Be Gentle

It doesn't matter where I was, or how I heard. It isn't important what I did that day, or how it effected me. What matters is remembering the lost lives, practicing understanding, and teaching our children to love as we love them.

The past is the past, the future is uncertain; please practice love and unity today.

Katrina on My Mind

In the U.S., after San Francisco, NOLA is my favorite place I have ever been. The people are beautiful (and I mean on the inside), the history is breathtaking; the atmosphere is a living, breathing thing. Now all I see is devastation and despair.

When Carmen and I went to NOLA we took a day trip to Mississippi. We swam in the Gulf. We drove over Lake Pontchartrain in our rented SUV. We dwelled in the warmth and comfort of the South.

When D and I went we stayed pretty centrally in NOLA with only a side trip to the swamps. This is a place (NOLA, not the swamps) that, if I wanted to retire without D, I would have moved to. The South, its people and all its charm feel welcoming to me.

I am terribly saddened by what has happened in the South. I am sickened by the lack of IMMEDIATE action by our government. Had this been a place with a huge amount of wealthy, white Americans, I believe the time tables would have been very different.

I am outraged by the pure insensitivity I am reading all over the internet and hearing on the television about people looting. Does anyone realize that these people have NOTHING? Absolutely nothing; no food, no water, no clothes, no diapers, no medicine, nothing; and those of us, sitting in our big houses, on our expensive computers, hanging out on the internet have the gall to make a comment on “inappropriate behaviors”. People are dying there and we care anything about stolen items. Go sit on your roof for five days in wet clothing with no supplies and then bitch about theft.

I am at a loss of what to do. Although sending money is imperative, I am sure it isn’t enough. I have friends who have family in NOLA and my love and support is with them and everyone else brutalized by this disaster.

Love to you all

Quote of the Day

Paulie: your 36?

Kim: yes :(

Kim: crazy

Paulie: somehow that doesn't seem right

Kim: LMAO

Kim: to me either

Say It. SAY IT!

Today is my Birthday. wOOt! Since I get over a hundred hits a day I expect to see a lot of well wishes in my comments section!

Love You All!

Aging (un)Gracefully

Tomorrow is my birthday. I will be 36. Thirty-six. Three dozen years old (as my lovely BF likes to point out). Undoubtedly the alternatives to growing older are not comforting but when the hell did I get to be 36 (ummm tomorrow)?

I swear I was 26 yesterday, right Pea? I am not even sure how one loses 10 years, but if anyone can, it would be me. So much has happened in what should have been a very long time but now just feels like a blink of an eye. I think I might be tired.

The one thing I keep thinking is that I will now be on the down slope to 40. I was all settled into my MID-thirties and here I am on the other side, running the short race to a party strewn with "Over the Hill" paraphernalia.

Here is the positive side to it all:

When I turn 40 my best friend will be in crisis turning 35; we can run off to a Caribbean Island in search of the fountain of youth.

No one goes gray in my family (loss of hair is another story).

I have shunned the sun so perhaps my skin will stay youthful. That or I will die of a Vitamin D deficiency.

I am in love with a man who will always be older than me. Thank the gawds he likes younger women.

There is always a silver lining.

When We Last Left Off…

Andrew was still here. Since then a lot has happened. Andrew and D went to San Diego to visit D’s daughter. It was a total surprise for the family. D got to spend a week with BOTH kids, a rare treat. One he really savored by spending every possible minute with both Jen and Andrew. They all had a wonderful time together. He returned on the 8th and then, just that following Friday we had Jen with us for six days! It was so amazing. I just love that girl.


Although we had to work some of the time, I took that Tuesday off to have a “girls day” with Jen. We had a blast. We went to breakfast, shopped, shopped, shopped, went to lunch then shopped, shopped, shopped. Then we came home and watched movies in bed while eating pizza till both Jen and her dad fell asleep and I went and slept in the other room. They were so cute I couldn’t bear to wake them up.

Jen was positively spoiled! I wont disclose the amount of cash I spent on school clothes (D would kill me) but between me and her grandmother she scored for the year. It cracks me up when her mother says that because we won’t help pay for cheerleading (and the money would have to come from me if it was to come at all since D is spread thin enough with CS) we don’t care. The reality is that D’s mom has purchased school clothes for Jen for YEARS, paid for tutors, dental, school trips and so on. D & I send mucho money for CS, have paid off $8000 in arrears (wonder where that all went, gawds forbid it went to cheer) and have even had to pay for gas money so her mom would take her to the airport to see us. It is obscene how little of the money we send actually goes to Jen; she doesn’t even get a minimal allowance for her chores! Not to mention, seems she couldn’t be bothered to purchase school clothes for Jen this year, even though she shopped for three other kids. Makes me sad she treats her children so differently, like Jen won’t notice. It will be wonderful when court is done and we can get so much more time with Jen.

