Flavors of HMB

Sincerely, I wish I had pictures to help describe the people and area in which I live.

On countless occasions I have wanted to scream stop! Could I please take your picture? Knowing that my friends from Utah would be totally enthralled with the unique, strange and quirky, eclectic human side of Northern California. I wish I could give you an accurate view of HMB. It would leave you with a smile on your face. It's like going to the Jelly Belly factory and sampling colorful jelly beans of flavors unrecognizable. Then going over and buying a bag of the misfit jelly beans that were discarded in the discounted grab bags. And all the while loving each and every flavor! That's my Half Moon Bay!

Rain, Rain Rain! This is coastal rain wet, windy and wild. As it rains and I drive soundless in my

BMW X5. I drive a bit grumpy wishing this dark rain pattern would disperse. My perspective then changed. I saw two Hispanic men wearing barely a rain jacket to shield them from the rain. They were pedaling down the coastal highway against the whipping cold wind and lashing rain. They were peddling with all their might and barely going anywhere. The looks of their faces were stressed and distorted. Further down the street several more Hispanic men traveling on bikes early this cold morning to get to work. the majority of immigrant workers are illegal and don't have the documentation or the money to afford cars or gas.

I felt grateful, yet a bit selfish for driving past them in my car.

Later that morning I had to drive up to Stanford Medical Center. Again I found a sight that although similar from the Hispanic men on the bikes, this time it made me smile. Young Students from Stanford University were also riding their bikes in the rain against the wind. This time though they did it with a yuppie flare. A flare that comes from a Liberal  minded, environmentalist crowd. Yes they rode their bikes, but the look was  distinctly different. These students had on stylish rain coats, packs of different sorts and they were sporting umbrellas as they rode. Yes against the wind they carried their umbrellas. they pulled and struggled against the wind to peddle. And I pondered with a smile and saw humor in this attempt to beat the laws of mother nature. Ahhh You've got to love it