Some Random Wednesday

I cant sleep very late when there is someone else in my bed.

Last night as I was getting comfortable in my room, the door buzzed. I wasn't expecting anyone but I looked out the window to see who was there... It was Mark!! He just surprised me by showing up at my door. I love when he does that! We settled in for the night, watched a few cartoons (Drawn Together is just plain crazy), watched a couple episodes of Planet Earth, talked a bit, laughed a bit and then passed out... I love those nights with friends that are just pure utter relaxation.

So this morning I was pretty sure that Mark was going to do the usual... breakfast and then head out. I talked him into going over to North Beach for breakfast at "Mama's" He had some decadent breakfast thing and I had a burger. After breakfast we started talking about leaving the city, maybe he and I going on a road trip somewhere. Of course he works, his dad is in the hospital... so he isn't going to be able to go anywhere anytime soon.

So we decided to go to the mall... ugh, so New Jersey... and do a little window shopping. On the way there was my chance to put my silver tounge to work and get him to hang out with me all day. A thought came to me... Boardwalk. The Santa Cruz beach boardwalk to be more specific. I sold it to him like only I know how to do... I don't remember exactly what I said, but I know I did mention the hundreds of shirtless boys on summer break. So we stopped by my house, got him a pair of shorts and we were on our way by one in the afternoon.

The drive down there is beautiful, rolling hills covered with every type of tree there is. Glimpses of crystal mountain lakes between the trees. It was the weirdest day... When we woke up at ten it was foggy and overcast... but warm. When we finished lunch it was sunny and hot... Halfway to Santa Cruz it looked like this... clouds, rain, dark... yet warm.


We came up on a hiway sign that said the next off-ramp was Winchester Drive. Mark said he needed to pull off to get gas... I said, as long as we are pulling off, why dont we go see the Winchester Mansion! It is something I have been wanting to see ever since I heard of it right after moving here seven years ago. So we pull into the first gas station we come to and I went inside to ask how to find the Mystery Mansion. The guy behind the counter said take this road that you are on for another two miles and it will be on the left hand side of the road.


This mansion is one of the grandest, most opulent, and freaky buildings I have ever been in. First, if you ever do go see it... take the paid tour. It is $23 but totaly worth it. The history that comes along with this mansion is one of those stories that may never die. This woman, the widow of the Winchester millions was thirteen kinds of crazy. And all the employees know all the crazy shit she pulled! She would eavesdrop on the servents and if they looked up to see if she was there she would fire them on the spot. Plus almost everything in the house has thirteen of something... that was her favorite number and she made the builders put it everywhere.



Yeah... she believed that she was being haunted by the ghosts of all the people killed by the winchester rifle. And like any sane person, she sought the advice of some sort of old west psychic. This psychic (who had regular seaonces in the house, in a hidden room) told the widow that in order to silence the voices of those ghosts she would have to keep building and adding to the eight room farmhouse every hour of every day for the rest of her life. She lived to be 82. The eight room farmhouse became a one hundred and sixty room mansion for the unstable. Doors that opened onto walls, windows in the floor, and staircases that went nowhere but to the celing. And it was never finished... parts are still under construction... parts will never be finished. Then there are the grounds, the gardens, and the behind-the-scenes tour...



The angles of this mansion are all out of whack. You have to see it.



After we left the house of oddity.. we drove the rest of the way to Santa Cruz. If you have ever seen the movie "The Lost Boys" then you know what Santa Cruz is like. It is a total beach bum kinda place with an amusement park serving as the jewel of the town. It is a little bit surreal, like stepping back into your childhood for a moment. You cant help but have fun, play the games and waste your money on temporary happiness. Mark and I had a lot of fun. Played a lot of games and even rode a couple rides... and then reality had to rear it's ugly head. Stupid body. I couldnt fit on one of the rides. Couldnt get the buckle clipped and had to walk away while Mark rode it without me...hmmm...sigh.



When we got to Santa Cruz I ran directly into a friend of mine that apparently had moved to Santa Cruz two weeks ago. Weird timing. Todd walked around with us for a while and then went off to play volleyball. When Mark and I had had our fill of the rides and kids on the boardwalk, we wandered over to where Todd and a bunch of gay guys had taked over the volleyball nets. It was a cool experience, about thirty gay guys that just wanted to hang out at the beach... weekly. Mark kicked off his shoes for a couple games, and I enjoyed watching the hot shirtless gay guys bouncing with their balls.


Come on... I had to put one sex reference in there... I would lose my gay male audience if I didnt!!!


So all in all Mark and I had our little road trip and got away from the city. We had some much needed mindless fun. And all on some ramdom Wendesday.