Among the Missing

As I conclude my business in Los Angeles, and prepare to leave once again, it occurs to me that I have lost many things along the way.  In the interest of, perhaps, getting some of them back and preserving some marriages let me report that some of the main items that seem to have disappeared over my travels are socks and bras.  Now I am not surprised about the socks part.  I put them on and take them off any number of times during the day...but the bras part, well, I just don't get it. So if one turns up at your house, don't accuse your husband of an indiscretion, just mail it back to me.  If I receive one that I don't recognize, I'll dutifully let you know.

This week I did, finally, write the story of Grandma's roses, inspired by Sue Hopkins reporting that her and Andrew's cutting has budded thus establishing its survival of the transplant.  I hope to hear that the other plants are also showing signs of life.

In the meantime, it pleases me to report that I miss Colorado and am looking forward to returning.  I will probably be back again this week to save myself thousands of dollars by bringing a fully loaded van back instead of having it shipped.  I have a few small pieces of business to complete before I go, so assuming that my foot cooperates even a little bit, I should be headed back sometime this week.  Good thing I like to drive...

No Great Shakes

This week, there's not a lot to report.  I remain in Los Angeles at the Stewart's.  The news of such a disastrous earthquake in Japan is sobering to say the least.  News of major earthquakes on the Ring of Fire are always frightening since we share that address on the planet.  Remembering that the nuclear power plant in San Onofre is built on a known fault makes me wonder more than ever how such a thing was allowed to happen? Back in the day, I participated in the protests to prevent that from opening...clearly, to no avail but in light of the catastrophe in Japan-well, let's just say it adds to my reasons for relocating from this area.


At the moment, I am enjoying the hospitality of dear friends and am working my way through the boxes that came out of the POD last week.  I need to reduce my things to a single load in the van, which isn't easy considering that I had already pared it down before it went into the POD.  When I focus on the reduction of storage expenses, it's easier to part with things that aren't new and can be replaced for less than storing it right now.  So, I will work my way through it and call it good. My progress is slow, but it adds up after a while.

A Gentleman and A Scholar

This week was significant for many reasons.  I finally reduced my storage by one POD (as long as "I" means Jim Stewart doing all the work and Debbie doing all the selling).  I completed my deposition (as long as completed doesn't include reading and signing off on the thing).  Lorraine and Jim took me out to a celebration dinner for this. (Thanks and YUM)

Today, I went to the memorial service for Jack Popejoy.  If you're not from the Los Angeles area you would need to know that Jack was a local AM newscaster on the all news channel.  He covered the earthquakes and any and every emergency in the area.  He was a calm person and presented the news in a balanced and informative way, which is very nearly a lost art in my mind.  He also happened to be the mate to a friend of mine, so I spent most holidays in their company and got to know him in a different way than most of his followers on the radio.  He was a nice person, witty, helpful, pleasant and a good listener.  I'll miss him.  It was an honor and a privilege to know him.

In the meantime, I got a flat yesterday so tomorrow I get to buy a new tire.  I just got tires in October but there you have it...oh well, the van won't run with three.  I will be in LA (by popular demand) until next weekend.  Frankly, I need the time to compact my stuff for transport in the van - and as much as my body likes Colorado, I need a little TLC to get me through the next phase of this transition.

Old Home Week?

It's good to be back...only smellier...okay, so it didn't take long for me to get use to the clean air in Colorado, and it took even less time to get use to no traffic.  Rush hour traffic in Colorado Springs is equivalent to traffic in Los Angeles at four thirty in the morning, but it is good to be back.  I've only managed to visit with a couple of friends, but I did get my taxes filed so I can call it a successful week.

I have a busy week ahead of me, my storage POD is being delivered and I need to unload and reload it into the van.  Sound like fun? Oh yeah! I am really looking forward to seeing some of my things again.  I'd like to pretend that I know what's in there, but I don't.  I've spent some time thinking about it too.  The only thing I remember is thinking "Do I really have to get another POD?" then I saw that one of my kitchen chairs was still in the house and said, "Yes, I do." so now I am getting back one kitchen chair and whatever else was left in the house after two PODS had already been filled.  I suspect the van will look like something out of the Beverly Hillbillies when all is said and done.

My friend is having a yard sale on Saturday so I can conveniently dispose of anything that doesn't fit or doesn't make the cut.  I refuse to think about how much I've spent storing things that may not even make the trip with me, well maybe just a little...happily, I have family and friends to assist me in both doing the work and distracting myself from the wasted money.  I'll let you know how it all works out.