Oh the Places You Will Go

Mom and Me

Leaving home to come south to Southern California is always a deal...sometimes a big deal; sometimes not.  But it is always a deal.  Packing (oh what will I need?).  Getting the car ready (do I need to get that oil changed before I go?).  Wash the car?  For sure it needs to be vacuumed out to rid the floors of all the Oregon leaves and stuff that cling to my shoes from the rain.  Get the pup ready (do I have enough doggie snacks for the road?).  Getting the cooler ready (will this be enough Diet Pepsi?).  Roadtrip shopping (do I have enough snacks for the road?)  Fabric and/or patterns, things to do while south.  See, it's a deal.

And when it is time to head home again, it is always a deal as well.  Setting up the apartment to look lived in while gone.  Emptying the refrigerator (last time I accidentally left some stuff...gross!).  Trying not to freak out the pup.  Did I stop the mail?  Did I call the people I want to see on my way north?  And why did they raise the rates on our Portland cable bundle?  (That has nothing to do with anything but I was thinking about that.)

While south, I get to see my mom every day.  Some days are better than others--not unlike packing up ready to come or go.  Some days she is more pleasant than others.  Some days she laughs and smiles more than others.  Some days she is in less pain than others.  Some days she is less bored than others.  Overall I like seeing her every day, as well as my other friends who are residents there.

While here I also often get to see old high school friends.  We have lunch or dinner, talk for hours.  We get to catch up.  I like those days.  Sometimes I go with a friend to see classic movies on the big screen.  Breakfast at Tiffany's.  Roman Holiday.  The Maltese Falcon.  Great old films to watch on the big screen.

And I get to spend time with my sister and her family.  Nice sweet clever manic laughing eye-rolling days.  We often take a little trip to the beach together, sister-mine and I.  This time we went to Ventura for the night.  Our hotel had glorious Birds of Paradise right outside our windows, so fresh and perfect they were ready to suddenly take off if you moved too quickly.  There were other wonderful plants all over, plants that smelled sweet and waved in the wind.  The orange flowered plant was plentiful around the buildings, so gorgeous in deep orange.  No one could tell us what they were, but we just liked them.

A thick fog hung over everything when we arrived, so very little sightseeing was had the first afternoon and evening. We drove to the harbor and walked along the sand.  There were some beautiful moss-green rocks near the south jetty.  We thought we were in Ireland for a second, so green they were.  On the other side of the jetty there was a (closed) lifeguard station up on a little knoll facing what we thought was away from the water.  But it actually faced toward a little alcove or calm place behind the jetty that would be wonderful for kids to play in the ocean.  We ate dinner at the Harbor.

The next day we woke up to gorgeous clear sunny skies.  After we checked out of the hotel, we took a tour of the little downtown area..The Mission San Buenaventura is gorgeous.  We decided to park and check out a used book store.  

Parking was rare but I found a space only a block away that was facing a building that appeared to be build sometime in the 20s.  As we got out of the car, we noticed the building was named the Earl Stanley Gardner Building; the birthplace of Perry Mason.  Whoa!  What a find!  If we hadn't decided to stop to check out that little used bookstore, we never would have known that this landmark existed.  

Apparently Gardner had his law office in the building and modeled his characters and offices after his own.  The building itself was being renovated but I stepped into the main floor.  I later found the building was originally a bank building with offices upstairs.  The building is still being used, as offices are on the second and third floors.  Someone even has their office in Gardner's old office space.  Such a cool find.

So tomorrow I hit the road.  It is time to leave these adventures, and Perry, behind in order to find new adventures on the road.  I have most everything packed and ready to go.  Last dinner with my sister and brother-in-law.  Last dishes washed.  Last recycle goods hauled out.  And of course, the pup know something is up and is leery of my every move.  See...it's a deal.

peace and love and magic carpet rides~~~