San Diegans wanted to meet and party welcome me. I don't know what exactly homegirl told them, but I definitely wasn't running on a 300 horse engine. Did she forgot I wasn't 19? I wouldn't disappoint my friend, plus it wasn't a situation I could be all picky about. So I went with it, and moved on with the given flow, rather then grump face everyone already in the beginning into an “I'm exhausted” vibe, until they eventually get it, and leave the shack with lots of hassle throughout the process. The guests that actually arrived later, was some of the friendliest cats since the last time I joined a Beathouse - freestyle - musicians - jam - session, back in 1999. So as we got inside the shack, and Erika's daughters scattered inside the hut, I had the opportunity to check out the space, find out that I'll sleep on the couch for the weekend, and immediately got the Beathouse impression out of the whole vibe. It was peculiar.
Peculiar enough to reminisce. As Erika left for the States in 2000, I was already a Beathouse resident during that period of time. Beathouse was an Artist - finest house in Kaiserlautern / Germany, and I was living together with an extraordinary bunch that K - Town had to offer. A painter by the name of Gerhardt, that simulated Salvador Daliin his character (who actually met Dali in his Castle of Púbol in 1969, and had the privilege to stay in his Castle and reside with him and Gala for a whole week), his twin brother Dieter, an Artist of iron sculptures (one of the greatest wide hearts I've ever met), and Heinz the photographer, which you think you knew after being the first time in his room. Cause you could tell how cool he was, by glazing into the black and white photographs, that covered all of the walls in the room, telling a vivid story of his life, whereas Leonard Cohenand Ziggy Stardustplayed the soundtrack on one of his antecedent modern days sound system. Heinz was very modest but sharp witted guy, and obviously very much passionate about photography.
That's Gerhardt in the 70's looking like a Hollywood Actor, with the remarkable Dali expression on his face.
Erika's shack was enchanting, but I had to Immediately shut the teleporting beam of memories, cause I started becoming uncertain if I was ready to get into something I already been in my heydays, although 18 years later and in California. Not that I was caught off guard, I just had to face the fact that my commodity for the next 3 weeks wasn't going to be as cozy as I'd imagined. Of course it was clear to me where I was gonna reside, and months before my arrival, homegirl and I, kept video calling each other every now and then. I've seen the cottage, I dug it and distantly agreed to the conditions nevertheless. So at that moment, I just wanted to lay down on the couch and start the “exhaustion snoring” which wasn't going to happen for the next 7 hours. I had to wait, cause Erika invited Yael and Vladi, two local Artist that performs all over San Diego, and are pretty known in the local scene.
While waiting for Yael and Vladi to arrive, there was this guy named Wayne. He was the landlord of this lodge. He popped out inside the room to meet and greet me, as if he already knew, I brought a present for him. Erika encouraged me to do so. It was a bottle of “Bols Corenwyn Genever”and I loved calling it the “Pirate Liquor”. After a small talk about my long flight and the actual time difference in Germany, we smoked a freshly rolled Californian herb, which made me even more adhere to that couch that meanwhile was calling my name in a Californian dialect.
Wayne was grateful for his little present and went back to his neighboring shack, so me and Erika went outside on the cottage porch to breath some fresh Californian air, and inhale / exhale another doobie. The dusk was settling in, and in my state of condition, it looked like it happened quick, like mercury flowing downward. The scent of the Magnolia tree, and the Californian doobage we tangled the air with, bestow me with endurance, so again, my exhaustion had temporarily disappeared. The cool breeze refreshed the present temperature with a pleasant variety, it was beautiful. Yael and Vladi arrived.
“Heey, there you are. We get to finally meet you” Yael was smiling, as she stepped out of the car, and walked towards me. “We heard a lot about you.”
“I hope only the good stuff.” I smiled back and shook her hand solemnly.
“Привет” I sayed to Vladi and shook his hand as well, while he slightly bowed and said: “Привет, Себо.” Vladi is an Ukrainian living in San Diego for decades. A very easy going and pleasant guy. We just went inside the shack and chatted a bit followed by some nice chord progressions on the guitar and occasional singing.
