Surviving So. Cal according to AspenSpin

It was a fabulous Summer in La Jolla for Andy Party, Carmelo and the entire AspenSpin gang.  We cribbed at the Shore Colony Apartments at Windansea...which may have seen its final Summer.  If the $24 million deal goes through, 6767 Neptune Place will be knocked down to make way for luxury condos.

It ain't easy living in Southern California. Over our 5 ski-habs in San Diego,  AspenSpin has established a few simple rules for survival in So Cal.  L.A. is exempt from these rules...because it would be impossible for us to survive in L.A. for more than 3 days.

RULES for SURVIVING SO CAL.

1) STAY on the COAST.   We don't go East of the 5.  The beach is cool and breezy and there are tons of chicks in bikini's hanging around.  We never go inland...it's too hot, too crowded and you might as well be in Nebraska.  Plus fighting traffic to go inland...thats just crazy.  Alright...once in a while we go to a movie or hit the mall...but always between 10 & 2..see below.

2) 10 & 2.   ONLY DRIVE between 10am & 2pm or after 8 pm.   Actually we never like to drive in So. Cal.  It's never easy, there's a lot of freaks.   We only take the car when absolutely necessary.  The traffic is  simply unbearable, although San Diego's traffic is mild compared to L.A's.  Changing lanes can be an ordeal.   3 scariest obstacles... Seniors in BIG Caddy's, motorcycles and Asian women drivers.  Ya, dude,  Take the 5 to the 805 to the 8 to the 15...and you're there...no biggie.  

3) IF YOU GOT IT...SHOW IT. If you don't...don't.   San Diegans are an extremely healthy bunch.  Lots of people have great bodies and great tans and tons of ink.  They love to show it off.  The guys go shirtless at the drop of a hat. The ladies...oooo la la...the skimpiest bathing suits this side of Rio and the shortest short skirts i've ever seen.  Me, I know where I stand...baggies, tee's and plenty of sunscreen.

4) ALWAYS USE PROTECTION.  San Diego is really a pretty conservative city, which is surprising to most people.  Lots of loyal republicans and former military types abound.  Despite that aspect..there is a strong surf culture and a vibrant party scene.  Beaches, bodies and booze is a major part of the vibe.  The Gaslamp is like one giant bar at night.  There's plenty of skin slapping in SD.  Sluts (male & female) are throwing it out there early and often.  It's a candy store...just be careful, use protection.

5) LONG WALKS on the BEACH.   Every morning...just as the sun comes up...before anyone is around...Carmelo and I take Windansea for ourselves.    The big waves, the rock formations, the trails, the smell of the sea, the nature...its the best.  We didn't miss one day.   As an asside, the garbage left behind on our beaches is disgusting.  I got in the habit of taking a garbage bag along on our walks.  Everyday I filled it with other people's sh*t.  I despised bending down to pick up half eaten burritos in Styrofoam containers, or 12 empty bottles of Bud, or  wet socks and underwear and towels or plastic bottles or broken beach toys.  Seriously...it made me sick.  But If I didn't pick it up...the tide would come in and it would be taken out to sea by the huge rip currents.  Sunset walks on the beach became another ritual for us.  We missed a few sunsets..but not many.

6) GET a SICK BEACH CRUISER.  Every Summer I buy a new Electra Cruiser. I ride that thing everywhere and then sell it to a lucky buyer on Craig's List at the end of my stay.  It heavy and not great on uphills...but I love that bike.  During Comic Con when parking starts at $50...I throw that tank in my car...drive to Banker's Hill and park for free.  It's a nice roll downhill to convention center and 130,000 nerds.  The only rub...riding back uphill after.  

7) DIET, DIET, DIET.  Hard and fast rule, only one IN-N-OUT double-double Izzy-style per month...thats all, that's it. Also, San Diego has an incalculable number of Mexican restaurants. There is a wide disparity of offerings in this category, from the grossest of the gross to "gourmet Mexican".  One of my chicks clued me in that mexican food is not very healthy.  Really??   OK so I tried to eliminate it from my diet.  I did break down 3 times.  Don Basso in Birdrock, Oscar's in La Jolla and Juanita's in Leucadia.  It was gooooooooooood.

8) SWIM, SWIM, SWIM  Both in the Ocean and in the pool...i did a lot of it. 5 days a week.  The spectacular outdoor pool at La Jolla High School (est 1922) had never seen a cannon ball quite like Andy Party's.  La Jolla Cove is the sweetest Ocean swim in America.  Doing the body whomp at Windansea is always a blast, plus riding the boog at Del Mar or snorkling with the sand sharks at La Jolla Shores...it's all good.  

9) ENJOY, ENJOY, ENJOY.