After Jen left D and I went to Madison WI for his little brother’s wedding. I really enjoyed WI. Danny and Megan are awesome, both families are amazing and D and I always have a great time traveling together. We are very companionable. Plus he is a super sweetie who will rub my feet after many hours in high heels! I just love him.

Once we returned from WI it was the beginning of BDAY hell! There are so many of us in the last 2 weeks of August it is hard to keep up. D’s was last Wednesday and mine is this Wednesday. For my Bday my Mom took me to the Tattoo Expo at the Cow Palace on Sunday morning. It was just her and I. We both wanted new tattoos (would be mom’s first and my 8th) but instead I just got my lip pierced. It was pretty easy, a little sore today but not too bad. Then my family took me to Maya’s for a Mexican dinner and gifts. Princess was spoiled as usual. My family is way too generous for their own good (never stop) and I am still getting presents Wednesday from D and the crew at work and this weekend from my daddy!

So that brings me to today…stay tuned

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy birthday baby! You make (almost) everyday perfect.

Thank you for being in my life.

Love

Your Brat

PS - I owe you all a LONG blog

A Meal fit for a King

I have made a new friend. A very nice woman with very good information. She has been super supportive of D and I and I want to say thank you to her for all that she has offered up in our endeavor to set a wrong right. So Thank You and do try to stay cool.

I had Thia and Kris over for dinner on Sunday night. I BBQed London Broil, made spicy mashed potatoes and olive oil and garlic coated artichokes. Can you tell I don't have kids of my own? They did ok with the meal though. Dessert was pound cake, strawberries, whipped cream and a drizzle of dark chocolate. Everything was yummy (to me anyway) and it was very nice when D took all the kids (my nephew was with us as well) to the pool so Kris and I could just hang out and talk. It was a lovely evening ending with a highly competitive game of Yatzee where I can out the big loser.

Andy has been a joy to have around, despite stinky boy syndrome. Mom is coming home on Friday from Europe. Carmen and I are running away together on Thursday (I am taking a day off!) so we can have one full day alone before she returns to Philly. Work is busy as always. My man is a love. I am tired but happy.

Kisses

Welcome One and All (well almost all)

We picked up Andrew at the airport last night. It is always so nice to see his smiling face. He is such a love! When we got home Andrew immediately called my nephew and invited him over to play XBox. Austin showed up with PJ's, thereby letting us know he was sleeping over. My sister lives 30 seconds from us so Andrew will spend his days hanging out with my sisters kids and his nights with us.

Before the airport we hit Piedmont to visit with my best friend Pea. We couldn't stay long but I got to hug her for a long time which always makes me feel so good. She looks wonderful. She is here for two weeks and is coming over tonight to spend the night with me. I am very excited that we can stay up late into the night and talk. God I miss her being here all the time.

We have made plans to take Andrew, Austin, Thia and all the adults to the Ren Faire this weekend. My BIL works the dunk tank and my littlest nephew will be there too, working I bet. Child labor, gotta love it :)

D and I will be heading to WI for his youngest brothers wedding in mid-August. I am really looking forward to it. His whole family will be there with us to celebrate Dan and Megan's nuptials. Yesterday I sent a gift to Megan's families house for her bridal shower. It would be so fun to attend but I just can't fly out twice. I also sent them their wedding gift. I like to get these things done early because D and I are so busy at times we let things slip through the cracks. I truly hope they like them both. I believe we will be staying in the same hotel with D's grandparents and his brother. That should be fun. Grandma Berry told me on my last visit that she and I need to lunch alone for some one-on-one time. I will try to make that happen on this trip but if we run out of time I will MAKE it happen when I go to SD in December!

Kisses

Did You Miss Me?

Is there anything cuter than waking up to a boxer puppy licking your face? YES! There are a million things cuter and less irritating than that, let me tell you.

