Small world MJR - Kymco 700

[Stig / Major Tom]

MJ, just noticed your Covina sticker on the back of your big Kymco.
Small world.
My first job, after running away from home in Mass.,  was working in an IHOP (on Citrus blvd?) in Covina.
Was camping the beaches in Baja Mx. and snagged a ride with some surfers.
I fell asleep in their van. They dropped me off in Covina.
Spent the night in the Bodillo Motel, next morning I picked up my guitar case and back pack and asked a little kid, "quickest way to the ocean, and how far?"
He just looked at me like I was stupid. I was nowhere near the ocean!
Worked for 4 wks in the IHOP (saw Simon & Garfunkel in a round venue - Circle Theater?) and hitched up the PCH to Frisco with my bank roll to see what all the fuss was about. (there snagged a 'job' cooking for a chess hustler in Haight/Ashbury)
Summer of love - 1967.
Young, dumb-lucky, barefoot, skinny and brown. Never did anything illegal, never got in trouble or mugged - married a California girl - and, no, she was not pregnant. (no children till after a stint as a medic in 'Nam)

We had breakfast in an IHOP on St Pete Beach 3 days ago....I showed my daughter where I stood to wash dishes all those yrs ago. IHOPs haven't changed a bit!
old Stig

St Pete Beach gets busy only on w/e days in June - but everyone stops to watch the sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.

[TroutBum]

 Nice picture!

Frisco! No one dares call it that in the City. People would give you the evil 👁.

[Stig / Major Tom]

Nice picture!

Frisco! No one dares call it that in the City. People would give you the evil 👁.

Yeah, I remember the grief I got the first time I said that in Union Square.
I still think of it as the prettiest city in the States.
Tried to live there again 10 yrs later. ...but my seed $$ turned out to be woefully inadequate! (ended up here in Ohio. ....been here ever since)
Surrounded by family....and with a good running scooter and a nearly housebroken puppy ...it suits me just fine. Mostly.
Stig

[TroutBum]

It's crazy expensive here these days. My neighbor just sold their 1,300 sq ft house for $1.2 million. Told my wife we should sell and move to OR to buy land and build a home and keep half of the proceeds to travel the world many times over.

[ScooterWolf]

Come on, Stig. Yoiu can't tease us with that. You need to write the whole story in 'Great American Novel' form! Seriously!

- Wolf

[GLV55]

Come on, Stig. Yoiu can't tease us with that. You need to write the whole story in 'Great American Novel' form! Seriously!

- Wolf

Agreed. We would love to hear more about your very interesting life!

[MJR]

Bought it up there because of the smoking deal on the bike. I've lived down in Costa Mesa since '84 though we did spend a couple in Balboa back in the late 70's. Quite the adventure you've had. San Francisco is quite the city indeed a very interesting place.