Yes 'n Hey it's Good

To be back home again. I'm still thinking of things that make a place home, but like you all, it seems to be a combination of knowing my way around and what I bring to a space. Like knowing that if 23N is backed up, I can tool up Erbes road. It might take just as long with the lights, but I won't be in stop and go traffic and the view is better, and breathtaking at points. (Just don't speed by the school at Los Flores, it's usually a sp.eed t.rap.) Then I come home and see the avocado plant I started from a seed about ten months ago which may well survive my attempts to nuture it.

I think having my own car is key to feeling at home too. I love driving (not to be confused with commuting) and I really enjoy driving my Mazda3. I was almost awake enough to revel in the drive home today. Except for the bit between LGB and LAX, I stayed off the freeway, even though the lunchtime traffic was moving pretty well meaning I could mostly pass the pokey people going 60-70 in the left lane. I got off to go pick up the glass I made (including a kind of cute sea-monster-looking thing) and never got back on. I took the coast road along the beaches then up through Malibu because the view always takes my breath away. Then I had literally NO ONE in front of me up Kanan (/KAY-nen/) until the last mile. I paralleled the freeway through Westlake and realized I now know how to get from my condo to the coast without ever getting on the 101.

I got all my stuff back inside in one trip, called my dad, took a shower, read about three sentences of FON and passed out for four hours. Did I mention that I got up before 5AM Eastern time? I got just enough sleep on the plane that I was not a danger to other drivers 12 hours later. I unpacked a few things and realized my alarm clock is stone cold dead. I'm hoping new batteries revive it because it's one of the few loud enough get my attention. I found a little note inside saying I replaced them last in 2003 and might need to do so again in Dec of 2006, so I'm hopeful.

Because I literally emptied the fresh food from the fridge before I left, I'm off to find dinner and batteries. And instead of thinking the frustrating, "who serves food and sells batteries here?" I'm actually debating between getting a salad in westlake or sushi around the corner and wondering if Rite-aid or the Do-it center sell cheaper batteries. And debating whether I should take my personalized copy of Force of Nature to dinner knowing that I will likely spill said dinner on it. So tempting, but I know it's not good for the book. And it will still be here when I get back home. Again.