I'm back.....

Home from the California trip about two weeks now. On return, right back to work the next day.

I'll post a family photo here before too long, in Lauren's photos, not mine. But my kids and grandkids looked fine, a sort of quiet happiness about them, smart, goodlooking, seemingly secure, good parents; they don't present worries for me, that's for sure.

A freaky six days (out of seven) of a warm heat wave, the Bay area in the 80s, up to 87 or 88 degrees in San Jose-Monterey area; Chinatown over the top, a place I like a lot, two of them really, San Francisco and Oakland. I bought some jade talismans, a small, floral Japanese rice bowl...$3.99. Monterey Aquarium exceeded my expectations, great flow to it, architecture, crowds, vistas, sea views, a lunch in Cannery Row easy, delicious, flowers blooming everywhere, natives and aliens, California poppies and agapanthus...brilliant day. At the Aquarium gift shop I bought a beautiful Tunisian serving bowl, marine themed, fish...carted in home on my lap in the plane.

Matt on the morning of his 35th birthday chomped the tips of three fingers of his left hand (he's left-handed) by sticking his hand into the running lawn mower...good treatment, quickly, a plastic surgeon reconstructed what he could and apparently there's a prognosis of a very good recovery, feeling, movement. The middle finger was bobbed, shortened and the finger nail grafted lower so it will look like a normal finger, but the same length as his ring finger next to it. It could have been worse. Great party for him, outdoors, catered Taco-frenzy, good, and drinks, a pinata, birthday cake.

My niece Wendy showed up with her daughter Monica, out of my life for 18 years or more and she was sweet, timeless, beautiful..warming for me to see her! All of us at Saniata's parents' for roast baby back pork ribs, steel head trout, potato salad, rice, fine wine, tarts for dessert, a wonderful, comfortable meal and gathering!

Julie, friend, fellow traveller, was an obnoxious pain in the ass, goofy, on pills for pain and everything else she could swallow. We've parted company.

I'm glad I went. I would like to have stayed longer. Maybe another trip in the offing, maybe in October. We ate Thai, and Mexican, and fish and calamari, and chowder in the sourdough crust...just a great trip