Day 12. 16th June
Morning brought smiles & radiance.
Crash, like a child, is an impressionable little mirror & started out his day in a similar way we started yesterday. This brought home the responsibility I have with my actions.
We got a jump start from a grumpy art teacher who kicked Crash & scowled at being asked to help. However, he helped none the less & we were on the road in no time.
We pulled in at an auto shop at Moro Bay & there was great elation at both the successful removal of the old alternator & the discovery that a new one would be just $40.
We replaced the parts & were back on the road by lunch time. We rolled into Santa Barbara, one of the 10 most lucrative cities in America, almost camouflaged in our hippy bus… We avoided security as we filmed me carrying Paul past Oprah’s house – another video that you’ll have to wait until it’s on youtube to watch. We learned that in Santa Barbara, the richest cars have the right of way at the 4 way stops. Much to Paul’s dismay, Satch threw a banana skin at a Porsche in disgust of this injustice. Paul’s buddy Chase & his mum, unaware of the banana incident, took us into their home, hooked us up with home made cookies, showers & lots of smiles & good, encouraging conversation. Chase took time out to help Paul with some computer assistance before waving us goodbye as we headed to LA, clean & fed, but still guilty of participating in a crime of passion, albeit just through association. I think we maybe hold a record for high speed head shaving, but I’m not certain. I helped Paul remove the barrier between him & God at the top of his head at 70mph along the coast freeway. In New Port, just outside LA, we went to Rudy’s Pub & Grill, where an expired drivers licence isn’t sufficient ID for a monk to drink. Paul was required to drink water…at least for a little while. We met lots of Paul’s internet friends here & had some really good conversations from a really wide range of people & backgrounds. It seems IT nerds are pretty interesting, fun, helpful, generous people. Or at least these ones were. 
Liz got Ross to buy an Irish Car Bomb so she could get a picture with a drinking monk - to prove she knew we were fake. (She claimed a real monk would have her on her best behaviour. I was pleased she doubted our authenticity & felt comfortable to be herself around us.) One of Americas famous Drag Queens Glen came along, gifting Paul with his latest CD, but feeling bad about adding the extra weight to his bag, & an ex televangelist, Rick, also spent time talking with the monks. I guess I should’ve expected famous people so close to Hollywood. Some of the girls were pretty cynical about our ‘costumes’, but Paul allayed their fears, telling them we were riding hippos & were from the circus. Lauren approached us & offered us song requests. Unfortunately, having requested Tiesto, she was convinced we were druggies in costume. However, she gave us benefit enough to ask more & was intrigued that we were documenting the good will of men without telling people that’s what we were doing. But when we explained that we were documenting it without any prior notice so as to capture the spontaneity of people’s good will, she was pleased she’d offered us the songs of our choosing. When we got to talking, it turned out Lauren was yet another of the people who came across our path with a strong sense of spirituality, love & justice. She went to the lengths of permanently marking reminders of her beliefs into her body. 
(You reap what you sow.)
After some very sketchy directions & unsuccessful pursuit, we still managed to weasel our way to Jason & Nicole’s house. Once we were there, they kindly took us in to their beautiful apartment & we slept in comfort like dead monks.
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