COMING OUT OF HIBERNATION, CARNIVAL IS HERE, THE LAST WORST DAYS OF WINTER, GETTIN' READY TO GO TO WORK, LOOKIN' FORWARD TO IT.
FIRST POST OF THE YEAR:
MISSION BETTY
AROUND THE WORLD BY MANY MEANS
STOPPING NOW AND THEN FOR13 HOUR
RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO NORCAL. HEADED UP TO LOS GATOS, CALIFORNA, TO VISIT MY MOM. SHE'S 95% OF THE WAY THROUGH HER FIRST CENTURY AND ALL EVIDENCE POINTS TO THE FACT THAT SHE SHALL ESCAPE THIS MORTAL COIL BE FOR I DO. HENCE ME VISITING HER. EVEN THOUGH I WAS PASSEPARTOUTLESS THERE WERE MANY KEY PLAYERS WITHOUT WHOM THIS MANY LEGGED BEAST WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MOBILIZED, AND I WOULD LIKE TO, AND WILL, THANK THEM EACH IN TURN.
STARTING WITH CASTILLO, WHO TRANSPORTED ME TO THE LA PAZ AIRPORT. THE SHORTEST LEG OF MY JOURNEY, BUT IT DID BEGIN WITH BUT A SINGLE STEP. I THEN FOUGHT MY WAY THROUGH THE LA PAZ AIRPORT, WITHOUT THE AID OF VOLARIS AIRLINE WHICH FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LONG HISTORY WITH THEM WAS LESS THAN SUPPORTIVE IN MY EFFORTS TO EXCHANGE MONEDA NACIONAL FOR THEIR SERVICES. I EVENTUALLY FOUGHT THEM TO A DRAW AND LICKED MY WOUNDS AS I BOARDED THE PLANE. IF YOU CAN'T LICK YOUR OWN WOUNDS............
ARRIVING IN TIAJUANA I WAS EXCITED TO AUDITION THE NEW CBX BOARDER CROSSING. THE “CROSS BORDER EXPRESS” IS A NEW TERMINAL ON THE CALIFORNIA SIDE OF THE BORDER, DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THE TJ AIRPORT. IT IS FOR THE USE OF ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES FOR FOLKS TRAVELING BY AIR ONLY. IT'S 350 YARD WALKWAY, ALL ENCLOSED AND WITH FREE CARTS, ALLOWS YOU TO AVOID ANY WAITING IN LINE WHILE CROSSING THE BORDER, IN EITHER DIRECTION. GUARDED PARKING, DEDICATED CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, ALL THE TRIMMINGS. SLICK AS CORN THROUGH A GOOSE, VERY NICE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. FASTER AND CHEAPER THAN COMING THROUGH CABO FOR ANYONE WITHIN A 3 HOUR DRIVE OF THE BORDER. I'LL DO IT AGAIN.
I HAD PREARRANGED FOR ONE “ALVARO THE DRIVER” AND HIS EVER READY SHUTTLE BUS TO WHISK ME TO THE SAN DIEGO AMTRAK STATION, AND HE WAS WAITING IN THE PARKING LOT, TRUSTY STEED CHOMPING ON THE BIT AND WHISKED I WAS. THE SAN DIEGO AMTRAK STATION IS A NOT A GRAND STRUCTURE, BUT IT'S SORTA SPANISH MISSION, FOLKSY, AND THE FOLKS THERE WERE FRIENDLY. I HAD A COUPLE HOURS THERE SO I SAT AND SOAKED UP DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO. YOUNG FOLKS HUSTLIN' ON THEIR WAY UP THE LADDER OF LIFE CARRYING THEIR BRIEF CASES WHILE OTHERS WERE MARKING TIME WITH THEIR SHOPPING CARTS FULL OF ALL OF THEIR EARTHLY BELONGINGS. ONE CHAP STUCK OUT. HE WAS OVER 6 FEET TALL, AND I'M SURE WHEN HE LOOKED IN THE MIRROR, WHICH I AM EQUALLY SURE HE DID QUITE OFTEN, HE SAW SEAN CONNERY. BALDING AND BEARDED, HE WORE A TWEED SPORT COAT WITH ELBOW PATCHES, WOOL SLACKS, AND TASSELED LOAFERS, NATURALLY WITHOUT SOCKS. HE WAS MOUNTED ON A SEGUE, ZOOMING ALONG WITH 3 LED HEADLIGHTS POINTING HIS PATH THROUGH THE NIGHT, A LARGE IPHONE DEVICE IN HIS RIGHT HAND ILLUMINATING HIS FACE, AND ROBERT PLANT SCREAMING FROM HIS SPEAKERS (“BEEN A LONG TIME...”). HE CUT QUITE A CAREFULLY CHISELED FIGURE AND CERTAINLY SIGNALED TO ME THAT I HAD LEFT LA PAZ FAR BEHIND.
