My day off. I set out walking down El Segundo Blvd. toward the ocean, with swim trunks on under my regular outfit with bowler hat. Stepping past the industrial Revchron refinery, I decided to call a relative who works at Revchron HQ with a mock inspection report. He didn’t answer, so I left messages with the machine, all in the voice of an oil tycoon, of course. The first called for 50% biodiesel in Revchron diesel products, created from agricultural surplus. The second message, delivered from the beach, referred Santa Barbara County’s fossil free by 2033 plan for an all-biodiesel fleet. The last mentioned the ‘big iron’ ship floating out on the ocean… filled with a bubblin’ crude, I’d reckon ~ I declared it a cryin’ shame to ship it all the way here when there’s enough french fry grease in the LA Basin to power the entire State! Well, we’ll see how it all goes over… Peeling off my street clothes and stuffing it all into the bowler, I waded out and dove into the ocean, swimming and meeting each wave one by one. Venturing further, a surprise big wave caught and carried me quite a distance. Bracing my arms for protection from what seemed a sharp drop and good pummeling against the sandy bottom, instead rigid limbs became hydroplane foils which suspended me skidding along as the wave pushed me all the way in to the shallows. After a quick run to the pier and back, I was on the street – dripping wet, wearing trunks, with all else wrapped inside the bowler. Back at base I had some time to freshen up, relax, and prepare for a big night out…
