Jeez, you leave for 2 years, and everything goes to hell. Not that there’s anything wrong with country music, but when you’re bombing down the Cuesta Grade at 11:30pm, and there’s nothing on the XM radio, and you’ve listened to the CD in the deck about 47 times since you started driving, the next natural step is to turn on the good ol’ terrestrial FM radio and tune into the stations that you know will play some good Top 40 tunes. Instead, I got an earful of manure.

Othere notable changes since the last time I was in SLO:

• There is a COSTCO
• Tortilla Flats has closed down, and a Karaoke bar took its place
• Lots of previously open spaces have been developed
• Cal Poly has been seriously developed - new dorms/apartments, and mondo additions for the College of Engineering
• There is a HUGE Apple store downtown
• Sakura is no more - it’s now called “Sushiya”

One thing that is still the same is the presence of elephant seals up north of San Simeon. As you can see from the picture above, they are quite fat and lazy. Get a job, ya bums!

Also, the weather is just about perfect compared to the cesspool that is the Sacramento Valley. Glad to see that hasn’t changed.

We’re having fun driving around, reminiscing about all the good times down here. It’s hard to believe it has been over 10 years since I first came down here to go to school. This city is just so awesome.

We’re also trying to hit all of our favorite restaurants while we’re here. Yesterday, we hit up Cugini’s (for me), Nucci’s (for Kelly), and Mandarin Gourmet for dinner. That’s always the dangerous part of coming back to SLO. There’s just too much good food here.

As for Troy, how’s he handling all of this, with the moderate climate and the fresh air and the beautiful sights? Let’s just say that he “exploded” with enthusiasm, “unloading” his glee at being in new surroundings. He is “relieved” at the prospect of finally seeing where Mommy and Daddy went to college.

(I’ll just come out and say it: he’s no longer constipated. Yesterday was a BIG day for TroyTroy’s colon.)