Sunday, March 23, 2014

“…and it would have been easier for him to return to Pasadena if she’d thickened in the middle, and her posture had sagged under the life she’d chosen…"








Today is Saturday, although at the home I was in a few days ago, it is Sunday.

We had to do the normal run around for flights, Hobart to Melbourne, Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to L.A. but this is still much easier and shorter than the route to Stockholm.
All the present hassles of travel were happening, late flights, rushing to gates, customs, forms, questions, security check, security check, security check…waiting to depart, waiting to land, waiting on luggage, waiting for the rental car shuttle, waiting in line for the car itself, waiting in traffic to get to Pasadena.
The smog obscuring the mountain ranges assaults me anew.  I try to sort out if the smog was always so dense, but as with anything I surmise that the smog has changed, my perspective on the smog has changes, and surely it has increased in almost thirty years.  Then, I stop thinking because I may never be comfortable with phases such as ‘about thirty years ago’.

I find everything is familiar and that everything has changed.  I may have done myself a disservice in thinking that each trip back to the U.S. will be my ‘last’ trip.  I have done too much, I have started to enjoy the comforts of home perhaps above all else.
But I also find new appreciation for overlooked places.  Zok and I ran errands our first day, adding credit to his pay as you go phone.  Going to the American Auto Club of America office in Pasadena for maps and of course ‘trip tix’ (add link) for our road trips.

So, the next day while Zok went to work meetings, Monte and I had a ‘fountain’ theme.  We went to the water and power plant nearby, to get a close look at the beautiful fountain there and of course speculate and what the corner might have been like when it was first built.  The spot would be really pleasant if it wasn’t on such a busy corner.
This fountain brought to mind one built in honour of William Mulholland.  This one has an interesting representation of the California aquafry that runs much needed water from Northern California to Southern California.
 At one time I didn’t live far from this fountain, but I can’t remember ever stopping to take a good look at it.  Although the area was recently refurbished.

Today, I have some time on my own, I am going to brave a completely foreign Yoga class that is within (by Stockholm standards) walking distance.  A very small part of me thinks- Maybe I should just stay in…why keep navigating unknown territory?  Why keep you know…trying?  But the voice gets quashed…

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