I got back from California on Monday...and my body is still on West Coast time.  I've been getting up at 2:45 every afternoon.  Yet somehow, I've still gotten plenty of trivia writing done.  Go figure.  As my buddy Ratty said to me:  "You're a machine."

Tuesday:  Flew out.  Had my hair gel and toothpaste confiscated because I didn't think to pack them in my suitcase.  Hell.  Found a dive by the airport to watch the last innings of the All-Star Game.  Apparently, in California, it's kosher to have actual beer in the cups at bar Beirut tournaments.  Do that in Boston, and you're asking for a license suspension.

Wednesday:  I had lunch with my old friend Kim from the New North End.  We parted ways at 12:45, thinking that would give me ample time to drive the three miles to Del Mar to make first post at 2:00.  I knew that Opening Day was a zoo, but I would have never imagined that I would have spent 1:15 on the 5 waiting to enter the parking lot.  This was exacerbated by dozens of cars zipping by me in the backed-up exit lane, merging in right at the ramp.  I didn't see a single cop controlling this.  Awful.

I finally made it in, and got a bet in for the 3rd race.  I spent much of the day meandering around, finding a spot where I could stand/sit and handicap, then finding a window/machine, and walking back to watch the race.  In between, I saw plenty of makeup, big hats, and boobies.  Opening Day was a fun experience, but as somebody who considers Del Mar his favorite racetrack, I'm not certain I'll make it to another one.

One of the highlights of my trip was a visit to Surf and Saddle, a dive in Solana Beach.  A guy spotted me reading the Form, and the evening ended with him giving me $10 to place a bet for him on the first race the next day, telling me that he'd meet me at the track tomorrow.  I told him to meet me at the jockey scale in the clubhouse at 1:45.  He didn't show.  Easiest $10 I've ever made.

Thursday:  Had lunch with Kim again at the same pizza place with the same waitress.  Dropped $110 at the track.  I love the atmosphere at Del Mar, but I'm not great at betting the actual racing.  Friggin' Polytrack.  I spent plenty of time mingling with the TVG personalities.  Got a chance to talk to Ken Rudulph, Cristina Olivares, and retired jockey Chris McCarron (a Boston boy), all of whom are class acts and great broadcasters.  Trainer Dan Hendricks also acknowledged me when I yelled to him in the winner's circle.  I may have lost a Benjamin, but I got to connect with the people of the sport. which is why I truly enjoy the game.

Spent my evening going on a walk with Kim along Pacific Beach, then went solo to the Gaslamp District at Xavier's, where I heard a Latin jazz band by the name of Marcelo.  The singer chatted me up, and played "Evil Ways" upon my request.

Friday:  With the Sox game at 7 in Anaheim, I had to be on the road by 3:30.  I went for a bike ride around La Jolla.  Hilly town, so I got some good exercise (although I walked the bike up one particularly steep hill...I suck.)  Sox got their asses kicked.  After the game, I went to a show at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood (where Michael Richards dropped the N-bomb.)  I ran into Dane Cook in the audience after he spotted my Sox jersey.  I didn't recognize him right away, but when he said he was from Arlington, it clicked.  The show was alright, but would have been much better if the poor acts didn't have to keep addressing the dumbass drunk college kids who were yelling shit during the entire show.

Saturday:  Got up two minutes before my 11 AM wake up call to ensure that I didn't miss any of the 12:55 game.  Beckett saved the bullpen, but couldn't save himself, and the Sox dropped another one.  I spent the later part of the afternoon at Huntington Beach, and then spent the night at the Los Alamitos race track.  It sure ain't Del Mar, but I won $11 that night, and chatted up a semi-retired vet with the CHRB who had the night off.  She helped me with my handicapping by pointing out the body language of horses which I usually miss, such as a horse "coming up short" by ostensibly not applying equal pressure to both front legs as (s)he steps.

Sunday:  Overslept.  Was supposed to meet my buddy's girlfriend for the game, but she was unable to make it.  Another awful Sox loss.  This bullpen is toast, and I can't believe that Tito didn't go to Papelbon with no outs in the 8th.  He hadn't pitched since Tuesday.  Make him get six outs.  The Halos proved that they're the team to beat in the American League.  Coincidentally, I ran into old friend Donny, who formerly worked at the White Horse and at Common Ground.  He was in the section next to me.  Red Sox Nation is a small world.

Ended my vacation with a visit to the Orange County Fair.  As somebody who has attended the Champlain Valley Fair every year of his life, I'm an aficionado of fairs.  This one was stellar.  The turkey leg was succulent, the deep-fried Snickers bar is probably still stuck somewhere in my teeth, and the fish taco was tasty.  I won an Arizona Diamondbacks hat at speed pitch, saw some Chinese acrobats, and met a steer (gelded bull) named Meatball.  It was while I was at the fair that it hit me how much I really enjoyed Southern California, and sparked my interest in moving out there.

If the Sox play the Angels during the Del Mar meeting next year, I'm repeating this trip.