Mom is in Europe until the 29th and I am in charge of her zoo. D is a big help but he conveniently gets to sleep in the other room while I share a bed with a Dezi, an Anne, and a Tiki. These pups have NO sense of the word sharing. They are all over the place all night. I think I accidentally booted Tiki off the bed at some point cause I heard a yipthump at about 3 AM. Opps.

D and I bought his mom and Frank a new computer for Christmas. It is a really nice one to replace their very old one. We had coordinated with D’s brother (E) to have him and his wife get them a LCD monitor to go with. Then, not surprisingly, mom2’s computer breaks down and she is asking E to help her find a new one! We are only in July and we find ourselves forced to give an early Xmas gift. So we email them and wham, they are in great shape about 5 months before they should be. The only bummer for me is I am so into watching people on Christmas morning and now we won’t have anything for mom and Frank to open. Sigh.

D took me to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on Saturday night after I made him a London Broil dinner. A little mini date – cute, cute, cute. The movie was beautiful. Johnny Deep was brilliant and the children were perfect. The Ompa Lompa made me crazy. I loved the songs in the original movie but the revised songs made me cringe. I can only be thankful that of all the renditions there wasn’t a country song in there. With very rare exception Country music is the worst.

D and I went to my dad and step-mom’s house to celebrate my grandfathers 87th birthday. We had a nice time. Dad bbqed oysters in the shell and cilantro chicken. Mom made pasta and salad to go with. As always, two very nice bottles of wine were served but neither D nor I drank as we rode the bike into the city and we never drink and drive.

On the ride home D and I stopped at Borders. D bought me the new Harry Potter (I am such a dork) and I am already devouring it. I read too quickly, makes all my favorite books fly by leaving me longing for the next installment.

I surprised D by buying a ticket yesterday for his son Andrew to fly in tonight. I just called Andy’s mom and asked her if I could fly him out and she, being the wonderful loving person she is, said of course. One day notice; no issue, no trouble. THAT is a good mom! So Andy will be with us for two weeks. My whole family is thrilled with that. They love having D’s kids around and D’s kids love spending time with us.

Kisses

You Oughta Know

Last night D and I took my mom to see Alanis Morissette at the Paramount. My sister and her husband were also there. Alanis was amazing. She just blew us all away with an acoustic set of Jagged Little Pill, her first CD released in 1995. She played every song on that CD plus she played a few from others. One song that I was so pleased to hear live was A Man. This is a song she wrote from a man’s perspective. Something she imagined would come from a man’s heart after listening to her lyrics for the last 10 years.

I am a man as a man I’ve been told
Bacon is brought to the house in this mold
Born of your bellies I yearn for the cord
Years I have groveled repentance ignored

And I have been blamed
And I have repented
I’m working my way toward our union mended

I am man who has grown from a son
Been crucified by enraged women
I am son who was raised by such men
I’m often reminded of the fools I’m among

And I have been shamed
And I have relented
I’m working my way toward our union mended
And I have been shamed
And I have repented
I’m working my way toward our union mended

We don’t fare well with endless reprimands
We don’t do well with a life served as a sentence
This won’t work well if you’re hell bent on your offence
I am a man who understands your resistance

I am a man who still does what he can
To dispel our archaic reputation
I am a man who has heard all he can
Cuz I don’t fare well with endless punishment

Cuz I have been blamed and I have repented
I’m working my way toward our union mended
And we have been blamed and we have repented
I’m working my way toward our union mended

It is a favorite of mine in that I think I live with a man that can relate. He has put up with the punishment of one woman for years and years. Her general hatred of men often spills into his lap and he has done whatever he can to try to make peace. Unfortunately there is no succeeding where this woman is concerned. I feel for him, I love him and I support him in all his endeavors. He knows it too.

The opening act for Alanis was Jason Mraz. I had only ever heard one song of his but OH MY GOD this guy can SING. He was brilliant, funny, personable and rocked. I will immediately find all his music and play it till my ears bleed.

On another note, took my mom to the airport this AM for her trip home to England. She will be visiting her aunt, uncle, cousins and her brother for three weeks. I love that she gets to spend time back home with her family. I wish I was going with her, perhaps next year. We have discussed going to South Africa, where her brother lives, instead of Europe but we shall see.

D and I spent the fourth of July in San Diego. We had a marvelous time with his mom, Frank, grandparents, cousins, and friends for the first three days and then with his dad on the fourth. His dads house is so beautiful. We swam and ate and slept…ahhhh. I had a very nice time just being lazy with them and their guests. I just love his family.

