Governor Schwarzenegger, please leave our car license fee alone. And please don’t increase our gas tax. What are you trying to do, break our backs? While the governor again created a budget that throws out red flags, this Valentines Day at the California beaches we’ll be seeing red. In our household, we are discussing what salad we can dine on as our family Valentine treat. I have posted events on my calendars such as smooth jazz concerts ($75), gondola rides ($75), and other items for Valentine’s Day. Fortunately I have done and seen all those things and don’t feel I’m missing out. But the truth of the matter is that one neighbor just lost their house, another divorced and sold their house to pay off debts, and still, these people went to rock concerts at $50 a pop. I wondered where they were getting the money from if they were losing their house.
The cold, hard facts are that Valentine’s Day is a commercial holiday that is all about spending money. I’ve never been one to believe that on a particular day, things suddenly become important or special. One comedian said, “Let’s pull out emergency Christmas to stimulate spending.” California beaches will be mostly cool this Valentine’s Day. The hotels aren’t booked this year. And as far as sales go, they are down across the board. Not just for Californiabeaches.com, but for nearly every hotel and hotel rooms broker. There’s room at the inn, and some deals if you look around. In our next segment, we’re going to start concentrating on those rooms along the beach. There’s only 150 or so hotels on the beach in California, believe it or not. And when you find them, they’re not always cheap, nor are they always nice. Nevertheless, there are some shining stars worth pointing out. I’ve spent 10 years looking for them and I know some hidden secrets the locals don’t tell you about or publicize. For now, go treat yourself to a new pen, coffee drink, special meal, or even a t-shirt or socks. You don’t have to spend a fortune this Valentine’s Day. At the beach, it’s all about sand, waves & weather.
February 14th, 2009 at 9:38 pm I think the economy is doing just fine. We tried to dine at Buca di Beppo today and the waiting line at 3 p.m. was 45 minutes. We drove next door to The Cheesecake Factory and couldn’t find a parking spot. Perhaps people are spending money on food more than ever. They have a saying that you invest in items that people always require such as food, haircuts and the like, and you’ll most likely weather economic storms better. My experience made me think there’s tons of money out there in the economy.
February 14th, 2009 at 11:10 pm I had a wonderful valentine from my mate. He took me to my pick of movie, bought me dinner at the restaurant I chose, and took me back to his home where he gave me a massage. Mellow and loving. No strings attached. And the cost…probably about $50.
February 14th, 2009 at 11:16 pm It’s all about music. Just put together the most pumpin sounds you can imagine, throw it out there and if you get it right, you get tonight. hint- ask what their favorite song is. That’s gotta be part of the show. How hard is that?
February 15th, 2009 at 4:13 am Treat people nice all the time. They like that better than presents. Yeah, right.