Yael was a very charming and quick-witted person with a voice of Holiday and Winehouse. I loved her informal nature and a friendly, almost sisterly vibe. She could easily make one feel comfortable and encouraged, even if one balanced on a string across a brook for the first time. She was just wonderful. Vladi wasn't that talkative, he was just a comfort seeking notorious sitter, and every time he would've land on his sit, wherever that happened to be, he would always sink in, and sigh in relief. Yeah, I met them a couple of times after this and we jammed together. Vladi's guitar playing style was a mix of Gipsy Jazz and a Spanish jester. I loved the modes he was running on that fret, it always sounded tasty. You could quickly sense, he was a habitual vibe rider, and he strongly reminded me on the main Character from the Animation movie “UP” ☺
After another hour or so, Wayne came back to join our company and brought the “Pirate Liquor” with him. He already opened the bottle and offered us a taste of that fiery water which I had to pass. They all gave me that quick wondering look and I had to convert it into “not today” justification with a light smile and a waving hand. I was now officially 30 hours on the move, and my Circadian rhythm was getting challenged by the huge time zone difference.
The Jet lag was kicking in. My eye lids were heavy and swollen, whereas my mind was already in a sleep mode, thinking for it self, as smart as it could be, talking about: “If your foolish ass don't want to sleep, I do, and I will.” The grumpy mode was now activated and I couldn't escape that expression, even though I was trying hard. Yael & Vladi recognized my occasional absence and transitioned smoothly into leaving by allowing me to have some rest. I have to say, I did appreciate that move, as much as I wanted them to stay.
Erica duvet covered the couch, and short after, I gloriously laid on it. I started building up the “exhaustion snoring” crescendo-ing it into a climax of tritone. Mission recuperation was on it's way to get accomplished.
The morning after, started short before noon and I was still asleep high on fatigue. I learned later, that this sort of exhaustion would follow me for the next 10 days. Annoying, would be one word to describe this state, another one would be a coined term, “Time zone sedated”. The Jet lag was like a cold turkey, which didn't had a fast cure in sight. God, I disliked it so much that my mood was good for nothing, and I single handedly boycotted my whole plan during my abidance in Encinitas, even after the Jet lag was fading away, which I replaced with my exaggerated smoking manner. I “Gorilla Glued” my behind on the porch's couch. Zoody! This are the events I deliberately canceled:
- Going to meet Heidi (Art lover / Gallerist) and some of the local visual artist. ✔ Canceled.
- Going to Kava Loungeand DJ my trax with a possible set of an hour. ✔ Canceled.
- Going to call Paul @chiefmappster of Steemit and hang around in SD. ✔ Canceled.
- Going with Nate @fronttowardenemy on a mini sight seeing tour through California. ✔ Canceled.
- Going to Zig's @onemedia house again and create a music track together. ✔ Canceled.
- Going to print some of my Mirrorography pieces into Canvas and set a show. ✔ Canceled.
- Create some music with Erika @iamerika on my portable notebook studio. ✔ Canceled.
- Going to snorkel at the La Jolla Cove . ✔ Canceled.
- Going to the beach everyday. ✔ Canceled.
- Help Erica with the household. ✔ Canceled.
So as you can notice, I messed it all up cause of my inertia, and my later exaggerated weed smoking habit, by trying some of the most exclusive herbs California has piled on the top 10.
But I did went to Hollywood though. ☺ It was around the corner, and it was a spontaneous ride led through Erica's commitment. Anna, Erica and I, went to Santa Monica beach on the road to LA. We visited a fancy restaurant outside, super close to the Santa Monica beach that served fish and chips, among a variety of see food, we had a great time on the San Diego fair after coming back from LA, and after a 4 hour stop to Zig's house in Lake Forest in Orange County in between. All in one day. Hallelujah.
