99. Bangin' at the Beach

At noon every third Sunday of the month (April 18, 2010, for example) by the pier in Hermosa (the "H" is silent, the word means beautiful en espanol) Beach, California; you will find Sabina Drums ready to lead another Free To Be Me Drum Circle.  

For over seven years now, Sabina has driven her VW bus full of drums and other percussion instruments to Hermosa Beach to lead this open to the public, free event.  Although, donations are encouraged and appreciated.  Donations go toward buying drums for children with a drum desire and financial challenge.

Sabina, along with three to four key musicians, plays along with whoever shows up and wishes to participate.  Many people also watch.  Participation is encouraged.

Grab any one of the number of the percussion instruments Sabina has provided.  Let your self get lost in the beat and allow it to flow through you.  There's no mental involved really.  Let your worries go.  Let your cares melt away.  Bang the drum fast.  Bang the drum slow. There is no right.  There is no wrong.  There is simply playing what you feel and comes through to play.  Let the rhythm move you.

Before you know it, it will be almost 3 pm.  Time for this drum circle's drumming to end.  As your SoCal Gal found out, Sabina and the drum circle are true to their word.  Drumming did last from noon to 3.  Although, you do not have to arrive right at noon and stay until 3 to participate.  No worries.  Bang for a short time.  Bang for a long time.  Play like a child.  And let your self enjoy bangin' at the beach.

Click here for a Google map of the Hermosa Pier.

85. Blarney by the Beach

It's 7:11 pm on St. Patrick's Day.  Do you know where your leprechaun is?  (Sorry, it had to be done.)

Okay.  Seriously, it's 7:11 pm on St. Patrick's Day in Hermosa Beach on the beach block of Pier Avenue.  With venues like Hennessey's and Patrick Malloys you know there's celebrating to be had.

Your SoCal gal hopes you also brought a little something else with you, the Luck O'the Irish.  You needed this luck in spades to get into the happening venues.  As you can see from the photo, at 7:11 pm a line was already forming.

There was a time when your SoCal gal didn't mind standing in line.  Heck!  Anyone with the perfect personality is able to have fun anywhere, right?

It's just that your SoCal gal had just experienced a bunch of blarney by the beach.  Not to be confused with Blarney, the town in County Cork, Ireland nor with Barney, the child entertaining, purple Tyrannosaurus rex or Barney, my cousin the BMX trick biker.

As standing in line is something she would rather not do if she can help it (in this case she could), she was ready to make like a baby and head out.  That was before someone stopped her advising she stay to watch the sunset.  Why?  This night was said to be one of the rare evenings when you can see a green flash in the sky the second the sun goes down.  So she stopped.

Your SoCal gal only had one beer and that was with dinner.  Can't blame it on that.

About now you are probably thinking, "Wow!  That SoCal gal will believe anything."

In her defense she was lured by the promise it must be real 'cuz it is on the internet (are you laughin?)...not just some blarney a leprechaun disguised as a real life couple was trying to feed her.  Not only did she stop, she filmed it too.

Turns out it is true.  Click here to be directed to the Green flash Wikipedia page, if you wish to learn more about it.  AND, it would have been awesome had the optical phenomenon known as the green flash been visible on this particular day when green rules.

P.S.  I know!  Your SoCal gal was thinking it too.  "Green Flash" would be a great name for a superhero. Maybe a long, lost cousin to the Green Hornet?  Perhaps the official superhero of St. Patrick's Day?  Let's check the internet.  'Cuz, you know.  If it is on the internet, it must be real and/or true, right?

83. St. Pats on the Pier

I love Hermosa (word means beautiful en espanol and the "h" is silent) Beach, especially the block of Pier Avenue closest to the beach where cars are not allowed.

Why?  Because as much as you may think there are many dining-type venues "right there" almost kissing sand along the beaches in SoCal, there are not.  There are on Pier Avenue.

Despite the above, the visitors Hermosa attracts and its proximity to Los Angeles proper; the city of Hermosa Beach manages to keep a small town feel.

One time of the year this city really enjoys celebrating is St. Patrick's Day.  For almost twenty years on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day (if St. Pat's isn't on a Saturday), the Hermosa Beach St. Patrick's Day Parade has been included as part of the festivities.  And your SoCal gal, me, Lori Bjork, decided to check it out this year.

The Hermosa Beach parade reminded me a little of the St. Patrick's Day parades I'd attended in St. Paul, MN only warmer and less people under the influence of green beer.  The parade reminded me a little of the Memorial Day parades I participated in during elementary school in Medway, Mass.  Yes, I was a brownie AND a girl scout.

