How ’bout a photo blog today, because I’m TIRED and LAZY. I absolutely adore going home to see the little mama, but I drive south the moment I wake up on Tuesday and come back Thursday night, and have to get up early on Friday to start my week. I completely neglect things like laundry and vacuuming. And sleep.
Yawn.
Oh, well. That’s the way the chocolate chip cookie crumbles. Like these:
Mariko gave them to me! And OH, are they good. Let me rephrase: Oh, WERE they good. See all those? All gone.
And here we are:
We’re in Bubblegum Alley, one of the tourist attractions of San Luis Obispo, which is midway between her house and my parent’s home. As a kid, I thought this was the coolest thing ever, and my little brain dreamed of owning all that gum, pre-chew. Now it’s rather germy, but still grossly cool.
We had a lovely coffee together at Linnaea’s, the coffee-house where I spent many, many under-grad hours. She was as delightful as you would gather from her blog, and I wished we had had more time together. She has the biggest smile! Again, it was weirdly Not Weird. You would totally think it would feel odd, meeting an on-line friend. But it doesn’t. It’s just like what it is: Meeting a friend for coffee. She’s a doll. (Another picture is over at her blog.)
Mom’s doing better! Still not much motion in her final diagnosis or treatment, but we did manage to bully from the PA a referral to the endocrinologist that she needs to see. The PA said that she was qualified enough to tell Mom that there’s nothing else to be done, that she’ll just have to ride the thyroid problems out, but I refuse to accept that, and I talked Mom into agreeing with me. And more, we talked the PA into writing the referral. So my mission was accomplished. HiYAH!
We managed to get to the movies, too. We saw Girl With a Pearl Earring, which was bee-yoo-tiful. And hello, Colin Firth. That man gets more ger-jess every time. I swear, he’s LoTR-Viggo-cute in this one. Mom says it’s just the hair, but she was a little swoony, too.
Here’s the little mama with her little cat Kahlua:
I realized while at Mom’s house that she has: One incontinent cat, one deaf/allergy-prone cat, and one hyper-thyroid cat. She sees the vet as much as she sees her own doctors. No, more. This one is the deaf, 16 year-old one. They manually hydrate her every other day because she suffers from kidney problems, too. Oy.
More pictures:
Driving home from the fabulous Mariko visit, I stopped off in Shell Beach. The novel I’m working on is set there, and I wanted to drive the streets, see if I could pinpoint exactly where my main character lives. (I actually did find the house, I think, but there was a fella working on his truck in her driveway. The cheek! I cruised past it a couple of times with the top down, and then finally shot a sneaky sideways snapshot, but I think I was made. Not a good photo, either.)
But here’s what’s at the end of the street:
This is where we like to have donuts in the morning, when Mom’s feeling up for it. Next time I go visit, we’ll be right here in the morning, listening to the seals bark.
Back on the road, I stopped off in the Arroyo Grande village so I could show y’all the Swinging Bridge. It’s behind City Hall, suspended over the little creek. As a kid, it was THE thing to do, run to the middle of it and jump or rock until the bridge got swaying enough to make a five-year-old seasick. As eight-year-olds, that was cool. Here’s the bridge:
And here’s me, just ’bout ready to run over it, all by my lonesome.
Dude, that was fun. But remember, while in the park, please don’t let your dog:
Now, isn’t that taking a visual cue a leetle too far?
One last image before I jump back into Real Life; these are the chickens that live behind City Hall.
That’s what kind of a rural area it is. Well, okay, it’s not THAT rural, there are more SUVs than pick-em-up trucks, but the town is ringed by strawberry fields, and the mayor is usually an acquaintance.
Now. Back to work. Happy Friday to you! (Rogue pics soon, I swear.)
*Random thought – I want TiVo. Bad.
I am glad you were able to boss the PA around. It is important to see an endrocrinologist when there are thyroid issues. These GP’s (and PA’s), who think they can do it all, don’t run all of the proper tests. It wasn’t until I saw the endro that we got me diagnosed with hypothryoidism. No one suspected a skinny teenager would have it. But, lo and behold, I did.
Love all the pics. I took a walk down memory lane at my mom’s house today. If I could figure out how to work my scanner, I would do so. duh.
Anyway, I am glad you are back and glad little mama will be gettin’ some answers.
Looks like an excellent trip. Glad your mom is doing better. I’m so glad you got to meet Mariko face-to-face. I’m looking forward to meeting both of you at Stitches West!
Me too. I can’t wait for all of us to get together in person! And I’m proud of you and your mama for standing up for her with the PA. It’s her health and she should get the best care she can.
