Incongruity in Hermosa Beach (one in a series)

Watching them unload new, unused caskets outside of White and Day Mortuary along Pier Avenue.

Helping the recyclers load hundreds of pounds of empties into their trucks from the back of the Pier Avenue bars at 2:30 a.m.

The owner of Teriyaki 7 flipping over the "Open" sign each day.

Any home of less than 1,200 square feet left along The Strand.

The Treasure Chest.

The crew and temporary stars of "Blind Date" filming inside The Mermaid.

Any owner of a Pier Avenue bar agreeing that, yes, there is too much drunken rowdiness associated with downtown.

The Sandwich Joint, still in business.

The entire contents of The Scorpio Shoppe and Leland's Just for Fun and the fact that the two stores exist.

Watching someone buy a regular cup of coffee, black, inside Beach Market.

The South Bay Alano Club, about a half mile away from the largest weekly gathering of potential, hardcore and wannabe alcoholics.

-- By H. Stencil

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