Wow. Being away from the board for a week and checking back in to find all this love!
Thanks, everybody.
I am so glad I got away. It was a great trip.
I saw an old friend, a doctor I once worked with...he's still a bachelor, pining away for the perfect woman. I used to have a huge crush on him, and now I just love him as a friend. I stayed in his multi-million dollar house on the beach and just thought about how isolated he seems. He tends to paint a picture of himself as a victim of women. (He picks women who are a cross between Grace Kelly and Mother Theresa, and then is horrified when they don't measure up.) And he's religious in a way that wouldn't make room for me. But he's a dear good person and I loved our late-night talks.
Bopped around SF visiting businesses, very productive in terms of work. I'm hoping my boss will pay for the rental car as well as my plane ticket. My daughter was soooo happy. She's been lonely in Miami and she got to reunite with several of her best friends from college. One of them came along down to L.A. with us...the two of them were so funny together.
We went into South Central LA to my last appointment, at an eco-manufacturing business. Very interesting, sobering place. Then off to Pasadena and the family reunion. I'm politically very different from the relatives, but they're kind lovely people, and it really did us both good. After all the pain with my brother and mother, it was great to hook up with the "old California" side of the family, my Dad's relations. We stayed at their church's guest house right around the corner, and I spent the morning before the festivities started with a "green" designer we may work with. She was lots of fun and just as excited as I am about alternative energy and organic products, etc.
Then we got up at 3 a.m. to make it for our 6 and 7 a.m. flights--D back to Florida, her friend back to SF, and me home. All went smoothly.
Home to a quiet house and mellow dog. The gardener had taken great care of her, and installed a second rain barrel for me while I was gone. Got him a book as a gift, and called to thank him.
I wrote him while I was away that I'd realized the biggest thing I was grieving was the loss of touch...I'd been affection starved. But I knew I could get that need met, and I knew we'd be friends long-term. Called him to thank him and we had a cheerful talk and I feel as though the drama's over and we can move on.
What a relief!
Thanks for all the love and good wishes. Y'all warm my heart.
Will take me forever to catch up on what's happening with each of you...but I'll be reading! Can't post much until I finish Mom's Medicaid application, which is beyond urgent. But I'll pop in.
lots of love,
Hops
