Back from CA

I am back from California. Major jet lagged today but still surviving. I flew out for my mom's 60th birthday party. Since it was a surprise I couldn't really post on it... my mother reads my blog. So for those wondering why I haven't posted in over a week, that would be why.

It was a great surprise. She had no idea my little sister and I were flying out. We had to hide out a day until the party but due to a well organized and executed mission all went as planned and the covert operation went off without a hitch. My parents live in the middle of the desert in Indio, CA. Talk about hot!! The second day we were there the thermometer read 118 degrees... you've got to be kidding me! Everyone kept commenting about how dry the heat was. Coming from Colorado where it is so dry your knuckles crack when you flex I couldn't quite identify with the CA heat being dry. I would walk outside and immediately begin to sweat. Dry? I think not. I think the moisture may have been due to the incredible number of golf courses in the area. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a perpetual mist hanging over the valley from the amount of water it takes to keep all those greens so lush. Nothing against the Coachella valley but if we rationed the amount of water they were allowed to use on those lawns we may find the solution to world wide drought.

One morning I went out for a walk in the development we were staying in and noticed one person's lawn was rather dry and brittle. There was a notice on the door concerning their failure to comply with HoA standards of appearance. What if they were trying to be environmentally aware and conserve water??!! Forget it! Your HoA says you must use water! Do it!!! Ok, I'm done ranting... but they are living in the desert... perhaps coming to grips with that and not pretending it is a lush desert oasis may help out a bit. There is probably a legitimate desert oasis in Palm Springs but it's only about a mile circumference and yet the surrounding 30 miles is attempting to create the mirage of desert fauna as well. Oops... I was supposed to be done ranting.

I got to eat authentic Mexican food again - heavenly. I was able to observe CA night life again... oh boy do I sure NOT miss that. (Note to women everywhere: if you exceed the weight limit for a car booster seat you are not allowed to wear Hollywood apparel. Those clothes are only designed for women who have not come to grips with their womanly figure yet. And when it comes to boob exposure... more is not better. Women wonder why men stare at their chests and not at their faces when they talk... they will look at what you give them, duh!)

Well, it was fantastic seeing my family again. I had not seen my brother and sister in about 3 years and missed them terribly. It had only been six months since I saw my mother but due to the nature of the book I am writing about femininity I missed my mother terribly too. I wish we lived closer so I could just pick her brain for information without the huge cell phone bill we incur. I am now back home safe and sound and need to spend some much needed time with my own daughter. Time flies so fast and sooner than I know it she'll be trying to sneak out in skimpy clothes and my time for instilling morals in her will be gone. I'll post pictures of the trip soon. My little sister took all the pictures and so I'm waiting on her to get those downloaded.