Mendocino, California

When I think of California I always think "Beach Boys". Help me Rhonda, Surfer Girl, Catch a Wave.You know. Songs that all brought us to California, physically or mentally.

Well, I'm in Mendocino, about 150 miles North of San Francisco, and the Beach Boys have never been here. A potential client requested my presence at a meeting, and I accepted. I didn't bring my bathing trunks. I've been to Mendocino in December before.

It's on the beach, but you can't see the beach. In fact, you can't see a thing. Fog all over the place. And if the sun does come out, it peeks out at you. It says 'wouldn't you rather be in Colorado...or Newport Beach...or Arizona? Why are you here, boy? Come back in August.

I guess it goes to experience: go where you gotta go, to get the job done. Now mind you, I've been in many worse places. But gee, if I go to a meeting 'on the beach' somewhere, I would certainly like to be able to see the beach. I suppose that's why the client had the meeting there. He promoted the fact of a 'beach meeting'.

All well and good. Except from what I could see, I could have been in Iowa. If I actually was brave enough to venture 'to the beach', I would have needed a rope hooked to my car, to find my way back. One of those experiences, where you 'hear it' but 'don't see it'? Yea, the Pacific Ocean was somewhere 'over there', just beyond that road sign that said 'beach access'. Who would have known.

The only Beach Boys music I was singing while there was Brian Wilson's "In My Room".
And so goes the life of a management consultant.

Good note: The fish is excellent at some very good 'fishy' restaurants, that I couldn't see until I drove up to the front entrance.

It is one of those rare places where you smell things first...and hopefully then see them. Something like being a consultant, don't you think?

Have a good one.