Ocean Beach or OB

   Never did I ever think that my experience in OB would make me wish to fish for Bonita or Mackerel. It did! 
   I needed to  give Dolly, my car, a wheel alignment. I dove my car to Express Tire on Midway Drive and left it there. I needed to give a digital picture to a print shop on Newton Street in Ocean Beach. I needed some business cards made. The locals call it OB. 
  A short drive from Old Town, is Midway Drive. I dropped my car off at Tire Express for wheel alignment. I walked a two blocks north to the #35 bus stop. Midway Drive turned into Point Loma when the driver turned left into Cable. I exited at the corner of Cable and Newton Streets. I walked up Cable towards the sea. The old eateries and other vintage shops enticed me. Up ahead sat several happy faces having breakfast on their long front porch.
  A youth hostel manager gave me the low down. "Each room holds four. It is twenty five the first night, and twenty dollars afterwards. It includes a waffles and eggs for breakfast and barbecues on the beach. Each person brings something to eat at the bond fires on the beach. We provide surf boards for those wishing to learn for a nominal fee."
   I thanked Joe and walked west to the print shop. I gave my thumb drive to Solomon the owner along with my thumb drive that included a digital picture for my new business cards.  Solomon extracted my background picture and I left. He would call me when a sample sample was ready... In the distance I saw the longest pier in my life. 
   At ten o'clock, my indigestion has run its course. Now I would venture onto the long pier. A fisherman told me the parking lot did not charge, unlike downtown San Diego.  It dawned on me that I could perhaps fish the next time. 
   On the pier most of the fisherman were bringing up Mackerel or seaweed. Most were Asian and could not tell the names of two birds in the ocean. I think one was called a Kite and the other a Egret.    
   To my right of the pier a long wedge of surfers waited patiently for the right wave.  for the right wave to come their way. Most wore body suits and a few brave ones wore their birthday ones. There were so many I didn't quite know why it had not been called a surfing beach a long time ago. 
   I continued my walk on the long pier. The cafe at the end looked bigger to me. One Chinese fisherman caught a Mackerel and a young kid caught some other type. 
   "What is the name of the fish you caught?"
   "It is a Bonita."
    "What does it weigh?" 
   "About half a pound." He sliced it open and put it into a large water bucket. He closed it and told me he used Coconut milk, tomato sauce and butter when grilling it. He lived in one of the many apartments and told me the skin pealed off when cooked.

   I looked at the menu of the cafe. There was a variety of different types of fish on it. Joe, the owner, told me I could rent fishing poles and bait for sixteen dollars.  I thanked Joe for the free lemon water and told him I would return. 
  Oh yes, to get to OB just get on the 923 out of San Diego or the #35 bus out of Old Town. Both buses intersect on Cable and Newton. 
   I will be returning to the pier often. The view of the Coronado Islands n the distance was spectacular. One fisherman told me that the uninhabited islands were used for bringing liquor into the country during prohibition.