California (V?) or, our story so far

Getting ready to head back down to Los Angeles after a nearly three day visit to Salinas and Monterey. Many people evaporated on me; some pleasant surprises, nonetheless.

I was never able to work out the email problem at the internet Cafe here, but I was able to tap into my email through the local public library, so I got caught up on that, yesterday. The damnedest thing is that the public library opens at 11 am! WTF?

I had lunch yesterday with Nightblooming's cousin, a pleasant young lady who seemed pleasantly surprised not to find an Old Testament Prophet (why do people online always have this bizarre image of me as some sort of an authority figure?). She was very nice and charming and we had a nice visit.

The high point had to be the day spent at Notre Dame, though, with the six classes of students and their amazing teacher. It was good to reconnect with many at the school who recalled my last visit, five years ago...how time flies, eh?

I also dropped by Harden Middle School. where I was the Alcohol and Drug Resource Specialist five years ago, as well as being the Friday Night Live (FNL) coordinator for Monterey County and the facilitator for the Youth Alternatives to Violence (YATV) program for the probation department. I was busy back then, but doing good.

I ran into quite a few people who did a double take when I walked in, and that was nice...the soda machine in the teacher's lounge still dispenses Diet RC!!!!!!!

Stopped by a local produce market and loaded up on huge navel oranges for just twenty nine cents a pound. Wrote some nice pieces. My knees are no longer hurting me and my clothes fit like I've dropped 5-10 lbs already.

As I type this it is 9:08 in the morning and seated at the next computer are two kids who are obviously truant from school, just like the posse of them at the local Burger King...I wonder why there isn't more diligence, everyone knows the local hangouts.

Missing the boys, looking forward to going back East, but mostly wanting to spend more time with Peri and Brian. Also missing regular contact with the Siren. Yeah, I'm smitten...although I was very attracted to this one woman I met here...