Fondest of Farewells

This is the Post Office annex, glowing in the evening light.

Shortly after sampling the quince, which we both liked, we headed once again for downtown Los Angeles. The drive was smooth, especially since Google Maps showed me a new way--taking the 5 all the way to Mission and entering downtown away from the madhouse tangle of freeways that I used to tackle every time.

[Ooh, speaking of Google Maps! Click here and when you get to the site, click on Barack Obama's Journey and John McCain's Journey. Really interesting tour of the important places in their lives.]


Oui! Kitty began her California visit with a trip to Phillippe's and ended it there, too. She likes the turkey dip, I like the beef. We split potato salad again.

I picked up a pork dip to take home to Hydra, who has never actually set foot on this hallowed ground. (Does anyone smell a field trip!?)


I had to run back to my car--parked in the passenger loading zone--to grab my camera and get this shot. Union Station is just too beautiful! (And Kitty ain't bad, either!)

She won't get home to Indiana until late Friday night. Hope it's a smooth trip.

Her visits always refresh my spirit. I'm a lucky, lucky kid.

Everyone's Anonymous but Mom and Dodger

I'm going to call her by her stripper name--you know, when you use your first pet's name as your given name and the name of the first street you lived on as your surname--but she's still kind of obviously related to me.

So Kitty West, it is.

Dodger adores her. He brings her name up every so often, like it's the best idea ever.

"Kitty!" he says, n the same tone he says, "ice cream!"

He was happy to sit on her knee in the camper as she sipped coffee imported from the Starbuck's in Fillmore.

So what's your stripper name? Mine's either Tootsie West or Fritzie West...not sure which one came first.

Mom! Bob! Mom! Bob! - Monday 11/5/2007

Overload!

My favorite mother and my favorite diner! Together at last!

Yeah. I copped out and didn't take Mom to LAX. Usually we drive down there and have breakfast at Dinah's before I drop her off. But the timing was bad today, and it was my first day back at work, and... We opted for a SuperShuttle from Bob's Big Boy in Burbank.

We had a nice, unhurried breakfast. Her: pancakes and scrambled eggs. Me: two poached eggs, fruit, dry rye toast. After two weeks, we still had plenty to talk about.

We always have a wonderful time together and it's hard to let her go. I'm a very lucky person to have such a terrific family.

Afternoon in the Back Yard - Saturday 11/3/2007

In the past few days I've been venturing out more. Mom and I spent several afternoons in the back yard having lunch and then sitting and watching the birds and trees and sky.




Late blooming rose on the edge of the herb garden.


You thought it was bad having a writer in the family? How about someone who will photograph anything?

I just liked the intersection of these fabrics. Cotton shirt, fleece hoodie and worn denim with a bit of old house paint on them. Now that's comfort.

Me? Probably in pajama bottoms, a tee shirt and a hooded sweatshirt. My main post-op attire.

This reminds me, for some reason, that earlier in the week we saw three coyotes on the hillside. They converged from different parts of the hill and met with wagging tails and some playful jumping around. Pretty cool to watch from afar.