Exploration

I took off right after the 1100 muster today to go back to the library. Didn't have any plans... the Vienna Philharmonic performance tonight was way too expensive to go to. The Internet was down at Liberty Hall, so I had a dual purpose in going. Spent the first half-hour checking email and posting, and trying to find out where the supposed "Main NEX" was so I could go behold its wonders after I was done volunteering. After this I picked up a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit on the children's softcover racks outside the computer room, took a nearby seat and read it. I remember I loved the short animated version when I was a kid, but I didn't remember the particular details about it.

The Library and the Presbyterian Church of Point Loma

Worked for an hour shelving Young Adult non-fiction, then as I returned for more to file as the head librarian stopped me and asked for help setting up a display on the glass shelves in the lobby. A lady was showing off her 150 horse figurines from all over the world. It was a very fun distraction... and both she and the librarian were very nice. Returned to regular duties: the graphic novels, and then the 500's series of juvenile non-fiction... "animals". The last took a full hour... lots of thin books... and lots misfiled.

I stayed until closing at 5:30, and was very hungry. But just as I was walking out, the 923 came by and I hopped on. (I had purchased a $5 all-day pass on the way up here this morning.) The 923 is neat because it passes the library and the base... and continues downtown on weekdays. (You should have seen the sun going down over Point Loma! So beautiful... bright orange behind the ships on the waterfront... and made the water so richly blue.) So I rode it all the way to 8th street and on the recommendation of the driver, took the 929 to 32nd street and the main campus of the NEX for Naval Base San Diego (where the ships are).

By the time I boarded the 929, the sun had set. And we were hurtling through unfamiliar, sketchy, industrial parts of town... so I was a little worried about being alone, but very glad I was on the bus with friendly people. Thankfully, the NEX campus was easy to see. They had a mall! A two-story building for apparel, a building for a department-type store, a food court (I had honey walnut shrimp at Panda Express for dinner... wow!), a UPS store, a barber, a shop just for drinks, a cleaners, and a grocery store! Crazy! I bought a few Navy and non-Navy shirts, pants and hats. Very nice, indeed.

The trip back was very easy. The 929 stops at the main trolley station by the baseball field. Since the 923 stops running around 7, and it was closer to 9pm... I got on the blue line trolley there and returned via Old Town and the 28 bus down Rosecrans St. Beautiful night! No wind and no clouds. What a fun time.

Jp