Labor Day, 2009.

Labor Day is crazy. One would think it was the last chance for the country to party. Ever. Okay, I get it. The end of summer. (Well, not in California, and not really anywhere for a couple of weeks at least.) We decided to go for a drive. We found ourselves at the bridge that crosses the San Diego Bay and leads to Coronado Island. I haven't been there in oh, 25 years or more. First, let me say, the bridge is scary to drive. It is really high! Yikes! Can't imagine how they built that! Then... on this beautiful island, traffic. Traffic everywhere. Don't know what I expected, since it was Labor Day. I just don't register Monday holidays. I don't think about holiday traffic. Since my day off is Monday anyway, I think of it like just another day. Fool, I.

We drove around the Coronado Hotel. The very famous hotel. We caught glimpses of the Pacific, we found zero parking. Had to get out of there! We drove to the opposite side of the island. Still a lot of people, but relatively far fewer. Finally, a parking space walking distance to the bay. Finally a place to stop and walk on a little grass at a park commemorating the location of the now defunct ferry. (They closed it when the bridge opened in 1969)

Clearly, the Pacific Ocean is the attraction on Coronado Island, not the reverse look at Downtown San Diego. I was glad. We had the cool breeze. We watched a father and his kids fly a kite shaped like a Spanish Galleon. (How did that thing get up in the air?) We saw the water and a couple of small beaches. We saw at least 30 sailboats, and 2 jet skis. Very entertaining. We sat under a gazebo. (My mom used to call them "gaze - bos." She said, "Well, that's how it's spelled!") We looked at Downtown San Diego from the other side. It was pretty and pleasant. Just enough people. We wondered why everybody else had to be on the Pacific. It will still be there tomorrow. And next Tuesday. And, I suspect it will still be there when the everybodies have their next day off. Ah, but this day was LABOR DAY. The last day of summer. The last chance to party ever.

Do people know why we celebrate Labor Day? It was originally a day to celebrate the contributions made to this country by Labor Unions and Organizations and the American Worker. (The AFL: American Federation of Labor.) Begs the question. Why do Republicans get to celebrate Labor Day? Seems a little anathema to that party's policies.

Labor Day is not the end of summer. It is not the last chance to party ever. It isn't even the last excuse to party this year. (Like Americans need a reason to party.) We have Halloween coming up pretty quickly. On it's tail is Veteran's Day. Have you forgotten the holiday clearly designed so you can over-eat all day, and watch football? Do you remember Thanksgiving is more than drinking too much because you are annoyed with your family? Oh, then the rush to Christmas and a week later, New Year's Eve. Not necessarily in order is President's Day, (Saint) Valentine's Day, MLK Day, My friend Jimmie's Birthday, The Ides of March, Saint Patrick's Day, Mardi Gras, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day... oh, then Summer.... AGAIN.

America! You can party tomorrow. You've invented countless reasons to. How about stopping for a sec. and appreciating the why behind the holiday. Or even the why behind the party? No one thanked me on Labor Day for working so hard, (for free, mind you) for my union. I don't really care if you thank me or not, but Labor Day is set aside exactly for people like me. Union workers. That is the point. Do you remember to thank veterans on Veteran's Day? Do you remember to remember our war dead on Memorial Day? Do you even know who St. Patrick was? (He chased the snakes out of Ireland - even though the scientific record shows there were never any snakes in Ireland. But a good reason to drink green beer, huh?)

It just all gets so silly.

So, we left Coronado Island about an hour after we arrived. We came home to my little apartment near Balboa Park and I put out hummus and celery and spinach pizza from Trader Joe's. A little cheese. We elected to stay in for the rest of the day. We chatted. We watched t.v. We had take-out. We went to bed early. It was kinda perfect.

Labor Day. I had a very nice day.