2 Guys + 1 played at the American Legion.

Posted on by Thor

On our last evening in San Diego, California, Terry’s mom and her boyfriend took us to the American Legion 282 in La Mesa for dinner and dancing. The musicians of 2 Guys + 1 stood at a small staging area by the bar. I was the only one who actually ordered dinner and it was quite good.

The room was rather dark so sketching was a challenge. Marcy seemed proud to show off her daughter. The cover tunes were fine but I never felt the itch to dance. Terry seemed satisfied to watch. A woman pulled Macy’s boyfriend aside and suggested he dance with a woman who was recently widowed. He is light on his feet and was happy to comply. I’m not so sure Marcy was happy with having her dance partner loaned out.

My sister Pat frequents an American Legion Lodge in Florida and they all have the same atmosphere. There is palpable pride in those that served and the food is cheap and tasty. Who could ask for more? There is also a scent of stale beer and cigarettes that has seeped into the buildings woodwork. The Lodge in San Diego was in the basement giving the impression that you were walking down the steps to a speakeasy. I wonder how many American Legions there are in this country. There must be more than 282 of them. That means there are at least 5 Legions per state.

A ride along with the San Diego Police.

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Debbie and Paul Andreen‘s son, Kevin has joined the San Diego Police Department. He was kind enough to suggest I join him for a ride along as he cruised the neighborhoods just North of Mission Beach. When I first got in the police cruiser, he said I should seek cover and immediately use the cruiser radio to call the dispatch if shot were fired. He also wanted me to exit the cruiser any time he did. Much of the morning went by without incident. He pointed out several homeless men that he knew by name. Several weeks ago, a homeless man had died from an injury. He would have lived if any of his buddy’s had thought to bring him to an ER.

After a long time of driving without incident, Kevin parked the cruiser near an intersection that had stop signs. He explained that the road, heading towards the beach had a stop sign at every intersection. By the time drivers got this far they started rolling through the stops.  The law is that you have to come to a complete stop behind the white line. Within minutes, a woman approached the intersection and rolled past the line. He quickly followed and pulled her over a block away. He approached her drivers side door to get her license and write up the ticket. I waited outside the cruiser. The ticketing process took longer than I expected, I probably could have done a small sketch. Kevin wrote down some notes after the traffic stop, because months from now he would have to appear in court. Without documentation it would be hard to recall the details of every traffic stop. He returned to the intersection to check that the stop sign wasn’t obstructed or the line worn away.

Twice the dispatch sent Kevin to homes to check on people. Relatives had tried to contact the people living in the homes and they were concerned that they couldn’t get in touch. While waiting outside the first home, I felt uneasy. A friend had recently committed suicide and this must have been what it was like when police first arrived on the scene and found the body. In both cases, the person was home and in fine condition. Kevin would diplomatically ask questions to make sure the person was safe. It was a bit odd to follow the police into peoples homes. At one point I kicked over a cat toy by mistake. The resident asked who I was since I wasn’t in uniform, and Kevin would explain that I was a ride along. She had a history of depression and Kevin needed to confirm that she was taking her medications.

One call was from an angry woman who was sure that construction workers who were jack hammering up a driveway, had dented her car. The construction workers denied damaging the car. Kevin just wanted to get their contact information.  We looked at the car and I didn’t notice any damage. When talking to the woman in her yard, Kevin explained that this wasn’t a police matter but an issue for insurance companies. He gave her the construction company’s information and told her to contact her insurance company. She seemed relieved just to be able to air her grievances. Before being a police officer, Kevin had been a teacher and that must have given him experience in being diplomatic. The beat puts him in contact with a wide variety of people, from beach bums to the ultra rich. Interacting with so many people certainly makes police work interesting.

Re-Constructing the San Salvador in San Diego.

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Not far from Mission Beach the Maritime Museum of San Diego, (1492 North Harbor Dr.

San Diego, CA) is building a full-sized, fully functional, and historically accurate replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s flagship, San Salvador. Plans didn’t actually exist so they used old sketches, paintings and written documents to find the dimensions and proportions of the sailing ship. Many of the ship builders are volunteers and they are relearning ship building techniques that haven’t been used for over a hundred years. The build site is open to visitors every day from 11am to 4pm. Paul Andreen and I arrived a bit early and Paul managed to talk our way in by explaining what I do.

 In 1542, Juan Cabrillo led the first European expedition to explore what
is now the west coast of the United States. The Gulf of California had
recently been explored by Francisco de Ulloa, Hernando de Alarcón and
Domingo del Castillo, proving that California was not an island. Cabrillo was commissioned by Pedro de Alvarado, Governor of
Guatemala, for a voyage up the California coast under the flag of
Spain. Cabrillo hoped to find the fabulously wealthy cities known as
Cibola, believed to be somewhere on the Pacific coast beyond New Spain,
and a route connecting the North Pacific to the North Atlantic — the
non-existent “Straits of Anian”.