All that snowless beauty–I’m so jealous.
Hope all goes well with your mom–good for you for being persistent.
I love your photo travelogues. Vicarious fun, no driving! Glad it was a good visit.
I have TiVo. 🙂 Paul (bf) bought it “for me” last Christmas. It’s the best invention ever.
You can come over and play with it if you want to. heheh
So glad you had a good time with your mama & Mariko.
Glad the little mama is finally going to see the specialist she needs.
And I think we should all try to have more photos of chickens on our blogs. That made my day.
Yay! I wanna meet some of my blog friends too! Why don’t any of you live near GA? And way to go on bullying the doctors. You keep kickin ass and your mama will get the info she needs!
It looks like you and Mariko had fun. And ew, the gum wall.
Yessssssssss! (fist pump!) she’s wearing her sunglasses…*hee* and her mama’s getting what she needs and she met Mariko and is eating cookies and kniting Rogue….remember to breathe deeply and SING as you are driving back up the homeward hiway….these pictures are just what I needed and.. oh.wow. the book is set in Shell Beach? Now I really MUST have the first copy 😉
My dear, you are definitely a novelist, since your post is much more detailed and interesting than my short version! I totally want to go run over that swinging bridge and eat donuts at Shell Beach! Next time you’re in town … and thank goodness you mom got an appointment with the endocrinologist!
Welcome back! This reminds me of reading a mystery novel that was set in Tübingen, where I happened to be in grad school. And part of the story unfolded in a house right on the street where I parked every day! Of course the next day I went looking — and the author used a house number that didn’t exist, but that would have been right between two actual buildings. Fun experience, it’s always stayed with me.
Well, then I like when you’re tired and lazy because I loved this post with all the pictures. Hooray for kickin’ some PA butt! How awesome that you and Mariko got to meet and take pictures in front of the gross gum wall! I, too, would like to see more pictures of chickens but I am more curious about how Cari proposes to do that. And yes, yes, yes: I want TiVo too. I think it would solve all my problems. I really do.
What a fine weekend you had. Not that I’m ungrateful for the beach, chicken etc. pictures. But show some Rogue! says she, who is contemplating a trip to the Classic Elite outlet……(sorry dearie, its in Lowell, MA — some consolation to those of us freezing our hineys off…) 😉
What a fantastic blog entry!! I’ve been thinking about starting my own blog, and I haven’t because I think evey entry of my own should be as perfect as this one. Great photos, great stories… I’m so jealous of your west coast lifestyle here in chilly Philly!
btw….I’ve been stalking a few blogs for a few months now (I’m kinda new to this sort of thing) and you’re blog is the only one I’ve ever replied to.
I love this blog…it really makes me want to start my own.
Em, mylove, it’s very simple. You find chickens, you take their picture, you post it. Yes, yes, you may argue that we’ll have a hard time FINDING live chickens in NYC other than the one who plays tic tac toe in that Chinatown arcade, but see…that’s what’s going to make the chicken pictures so very special!
Yay for photo posts! What a beautiful part of the world you live in. And yes, I also support chicken photos. You first, Cari!
Sounds like a visit that is made it worth being tired. Glad the little mama is getting the care she needs and deserves. Sending prayers.
I echo your TiVo envy. I was determined to buy it about two years ago. I still want it. Still can’t justify the expense. Argh.
Can’t wait to see Rogue pics.
Smiles!
PS Bill, I’m in Philly too!
Love the photo journies, makes me want to visit or live in the places you photograph. I am especially easy to convince at the moment with snow on the ground and sub-freezing temps. I want TiVo too. Think we could get a knitting bloggers discount? Ha!
Good for you for hanging in there with little mama until she gets the attention she needs and deserves.
Depending on your little mama’s final diagnosis, she MAY have to ride it out. I think they can treat Grave’s Disease, and of course, thyroid cancer is highly treatable. But if her thyroid is simply inflammed…aspirin. Tell her to enjoy the burgers and shakes while she can! Once her thyroid regulates it’s back to normal.
(But she should see an endocrinologist and get a diagnosis!)
I’ve been enjoying your blog for a few months now. I’m a fairly new knitter. I had to drop a line to let you know that if it’s Grave’s Disease, yes it can be treated and I am proof. It took about six months after the RAI treatment to get the replacement thyroid dosage adjusted, but now I feel “normal”. I had Grave’s long enough that I’m still trying to figure out what normal is (it went undiagnosed for years). Thinking good thoughts for little mama and thanks for your wonderful blog.