Lovely Day in California

 Well.  Southern California is lovely.  Quite lovely.  The weather is delightful.  70s during the day and gets nice and cool at night.  Our hotel is completely adequate.  Anaheim itself seems to be comprised completely of Disneyland, hotels, and every single chain restaurant you can possibly think of.

Also, everyone in California is really nice.  Like, really, really nice.  We're not sure if this is because people in California are just that nice, of if it's that Disney owns everything and people are contractually obligated to be perky and happy at all times.  Let me give a few examples.

We went to breakfast.  Before we'd even sat down, we'd been enthusiastically greeted by three different people.  On our way out, three different people enthusiastically bid us goodbye and wished us a nice day.  After breakfast we rented a car and drove to the lovely Huntington Beach since the actual conference doesn't start until this evening.  As we paid for the parking, the guy asked us where we were from (apparently we clearly stand out as not from around here.  Are we radiating aggressive East Costness?) and when we said we were from Boston, he chatted a bit about his trip to Boston.  There were two cars waiting behind us.  No one honked.

While at the beach, we saw dolphins.  Seriously, two dolphins, frolicking in the water.  WHAT IS THIS PLACE?  Is it  the constant sunshine?  The close proximity to the happiest place on earth?  We're sort of disconcerted, while also being in awe.

The only thing that could make this day any better is free books.  Man, are we ever in luck!  And maybe some ice, for Anna's sunburn.