Kisses

It is all a Blur

On Thursday afternoon, about one o'clock one of my VP's asked me to lunch. This is the first time he and I have been able to make this happen so there was no way I wasn't going to go. I work ALOT of hours, I rarely step away from my desk so I figure I deserve a nice lunch out. Besides, he was paying.

We went down the street to Momo's. We walk in, they greet my VP and he leads me to the bar. The bartender introduces himself to me while grabbing a beer for my VP who dines there quite frequently and is known by name. Then he orders me a beer as well. Anyone who knows me knows that I rarely drink, and never during the day because it makes me sleepy, but I think what the hell, one won't hurt me. Suffice to say, one lead to three and VP and I are getting a little hammered. After we eat (yummy chicken and pear salads) VP decides that we are blowing the rest of the afternoon off. I think he is joking but he isn't. He makes some calls up to the office and drags me over to Kingfish for drinks. Slowly others from work join us. It is around 3 pm now and I am a little tipsy.

I decide beer is out and order myself a Mojito. Mojito's are yummy, refreshing, light and dangerous. As I am swilling down my first my VP decides to make a game of it. He and I are going head to head, drink for drink till one of us calls it quits. Around my third Mojito (or my sixth drink) I am starting to feel like I may lose this one, but alas, I get a second wind when my Admin shows up to join me.

The conversations are getting a little crazy. We are loud and crass and having a blast. We are laughing and carrying on when my BF comes in. I can tell by his grin I might be in a little trouble for disappearing from work, but he sees I am having a grand time and reminds me that we are leaving by 5:30. Ah ha - that gives me another hour to put the VP down. At this point we are on drink number eight and I can see that I am actually doing ok while VP looks a little worse for the wear.

Stories are being told; my co-workers are enjoying the fact that HR is out with them, behaving like a dope and letting her hair down. Not that I am uptight at work, just a little more professional and guarded than most have to be, mainly because I help manage all the ER cases and that means I have to be good most of the time. So even though we are all on the clock, we are telling it like it is and not worrying a damn about the repercussions. Basically bad kids out to have a good time.

Drink number nine arrives and I start slugging it down when I look over at VP and drink number eight is only half-way done. He smiles at me and throws in the towel. I triumphantly down that puppy and do a little victory dance. I am the champion!

VP heads up to the office to get ready to go home and as I am walking out the bartender asks who is paying the bill. Initially we were throwing cash down (there are about 6 or 7 people there) but somewhere along the way they started a tab. She hands me the bill - $150. Hmmm, ok well I ain't paying it, I won. Considering the amount of drinks we all had, this is cheap but I am still not paying it.

Cool thing, one of my new managers takes care of the tab. A gentleman indeed. The next day we all kick down a little cash and settle the score.

As I walk around the office I notice all my cohorts in crime. We are all a little green. We are all shushing others for "talking too loud". We are all shoveling fat and salt in our gullets as quickly as we can. Others in the office stop in the kitchen and can tell who was out with us the day before by what concoction they are munching on. "Ah, HR got you too?" And a slight nod (because it hurts too much to do otherwise) is all they need to know that you don't mess with the queen of the Mojito's.

A Note to my BF

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give

You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have

I give you thanks for receiving it's my privilege

And you owe me nothing in return

Everything is Everything

I had a very strange evening last night. We left the office early. Went and dropped the bike off for its first service and then I went to movie night with the girls. We had a quick dinner then went to see Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Let me just say that the movie was AWFUL. I mean I was so ready to walk out. What a waste of my time and money. Not even the loveliness of Brad and Angelina made it worth sitting through.

After the movie I went home and decided to check the email accounts I always forget about. So I checked my gmail. I had about a dozen or so messages, mostly Yafro notices, but down on the bottom was a notice from Classmates.com. Now I don’t remember signing up with them but I must have at some point because there was the email telling me it was my last chance to review a message from Ben G. Ben was a kid I graduated high school with in 1987. I am pretty sure I haven’t seen him since. I really liked Ben; he was (and I assume still is) smart, funny, talented and a genuinely good person. So I was thrilled to have an email waiting from him.

