Ambient Boarding Noise...

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The week I was home was, of course, too short it seemed.  Too little time fro family, too little time for friends.  It was a mix match of traveling here and there and just sitting at mom and dad's house...a place I stopped calling my home a long time ago.  I'm on my way to my real home now, at least for another little bit of time, laden down with more thigns of the past--clothing, stereo equipment, a few things to pawn just because they're sitting aroudn gathering dust...

It was another 1030 drink in the Northwest Gold Club lounge---the drink por gratis, the lounge visit compliments of Dad and his frequent flying...He tried to get me a first class upgrade but since I'm not him...no beans.

So many memories to recall for so short a time spent away from my now current role in life.  Thursday when I got home Alex proceeded to inundate me with good old Jim Bean while playing with Katrina and visiting with justine a bit.  The ride back from the airport is still so vivid in my memory...it could be that I'm not leaving at all almost, that I am only now just disembarking at SFO.

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So now I'm 27500 feet AGL, flying along at 533 MPH ground speed.  It's (-)30 Degrees Celsius outside too...cold, stagnant, frozen and unchanging--kind of like everything back home seems to be rather the same...of course, small differences...Christa and Brian is one.

I drove Alex and myself up to Humboldt Monday morning after dropping his friend Amy off at SFO...it was a beautifull drive--we stopped in the Avenue of the Giants and Alex wandered about a bit, awestruck.  It was like coming home after a long long trip...which is, actually, quite the truth of the matter.  Christa met us at her new home with Brian (his birth home) and we had a wonderful dinner as the two of us good, dear old friends caught up, refamiliarized ourselves with each other...and as I realized that I really *was* OK with her and Brian.  He's a good man and I'm happy that Christa seems to have found a man that truly appreciates her and will be good to her.

Greg, Tim, and Steve...none had changed any to be honest--still doing the same things, living the same lives, being just as I remembered.  It was good to see them all and I enjoyed their company again after so long.  It was a snapshot of time brought back into focus.  Their house looks wonderful, the backyard manicured and the birds loving the birdfeeder...

I visited Creekview, where I lived for two years.  Tim was still living there so I brought Alex up there for a bit.  The trees and the ferns and everything had all grown so much in the time I'd been away--it was quite some time since I'd been there--having not lived there my last year at the university and not going up there when I last visited b4 leaving california for BCT.

Walking along the beach Tuesday I realized that the drugs had nothing to do with my love of the area, that, if anything, all the overindulgance was actually one of the bad things about my memories and my fondness for Arcata.  It was the trees and Mad River Beach and Clam Beach and the University and the Town Square all the little bars and just plain calmaraderie of all my good friends.  Alex had made a statement that of course I loved Arcata--it is where I spent the three best years of my life.  I didn't want to go into all the details but I simply told him that, perhaps, but it was more like the three most *interesting* years of my life...
In those three years I learned more about life and myself than any class gave to me on it's own.

Seeing Humboldt again was bittersweet.  I felt shortchanged--that I was shortchanging others, by being there for such a short time.  I feel the smae about most of this vacation.  While Christmas seemed to drag on and that I had too much time to spend, i used none of it productively really.  This week I used every day to it's fullest...but it meant only an hour here for this or a couple for that.

Sunday Jennifer and I met in Berkely for lunch and a stroll down Telegraph avenue--to look at all the vendors hawking their wares...and to stop into Rasputin records (big money mistake...but i got cool stuff...).  There were things there I meant to pick up for Dan, as a little trinket from SF/Berkely...but I never did.  I feel a little bad about that.  He sent me the following email...which seems to answer several questions and propose a few others...

Wazzup my nigga!!!  :)
Ah, I'm in a great mood!  Katie called me a condescending asshole and I
don't care!
Anyway, LOOK AT THIS!!!

FRIDAY IS OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY so try to rest on that flight because you
and I are going to spend thursday night/friday morning
CELEBATING 25% of HELL COMPLETE!!!
Cool?!?
Throw the info my way regarding the flight.
And Amber isn't my type, you can go after her.

Your rockin' little bud,
Dan"

Friday I took Amy and Alex into SF, to see Ghiradelli Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Tricky at the Warfield...I was a little concerned over whether they'd enjoy the music but they really did...and the loved the theatre too so I was glad to see they both had good taste.  I didn't bother to record the show--just because I was with them and wanted to just enjoy it.  I'm glad I did that, even though it seems no-one else recorded it...I had a really great time.

Saturday was Mom and Dad's 28th Wedding Anniversary so I had this really beautifull bouquet of flowers delivered, in an equally pretty vase.  They both really appreciated it so I felt good about myself for that...There was a big bash with bits and pieces of the Vomacka Clan and friends...it was a really good time--Alex and Amy and I got really snookered and later went skinny dipping in the Homeowners Pool...a fact that had a couple 14 year old schoolgirls who came in later for a dip rahter frightened...so much so that they went and told their father who came to investigate.  Luckily mum and dad had come dow nto check on us and were able to advise us to put our clothes on...it left me in a much better position to placate the father...

I've been growing a goatee and a mustache while on vacation...just because I can right now.  I have until Monday night to see how full I can get it.  Dan I think will say something rather derogatory about it.  I'm curious to see what happened to turn him off to Amber...that could be interesting, but leaves me to wonder...how can I find myself getting to know her now.  I think Dan may be of aid in this situation.  Que sera sera.

I don't want to be going home.  I want to spend so much more time with Mom and Dad and Justine and Katrina and Alex and...It's been seven years since I've seen my cousin face to face.  Seven years is a long time to go with only a week to catch up.  We did OK I think, and it was so very good to see him...seemed like it wasn't nothing but a thing for him to be there, but it was, it was a BIG thing.  He's the only bit of Australia I've seen in ages, and likely to be the last I see for almost as long...

It was a wonderful, beautifull, relaxing, enlightening trip, and I feel so lucky to have had it.  Mom and Justine are angling for my trip back for Christmas--even if it is just for the weekend--they want me there bad enough to pay my way still...