A friend called from Southern California this morning, just as I was leaving the hair salon.  I stepped out from an air-conditioned heaven into 92 degrees of heat and humidity.  It’s the end of August for God’s sake….it’s supposed to start getting at least a tad bit cooler!  My hair has poofed into a basketball just walking across the parking lot to my car.

I sat in the car for a few minutes listening to Silvia’s voice mail and then called her back straight-away.  It was wonderful to hear a familiar voice.  As she spoke my mind drifted;  I could see us cycling on The Strand, along the ocean, the ocean breeze and sea air invigorating no matter what time of day we were out; I could  see dolphins frolicking in the water as they did so many times during our early morning rides.  I tried to sound upbeat during our short phone conversation, joking about the bugs that I keep finding and how the pest control dude must think I’m a lunatic.  Once off the phone a flood of beach city memories remained for the duration of my drive home.

A happy memory needs to fill this space today so that I don’t fall off my own by-design-cliff-of-despair (I know…way too dramatic!).    So here it is.  A photo of my adorable nephew  affectionately called “The Cheech-meister” posing by a surfer’s memorial statue in Hermosa Beach.  He visited his Zia CC (that would be me) last year and he and his mamma had a fun time at the beach.  I wish my sis and I were back on the beach, sand between our toes looking for seashells.  For now, memories will have to do and on the bliss-o-meter, those are a plus-10.