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Hi,

It it currently raining in Culver City. It's still cold, but not as cold as yesterday in San Jose when we landed. We visited Palo Alto, and Oakland and made it back on the same day. Whew

The smooth song you remembered was "The Girl From Ipanema" by Stan Getz and Astrid Gilberto. Is this wishful thinking: "__ __ __ __ __ the rain has gone." Hint: It's officially easy Wednesday so you get a break.

Getting up at 3:45am was a very strange thing to do, for us. It was dark and cold, but we did it. The drive through the dark streets of the city felt like something mysterious was about to happen. It was. We were going to park our car, get on a bus, and then get on an airplane. That's mysterious. Hmm.

As we prepared for our descent into San Jose the pilot informed us that it was 39 degrees. Hey, that's just 7 above freezing. Turn this thing around. (Ha) This time we had scarves and gloves, which made a difference. What we really needed was one of the full face masks like people wear in Chiang Rai. I don't think security would have looked too kindly on that. You'd be seeing us on the news. Anyway, the coldest part was waiting for the bus to go to the rental car. When we got to our rental stall, there was a '09 Mazda 6 waiting for us. What a nice car. Bigger than the '6' we're driving in L.A. Feels like a luxury car with that ride that floats. I'll just file that away for future times.

After the ice was scraped off the windows, we drove north to Palo Alto and picked up Lisa's Dad, Joe, and headed out for breakfast. This is always a special time, catching up over a meal and filling in the blanks of our lives. He has another art show coming up and we now understand all it takes, and some of what he's going through. Back in his studio, we got to see some of the work, framed and ready to hang. The studio itself is a wonderland. There is something to see at every turn. There are works in progress, finished pieces, early works, and tons of memorabilia. Always something to be learned.

After breakfast, I hit the wall, too sleepy to stand. I finally gave in and took a nap. Knowing that I had to drive the freeways later was my motivation. That and the falling eye-lids. While I slept in the car, Lisa and Joe went over questions, problems, and solutions regarding his cast acrylic process and other art things.

Our next stop in the northern saga was Oakland. This time we wrote down the directions from Mapquest and got there without getting lost. We were meeting The Bay Area Cousins for what has become a traditional lunch. This time was different because the group has grown. Albert and his wife Rochelle are now part of the Cousin Lunch crew. Albert is Eunice's son. I hadn't seen him in over 20 years (I think), and it was a very special reunion. We all had a wonderful time that seemed too short. We'll just have to continue the energy through email and phone calls.

Our return to the south was basically uneventful. We went through airport security like the pros that we are. Knowing what to expect and surrendering to it are what makes it easy. Did I say 'easy'? My mistake, I should have said 'tolerable'. We do what has to be done.

Time to consult the calendar and get into the day. Stay dry and have a Wacky Wednesday,

Peace,
Danny

"Never make your home in a place.
Make a home for yourself inside your own head.
You'll find what you need to furnish it -
memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other such things.
That way it will go with you wherever you journey."
~Tad Williams

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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