The Inconvenience of Saving Seals

Posted on May 19th, 2007 by Christine.
Categories: Hilarious, True Story.

So this morning, Christopher and I were on our way to San Pedro to participate in a 5K run along the scenic Pacific Ocean. I’d never done this particular 5K before, but I had a course map and driving directions, so I figured we were in good shape and off we went. When we got to Point Fermin in San Pedro, everything was well marked and there was a huge sign that said “Runner Parking” and an arrow pointing up a hill into what appeared to be a narrow road leading to a parking lot. Lots of people had already parked on the surrounding streets and several runners were warming up by going up and down the hill leading to the parking lot entrance.

Here’s a picture of Point Fermin, so you can get a sense of how close it is to the ocean, and the type of hill it has:

Christopher: Think we should park on the street? Maybe that lot’s full.

Christine: Usually they have someone out here telling you if it’s full. I think we should just follow the signs to where they want us to park.

So as the third car in line to turn, we turn onto the road that leads up the hill. When we get to the top of the hill, we realize that the first lot with access from the road we were on was indeed full and people had parked on both sides of the road narrowing it to a single lane.

As cars in front of us were figuring this out, they continued down the hill, so we followed suit. Then all of the sudden, we stop. The cars in front of us stop completely. We sit there for about three minutes, not moving, when Christopher, in a sudden burst of impatience, says, “Fucking great! Now we gotta park in the ghetto!”

I look around at the green grass of the park and wonder where the ghetto is that I’m missing.

Christine: It’ll be fine. Just relax. Once we get past this, I’m sure there are places to park at the bottom of the hill.

No more than I get those words out and traffic starts to move again. We pass a second lot. Full. We snake all the way to the bottom of this huge hill and sure enough there’s a third parking lot. A blue truck, two cars ahead of us, stops in the middle of the road, the driver gets out, and he runs over to where some of the parking spaces in this lot have been coned off. The guy moves the cone, gets back in his car, and pulls into the space.

The white Camry in front of us does the same. Driver out. Cone moved. Camry pulls in.

There are about six other coned off spaces in this lot.

Christopher: Think I should do that?

Christine: They’re probably coned off for a reason.

Christopher: Fuck it. No they’re not.

Christopher gets out of the car and runs over to move a cone when… a fragile-looking little guy with long stringy hair gets out of his car and yells something I can’t hear to Christopher. Chris turns around, annoyed, and comes back to the car. He gets in and slams the door.

Christine: What’d that guy say?

Christopher: He says they’re reserved for ‘animal care.’ What the fuck is animal care?

I point to the building right in front of the spaces with a sign that says ‘Marine Mammal Care Center.’

Here’s a picture of the building:

Christopher looks up at the building.

Christopher: Marine Animal Care???!!! What animals? Seals?! They’re reserved for seals?!

Christine: For people who save the seals…

Christopher: Then I better see some dead fucking seals on this run today…

Pissed off, he says this as he backs out and continues to drive down the long winding road.

Christine: I hope not… because then those people aren’t doing a very good job.

Christopher: I don’t even believe that asshole has any seals in there…

I turn away and look out the window because I’m about to laugh. He grumbles a little bit more before we reach the end of the line of cars parked on the shoulder of the road where he can flip around and pull up behind the other cars.

We park and get out. We start to walk up the hill on our way back to Point Fermin.

Christopher: We’re gonna do a 5 K just getting to the 5K.

Christine: (knowing he’s still pissed off about being pre-empted for a seal saver) I think you’ll be okay.

He shrugs and fell into step beside me on the walk.

Christopher: Yeah, I guess.

He smiles. I smile. It’s all good.

Christopher did awesome on the run and beat my slow ass by 3 1/2 minutes. I was pissed at myself for not keeping up with his pace, considering what happened the last time Christopher tried to do a 5K with me. But he was waiting for me at the finish line clapping and yelling “You rock, baby!” And when I finally got through the line of people tearing off their bib tags, he was right there and gave me a hug. So it was a pretty great morning.

And what made it even better… we didn’t see any dead seals.

40 comments.

The Death of a Nation »« 9 Simple Relationship Rules For Women