It was an early Sunday morning and my car, Dolly, and I needed to rest for awhile. My girl friend Shelly had told me back in L.A. I was "ugly and boring" and broke up with me. My own daughter had thrown my possessions inside a dumpster, and on top of that, my head had to deal with two abscessed molars. I parked my exhausted car on the 101 and ambled towards some bushes across Encinitas Blvd.
There was a beautiful botanical garden in front of me. I trailed down a path that led me to tennis courts. In back of the courts was a small pool of water with benches above it. I sat down and examined my life. Sleep overcame me. Below many baby guppy fish swam around with a hawk perched overhead, and watching me. I walked west towards the smell of the ocean. Above me a large Palm tree winked. I climbed out of this dream and got my first glimpse of the bay on this August day of 2010.
A few black wet suits returned from the water and scrubbed their boards. Other early morning owls practiced their sets on two volleyball courts. I bought a Sunday Times and tried to remove bad times from my mind.A few people slowly walked down the road and set up their chairs in a circle. I could not believe my luck. It had to be a 12 step Al Anon group. I joined in to reboot my program-already ten years in program. I could barely hear the speakers but their talk gave me a lift. I remembered two of my tools: take it easy, and one day at a time. Yet today, four years later I had graduated. Moonlight beach also graduated into a first class beach for families, volleyball players, surfers or just beach-goers. I go there for clambakes, there are several pits or just relax to get ample doses of vitamin D.
I did not know about was the lovely Senior Center a mile or two up the hills. That is where I met the love of my life, Lady Barbara, at Lucky Table Number 5.
At that miracle table sits six of us who have become best of friends. Laughter is our dessert while we indulge ourselves in a different nutritious lunchtime meal -donations are welcomed. There is also a billiard room, bridge games, pickle ball, and a lot of other senior events. There is another dance scheduled this month for St. Patrick's Day.
An updated computer room allows me to play a different type of instrument-it is called a computer. Kris, Tony, and Linda tutor me, with lots of patients. / Excuse the interruption. I have to open the piano for Lady Barbara so she can play tunes her Mom Agnes played many years ago.
She plays one hell of a Ave Maria and is getting ready to play Easter Parade. Gregorio, the mad Russian is in love with my Lady. Unshaven Thomas laughs up some food. Abe listens and eats his ready-made tuna salad, and then...oh my here he comes our Auschwitz survivor. Horst Cahn. I grab a chair and sit by My Lady.
"George my back hurts too much today. Can you play?"
I sit down, not to write a letter, but to play a few tunes from South Pacific like Some Enchanted Evening, and Don't Throw Bouquets at Me.
Horst comes over and begins to dance with a reluctant Lady Barbara. Soon, everyone is laughing including the piano. Now who has heard of a piano that can laugh? Before you leave my blog, sing along with me: We were sailing along, on Moon Light Bay...
To visit my beach get off at the Encinitas off ramp from the 5 freeway and turn west, or east on it
for the senior center.
Note: sorry I headed you in the wrong direction towards Tijuana. At the border it may take an hour to get out, but head north thirty miles the other way. Tonight I dance to the sounds of the Moonlight Sonata on University and 55th Street. It is next to K Mart
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