Return to Sender

Baby boom! In the past few months a whole mess of friends on either coast have had children. Last night we visited our friends Todd and Jill and met their newest, Wyatt. A few nights earlier we met Judith and Jonni's tiny little fella Wolfe. We left SF just before Ralph and Belisa welcomed Galen, and after Amy and Judd said hello to Oscar. At the moment John and Michelle are almost a week overdue with ???

We've enjoyed stopping by with gifts and baked goods. Joyful visits with happy people. It's been great for the spirits -- life! -- and we're delighted that Vivian is acquiring new little friends (or future boyfriends?) so quickly. We stopped by the post office yesterday to mail Cindy a care package and pick up a box the postman wouldn't or couldn't deliver to our apartment. Why? Turns out there were four packages waiting for us. What's the prob, Postman?!?

One of these packages is pictured below. Sorry Ralph and Belisa! Looks like your "Welcome Galen" package will have to be hand delivered when we get to SF. Don't worry, we'll be sure to visit you at your current address. (Whoopsie.)

We're still finalizing our plans, but it looks like we'll be in San Francisco in a week or two, staying through mid-August or however long Cindy wants us there. I plan to bake a lot. Ralph and Belisa, perhaps you'll get a new loaf of chocolate chip banana bread. Amazingly the original 3.5-week-old loaf still looks and smells great... we're not brave enough to eat it though.

Undeliverable? WTF?!?

Banana bread. WANT!

Kevin Can Do Anything!

Today I'm adding "master carpenter" to the list, right under "makes perfect pie crust."

Kevin built a storage room for all of his necessary camera equipment and unnecessary bullsh**. Thank heavens that box of 300 used coffee cups will be stored safely! (He's been saving them for a future art project, the details of which remain foggy...) Regardless, it turned out beautifully.


Kevin and I grieve differently. He began this project the day before Steve died and did most of the work in the following days. It really helped him sort out his head. All the hammering, sawing, heavy lifting. It makes sense, really, coming to terms with loss while creating something -- whether it's a painting, a casserole, or a storage room. I, on the other hand, have been almost useless these past two weeks. Weeping, moping, not sleeping. Thankfully we've been able to understand each other and our different ways of dealing. It's brought us closer, I hope. We miss our friend.

We just returned from a walk around our neighborhood and I'm sad but thankful. Cindy is leaving the hospital today after 16 days. How I wish she and Steve were in our apartment right now as planned. I was so excited to show them our new place, and was hoping they'd give us a tour of some of their old stomping grounds (they lived in Brooklyn before moving in next door to us in SF) while I talked them into moving back east.

We'll be heading back to San Francisco soon to spend time with Cindy. I know Vivian will make her Aunt Cindy smile as usual. I can't wait to give Cindy a giant hug.