Truth is I'm not sure what I expected compared to say the Rose Bowl Parade.  And this parade was definitely not on that scale.  I doubt it was meant EVER to be.  For as the parade rolled on (and my arm got more and more tired as I filmed almost all seventy minutes of it) one thing is certain, it was all in good fun. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day Everyone.  May the luck of the Irish be with you all day and every day.

P.S.  I am including all five parts of the parade with this blog for convenience sake.  While it probably wasn't the favorite part for any one else, I was excited to see not just one, but seven DeLorean DMC-12's participating in the parade.  I had recently written a blog post where I mentioned the only way I would get to sightsee 9038 Melrose Avenue was with a Delorean DMC-12 and a flux capacitor.  Now here were seven live and in the stainless steel (but no flux capacitor).  Why?  Because in the early 1980's, the vast majority of the eight thousand or so DMC-12s were produced at the DMC factory in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.  They are viewable in part five.  Enjoy!

P.P.S.  The beach block of Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach is also a great place to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and get your green beer.  If you are going to imbibe as there as part of your celebration, while it may be tempting to walk around on Pier Avenue with your alcohol, DON'T.  You will get a ticket.



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5

33. Two By Two

I'd never purposely imply the greater Los Angeles area is lacking in much.  Okay, maybe water, but otherwise...  Even when it comes to professional sports teams, we have been blessed with two hockey teams, two baseball teams, two basketball teams and I don't know how many futbol (soccer) teams.  Sorry my treasured readers, I don't desire to know.  Yet when it came time to get on the proverbial NFL ark, we managed to miss the boat.  So...if you are an NFL fan who finds yourself in the greater Los Angeles area, your team of choice is an out-of-town team.

This situation makes for an interesting Sunday morning phenomenon in and by Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach.  BTW the "h" in Hermosa is silent.  Hermosa means beautiful in Spanish.

To give you a better feel, allow me to remind you when football coverage begins at noon on the east coast, this means it is only 9 AM in sunny L.A.  To me, that is already a strange mix; football, beer and breakfast.

If you visit this Pier Avenue area on a Sunday morning, you notice many of the dining and drinking establishments have chosen an NFL team.  One establishment has gone so far as to choose the Lions.  Huevos Grandes?  I'm just sayin'!

The morning we went we chose our venue, Sharks Cove, because it is a proclaimed Steelers' establishment.  Had they not been playing the Vikings the morning we went... Judges?  Personal Foul.  Too much purple on the upper torso.  Entrance DE-CLINED!!!

As if this wasn't surprising enough to me, this Steelers' haven offers tater tots (a registered Ore-Ida trademark product invented 55 years ago by founders F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg) with breakfast.  Don't even think about asking for hashbrowns.

I wish to thank Sharks Cove here for inspiring me to make a hot dish I love.  To see my video how to make my easy, easy version of this tasty tot hot dish, click here.  To see NFL football while enjoying breakfast, beer (or other beverage of choice) and beach atmosphere, get yourself to the Hermosa Beach Pier area on a Sunday morning druing NFL season.  Who knows what surprise or inspiration may await you there.

20. Sharks Cove Hermosa Beach

Having lived the majority of my life in Minnesota, there are many things that are a change when one moves to California, like what time NFL games start on a Sunday morning (9 and 10 am).  That seems a little early to me to start drinking beer.  Does that make me a prude?

Normally, I prefer to watch sports and do my drinking at home.  The morning we visited Sharks Cove in Hermosa Beach (for those who don't know, Hermosa is a spanish word meaning "beautiful" and the "h" is silent) it was with very deliberate intent.  This bar is a Pittsburgh Steelers bar.

On this fine Sunday morning in October the Minnesota Vikings would be guests of the Pittsburgh Steelers in a match that would find Brett Favre experiencing his first loss of the 2009-2010 season wearing his purple #4.

Now I've heard of niche marketing, but a bar that can be supported by fans of a team almost three thousand miles a way seems a bit too niche to be profitable.  And yet, here it is.  And their Steelers' energy was intimidating, I am sad to report.  So much so we were almost happy to leave to go to another place to meet family, have breakfast and watch the end of the game in more neutral territory.  And bonus: a view of the beach and ocean.

Sharks Cove in Hermosa Beach serves breakfast.  As I looked over the menu I have to say I was shocked, surprised and dare I say it...a little excited to find they serve tater tots with their breakfast. I was especially excited as I had not too long ago been thinking about one of those dishes which probably never EVER will be considered healthy, tater tot hot dish. Yet, I'll probably always have a fond spot for this "comfort food" dish in my heart.

So class what have we learned here?  Let's see.  If you are ever in Hermosa Beach looking for a place to have beer, tater tots and cheer for your favorite NFL team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sharks Cove is just that little slice of heaven you've been looking for.