yesterday, i took the long way home and drove down balboa blvd and across balboa island.

my timing was perfect as the sun was just starting to set over the pacific and the breeze was blowing through my sunroof and the whole time it whispered, “good call carter, aren’t you glad you were fucking with your ipod and missed your exit?”

indeed i was.

the local group of surfers were packing up their boards and sun worshippers were taking to the streets on their beach cruisers. a bunch of high school kids were hanging out in front of the beach-bum liquor store because one cool kid did it way back in the mid-80′s. after all, it was only seven o’clock and curfew seemed a lifetime away. there was plenty of time to be a cool kid and guard the liquor store, armed with nothing but popularity and a bleach-blonde haircut.