Father's Day Week at Huntington Beach

Fog had a strangle hold on   San Diego and its satellite cities. The normal June swoon had locked in the pollutants. My asthma returned and my head ached, normal for June. 
   Another dreaded Santa Ana is scheduled to visit San Diego. The  Five freeway is snarled again. More visitors are coming in to enjoy the Del Mar Fair - and later the thoroughbred racing season.
   On Wednesday, I check my car's the anti-freeze and the oil. Then I gas up and am on my way to Huntington Beach to enjoy this Father's Day week. My nose is clogged and bronchitis is soon to overtake me. The rush-hour traffic is soon to accompany me, so I quit North County at one o'clock.
    I can see the sky in San Clemente. At the Ortega off-ramp outside of San Juan Capistrano, I fill up and take a pee break. I feel a rush of free-flowing beach air and can breathe again. My mind opens up to the beauty of God's world.
    The 5 freeway becomes the 405. To my right the Westminster Motel Six comes into view. The first clerk tells me they are booked up, even though it is just passed two. The office phone rings.
    "Can you help this gentleman?" Another young Latina, this one with a smile replaces the first.
    "Can  I see our license? Thanks. My God, I can't believe you are a 75 years of age. Why do you look so good while others your age can barely walk."
     "My great Grandfather was Moses. I am a Jew and my name is Gershom, son of Moses.  I inherited young genes from my Dad Harry."
      "We are not sold out. Do you wish a smoking room?" She gave me the senor key to room 210 overlooking the In 'N Out Burger and Westminster Blvd. I filled my ice bucket and took a nap before slipping downstairs for a six dollar number 1 at the burger stand.
       "I took a pill and slept through the night. My head felt full in the morning but the air conditioning and the great westerly beech breeze was just what I needed. It felt good to breathe. At seven, I drove to a street mall to wash my clothes and mingle with the folks in Westminster."
        While my clothes washed, I grabbed a tall chocolate and read a book about the Second Crusade. the air felt fresh and the beach air felt uplifting. Afterwards I visited Brother Mel at the Pacific Spartan Assistant Living Center in Midway City.
        At their desk, an officer called him on the intercom He came down and sat beside me. He wished to go to the beach and afterwards, visit Norms for his usual of T-Bone with the trimmings of soup, salad, and vegetables. The food is skimpy where he lives and meat is never on the menu. Hot doggies are served up once a month.
 I park in a green metered spot, two blocks from the Beach Blvd  on Main Street. . I take him to the International House of Pancakes so he can remove his diaper. It slides down often. Later,  he follows me to the highway and the bleachers. Mel is relaxed and has never looked so peaceful.
     He has limited vision in one eye, since the other was cremated during lazier surgery by a Vietnamese doctor. He get shots for his only eye once a month. It is half foggy but he still can see the blue of the lifeguard stand.
     The circus is before us. Beach goers are surging or playing volleyball. School is out and everyone Homesteads part of the sandy beach. I descend to watch some two-man volleyball. Unlike San Diego, the beach air is unobstructed. There are no high buildings yet although to the south is what looked like the building of a  shopping mall.
      Mel left to walk to the restroom himself, something he couldn't do a year ago. He has much better control and has learned to deal with stress. Of course seeing my second grandchild has made a world of difference. "Thank Lauren for bringing Baby Allison. She teased me by faking a somersault and laughing at me. She knew she was putting one over on us.  
   We then drove to Norm's on Beach Blvd where he ordered the usual of chicken gumbo, steak, veggies and salad. A new man left while I hightailed to the ninety nine cent store. A Happy Mel made my fathers-day week and of course it is great to breath air again.