Family

My mom turned 60 this year, though you wouldn't guess it by how she looks. People who look at our picture together have been known to say, "I thought you didn't have a sister?" Anyways, mom flew across the country and visited me a few weekends ago. She and I explored Napa and Sonoma together and I have yet to visit the same winery twice despite having visited the area 3 times now! We visited Cline winery, Jacuzzi Winery, Fritz Winery, Cuvaison Winery, Robert Mondavi Winery, and a couple of others that were forgetable.

We stayed at a place called Zinscape outside of Healdsburg. From the website, you would think that it is a small bed and breakfast. We were informed our second morning, when breakfast was not updated from the first morning, that it was not a bed and breakfast- it was a rental room. Whatever it was, it was clean and cute and surrounded by vineyards. Mom was disappointed by the lack of service (we had dirty dishes from our first morning- and no sink or dishwasher excluding the bathroom sink- but they were still dirty when we returned and we had to wash them with handsoap from the bathroom). I think it was a step up from out tiny hotel in downtown New York City that only let us plug in two things at a time- we had to choose between a TV, a clock, and a lamp that needed power. Try to figure that one out!

We had a great time. Mom left on Saturday, I worked Saturday and Sunday, as well as Monday-Wednesday and then flew to Florida for a family vacation on Thursday. Whew! I had worked 9 days in a row before the vacation- mad props to the nurses out there who do that on a regular basis!

My two brothers, my sister-in-law and 2 nephews, my mom, and my dad all flew to Anna Maria Island in Florida, located south of Tampa, FL. We had a blast despite the chilly weather and off shore storms. We even swam in the ocean 2 of the days despite the wicked surf. When we swam on Saturday, it was difficult to maintain an upright position in the water and the undertow was dragging not only me, but my two larger brothers down the coast as well. Even so often they would trudge against the tow and head back to the area of the beach where our chairs were chilling. I would call uncle, ride a wave in to the sand, and walk back. As it was, my calves and thighs were sore and bruised by the end of the first day. The second day was colder, but the waves were not as rough.

I have to state that we must have a little bit of dare-devil in all of us-- I very much enjoyed the first day of swimming even though I was worried about riptides the entire time. Woman verses ocean! Can she swim against the tow? Can she ride the wave ALL the way to the shore? Eeeeck! A wave! Dive! Dive! Dive! I was 10 years old diving through the oncoming waves and trying to keep up with my big brother- except somehow I've now gotten 2 big brothers (Little bro is not so little). I had a blast.

We celebrated mom's birthday officially and had a guitar player at a bar play Happy Birthday for her. He also played another song (the name is escaping me) and dad and her completed a rare dance. Dad dances just fine, but he doesn't believe that and doesn't like to dance in front of people. He danced for her though- and that was special.

Sister-in-law, nephews, little bro and I set out for a walk at 7am thinking was would score some big shells that no one had found yet. Despite the offshore storm, there were only the tiny shells present the night before. 6 year old nephew does NOT like to walk on the beach and spent about half the time negotiating a return to port. Little 2 year old nephew was content to be passed from adult to adult and watch the birds. I enjoyed the peace with my little brother and my lovely sister-in-law knowing that the rest of the house was asleep.

Another walk later that day with little nephew revealed the treasures we had looked for the morning before. Not shells, but random items caught his interest and he poked an abandoned flip flop into a pile of sand and declared it a rocket before creating the sound effect and following the imaginary trajectory over the sand and across the water. Precious moments.

The way home was rough. We had a 3 hour delay in Denver, CO which obliviated my plans of taking public transit home from SFO. BART,the train, closes at 11:53pm at SFO, and we arrived after midnight instead of the planned 9pm. A taxi ride would have cost me $115 from airport to door. A friend was called who declared, very sleepily, that should would rescue me as a last resort but encouraged me to catch BART if possible. She would have totally come to get me- but I would have totally given her money for it! My rescue came in the form of a seat mate who had just been at a family reunion celebrating her mom's 80th birthday. She also happened to live 5 minute from me and had her car at the airport. I facebooked her photo discreetly and posted "this lady is giving me a ride home from SFO- Stay tuned" then promptly, and a little guiltily, erased it when I arrived home safe. It's a sad world when we cover our asses for possible kidnapping from good samaritans. My only other alternative would have been to rent a car, drive home, and return it after work the next day. Trish, my savior, was very cool and we chatted all the way home about good places to find a beer and a man.

I returned to work Tuesday and by Wednesday night was rested enough to meet my big brother in the city to eat dinner- he was strangely in town for a meeting just days after our vacation together but I'm always glad to steal a quiet moment with family. I'm currently on another run of 9 days. Today, Saturday, i worked to make up for last Monday. Tomorrow, Sunday, I will work to make up for next Thursday when my friend Rachel will be visiting from Atlanta. I haven't had a sleep-in day for 4 weeks due to work, visits and vacation and it looks like it will be another 2 weekends before I can schedule one. Poor me. :-)

It really is lovely to be busy and traveling- especially when it includes family and friends. I think I'll be a little down when the hectic schedule resolves.