The Cabrillo expedition sailed out of the port of Navidad, near
modern day Manzanillo, on June 24, 1542. Accompanying Cabrillo were a
crew of sailors, soldiers, Indian and probably black slaves, merchants,
a priest, livestock and provisions for two years. Three ships, the
flagship San Salvador built by Cabrillo himself, were under his command. Cabrillo reached “a very good enclosed port” which is now San Diego
bay, on September 28, 1542, naming it “San Miguel”. He probably
anchored his flagship, the San Salvador at Ballast Point on
Point Loma’s east shore. Six days later, he departed San Diego sailing
northward and exploring the uncharted coast line of California. His
voyage helped to dispel myths and allowed Spain to proceed with the
task of colonizing the expanded Spanish Empire. Cabrillo visited many
of the islands along the coast — Santa Cruz, Catalina and San
Clemente, and may have sailed as far north as Oregon.

On December 21st the Maritime Museum will Celebrate  its 44th annual Parade of Lights. Modern and historic ships are covered in Christmas lights and the floating parade can be seen from the Maritime Museum. Ticket sales help keep the historic reconstruction work going.

Top 10 wipe outs on the Mission Beach Flow Rider..

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Mission Beaches Belmont Park  in San Diego has a large flow rider wave that curls into a tube. Our intrepid group sat for several hours at dusk watching beginners and experts tackle the wave. It is most fun watching beginners attempt the wave. They are let out holding a tether to keep their balance. As soon as the life guard asks them to let go of the life line, they wipe out and are thrown over the top of the wave. The perpetual wave is created by jets of water that flow up a plastic ramp. One experienced surfer wore Groucho Marx glasses as he surfed the wave. His every move was relaxed and confident. He would disappear inside the tube and then burst out in a flash of spray just when you started to wonder if he had wiped out. It is possible to lie back on the wave and bounce back upright since the wave has a solid base.

Watching the flow riders is an infinitely entertaining way to spend an afternoon.  It became even more relaxing as we sipped margaritas. When we had our fill we walked back down the beach to our apartment where we played card games to pass the time. Up until I was ten years old, my family always rented a bungalow at the Jersey shore. Spending this much time at the beach brought those childhood memories back. My family would play Monopoly late into the night and I remember creating my own boogie board out of plywood. I never graduated to surfing unfortunately. The little kids that rode the flow rider wave always seemed to learn quickly since their center of gravity is already low.

Belmont Park In San Diego is always bustling.

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On the evening that Terry, Debbie and Paul Andreen went to their high school reunion, I walked down the Mission Beach boardwalk to Belmont Park to sketch the Merry-go-round. Of course choosing to spin something that is always spinning like a top is a bit insane, but I sketched in the calm moments as children clamored on board and saddled up. I found a nice bench where parents often sat while waiting for their children. The roller coaster loomed in the background and screams periodically overcame the Merry-go-rounds pipe organ music.

The Little Dipper ice cream booth had a constant stream of patrons. There was a fence around the Merry-go-round but I felt it cluttered the view, so I left it out. As I sketched dusk turned to night, so I kept darkening the watercolor washed. Sketching at sunset makes sense since the whole process of applying washes to a sketch involves building in the colors from light to dark.

When this sketch was done, I probably had time to do another sketch in one of the arcades. Sketching in such a loud crowded setting is exhausting however so I walked back to the beach front apartment. There I relaxed on the patio and watched the stars. Fire pits ignited all along the beach every 100 yards or so. It was several hours before everyone got back to tell me about what I had missed. The reunion venue overlooked the pro baseball stadium. It sounded like a great sketch opportunity, but that is why I wasn’t invited, I can’t put the sketchbook down.

The San Diego Urban Sketchers discover California history.

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While in San Diego I arranged to meet up with the San Diego Urban Sketching group. Terry’s mom was nice enough to lend me her car so I could drive up the California coast a bit to the Olivenhein Meeting Hall. When I arrived, many sketchers were already hard at work sketching the historic building. The colony of Olivenhein was settled by German immigrants who arrived from Denver in 1884. Each member was granted 5 acres and use of the community’s horse teams and equipment. In 1895 the colonists erected this board and batten redwood Community Hall which featured a pot bellied stove, bar, and a stage. Dances, picnics and fourth of July celebrations were traditional meeting hall events. The meeting hall became a California point of historical interest in 1971 and was placed on the National Register of historic places in 1993.

I was fascinated with the light bark of the trees and the vibrant blue sky behind the dark sienna structure. I tried to squeeze in as many sketchers as I could, but some were behind me. When everyone was finished with their sketches, we gathered together and put all the sketchbooks on the ground to see the results.  Then we posed for a group shot while holding our sketchbooks. In all there were eight sketchers that day. Neither Terry or her mom had ever heard of the Olivenheim Meeting Hall, so the field trip had allowed me to sketch a rather hidden gem from California’s past while getting to meet some talented artists.

