Why Live Anywhere Else?

The month of January has been perfect. 70 degree weather, big waves and clear skies. Who could ask for anything more? It's been a relatively warm and dry winter everywhere, but our weather has been ridiculous. I recently spent the day with Linda, my friend from Bakersfield, who couldn't get over our spectacular day. She happened to be here on the most perfect day you can imagine, which didn't hurt. I first took her to the Self Realization Gardens in Encinitas for beautiful views and spectacular gardens. Linda left her camera in the car, so after we'd seen the gardens once, we went to the car, got the camera, and did it all again.

Next, we went to Pipe's for lunch. I wanted to give her the coastal San Diego experience, so the destination for lunch was a tossup between Pipe's (a surfer hangout) or Bull Taco, in the Cardiff campgrounds. I wasn't in the mood for a taco, so we split some delicious sandwiches at Pipe's. Linda ordered an Orange Bang, which I don't think I'd ever had before, but loved. It's like a 50-50 bar in a glass.

Next, it was off to Moonlight Beach for a long beach walk at low tide. The sand was wet and flat, just perfect for walking, and we got in a great workout and some wonderful conversation.

I always think about how lucky we are to live where we do around the first of January, when the world is watching the Rose Parade. How do people in Minnesota or Detroit or Maine when they look at the beautiful women in sleeveless shirts riding atop the floats? How do they feel when they pan the crowd and see men, women and children in flip fops, shorts and tee shirts? I guess that's why they always say an influx of new people to Southern California takes place after January.

There are definitely many wonderful places to live in America, some great cities, mountains, lakes and rivers to enjoy, but no place I know of where you can go to the desert in the morning and go skiing in the afternoon, where you can surf at Del Mar in the morning, and spend the afternoon mountain biking in the desert or mountains. We've got it all.

Ron was complaining about how cold it was at night recently, and I told him to stop whining. I told him to think about his youth in Chicago and realize how lucky he is. We've got the best of all worlds when it comes to climate, and sometimes we just need be reminded of how lucky we are to live in paradise. Why live anywhere else?