Looking for red shoes to take me home...

This time warp, traffic-ridden vacation has been tough.
Not to mention that the compass in my car seems to have stopped working. Mabye it needs new batteries...
It seems that the visits here are taking an emotional toll on me to match the the smog making it hard to breathe.

Although my mohter and I e-mail daily and talk almost weekly, I had not seen her in over a year. To say that she less than adequately has represented her state of being is an understatement. She is not doing well and it shows. OK, she just turned 76 last week but I was not prepared for what I saw. It was difficult for me to see such deterioration. I held it together but I could feel my body registering the facts. Talked to my aunt on the phone but we didn't get together in person. She, too is not faring as well as I would like.

After I left her house, did a little retail therapy to distract me. Went back to my hotel room and fell hard and fast asleep and was late in getting to the Apple Store to pick up my Wasband. We went to get a bite of dinner and then we went over to see the couple who used to be our best friends and the Best Man and Matron of Honor at our wedding. I have not seen then in a couple of years either. He is doing good but she is having health issues. We talked awhile to get caught up. And then I took David back to his aunt's house before I returned to the hotel. I watched as my mind was trying to sort things out.

Guess the way I chose to process it was through sleeping. My dreams were reflective of my agitated state and then somehow I overslept. I had turned off my cell phone to re-charge it and did not hear when my high school drama teacher called this morning to see if I was okay as I was late for our breakfast. I woke up at 10:55 a.m. and I was to have meet her at 9:45.
Whoa. I really zoned out.

Fortunately, Mrs. Moody was understanding and we made it for lunch instead. Celia was able to join us and we had lunch at Marmalade Cafe in Calabassas in the new Commons. It was great seeing these women. Celia is funny and bright and had great things to say and even gave me some great advice on my love-life. I am trying to convince Celia that if she cannot go into stand-up comedy because of her teaching and mothering duties, that at the very least, she needs to be writing a blog. I know she would have a following beause of her wit and honesty.

Spent some time at the United Church Home Office. Said hello to a bunch of folk while there. Did some research. Walked through the library and visited Ernest Holmes' chair and the desk at which he wrote his first book. Ahhhh. Got some of my bearings back. I wish we could do field trips so that the field churches could come to see where Home Office is and what archival gems we have; and learn about our history and our founder more.

Took myself to dinner and some more shopping in Toluca Lake/Burbank. Passed by a few of my old residences and the Skandia Bakery (who had great bran muffins) has now turned into a Starbucks. So I went in just for old times sake.

David got back from his video shoot kinda late so we skipped going to the movies and just talked and spent time with the dogs. We said our goodbyes and I came back to the hotel to do e-mail and this blog.

I am oh so eager to get home. And I have much to contemplate, process and sort through about my life, my choices.
Guess it was a valuable vacation after all.