ON TO THE TRAIN, CIVILIZED TRANSPORT TO BE SURE. SNACKS, COMPLIMENTARY DRINKIES, A GREAT VIEW OF PEOPLES' BACK YARDS, ALL WHILE WE ZOOMED PAST CARS STUCK IN FREEWAY COAGULATION. THE CADENCE OF THE RAILS REMINDING ME OF MY FAVORITE SCENE IN “THE MUSICMAN”, “BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW THE TERRITORY”. PULLED INTO UNION STATION IN L.A. NOW THERE'S A BUILDING. LIKE THE SAN DIEGO STATION IT IS OF THE MISSION STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE, BUT THIS ONE IS BIG. MULIIPLICITY OF TUNNELS HEADING OFF TO LOADING PLATFORMS LIKE GIANT MOLE RUNS, AND A LOBBY THAT IMPRESSES BOTH IN SIZE AND ELEGANCE. BEST OF ALL, MY SISTER MARSHA WAS THERE, WAITING TO WHISK ME FURTHER ONWARDS. WHOLE LOTTA WHISKIN' GOIN' ON. THIS TIME IN THE DIRECTION OF HER HOME IN WESTLAKE VILLAGE. JOURNEY FOR THE DAY, ABOUT 13 HOURS. A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH HER HUSBAND DAVID, A FEW HOURS SLEEP, AND WE WERE ONCE AGAIN IN HER CAR SPEEDING NORTHWARD TOWARDS LOS GATOS.
THE DRIVE WAS QUITE PLEASANT, GOOD CONVERSATION, A WANDERING REVIEW OF OUR 6 PLUS DECADES TOGETHER. STOPPED IN KING CITY FOR A VERY FINE BOWL OF PHO. LOST THE WAR, GAINED A CUISINE. THE KING CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS TUCKED INTO STEAMING BOWLS OF NOODLES, AND SLURPING CONTENTEDLY. WOULDN'T HAVE THAT WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS SR. TRUMP. I KNOW THAT DIGESTING 15 MILLION IMMIGRANTS IN BASICALLY ONE GULP ISN'T THE EASIEST THING, BUT YOU, ME, AND THE PHO FOLKS, ALL IMMIGRANTS SON, SO I SUGGEST THAT YOU TAKE YOUR OPINIONS AND STUFF 'EM WHERE THE PHO DON'T SHINE.
LOS GATOS IS A VERY WEALTHY LITTLE BERG TUCKED UP AGAINST THE COAST RANGE BETWEN SAN JOSE AND SANTA CRUZ. 2 FERRARI AGENCIES, MANY FINELY APPOINTED RESTAURANTS, AND SATED RESIDENTS PUSHING BABY CARRIAGES THAT COST MORE THAN I PAID FOR A CAR UNTIL I WAS 30 YEARS OLD. IT ALSO CONTAINS THE FACILITY THAT HOUSES MY MOM. A VERY NICE PLACE EMPLOYING SOME VERY NICE PEOPLE. I WILL NOT GO INTO THE DETAILS OF BETTYS' SITUATION AS THAT'S SORT OF FAMILY BUSINESS, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT SHE ENTERS THE FINAL LEG OF HER EARTHLY JOURNEY IN RELATIVELY FINE FETTLE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT:
-SHE'S IN A GOOD PLACE.
--DAUGHTER KELLY IS CLOSE BY, VISITS OFTEN, AND SEEMS TO HAVE DEVELOPED THE KIND OF RELATIONSHIP WITH HER GRANDMA THAT YOU WOULD WANT YOUR CHILD TO HAVE.
