I’m heading back to Vancouver next month and I have to say I’m pretty excited about it.  Even though this gas price “issue” has strangled my ability to travel somewhat, I’ve managed to accumulate enough Alaska Airlines Air Miles to fly back for free (mostly).

I had my 20-year high school reunion last September so going back again this September is kind of nice.  I’ve come back a few times and it’s good to see my family again.  I’m hoping for rain.  While I love the sunny California weather, even in February, it’s nice to have some honest to goodness RAIN for a while.  Just enough to annoy the heck out of me and make me appreciate the sun and ‘golden hills’ of San Jose.

They’re not really golden, you know that right?  Those babies are brown.  But no one here admits it.  Know why they’re golden?  Because the grass is dead, people!  Dried up deadness!  But I guess golden sounds nicer.  It’s all about the media spin, I guess.

I don’t care.  I love the weather, I just miss the old weather, too.  But trust me, I’ll be back in Vancouver for a day, it’ll rain, and I’ll be whining about that, too.

Anyway, so I’m excited.  I’ve missed my friends.  They’re the ones who really know me, the ones who remember what I was like when I was a teenager.  Not some grouchy militant step-monster or a professional part-time student or a game designer or fledging novelist.

Nah, these girls remember me with pimples and tragic crushes on guys I’d never get.  They knew me when I was “spinny” and silly and, well, thinner.  You can’t buy that.  Not once you hit your 30s.  It’s harder to find deep and meaningful friends, ones who’ve known you for years.  So it’s made me appreciate the girls who still yap with me when I visit and get excited and plan get-togethers so they won’t miss out on seeing me.

I mean, how cool is that? 

So to the following ladies (I don’t know who else’ll be there so…):

• Tanya
• Moira
• Leslie
• Melanie (hopefully!)
• Mom
• Angie

See you soon!