Only In California

One of my favorite things about California is the whimsy. People here aren't afraid to be a little nutso, to show their individuality, to act a little silly. Especially when it comes to cars.

Here I was in Davis for the day, enjoying an afternoon of leisurely lunch and warm sunshine with My Beloved in between business appointments for him. We were just in the crosswalk when we heard a ridiculously loud engine that sounded like a Harley with no mufflers coming toward us. Naturally, we looked up to see how imminent was our danger and this is what we saw.

The driver sits almost to the back of the wagon on a cushy seat with the little mahogany steering wheel in front of him. The rest, except for the snazzy wheels, the raked windscreen and the shiny headers emerging from the undercarriage, is exactly correct - only on a grand scale. That's MB standing next to it, so you get an idea of the size.

The driver hopped out and disappeared into a store, seemingly completely unaware of the sensation he was causing, while three couples including us whipped out our cameras. Only in California.

I'm Really Here

Not being a native Californian, I have to admit to a certain amused detachment when I see signs like this.
I'm not entirely immune the the spiritual side of life - I have long been a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (which made my New York friends roll their eyes to heaven) and I'm currently trying out yoga - but somehow this claim made me smile.

In the Hidden City, we have a holistic health business and, while I agree strongly that health must be arrived at holistically, I have a certain amount of skepticism to the claim that one's aura can be healed with a 10 minute treatment. If, indeed, auras exist - I feel like the agnostic who prayed, "Oh, God, if there is a God, save my soul, if I have a soul!"

Still, the playful side of my nature responds to the feathered, glittery, pink-and-blue attention-grabbers that this particular merchant used to bring in customers and, every now and then, I enjoy being reminded that, "Yes, I really do live in California!"