Deep Calls

We took a leisurely morning. I had ~ as part of the trip-snacks ~ gotten a box of chocolate donuts by Hostess. Personally I hate them, no really ~ hate them. But my children lovethemlovethemlove them. When I buy them, they immediately send votes in to have me chosen "MOTHER OF THE YEAR". I laugh and say, "See, this is me loving YOU!" They believe me. Well somehow there were a few left from the drive. Honestly I don't know how, cuz the kids always gobble them like they actually taste like something other than cardboard covered in plastic ~ go figure. Any way , for breakfast we had left over bread, and they, mostly nicely, shared the last of the donuts. We had good coffee and hot chocolate, and lots of laughs. This is telling tales out of school -- but I cannot resist: At one point Erica said in an almost whispery conspiratorial voice, "Mom?? Can I jump on the bed?" After I told her she could, her dad and I reminded her that she is 24 and really ...

It has been a while, but with a gentle shove from my sweet friend: a reminder that I never finished the story, ~ I roll back the pages of memory and ... We arrived in San Fran on a cool evening (I think 'cool ' is found in the San Fran thesaurus when you look up normal). Our hotel was downtown in the Financial District...nice cuz it is lovely, and parking is 'right there' and we are walking distance from restaurants. The rooms were high and had a lovely view of the bay. (Thank you AGAIN, Priceline!!) For me, a travel essential is good coffee and good tea . . . I bring my own: fresh ground Starbucks Italian Roast; Earl Grey, Lady Grey, and Irish Breakfast tea; an electric tea pot and my own water; and my own creamer (Coffeemate for me, half and half for everyone else) and real mugs. It is a glorious indulgence to make a cup of tea at night and sip it looking out on the skyline and the bay. I sat far back from the window -- since -- directly below us, if you scanned left ...

It started with my daughter -- in this case, her father 's daughter. "Let's take a road trip...to the Sequoia's or to the Grand Canyon!" MY idea of a good time isn't sitting in a car for hours. Erica's father, on the other hand, loves 'adventures': an adventure is when he gets in the car and heads out...somewhere. "Road trip?...the Grand Canyon is OUT!" "Why??" "There is a desert between us and the Grand Canyon!" So at the end of a long conversations where Erica extolled the wonders of roadtrips, the need to get away, and the fact that she and her dad and I were all off from Thursday to Sunday...I told her to chat with her dad. Ultimately we settled on Sequoia National Park...come to find out a mere 5 to 6 hours from here. We planned and shopped for essentials for the drive: things like chips and bread and jerky and chocolate. Then the storm threatened and suddenly Sequoias were out...so was the Grand Canyon ~ a sno...