NorCal

So I started this post on vacation but never did get the darn thing finished. So, if all of my 'tenses' aren't correct, you know why (who, me, lazy?). We were gone for 9 days to very Northern California, redwood country, where it's easy to feel short.

We're visiting my parents in northern CA - my dad is working here on an extended project so they're doing the live here/live there thing for who knows how long.

They're living in an... apartment? loft? former brothel? (yeah, that!) on the second floor of commercial building downtown - one block from the bay/boardwalk, across the street there is a gazebo/fountain complete with hungry pigeons and there are quaint shops & eateries galore in every direction. It's furnished in French Fanciness and I'm constantly afraid the kids will break something. As long as it's not the coffee maker, I'm sure we can handle it. So yeah, back to the brothel... it was the most ahem, highly uh, traveled? utilized? visited? brothel on the west coast until they started cracking down on that sort of thing, or perhaps until a wife or two got wind of it.

Our bedroom has two doors to it, they just knocked out the wall between the rooms of uh, entertainment? and made it into a French Moroccan boudoir. How often does one get to say 'boudoir' and not sound uppity? It's interesting to think of all who once 'slept' there. *Blush* There is a large upstairs courtyard that connects a small office and main apartment which also has a conservatory. Very interesting digs.

I know what I'm about to admit sounds very ignorant (but if the shoe fits...): this is the first time I've actually realized that June/July doesn't necessarily mean summer. Duh. I guess it's like a lot of people north of wherever can't understand that we often can wear short sleeves on Christmas. While I'm sure our patio at home is sizzling, I'm sitting here BUNDLED up, snuggling my coffee cup, wishing I thought a high of 58 with WIND would be cold. Wuss. In my defense, weather.com didn't disclose the sometimes wind, the bone-cutting, nose-running, cry-inducing wind. I brought a few light coats & pants but that's it. We went to the thrift store to buy 'real' winter clothes - thank you, God, for cute cast-offs!

Yay cold!:

Having been home for about a week, I need to now re-read (and re-read and re-read) the part about having been cold... it seems like a dream, a far-fetched, unattainable dream. Because dudes: did I ever tell you about the time the mascara literally melted right off of my eyelashes? Trails of dripping mascara intertwined with trails of dripping tears (or was that just sweat?)...

Still. It's good to be home. Nearly if not equally as good as it was to be away.