropped Phyl, the cooler, the chairs and other bags off and went to find a place to park. This small community was clearly not thrilled that so many visitors wanted to enjoy their beach and the town cops had placed yards of yellow caution tape across most of the viable parking areas. After driving around for a half hour, and becoming sufficiently annoyed, I returned to the place where I dropped Phyl and we repacked Stormy and left. People were pouring in in droves and there was no way I was ever going to find a place to park.
P- While your were driving around, did you see an old woman in flowered shorts?
G- Not that I recall.
P- Oh, you'd recall because she had a FULL BEARD!!!!! She passed me while I was waiting for you. I wish I had the camera because you had to see it to believe it. She had a long, flowing, Rumplestiltskin beard.
G- Oh, come on! A full beard? Are you sure it was a woman?
P- I swear it's true. I know a full beard when I see one and I know a woman when I see one.
G- Was she like a big gooney goo-goo?
P- No. She looked like someone's little grandma, except for the beard. There she is!!!!! Look at it! It must hang at least 5 inches from her chin.
G- Oh my gawd! That is absurd!! I'm ok with the grunge, granola look, but that is across the line!!!! And that is the ugliest beard I've ever seen. It is scraggely, grey and wiry. It looks like a really ugly ZZ Top kind've beard. Doesn't she have friends or relatives or someone to tell her to STOP THAT!!!
P- Apparently she does not. Shoot me if my chin ever gets that hairy.
G- Have no fear, I'd hold you down and dip your face in wax, if need be.
P- Um, hello! I wouldn't fight ya. Take the weed wacker to me while I sleep.
We drove back down the coast and stopped at the Muir Beach overlook to have lunch and a beer and enjoy the beautiful view. We had tried to text Shannon, but she had no cell service. Aggravated about the day's events, we decided to return to the storage unit so that the day was not a total waste. We pulled more stuff out and got everything that we wanted to take to Nola, and we put everything else in that we wanted to leave in Pleasanton. Then we went to Shannon's to put stuff in her basement so that we could reorganize there and pack Stormy.
G- I am so tired of moving this stuff all around! I think I'm going to be happy to have only one backpack to carry around Asia.
P- I think you are right. And, I don't think there is any way we are going to fit all of this stuff into Stormy.
G- Well, I'll do the best I can, and the rest will just be left behind. This is beginning to make me insane.
P- Ah, too late!
When we got back to San Francisco, we stopped in the Castro to get a pizza and while we waited, Coco called us. Although we were tired, we decided to go to her house and eat dinner, drink wine and visit. Yes, we can always be bribed with wine!!! We spent a very enjoyable evening with Coco and then headed back to the treehouse to sleep. The day ended on a good note.
