Homeward bound … for now.

I’m knackered. Completely beat. I can’t believe it’s only Tuesday (as I type this), but I suppose that doesn’t really mean anything. I’ve been in Ocean Beach, San Diego for the last 10 days.  Time doesn’t seem to pass at normal intervals down here.

I often say that if I had one day left to live, I would spend it in Ocean Beach … because every second down here lasts an eternity. (Bet that’s not where you thought I was going to go with that).

It might have something to do with the warm climate, melting everything together. I lived in Florida for seven years. Those seven years merged into one long, endless summer, which is far less pleasant than it sounds. I don’t really remember seasons, or years passing, or what happened when. I just have a vague recollection of what it was like to be in Florida. Similarly, the last 10 days, while long, all seem to have merged into one day.

A very long, tiring day.

On the plus side, I am pleased to report that my auntie is doing a lot better than when I arrived. Hobbling around on crutches, doing her rehabilitation exercises, and, overall, being a lot more active, considering the extent of her injuries.

Arrow indicates where my aunt said her kneecap ended up after the dislocation.

I’m really glad I was able to come down and help.

But at the same time, I’m feeling profoundly sad. Most particularly about this. It’s always awful when something bad happens back home, and you aren’t there. Not that you could do anything about it. But still – you want to be around people you know, having the shared experience of being from a place. To go through things as a city.

Of course, I felt sad about what was happening to my aunt, and that I wasn’t here to help. That’s why I flew down here in the first place. So we could go through things as, well, a family. And crazy as it sounds, I actually was able to give my aunt – the crazy matriarch of this crazy family – a hand.

I’ll be back in Seattle tomorrow afternoon, and I’ve got plans to have dinner with my mother and husband that night.

They’ll both be flying out the next day to different cities.

We’re all just a bunch of ships passing in the night, I guess. But I’m excited about Christmas. All of us managing to get together in one crazy, screaming, Italian-spewing menagerie. We’ll all be down here in Ocean Beach. And I suppose if that day lasts a bit longer than other days, I’ll be okay with that.

Just … not too much longer, okay? A girl needs a break.