Justus In The World

Ah man, the life is golden!  It's been an epic weekend here in Santa Cruz, just living it up.  This city has so much going on all the time, and with the summer tourists gone, it's pretty darn nice to get around town and meet the locals.

It all started with First Friday in downtown Santa Cruz.  It seemed like it would be an art walk around town, and yet I saw more live music than art.  So many places had bands going, that it felt more like a festival, with people smiling, dancing and laughing all over the place.  Like a true Santa Cruz event, the down to earth shops and people can turn it up a notch and whoop it up like none other.

At the Bookshop, a bluegrass band was jamming out amongst the books, cracking jokes and using a washboard to get that special percussion sound.  Across the way at the Sockshop, a funk band was ripping it up, the store was packed, and there was beer flowing, prosciutto and cheese to be had, and lots of dancing bodies.  Not to be outdone, Jamba Juice had a disco DJ outside spinning some old classics to get the people moving around to. 

The internet company, Cruzio, celebrating a big anniversary as well, had a rocking folk band covering a variety of songs and collecting a huge crowd on the street corner.  Next to them were a couple food trucks and inside, a bar and snacks, with people lounging around the board room like it was their living room, and the place was filled throughout.  This and the Sockshop were the two that seemed to buzzing with people and great music that stood out above the rest.  Walking down to meet friends at the end, this jam band was whooping up the entrance to the light shop.  Quite the night!

The past days have been filled with beach volleyball, sunsets, pool, barbeques, meeting people and riding my new bike around town.  It's be amazing and I'm loving this city.  With weather hitting 70 each weekend day, it was perfect to be diving after volleyballs in the sand for hours.  Great crew of people and it's going to be a regular thing, with the requisite post game swim in there.  At least 5 seals were out in the water splashing around today.  Tis a thing of beauty.

But for you people in colder climates, never fear, it does get colder in the nights.  Not all sun and fun (that's just the daytime).  People talk up how year-round, you can get by with just a hoodie and some jeans.  Tonight was more of a fog-set, where the sun got swallowed up by some early evening fog.  Last night was this awesome sunset:

The life is good.  Hope you all are golden!