As we arrived in Hollywood, we headed first to the Hollywood hills, and I filmed the road towards the hills, with all the beautiful mansions and tiny roads on the way there. Although Erika had the radio on playing some Reggae music, I had my own melody in my head which was: “..Life style, of the rich and the famous, they always complaining, always complaining. If money is such a problem, well they got mansions, think we should rob them...”On the way back and after my impression of the hills, for some goofy reason, there was this melody spinning in my head: “...bye bye, Hollywood hills, I'm gonna, miss you, where ever I go I'm gonna, come back to walk these streets again, bye bye, Hollywood hills forever ...”Not that I was gonna miss this place, but my head is a jukebox of fitting songs for given situations, and as a songwriter it's more or less a common process to question what is being written and where is a possible song writing gap.
We headed to Hollywood Boulevard after that, and right after we found a parking spot and as I stepped out of the car, there was this Johnny Depp / Willy Wonka impersonator, commenting eloquently on my “Misfits” T-shirt: “Sir, your T-shirt misfits you”, “I know right?” I replied smiling.
The Boulevard walk was pretty much fun, and I was lucky I could stop on some of my favorite Stars and take this shots.
After the Hollywood Boulevard walk, we drove to the Pot Spot Collective and that was the highlight for me personally. We got some of the finest Herbs with us and headed back to San Diego.
As we headed back to San Diego, we stopped in Lake Forest at Zig's house, and it was very memorable stay. Zig was a very nice, kindhearted and friendly dude, a great host and an “übermensch” (of course Nietzsches definition of it) of general knowledge and beyond. I met him on G+ years ago, and we coped ever since. He had a Grand Piano in his living room, where I was teaching Anna the beginning couple of bars of “Clair de lune”by Claude Debussy, among other melodies / harmonies of a pop nature. We had a very yummy vegan dinner, which Erika and Zig prepared, and I pretty much never tasted anything like that before. Meanwhile, I had the privilege to witness the 70's WurlitzerZig possessed and put my hands on them keys, which led me showing him my portable studio and some of my VST Instruments including the MiniLab MkII and my gamer notebook I'd taken with me. Of course after the dinner, we smoked some of the finest “stickiest of the ickiest”, on the back balcony of Zig's house. We spent wonderful 4 hours in his house, before we headed back to the San Diego fair.
The fair was packed with visitors from all over the place and it was fun just walking around and discovering everything it had to offer. I captured some of the vibe, (will probably make another post about it) and we really had fun there as a conclusion of that beautiful day.
Coming back to Encinitas and sitting back on the couch of the porch, seemed to be a magnetic place for my habitual puffing sessions. The rest of my vacation I mostly glued on that couch with occasional visits of the beach, I even once visited the “La Paloma” theater and jammed with some cool musicians Erika introduced me too (including Vladi), or hanged out in and around the house looking for an excuse to roll another joint and adhere onto my favorite sitting spot. That's all I did. Just relaxed all the way, ate some tasty Mexican food in between and smoked my ass retarded for the rest of my abidance.
Now being back in Germany and after 1 and ½ months of being weed sober, I feel like the few weeks or straight chillin' in Encinitas, was good for my soul and stress levels, no doubt about it. Do I regret that none of my plans worked out the way I imagined them to? To a certain extend I certainly do, but it's not a big deal whatsoever, it can be rescheduled next time I visit and I'll certainly know what not to do.
Do I regret the extreme abuse of the top 10 herbs on the chart? No, not at all. At least I had the opportunity to taste the freedom of puffin' of some of the finest Californian boutique weed, without the popo giving me the blues. After all, it was a vacation and not a business trip, although I wanted to combine the business with pleasure, but you know? When we make plans, God is smiling on us..that's a good old reference from my great buddy Sakir (that is no longer with us) telling me that, whenever things wouldn't work the way we'd expect them to.☺I can at least look back and say, it was a paradise out of a trip, and I was among the first German weed tourist California inconspicuously had to witness. Pen drop.
Thanks for reading.
Here is the previous part from my trip in San Diego for some of you that missed it.
