Sunday night rides

I woke up feeling like I hadn't slept a wink. Even after two cups of coffee I could barely function, except to drive. Self diagnosis: sleep apnea.

My Navy badge expired Saturday night at midnight, so I didn't think I was going to get the last rush of sailors. They're leaving tomorrow on the Nimitz and the rest of the carrier battle group, so Sunday night is their last shot at a good meal. Planning for the worst, I decided to park at the front gate for leftovers.

Surprise, surprise. While everyone else was getting flags to downtown, which are good rides, I got better ones:

To Walgreens on Rosecrans; a female sailor needed some prescriptions to take on deployment. It was a wait and return, for $60.

Two other Nimitz crew were going to Pacific Beach for their last beers as free men. They wanted to watch the sun set over the Pacific at a bar right on the beach.

On the way from the I-5 to the beach (Garnett St.) I noticed heavy traffic coming back. It was 75 today, maybe warmer, which always draws a big crowd for the beaches. I started planning a different way out, but the options are limited.

I dropped the guys at World Famous, a bar just south of Garnett on Mission Blvd and Pacific Drive, for $44. I decided to keep going south hoping West Mission Bay Blvd was clear going back to the freeway.

Boy was I wrong. The problem is that I-5 parallels the waterfront, and there are only three ways in and out -- Grand / Garnett, Ingraham, and West Mission Bay. All were stop and go. The journey usually takes five minutes, but tonight it was 20.

There was one nice benefit to being at the beach on a hot afternoon -- girls in bikinis. Everywhere. That made the delay more than tolerable.

I left work early to watch the NASCAR race waiting for me on DVR. Jimmie Johnson beat Jeff Gordon by two feet. Great race.