It Never Rains in Southern California

Yesterday was a nice relaxing day.

I woke with 3 things on my mind. A sprinkles cupcake and see the Queen Mary.

I slept in yesterday, knowing that the hotel checkout time wasn't until noon. I needed the rest from the long day of driving the previous day. I had breakfast and then headed out in search of the Sprinkles cupcake ATM. Found it and parked the car. It is very easy to use. Just like a regular ATM, you have your choice of many flavors, but I decided to go with their signature red velvet.




A few seconds later...taadaa, there it is.

I paid for my parking and headed for the Queen Mary, cupcake secured.

I needed to stop for gas and rather than using my bubble headed assistant (GPS), I decided to just look for something. Gas prices in LA are more than $4 a gallon, but I was desperate. Well, I ended up on the wrong side of the tracks again and witnessed a very aggressive display of testosterone between two sets of young,
human, males. Lots of foul language, gun waving, all because someone's car was in someone else's way. There I stood pumping my gas, no reaction. I walked into the store to get some Gatorade, and the middle eastern man behind the bullet proof glass asked if I was okay.

"oh sure", I told him, "I teach high school."

Off to the Queen Mary. But first my sprinkles cupcake. Yummmm








I don't know much about the Queen Mary. My mother told me my aunt sailed on it to get to the US. You won't learn much about the Queen Mary on the self guided tour, which is what I took. You can pay a higher price and have someone guide you around, but I only wanted to spend an hour or two at the boat.

I was originally going to stay on the Queen Mary, it functions as a hotel. But I am glad I did not as it is definitely haunted. I got the creepy crawlies the minute I got on the boat. The low ceilings and narrow passage ways also made me feel claustrophobic.


It's very big.








Kind of looks like the Titanic.




Not a cupcake ATM.




Art deco?







On deck.


I'm king of the world!



Life boats.



Looking off the back.



Uh? Where are life boats on this side??

After the Queen Mary I decided to take the Pacific Coast Highway up to Santa Cruz. So I put the top down on the convertible, put my sunglasses on and sang along to Barry Manilow's Greatest Songs of the 70's.

I'm out of work, I'm out of my head
Out of self respect, I'm out of bread
I'm underloved, I'm underfed, I wanna go home
It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya?
It pours, man, it pours