Nest @ MindSay

They did it - my kids left this morning & a hasty "goodbye" was said over the phone (inbetween a "gotta run Mom - I have to make a turn in this RV").  So they are ...on the road again.  I can picture my daughter singing as she pulled out of town ...done except perhaps the "holiday return" - where turkey or ham are waiting along with all the holiday fixings that make the meal so special! 

At first I was sad - gone - means - out of my life ...not!  There will be phone calls & tons of exciting things to share - visits - more comings & goings.  And life goes on ...because for them ...the economy has hit so hard that this is a chance for them to grow. More income - a new start.  Wanting them to stay in town so I can "see them" is really quite selfish.  At least they have a home with the RV (although it must be close quarters) - and they are young.   So for Meg & Rob - your mother misses you but is sooo happy for you too! Good luck guys & don't forget ....call me!  :)

Last week I promised y'all a photo of a humming bird on her nest. Humming birds are fast. I'm not. Actually there are 2 babies in that nest, but they were out of camera range. Hopefully as they grow they will not be camera-shy. I'm reminded of when there were 2 fledglings in my nest. One found his wings a few years ago, and then found his oars. *Checking the clock* About 6 hours and its HB2U WAC from all of us. Wish you were here to have cake, aka cherry crunch con cold bowl and put a few hundred more meters on an old Vespoli.

The other one is flapping his wings like mad hoping to get far enough off the ground to stuff a basketball through the iron rim, NBA-style.

JULIE  AND JONATHAN GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

I just got an email from her, and I called and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I have been waiting 3 years for that news!!!!!!!!!!!   He proposed Tuesday at like 1am, so Wednesday, but aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah maaaaaaaaaaah gaaaaaaaaaaah.  I miss NEST soo badly right now!

I'll be the first to admit it . . . and if you were one of the six people who knew me, there are few things I will admit . . . I am "particular" . . . and it annoys me when people say "you're a perfectionist". That is not true . . . and it annoys me EVEN MORE . . .  to even be compared with  . . . . a  . . . . "perfectionist".  . . Perfectionists are  . . . obsessive compulsive and can't enjoy holding hands or Lovin' . . . they fret too much . . . nothing is good enough, they can't leave it alone . . . status oriented . . .  on, and on, and on . . . drives me Nutsy Fagin . . .

 

I like what I like. I would rather wait . . . and get "e-x-a-c-t-l-y" the right thing. That goes for my tools, which are the b-e-s-t m-a-d-e. My appliances, my furniture . . . towels, thread count on the sheets . . . my shirts, my jeans . . . BOOTS!, just as important as tools . . . I work HARD for my money and I don't mind spending it. Not at all. But I want the best.                             My love . . .  the love of my life . . .                    . . .   I put her on a pedestal . . .

 

At work, I sincerely try to improve on the last time. Each driven nail, each measured length . . . every fit of every joint . . . or . . . the creativity I have to use to figure out a problem. Hopefully, better than I did it before. A "Pro"  . . . a "Professional" does that.

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FRIDAY . . . late afternoon . . . HELL  of   a  week . . . I had just hung up talking to a s-w-e-e-t friend in Alabama  . . .  and thought I'd stop by Ralph's, buy a lobster, some Greek olives, a salad . . . a mango would be nice . . . and a case of beer to wash it down . . .  I had already built the campfire on the beach in my mind . . .

 

I was at the light at Hollywood and Highland . . . a spot RICH in "characters" in Hollywood . . . there was some guy dressed in fatigues, waving a large American flag in the intersection . . . wearing a black tee shirt  . . ."Thank You LAPD"  . . . .  

 

 . . . AND THEN there was the girl who crossed in front of me . . .  made me want to wave a flag . . . build a campfire at the beach . . . share my lobster . . . with her . . . (I love love love LA!)  . . .

 

The Sheriff's dispatcher called and verified it was "me" . . . and clinically gave me the address. It was in Los Feliz and about 30 minutes away.

 

The detective met me at the street which is unusual for her. The street had several cruisers, a panel truck and more than several "plain" cars . . . some of them Lincolns . . .

 

"Hey G . . .  here's the thing. If you need any materials, I need for you to get them now. If you need anything off your truck, I'll have a deputy get it for you. Once you're in there you have to stay until we are through. I need your cell phone too. I don't want a camera in there or for you to get a call. Okay?"

"Sure. How do I know what supplies I need?"

 

She told me that they wanted the windows sealed from the inside, two doors boarded up, locks changed and "cuffs" put on the knobs. I told her that I needed plywood and a few fastners . . . and I thought that would do it. Her face was friendly and she told me what she remembered about how many windows . . . the details . . .

 

Home Depot is just over on San Fernando Road and not that far away . . . there are several assistant managers that know me . . . I called ahead and the order was being gathered when I arrived. By the time I signed for the materials it was loaded and I got a hug from Jorge . . . and a picture of "the new baby" . . . still red faced in his mother's arms . . .

 

I was signed in was patted down and I turned over my cell phone and walked into the crime scene . . .

 

It was a one bedroom apartment with arched doorways. You walked into the living room . . . the "dining area" was immediately to the left corner of the front door with a big double window next to where the table would be . . . the kitchen was straight ahead with a small but sufficient laundry to the right with a door leading out to a modest private patio. There was a short hallway at the rear of the livingroom, on the right, with the bathroom to the left and the bedroom to the right . . . the linen closet there in middle. I expected to open the linen closet and see fluffy towels  . . . green, dark blue, once-white . . . tan and mauve . . . all folded . . .  Or, open the medicine cabinet and see  . . . well, the things a "young woman" would have in the medicine cabinet . . . "guys" don't put anything in a medicine cabinet but set what they have on the sink . . .

 

Furnished it would have a dining table . . . a three cushion sofa with a big chair and ottoman . . . an occasional table . . . with a lamp . . . small coffee table and entertainment cabinet that held the TV and stereo . . . The bedroom would have a kingsized bed which took up most of the flooring and only one night table that fitted into the corner against the wall  . . . you could walk along the sliding closet doors on the other side. It would be better without a dresser, but there was one from necessity and you couldn't walk around the bed because there just wasn't enough room.

 

The kitchen had right handed tiled counter tops and back splash with "white" painted cabinets . . . the refrigerator space next to the wall separating the laundry . . . the stove/oven and hood was opposite and had small cabinets on either side with matching tiled surface . . . If you looked around you could imagine an appliance or two on the counter . . . handmade potholders near the stove and a refrigerator with magnets . . .  

 

G.

P.S. This was a nest . . . this was  . . .once . . . a young woman's apartment . . . you could tell . . .

 

Trimming branches came to a halt when this little momma was noticed watching furtively from her post.  She seemed cautiously trusting of our intentions.  Happy Mothers Day to all of God's creatures - parenthood is a task that claims your heart and soul! .