Moonshine Junkyard

My old friend Nichole came to visit for a week in September. She lives in Maine now, where she is originally from and where all her family lives. We met when she was going to school in Santa Rosa and we both worked at Screamin' Mimi's ice cream shop in Sebastopol. I remember her teaching me how to make their infamous homemade fudge in the shop's kitchen. Somehow we got to joking around about how we were the oldest ones working there. (Our manager was 18). I said I bet I'm older than you. She went, "Pfff, yeah right. I am definitely older." Well it turned out she was 24 and I was 26.  I won! Oldest person who worked there besides the owner.   We have been friends since 2003 and had many adventures together. I am so glad that she is the kind of person to fly across the country for her vacation to visit old friends, not necessarily expecting anything spectacular, just to put in some quality time together. She spent lots of time getting to know my girls and ...

Last week we went on a whirlwind three day trip to LA. With the drive taking us about eight hours, it was really just one full day spent down there. My brother and his fiance graciously let us stay at their adorable 1920s apartment in Los Feliz while they were away at Burning Man. Especially perfect because Darin's brother Dave and family live within walking distance. It was very hot. It was sweaty in the car and I5 stretches on forever in an apocalyptic wasteland. It's never been pretty, but I've also never seen it so ugly. Just barren tumbleweed dry dusty land and those godforsaken depressing cattle ranches. Our one stop was just a cluster of filthy graffitied gas stations. Someone needs to open an oasis stop with a playground that is not McDonalds. Anyway, overall I think the girls did remarkably well on the drive down, mostly either sleeping (polly) snacking, or reading and playing in their seats. (I love when I can truthfully say that.) Interestingly, despite a...