Capitola!

Just got back from a lovely weekend in Capitola, CA. I think of the place as a slice of Europe in Northern California--colorful oceanside buildings, quiet beaches, overpriced seafood. They even have a Begonia Festival, which, to my amazement, is very very awesome.

I know, it's tough to believe.

Nevertheless, Capitola is more than just quaint buildings, relaxing scenery, and oddball festivals. It's also 3 miles away from Santa Cruz, where just today I won a 12-player game of Laser Tag, earning me the title of King of Berserkers.

There's also a drive-in movie theater a short drive from the Salvation Army emergency apartment (aka home base) where on Friday night Karla and I took in Collateral, Alien v. Predator, and several Gordon Biersch beers.

Reviews
Collateral: Overrated. Tom Cruise ain't bad enough for the role. No ice in his veins.
AVP: Not bad for a drive-in movie where minimal attention is required. Plenty of mindless action.
Gordon Biersch: Delicious!

These days, the sound at drive-in theaters is transmitted by a low-power radio station, so you just tune in and listen on your car stereo. If you're like me, however, and your stereo is now the property of Haight Street thugs, what are you to do? I queried the cashier with this very dilemma, and he alerted me that they had boomboxes to lend out for the low price of nothing. After fiddling with the antennas for a few minutes, we were able to enjoy the movies with a minimal amount of background hissing.

Now that's Capitola!