Needing a temporary diversion from the concrete jungle, I went to the Santa Monica Pier, whose amusement park and restaurants reminded me of Coney Island. I wandered the beach while observing traffic speed along the Pacific Coast Highway. (This road would find itself in the national spotlight before the end of the week, thanks to Mel Gibson and his DUI arrest.) I also indulged myself by shuffling my feet in the soft sand -- the kind that doesn't exist in Coney Island! -- and watching the sun set before going to dinner.
