Paul is a musician that lives in Venice. (He has a new record out which will be discussed here soon.) I just saw this on entry on his Facebook page and wanted to share it. The spirit of Venice is alive and well, despite the people that have moved here to commodify it’s good name with their “Venice” products.
From Paul C.:
Ol’ Bessie, The Van, my girl.
I just got her out of the shop. So I took her out tonight. I ran her through her paces. She did good. She did real good.
We went out, just me & her. Up through the Sepulveda Pass to the 101 North. Lilted and lurched through a bit of traffic. Then smooth sailing. I wanted to really test her out. Get her ready for the boys this weekend through to the busier Summer travel months.
So I took her up in to the canyons and hills of Malibu. We were flyin’. She was ridin’ smooth as ever. Like a dream.
Up Kanan Road. Riding like the wind.
& not even until we’re on the way down does the same warning light turn on that’s been coming on for 4 months on & off through countless phone calls, trips to the mechanic and thousands of dollars later. I turn the music off.
And I smell the heat coming off her. Real bad.
So I put her in neutral the rest of the way down the hill.
Headed South on PCH goin’ 35MPH. 20 below the limit.
Cops, Ferrari’s & drunks passing by with no bother.
Even though she was running real hot, I pushed to her limit out to our old favorite spot right on the beach there in Malibu. I could hear the waves crashing.
I had a couple tacos stowed away in case we got stuck. So I cozied up inside her and we had a little picnic. And finally I look up and I see the most surreal enormous gorgeous moon just barely rising up over the city and dancing its intricate choreography on the ocean. Glowing a big luscious orange until settling on a sublime yellow. And we enjoy our tacos, me & Ol’ Bess. Taking a deep breath. Feeling the moment.
She’s cooled down by now so I drive us straight to the mechanic & leave ’em a note to take good care of her. And lemme know if we can salvage her.
As I’m waiting at the mechanic for the cab to come, a bum on her bike is riding in circles around us.
She asks me if I have any money. And I said no.
And then she asked if I was in that movie. And I said what movie? Then I looked down the street and saw there was a big movie filming. And I said no. But she didn’t believe me. And she said what’s your name? And I said paul. And she said paul what? And I said Paul Iamnotfamous. And she laughed and said I like that Paul. It’s nice to meet you. And I said nice to meet you too, what’s your name. And she said Delicious– Delicious Iwish. And we stood there and laughed and we bumped fists. And then she rode her bike around in more circles. I hugged ole Bessie girl I once knew and am hoping for the best for her tomorrow. Ol Bessie, Delicious Iwish and all of us.
Love,
Paul Iamnotfamous
