Dec 28, 2005:

i am feeling the calling of fresno. i laugh,
but...should i be worried? is this some kind of
central-valley pesticide-induced delusion? the
discovery of "fresno famous" in a sacramento bee
article today is but the latest in a series of "fresno
frissons" i have been experiencing.

it began earlier this month as i shlepped multiple
truckloads of my belongings from SF, where i was
moving from, to LA, where i am moving to. i took hwy
99 because it seemed less boring than i-5, and because i was curious to see the gems of the central
valley...you know, stockton, modesto, fresno,
bakersfield...the bland strand. alright, i admit it,
i was smug in my sarcastic jaded urbanite hauteur.
but i was curious to see the sierra. my first trip i
just saw brown haze. i knew the mountains were out
there...somewhere. i caught shrouded glimpses. i
stopped in fresno for taco bell because it was my
halfway-point. then i saw the silhouetted outline of
some cool looking hills and thought... hmmm... something called out to me and i knew i must see them up close and personal. the next time i made the drive it was a gloriously clear day, and as i approached fresno i was agog. snow-capped peaks! fresno, gateway to king's canyon, sequoia and yosemite! suddenly i understood. i headed out hwy 180 towards my hills and found squaw valley and the orange blossom trail. i also noticed that fresno had something going on. charming old houses. tree-lined streets. funny deco-esque downtown. trees! fresno was calling to me! i daydreamed of a craftsman-style home. i went online. fresno has craigslist! cheap rent! but damn, no
jobs. cal state fresno. the fresno philharmonic (?!)
who knew?? a whole world was opening up before me.
all this time, there at the foot of the
sierra...fresno...how could i have been so out of the
loop? i excitedly left on my next trip and...more
brown haze...but i was not dissuaded. now, today,
FRESNO FAMOUS! i plan to stop on my remaining trips
in january. to explore the mystery that is fresno.
to see the old town, drive the tree-lined streets. i
remember the 80s tv miniseries, the comedy takeoff on
"dynasty" and "dallas" starring carol burnett.
netflix?

this case of fresno fixation (fresnitis?) has
taken me unawares. will it pass, becoming just a
fading fancy as i am swallowed up by los angeles?
what is happening to me? are people SUPPOSED to feel drawn to fresno? should i seek treatment?

signed, EN ROUTE