Manhattan & Hermosa

The stressful ordeal of yesterday's driving made me appreciate my limited time (a whopping 24 hours) in Los Angeles that much more. Compared to Fresno, LA is like some kind of utopian paradise where people break into synchronized song and dance...almost. Being an outdoor kid, I had an itch to get out and enjoy the sunshine. This is why I can't sit in crew lounges at airports. There are no windows to allow any natural light to enter. It's just sad -- especially in Fresno, where a lonely bookcase of old VHS tapes waits patiently for some brave soul to put Spice World in the VCR.

Nicole and I decided to go skating on the Manhattan Beach boardwalk. It was very relaxing to glide along the path with the ocean on one side and multi-million dollar homes on the other.

We made our way into Hermosa Beach where we skated passed a volleyball tournament and a triathlon finish line. Eventually we arrived at the Hermosa Beach Pier where . . .


OH MY GOD!  HOW DID THIS SNEAK UP ON US! IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US! RUN! NO...we have time. Just walk away slowly.

The blimp made a slow getaway toward Palos Verdes to the south. In case you're in the mood for a little Good-Year blimp trivia, this is the Spirit of Innovation, a blimp that used to be based in Akron, Ohio, but came out to Los Angeles to replace the Spirit of America, which was recently deflated. This is a temporary visitor until newer, much larger zeppelin-like Good-Year blimps will replace the fleet. 

Aren't you glad you know more about the blimp now? It is an intriguing career option, but extremely competitive. Can you imagine being on that flight from Ohio to LA, though? In the blimp? At 30mph? And you thought your commute was bad.