I just got back from five days in cool, sunny California. Yes, the sun always shines, but it's never hot. The people are nice and smart. The trees and ocean are beautiful.

But sometimes you just miss the swampy, oppressive heat, incredibly unhealthy food, and racial tension of Louisiana.

I went there to visit my friend Philip. Here are a few of the things we did:

--We spent most of one day in downtown San Francisco.

--Went to the Cartoon Art Museum, which sounds kind of cool, but was pretty lame.

--Went to Borderlands Books, probably the best genre bookstore I've ever been to.

--Went to Green Apple Books, a giant, cool used bookstore.

--I got a short tour of Google's Mountain View headquarters. It's kind of a geek utopia. White buildings with manicured lawns, stuffed with the latest technology and super-bright people. Fancy free food every meal. A free oil change service. A laundromat, pool tables, and sand volleyball court. A replica of a T-Rex on the lawn and a replica of SpaceShip One inside.

--Hiked around San Bruno Park a little.

--We saw the movie Redbelt, which was a little goofy, but mostly enjoyable. Just let the wheel come around...

--Ate some nice Indian food, Thai food, burritos, etc.

There was more, but that was the general flavor. Overall it was a pretty cool trip.

And now I have to work.