A Sunday Morning Suggestion

 

If you, like me, hail from Southern California, then you may be familiar with the (spoiled) winter malaise we all seem to suffer from. Despite the fact that our seasons, if you could call them that, drop and rise a mere 25 degrees every year, Angelinos in particular bitch and moan about anything less than perfect beach weather. This year, however, we actually lost our summer. I moved back to LA after 4 years and discovered an endless blur of those bleak, white skies when the city hangs heavy and low. Add unemployment and the cold realization of life after college and you get a very depressing end of 2010.

Last weekend, though, the temperature spiked, possibility sparked, and I took the good ol' Amtrak Surfliner up to Santa Barbara. Without divulging all of my extra curricular activities, I did have one of the best days ever, and I'd like to suggest such a day for you: Mimosa Sundays.

My best friend Jamie and I took a drive through downtown Santa Barbara, past the ocean and art walk and vendors lining the wharf, up through Milpas and by La Super Rica's cheap and renowned tacos, to Jack's Bagels. Jack's supplies a popular coffee shop in Isla Vista, Caje, and we proceeded to pick up a dozen bagels (cinnamon, onion, everything), 3 types of shmear (sun-dried tomatoes, veggie, regular) and headed to Alice Keck Park.

We met up with two other friends and spent hours soaking up some quality vitamin D, noshing on bagels and letting the sweet bubbles take us over. Getting day-drunk with just the right amount of carbs and three brilliant minds was the best way to end my weekend.

Something so simple can make such a difference. I spent most of last week as though I was still laying in the sunshine (despite being stuck inside as office slave). Do me a favor, and try it next Sunday -- or, if you're still stuck in real-worst woes, try it as soon as the sun peeps out for spring! You won't regret it.

Jack's Bistro

53 S Milpas Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93103