Wasted in Malibu

I needed a day with a girlfriend.  Sunday was that day and it was pretty much perfect.  I spent the day hiking in Malibu.  After taking a bunch of silly photos in a burned down mansion bathtub and watching a mouse run around in circles for way too long, we walked out of the woods discussing the LA dating scene and wine bars with a major TV producer and his 7 year old son…because that’s…what …you do….in Malibu…right?  Randomness. 

The hike is followed by dinner at a hole-in-the-wall seafood restaurant/fish market right along PCH.  Not North Carolina hole-in-the-wall…Malibu hole-in-the-wall.  You don’t want to know how much the basket of clam strips, cup of clam chowder and fish tacos cost.  And the sad thing is, I am now in the frame of mind that it was a deal. 

Seafood is followed by a stop at the “$4.00 for one cupcake” bakery which was worth every freakin’ penny.  Green and red frosting (it is almost Christmas) is followed by a 7 minute shopping spree (we were reminded of the 7 minutes as we entered the store) at Banana Republic where I swear still don’t know how the $79 jeans rang up for only $18.  After asking, “Are you sure?” once, I decided not to argue with the saleswoman who is use to waiting on customers that think $79 jeans are sold at Wal-Mart. 

Jean stealing was then followed by a completely illegal U-turn on PCH to make sure the object we had just passed in the road was not a person.  Someone still needs to explain to me how we were the ONLY people stopping at the sight of a stuffed coat with something that looked like a head out of the top of it, laying the in middle of the road.  After our pulse rates returned to normal we did laugh (a very thankful laugh) about how that really would have ruined the entire day.  I enjoyed the remaining drive back to West-ish LA, smiling about how the Santa Monica Ferris wheel was lit in green and red for the holidays, how when men say “She’s just a friend” we need to run, and thinking about how LA really isn’t what I thought it would be and how that is a good thing. 

I haven’t made all of the correct decisions.  I have taken left turns when I should have gone right.  I have passed objects in the road that I should have gone back to "just to make sure”.  I’ve been selfish, have put up with others who are too selfish and have come full circle to realize that in certain situations you have to be selfish.  Most importantly though I have found that sometimes wasting a day in Malibu can be the furthest thing from wasting a day.  I used to feel guilty by blowing off a day of life and not getting anything accomplished that “needed” to be done.  I am learning more and more that those “wasted” days end up being the days that I really - live.