It was brief but sweet. It lead me to his website. That lead me to his pictures. And there were pic after pic of Ben just like I remember him. He looks the SAME. It was almost creepy. His great big smile in every shot. There were pics of him getting married! Pics in London and Paris. Pics of his bowling team. And then a picture of him with Shem and Anna. The title took me a minute to register. Shem T., R.I.P. I sat with that a minute. Shem had been in high school with Ben and me. He was a dear friend to Ben and someone I really admired. He was beautiful, sweet, and smart. Everyone loved Shem. I didn’t quite believe or understand what I was reading. Then I went to the next photo:


------------------Photo by Ben G.------------------------

I just sat there in shock. I realize I am getting this information ten years after the fact but still it broke my heart. I did a Google search next:

http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory/story_id/20963/edition_id/431/format/html/displaystory.html

This is a wonderful article about Shem’s life. I was pleased to have learned a little more about what he did with his life before he passed away. Shem was just as I remembered him, a man who left a lasting impression on everyone he touched. That fucking rules.

Me

PS Ben if you are reading this, email me!

911

My mom and I watched Fahrenheit last night. This is a truly fascinating piece of work by Michael Moore. Many people are not comfortable with the way that Michael presents material but I am always impressed with how deeply he researches any subject he is interested in.

Now granted, Michael is anti-Bush to the nth degree. But then again, so am I. However, even if you believe in Bush and his politics I think this film will at least make you question what has happened in this country for the last five years. I was taken aback at how convoluted and deceitful the Bush history is. The money involved, the players, the lies.

Be warned friends, if you are squeamish or have a hard time seeing children die, this film may be too difficult for you to watch. The reality is in the film though, and I thought the least I could do was watch it without covering my eyes.

Sunday Kinda Love

What an amazing day we had. Woke up super late due to the fact that I had a poor nights sleep. D and I decided that since it was so lovely out we would go for a long ride to Petaluma. We rode down Lucas Valley road the 20 miles or so to reach downtown Petaluma.

The ride there was gorgeous. Serene and comfortable. We stopped once to look at one of the most lovely vineyards along the way. After that it was a straight shot to downtown and a leisurely lunch at McNears. I had a great big Shrimp Cobb Salad. D had a HUGE Fish & Chips.

While we sat there I turned to the couple next to us to ask them a question and one of the women started chatting with us about motorcycles (our helmets were on the table). Turns out one of the woman is a local comedian by the name of Heather Gold. Her GF, Stacy performs with a 60's Go-Go troupe called The Devilettes. Both women were awesome and D and I are going to be sure to catch both of their shows this month.

Then it was time to head back. We took the back roads again and kinda snuggled all the way home. Every now and then D would shortstop so my boobs would press against his back. That's the kind of big kid he is.

Once we got home we changed into workout clothes and headed to our gym. This is the first time I have done a full on cardio workout with D and it was cool. We did 30 minutes on the bikes and then 30 minutes on the treadmill. It is nice to look over and see my man sweating it out with me. I will aim for four nights a week, maybe more if D can drag me there.

When we got home mom had cooked a super yummy turkey meatloaf and made a huge salad. We ate light, since both of us were still full from lunch, and just hung out with mom for a bit.

Finally D and I climbed into my bed to watch a movie and just be close. An older Sci-Fi called Brainstorm. I can't even tell you what the movie was about, I was so tired and so content just being cuddled that I was mostly asleep during it. Made for the perfect ending to a perfect day.


Kisses

I Feel the Need for a Shower

My lovely BF insists on calling me his GF Unit; or, now his PGF Unit (Pretty Girlfriend Unit). To my BF, this is a wonderful, albeit, geeky nickname. OK, now I don’t know about you, but to me, a Unit isn’t cute. It is:

* An individual, group, structure, or other entity regarded as an elementary structural or functional constituent of a whole.

* A group regarded as a distinct entity within a larger group.

* Male genitalia.

Am I wrong here? Does it not feel dirty to you? A pretty penis, yep, that’s me.

On to other news. I finished cleaning up my Dell DJ. It has SO MANY wonderful songs on it. 2,158 to be exact. Songs from when I was a teen, songs that make me dance around work and have co-workers giggling in my wake (what do they know anyway!) It makes working away the hours so easy, singing along, wiggling in my chair. OK, maybe being laughed at is appropriate.

So on Sunday my lovely sister will have 20 years of sobriety. TWENTY. That is amazing. She is amazing.

Kisses

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYN!

First off, and more important than anything else I have to say...HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY LYN!!



You rock girl! Wish I could be there to celebrate with you.