---MY SISTER TAKES A LOT OF TIME FROM HER ALREADY TOO BUSY LIFE TO MONITOR BETTYS' CARE AND HOUSING SITUATION CLOSELY.
GOT TO VISIT WITH KELLY A BIT, ENOUGH TO DOWNLOAD HER JAM PACKED ACTIVITY AND EDUCATIONAL ITINERARY. SHE'S IN THE HOME STRETCH ON HER DEGREE AND IS INTERNING AT BOTH THE CROSBY AND THE SUPER BOWL THIS YEAR, AND SEEMS TO BE ACCELERATING TOWARDS THE FINISH LINE.
ALSO CROSSED PATHS WITH BARNARD. LONG TIME FRIEND AND SOMETIMES SUBJECT OF THESE WRITINGS, BARNARD AND HIS WIFE SANDY, AND 5TH CHILD, #5 TO YOU AND ME, STOPPED BY OUR HOTEL TO SAY HI AND TALK FOR AWHILE. WE SHOT SOME OLD SHIT, AND BID EACH OTHER A FOND ADEAU.
AFTER VISITING BETTY A COUPLE OF TIMES A DAY, FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS, WE HEADED SOUTH. MARSHA DROVE, WE TALKED, I NAPPED. EVERY TIME I REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS WE WERE PASSING VINEYARDS. GRAPES, GRAPES, AND MORE GRAPES. SOME OF YOU FOLKS MUST BE DRINKIN' A WHOLE LOTTA VINO. OUR DRIVE TERMINATED IN 1000 OAKS, CALIFORNIA, AT THE HOUSE OF MY DAUGHTER GLYNNIS. THERE ARE A LOT OF OAK TREES THERE, I DIDN'T COUNT THEM. GLYNNIS LIVES IN A HOUSE WITH EQUAL HALF STEVEN AND ROOMATE PAUL. KINDA STRANGE WHEN YOU'VE ALWAYS DEALT WITH YOUR KIDS ON YOUR OWN HOME TURF, TO GO TO THEIR FIRST REAL HOUSE FOR THE FIRST REAL TIME. THEY WERE FRIENDLY, ANIMATED, AND HOSPITABLE, KINDA LIKE WALKING ONTO THE SET AT “FRIENDS” I WOULD IMAGINE. THEY COMMUNITY PREPARED A FINE REPAST, STEPHEN WAS IN CHARGE, AND FULLY CAPABLE. THERE FOR, YOU GUESSED IT, 13 HOURS, AND THEN BACK ON THE TRAIN, BOUND FOR OCEANSIDE AND HE WHO IS KNOWN AS FRITZ. AS IS OUR WANT WE TALKED, WE ARGUED, WE ENJOYED EACH OTHERS' COMPANY AS WE HAVE FOR YEARS. HAD SOME FINE MEXICAN FOOD FOR DINNER, SORT OF TUNIN' UP FOR MY HOMECOMING. FRITZ IS A GREAT HOST, AND I AM GRATEFUL TO HIM AS ALWAYS. QUANTITY OF TIME SPENT IN OCEANSIDE? YOU KNOW THE ANSWER.
FRITZ DROVE ME TO THE BORDER, WHERE I DID THE REVERSE WETBACK, TO THE TJ AIRPORT. THIS TIME VOLARIS AND I GOT ALONG FINE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND SOON MY FAVORITE PART OF THE TRIP, SEEING JANE, WAS HAPPENING. DREX CHECKED ME INTO THE JONES FACILITIES AND IT WAS AS IF A LONG DREAM, PERHAPS OF 13 HOURS, HAD ENDED.
CASTILLO, ALVARO, UNKNOWN TRAIN ENGINEERS, MARSHA, KELLY, BARNEY, GLYNNIS, STEVEN, PAUL, HANS, VOLARIS: THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN ASSEMBLING AND EXECUTING THIS JIG SAW PUZZLE OF A JOURNEY.
AND TO STUART, IF MY MOM THINKS THAT YOU ARE A LOSER, THEN I'M AFRAID THAT YOU ARE.
THANKS FOR READING
DAVID
