Sunny California, Sunday Drives

I need to write this before I completely forget this ever happened.

Sunday, May 11 around 1:00PM

It's not like these kinds of days rarely or never happen, but it was just one of those days that you've been hoping for some time.

Yesterday was a bit of a crazy day. I needed to be at a rehearsal first thing in the morning to take a look at movement and take some sample pictures, and then had to rush back to Monrovia to spend time with mother/sister/Lakers game since it was Mother's Day/Sister's birthday the next day/Lakers better not lose again all in one go. I didn't get out of the rehearsal until near one, and the game had already started at 12:30, so I had to book it from the "Arts District" of Downtown over to the San Gabriel Valley.

I'm telling you, I couldn't have had a better day and time to be driving up the 110. I shed the hoodie I had on from the cold studio, and rolled down my windows to enjoy the perfect weather. The temperature was at the perfect level for me - just warm enough to be in short sleeves, but had a bit of chill that a light covering would be acceptable, too. I was very happy I didn't have loose papers/bags lying about my car, which allowed me to have the windows rolled down as I cruised through Downtown and kept them down all the way up to Pasadena. Traffic was light, and I was able to keep at an even 65 without too much wind, so I could still listen to the jazz on the radio without having to blast it.

The light was also perfect - it was bright, but not really sunny. Thanks to the "June Gloom" marine layer about the area, the sun was completely diffused, which made the colors all around bright and saturated against the white backdrop of sky.

Going up the 110 in all these conditions made me feel like I was driving through old pictures my parents would have taken before and right after I was born, with the colors so rich and nostalgic, you would almost wish that Downtown to Pasadena wasn't so short of a distance.

When I'm not pressed for time, or am eager to get somewhere, I really do enjoy driving. Sure, I had to get to my destination ASAP, including making a stop to get some food, but all the elements of yesterday was a testament of how much pleasure I get from a good drive.

Even with gas at the cost as it is, I would almost consider making an effort to get out of the house and in my car on Sundays, especially at this time of year, as it's seemed to be working out for me for a few Sundays now, provided I have an actual destination at which I can do things.