2005-01-11 - 3:22 p.m.

On the internal soundtrack: "You've Got a Friend", Carole King

I know you are all dying to know how my age-related pains are doing, so: heel pain update. I have forced myself to stay off of it as much as possible over the last three days (after trying to ignore it on Friday and Saturday), and it seems to be getting better. I can walk normally now and just get a twinge now and then.

I still don't know WTF it is -- the pain seemed to move around within my heel. The part of me that has seen too many X-Files episodes imagines there's a worm in there burrowing around in the bottom of my foot.

It was never a BAD pain, and I could have ignored it and kept walking, but I didn't want to make it worse. It made walking not-so-fun, and walking is just SO important to me. Not just from a practical standpoint, either -- I find going for a walk exhilarating and I prefer it to all other forms of transportation. Even before I was interested in fitness I always wanted to go for walks. Every time I see someone with a broken leg or in a wheel chair I feel even more fortunate that I have two healthy legs. I'm sure I would adapt if something happened, but MAN I'm grateful to be able to walk.

A little over a month ago my brother, after working part-time and temp jobs for the better part of the two years since the dot-com bubble popped, got himself a fantastic new job. He's undergoing some training for a few months in Silicon Valley and then will settle in an east coast office.

My sister-in-law still lives not far from the town where she and Poindexter grew up, in the Santa Cruz mountains.

Also, Rhiannonstone just moved back to the Bay Area, meaning I missed my chance to see her while she still lived within reasonable train-ing distance.

And then there's the fact that there's a special place in my heart for the San Jose/Santa Cruz area since I will always associate that place with my eight-year crush on Poindexter and the first two magically heady years of our relationship, as well as being the place I fell in love with cities.

Since we are going to be out of town for half of February, and November and December were insanely busy, I had planned for January to be a very quiet month where we would stay home and relax and put things in order around the house. But I kept thinking, gee, it would be so fun to go to California right now and see everybody at once. But I brushed the idea off because our time off is stretched as it is.

Then Poindexter IM'd me yesterday morning from work: "They want me to go to Oakland next week. Any reason why I can't?"

I said, "I'll go!"

Inside I went, "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And I stayed in "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" mode for the next two hours, while I determined that, holy cow!, we could take the same flights and I could use my frequent-flyer miles (which we save for last-minute things like funerals and, well, this) for my (nonstop! last-minute!) tickets. I couldn't believe it.

First I IM'd my brother in a way that ... well, it's a sort of a joke but I can't explain it, except to say I don't usually type like this:

Evelynne: dude i'm gonna be in ca this wknd wanna hang out
Brother: no way?
Evelynne: way!

Poindexter's conversation with his sister started with her being frazzled and busy and him being deliberately pesky to frazzle her further:

Poindexter: I need some information.
Lynn: Information on what?
Poindexter: Local hotels.
Lynn: [she thinks he's talking about our February Family Fest in Arizona] Local hotels? What local hotels? I don't know any hotels.
Poindexter: Hotels near you.
Lynn: What for?
Poindexter: I need one this weekend.

She is very excited -- we haven't been to her house in three years, I think -- usually we meet up with them at their mom's house in Florida. We'll be at her house over the weekend and my brother will probably come up there, and she might come over to our hotel one day during the week too.

Then I IM'd Rhiannonstone and let the EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEs out. It went something like this:

RHIANNONSTONE!!!!!!!!!!!!1
THIS IS EVELYNN!!!!!
E
I AM COMIGN TO CALIFONRIA!!!!!!!!

Luckily she didn't freak out from the screaming and rampant typos and and is willing to meet me one day during the week. I am going to be working those three days, same as I do from home, but I am going to take a long lunch one day so I can meet up with her. If I am able to come up to Berkeley, Terry (depends on the car situation), and you are available that day, I will also see if I can drop in on you. If that doesn't work out, you DID say you were coming to Philadelphia this year, right?

Not only do I have a bunch of family out there, but Matt, a very dear family friend, is ALSO going to be in the Bay Area on business and we may be meeting up with him. It's going to be insane!

Adding to the fun is the fact that Poindexter got first class seats for less than coach, and I couldn't upgrade, so he will be flying in first class while I'm in a middle seat in the mid-to-back of the plane. He asked if I wanted him to come back to coach, and I said "NO!!!" He might even be able to sleep in first class. I told him he could have my computer and watch guy movies and I would just sit in the back and sleep and read. We were discussing on IM whether I'd be able to visit him in first class or not:

Evelynne: WOOOOOO!
Evelynne: I got two of my favorite fashion mags plus a book from [] in the mail today.
Evelynne: I'm saving them for the trip.
Poindexter: good idea!
Evelynne: Since I will be alllllll aloooone stuffed in the back with the hoi polloi.
Evelynne: Y'think they'll let me up front to chat or are you gonna have to come back to visit me?
Poindexter: kwit yer bitchin.
Poindexter: I don't know...
Poindexter: good question.
Poindexter: I would go to the 1st class toilet all the time.
Poindexter: Never had an issue.
Poindexter: But that was before 9/11
Evelynne: Yeah.
Poindexter: I might get up to see you.
Evelynne: I am going to bring that neck pillow so I can sleep longer. I tend to get claustrophobic on long flights so sleeping will be good. I have a middle seat.
Poindexter: Middle???
Poindexter: Ick!
Evelynne: Yep.
Poindexter: The neck pillow?
Evelynne: Yeah.
Poindexter: Should I wake you if you are sleeping?
Evelynne: So I can rest my chin on it [instead of nodding].
Evelynne: Wake me if you're bored or miss me.
Evelynne: Otherwise go back to your throne in first class.
Evelynne: I'll give you the computer so you can watch movies.
Poindexter: I'll always be missing you.
Poindexter: MOVIES!!!
Evelynne: HEY! You have first class both ways!!!!! WOO!!!!!
Evelynne: I didnt' realize that.
Poindexter: Yeah.
Evelynne: I have a window seat going back.
Evelynne: I'm going to look like your slave mistress or something, kept in a shack away from the big house.
Poindexter: Indeed.
Poindexter: I like it...
Evelynne: You're gonna get beat.

We both had trouble sleeping last night. I hope we can calm down enough to sleep well for the rest of the week. We need our immune systems to be in tiptop shape to fight off airplane germs!

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