Mission Beach turns orange at sunset.

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Terry and I rented a beach front apartment for a week along with Terry’s high school friends Debbie and Paul Andreen in Mission Beach, San Diego. There was one bedroom that went unused which was a shame. We should have invited another couple. Anyway, every evening we would gather on the beach at a life guard station to watch the sun set. As usual, I was looking the opposite way back at the apartment. Our place is the one with the blue canopy set up in front.

Volleyball players keep playing until there isn’t enough light to see the ball. Debbie and Terry are on the right side of the sketch having an intimate conversation. Paul was exceptionally nice to me offering to take me someplace each day to sketch. This was such a pleasure because he was content to hang out and chat with people as I sketched. It was like having an intrepid reporter who knew what questions to ask to get at the heart of any story.

Mission Beach is always active.

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We spent most of our time at Mission Beach in San Diego California sitting in front of the beachfront apartment watching life stream by on the boardwalk. A sign on the beachfront wall pointed out that the speed limit was 8mph, but I’m sure some bicyclists exceeded that limit. Everyone was out for a walk, jog or bike ride. Every day volleyball players would compete at the nets on the beach. They were serious competitors knowing how to set the ball after 3 hits. Sweaty and covered with sand, they would use a water spigot at our place to rinse off after the game.

Every day the smiley face parachute would rise above the water taking parasailors up for a ride above the waves. I only dipped my toes in the water which was freezing cold. When it came time for Terry’s reunion I found out I wasn’t invited. That night I watched fireworks explode behind the beach from the nightly show at Sea World and then I walked down the boardwalk to sketch at the Mission Beach amusement park.

We head west for a San Diego reunion.

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In August, I joined Terry on a trip to San Diego for her snerfurtieth high school reunion. Debbie and Paul Andreen picked us up at the airport and drove us to Terry’s childhood home. Debbie and Paul were high school sweethearts who got married shortly after graduating, and have been married ever since. Terry’s mom, Marcia Lawson lost her husband Alfred several years ago. He was fit and always exercised, so his sudden death shocked everyone. As his health slipped, he began to write a memoir about his childhood memories. Marcia now has a male companion whom she met at a VFW dance. He came over the house and watched the news on a small TV by the breakfast table as I sketched.

Surprisingly the Lawson home has no WiFi connection, so I took a field trip to the bottom of the hill to get connected at Starbucks. In San Diego the hills are really hills not like the subtle grades in Florida. By the time I got back, I was winded. Terry’s plan was to rent a beach front condo at Mission Beach along with Debbie and Paul, but for the first night we slept in her mom’s house.

Searching for Beethoven

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On July 29th, Beth Marshall and Aradhana Tiwari held an audition in their ongoing quest to find the perfect actor to play Beethoven at The Venue (511 Virgina Street Orlando FL). The role is for 33 Variations written by Moises Kaufman. This play, directed by Aradahna will run March 13th through March 30th at the Garden Theater. About five actors came out for this audition. Actor Eric Pinder was stuck in traffic. The producer and director waited patiently while periodically getting text updates on Eric’s progress on the road. The conversation took a surprising turn to a cult of Satanists living in Central Florida whose bark was louder then their bite.

The roll of Ludwig van Beethoven requires an actor with a strong domineering presence. Beethoven was quite honestly a bit of an asshole, treating people around him with disdain. Which reminds me, I recently was mentioned in a venomous, anonymous letter, as someone who is an asshole, financially unsuccessful, a wimp, and not much fun. An asshole and a wimp are bipolar opposites so I can’t be both. Perhaps my opinions rub some the wrong way. My single minded drive and ambition could be perceived as not much fun. When lost in the creative process, I am occasionally interrupted by people who are curious about what I do. I’ll offer a quick joke, so they realize I am human, and then I get right back to work. If the conversation continues, I’ll keep working regardless. I suppose that can be considered rude. The narrow window I have to capture a moment requires constant observation. There is an agonizing panic in the need to finish a sketch before the moment is lost. I can identify with Beethoven’s annoyance at the shallow niceties of the Vienna social scene, the chattering crowd. Now, every time I meet someone, I wonder if they are the coward whose life is so empty that they need to write hateful letters to someone they don’t truly know.  Perhaps this is the danger of social media in that some people feel they have the right to meddle in other peoples lives. Perhaps that has always been the case. Part of me thinks I might have over stayed my welcome in Orlando. San Diego is being considered as a new city where Terry and I can set down new roots.

Eric arrived, dusted off the annoyance of unexpected traffic and quickly focused on his craft, reading his lines with a thick Bavarian accent. You have to look past the distractions and stay true to yourself in any creative endeavor. Seize the moment. Ignore and distance yourself from anyone who feels the need to bring you down. Regardless I will be around Orlando jackin’ out sketches every day.