It is raining in SF. Makes me sad, no riding in this morning on the back of my man's bike. I enjoy the rides so much, it is freeing. He is also a pain in the ass when he can't ride! All cranky and shit. OK, not really, but I do so like making fun of him.

D is finally filing visitation paperwork for his daughter. His ex has had way too much control over him and his family when it comes to spending time with his daughter. It is obscene how she behaves. Bribes were not unheard of (always at her prompting that she "needed" something in exchange.) Begging, pleading, threats from her; it has been nightmarish. Thanks to my friends and family this will no longer be an issue. His daughter will be free to visit her dad as the courts see fit. I am sure that there will be challenges, but that is what the police are for. Being in contempt sucks from what I have heard.

I feel compelled to push a writer I adore. Christopher Moore. The man is a comic genius. I have read every book he has ever written, of which there are not enough! He has made me laugh out loud more times than I can count.

My all time favorite book of his is:



I have read this book twice now, and it is a work of art. Not one page went by that I did not fall more and more in love with this mans style and technique. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. Pass it on to everyone you know, they will love it.

Kisses

Last Day of our Acquaintance

I can see too many mouths open
Too many eyes closed, ears closed
Not enough minds open
Too many legs open
Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, do
Why isn't it why why
I don't see why I listen

__________________________________________

What a beautiful weekend. Mary got her Masters on Saturday. We partied late into the night (I got home at 3:30 AM and am still trying to catch up.) We had a wonderful Italian dinner and then drinks at WooHoo. Closed the night at The Shannon Arms (a friends bar in the Sunset). D and I hung out at home on Sunday, had dinner with my mom and her friends and I passed out at 10:00.

On Monday we took the bike out for a ride and had a nice breakfast. Then we met up with Carmen and Mary and went to Mary's moms’ house for a BBQ. We skipped the Lake trip so we could spend more time at Suzi's house. It was a long ride and my butt was numb when we finally arrived. I must say, with the exception of the butt issue, riding is magnificent. The bike is amazing. I had almost forgotten how freeing it is to be on a motorcycle and D is a great rider. He says I am a good passenger but I squirm (that would be the deadened ass).

I bought D a new motorcycle jacket and gloves. They are laden with Kevlar and full armor plates. The jacket is gray and black, pretty sweet. He says the gloves will stop bullets…I love living in the city.

Living in the Dark Ages

It is wonderful to see people learning how to use the internet.

It fascinates me that some people still haven't come close to the level on techie that my BF and I have readily available at our finger tips. I suppose that working in the industry for the last eight years (something silly like 16 for the man) has helped. Not only do I work and live with a geek, but I hang out with geeks all the time. Have a question about locating someone? Bat my eyelashes at my man and he is all over it. Blocking my site from unfortunates? A little kiss gets me whatever I need. He really is the best. Not only will he help me learn to develop, research, and maintain all my geeky pleasures but not one morning has gone by since he moved in that he hasn't brought me coffee in bed each morning. Thanks babe.

Today IS the day. We are leaving work at 4:30 and getting his bike! We are so excited. The minor delay was that they didn't want to give us one from the showroom floor, Valerie, our sales person, insisted it be "off the truck". So, although the man pouted, we waited the extra day.

This weekend is going to be amazing! First of all, my best friend, Pea is here for TWO weeks. She just completed her first year at Bryn Mawr in the PhD program of Research Psychology and I flew her out for a well deserved break. Mare and I picked her up at the airport and then we had an overnight at Mare's house in Bernal Heights. Mary is selling her home so she and her husband can buy a bigger place in Sonoma. Amazing what places in SF sell for, it is crazy! So Mary, Carmen and I had what may be our last "slumber party" in the home on the hill. We were up too late giggling and smoking. It was wonderful.

On Friday night we will be going to a farewell party of a women we work with here at CM. Then I think we will hit a dinner kind of thing with Carmen, Mare and her man. On Saturday we will be going to SF to see Mare get her Masters! She graduated from the Speech and Communications department. We are so proud of her. She is inspiring.

Saturday night we are having a huge dinner party at Ristorante Mare in Pacifica. It is a wonderful Italian place right on the beach.

On Sunday I am sure the BF will be off on his bike and I will be spending time with Carmen.

On Monday we will be headed to Mare's mom's house in Santa Rosa to meet with about 20 other people and then head up to Sonoma Lake for the day. We will spend several hours there baking in the sun and swimming before heading back to Mare's mom's house for a BBQ.

Life is pretty sweet.

Kisses