After breakfast, we called up the Dept of Motor Vehicles to see what was required for registering the vehicle. They said we needed a pink slip (tho’ we later found out we didn’t) and a smog control certificate. Shit, we hadn’t thought of that. Called up a couple of garages to find a reasonably priced one, then drove into town. Stopped off first at Safeway, but that was no good, and then tried to find the garage. It took quite a time, since we had inadvertently come out with the wrong map. Even then, all we could do was book the car in for 1 o’clock, for a test, tho’ they were also going to put in some points (tho’ they wouldn’t put in ours, just their own.) So we drove back for lunch, having spent a fruitless morning. Decided over lunch with Meher that it might be as well to cancel the garage appointment, and get the car registered in another state, where perhaps the smog regulation would not apply. In the afternoon, we all drove to Half-Moon Bay, a beach across the bay. Unfortunately, we drove out of the sunshine into the fog, and it made for a cold afternoon, tho’ a very enjoyable one. We had to scramble down to a nearly-deserted beach, and then did various things: walking, playing. Aneema, Meher + Val made sand-candles, melting wax over a fire, and then pouring it into holes in the sand, with string arranged for a wick. I made a sand-castle, despite the attentions of Salim, and Meher helped me to decorate it with sticks from dead rockets, which were littering the beach. It was getting cold now, so as soon as the candles had set we dug them up and were back in the van and off home. The evening was idled away peacefully with good food + conversation.
Notable for our relaxed attitude to registering the car, aided and abetted by Meher! And not a mention of insurance, so remarkably antisocial all round.
Pleasant to enjoy a relaxed and low-key family activity; we had been very fortunate to have an introduction to Bill, Meher and family.
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