Portland Rose Garden

A life with love will have some thorns

but a life without love will have no roses.

Thank you, Al Gore

*

Two of my closest and dearest friends, J. and K., are coming for a visit this week. I first met them on a message board for the author SARK.
*
It got me to thinking about the friends I've made because of the internets.
*
I met J. face-to-face in 2003, when she flew from Florida for a slumber party I was having for 30 virtual strangers. We now sport the same tattoo on the inside of our left ankles (along with our Canadian friend, V.). K. came to a pumpkin carving party I hosted. She brought a pumpkin but refused to cut it. We are forever joined by our associations with a Mr. Dave Grohl.
*
I have countless stories about other friends from the SARK board - slumber parties, road trippin' to San Francisco to meet SARK herself, beach parties, skinny dipping, baby showers, art dates, and more - so much more. I wouldn't know about Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers (and have my baby, Molly) if it wasn't for Rae from the SARK Board and her sharing about her wheatie, Samwise Gamgee.
*
And then there's Meet In Eugene. I found this group while doing research about Eugene. This is one boffo group of people and so much FUN!
*
Lastly, and never leastly, is my husband. We met in an AOL chat room - Southern California room - on August 11, 1996. This was before dating sites. We were just in a chat room and started "talking". An hour later, we were on the phone. Three hours later, I knew I was going to be *very* tired at work the next day. We met face-to-face 5 days later and were married on November 13, 1998.
*
So, in short, thank you, Al Gore for inventing the internet. :)

California

Dear California,

*

I've been gone 5 months now and I think it's true what they say...distance makes the heart grow fonder.

*

Someone asked the other day if I miss you. I had to think about it - I've been a little caught up with Eugene and answering questions about why did I move here. There seems to be a note of "you're crazy" in the question. I will tell you though that I've met quite a few people already and not many of them are from here. Crazy, indeed.

*

Of course I miss my friends and family and think of them every day. But what about you, California?

*

Do I miss being able to go to the beach and the snow on the same day (not that I ever did that but people in Southern California *love* to say that)?

*

I'm caught up in the memories right now. Finding sand dollars at Sunset Beach, turning my hair orange with sun-in, my niece's terrified scream when the walrus swam up to the glass at Marineland, my dad singing along in the Tiki Room, countless concerts, riding my bike in the Bolsa Chica wetlands, Dodger and Angel games, swimming and BBQing in December, the fireplace lit and the a/c blowing on Christmas Day, coffee houses in Long Beach, Farrell's Ice Cream, a red scooter, the Southern California chat room on AOL, KROQ, Skateway (now a church) and back to school shopping at Miller's Outpost.

*

I don't regret one second of my 39 years there. It was just time.

*

In other words, California, it's not you, it's me.

*

With nothing but love,

T.

*

p.s. I'm praying for Big Sur.

Sassy Panda Day