Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Enjoying The Outdoors

The southern California weather is a real tricky bastard. The sun shines almost daily making the outdoors look appealing but then you step outside and BAM! The ocean breeze hits and you find yourself wishing you brought a sweater, jacket or down comforter to wrap around yourself. I always want to sit outside and soak up the sun, but the freak and abrupt temperature change, as well as my desire to sit in a comfortable, (preferably overstuffed) chair hold me back. Luckily for me, I have found the perfect solution: sit in my car with the windows rolled down. It gives me the illusion of being outside but provides the comfort and shelter I need but also adds the perk of listening to my own music. Not only that, but there are several activities I only feel safe doing in my car.

Such activities include dancing and talking on the phone. Dancing in my car has been the topic of past posts and will probably be the topic of future posts because I legitimately love my car dancing. I’m not sure why I feel most comfortable talking on the phone in my car, but I do. I like knowing there is no one there who can hear me. It’s not like a paranoia thing, where I think someone has bugged my house, but I do think it has something to do with being surrounded by windows. I can see if anyone is approaching, allowing me the time to change the subject or lower my voice. I do this pretty much everywhere; at restaurants I always stall my conversation when the waiter comes to my table. I think it helps maintain my anonymity. And I'll be damned if my waiter knows my plans for the rest of the day! I suppose if I lived in a glass house I would enjoy talking on the phone in my apartment. But then again, I would never be able to throw rocks and I love that. At any rate, this is NOT the topic of this post. This post is about what many of my posts are about: the freaks that live in my apartment complex.

Yesterday, I was sitting in my car, enjoying the sunshine, when I noticed a guy was walking back and forth, from one side of the parking lot to the other as if he was taking a casual stroll. It appeared that he was doing this for exercise, which is just weird because we have a gym and live a block from a park, but his attire told a different story. He had on dressy boots, jeans, a polo, a scarf and aviators; not exactly what someone would wear to work up a sweat. After his walk surpassed 20 minutes I decided was most definitely exercising. And then, since I have seen and interacted with the people that live in my complex, I assumed he was confused and thought a parking lot was a great place to walk and clear your head. And maybe it is! He is not the first person I’ve seen do this.

There is an elderly woman I've seen walking for exercise in the lot. But she is always wearing slippers I often see her sitting in a planter at the front of the apartment complex at 7:30am, drinking a Pepsi Max, so I had chalked her walking up to her being a little off. I know what you’re thinking; I should stop being such a "work out habit snob." But it’s MORE THAN THAT. Why would you walk around a seagull and trash infested concrete parking lot like you’re in prison, when you can see a green-grassed oasis on the other side of the wrought iron gate? I know there are much more pleasant places to walk. Places where you aren’t in danger of being hit by a parking car or long boarder. But who am I to judge? I’m sure the guy walking was thinking to himself, “Why is that girl looking at me? Doesn’t she know there are patios for sitting outside, or clubs for dancing or EVERYWHERE ELSE to talk on the phone?”

I'm still going to proudly believe I am the only normal person in this apartment complex. Possibly Souther California as a whole.....

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