We are at last in Southern California…Yeah!!!  When I left So Cal at age 28, it was with a belief I would never want to come back. I’m now realizing, California is in the blood and it’s good to be home.

We left Arizona after I spoke at the Mesa Baseline Rotary Club and dropped some books off at East West Exchange Bookstore in Chandler. We drove pretty much all night pulling into Huntington Beach at about midnight and then drove around for a couple of hours looking for a place to park where we could access water. The RV parks were closed and gated for the night, so we came up empty. Eventually we just pulled over to sleep on a side street. By now we were both frazzled and I didn’t sleep believing at any moment a cop would pull over and tell us to move. Additionally, I had a 7:00AM Rotary Club presentation and was stressed with the realization I wouldn’t be able to shower. Brock has a hard time understanding why I can’t roll with things more, but I was the one that would be standing in front of these people and I really needed to wash my hair. I was grubby, tired and really cranky.

I have to hand it to Brock though. In spite of his not understanding why washing my hair was critical, he gave finding a place for me to shower a pretty good effort…even offering the security people at the RV parks 20.00 to just let me run in real quick. When he stopped in the middle of Pacific Coast Highway and told me to run across two lanes of traffic at 5:00AM while it was still pitch black to sneak into a beach shower…well this is pretty much when I lost it. We ended up in a carwash hooked up to a spicket. I did shower and as exhausted as I was, I delivered a pretty good speech.

After the Rotary we headed inland to find our friend Tim Gonzales as he had offered to let us stay at his place for a few days and we were pretty excited. When the motley four of us walked into Joshua Christopher’s Salon, where he works in Fullerton, he was surprised as he hadn’t really been told exactly when we’d be arriving or that in addition to the two kids, there was the dog and soon…a nanny. Details Brock…never forget the details.

He gave the boys and Brock haircuts and transformed me completely with new highlights and a style. He really is the best stylist and I held out long after I was due for a cut just to get a bit of his magic. We left the salon walking just a little taller and headed over to his house.

He came home shortly after to step into his natural role of host extraordinaire…and that he is.

We had an incredible dinner and a few more drinks than we probably ought to have had. Actually we needed it as the chance to unwind had been long overdue for both of us. Just being there…here…we haven’t left, is more than a needed break from the bus, its a chance to spend some time with one of the nicest, most generous people we know. Tim is amazing, his house is beautiful, his heart is warm and he goes to great lengths to make you feel welcomed not as guests but as family. We couldn’t feel more blessed.

Last night he bonded with the little guys by making cupcakes for the new nanny while Brock and I went to the airport to get her. Hallelujah, Becky is here and she is perfect for the job!

When we got home from John Wayne Airport in OC, the boys had made a beautiful assortment of cupcakes, Tim was still alive and his house no worse for the wear. I’m pretty sure it had seen some chocolate but he had it all cleaned up and appeared to have been a perfect nanny while we were gone. He made Becky feel right at home and the boys went crazy over her…I’m sure the sugar amplified their enthusiasm, but suffice it to say they LOVE her!

The boys fueled by sugar and the excitement of a new pal, fought bed time but eventually we all found our heads on a pillow. Later…one little head found its way back off the pillow.

The cupcakes had more power than any of us anticipated. In the middle of the night we found Cruz crying upstairs in the kitchen…he didn’t want to be anywhere BUT THE KITCHEN. Eventually we got him back to bed only to wake up to find that instead of coming straight into our bed for the morning cuddle session, he was waiting at the top of the steps like it was Christmas morning.

Sometimes the angels among us bring out the devils within us. Tim had created Cupcake Hell…but we love him and the boys think he’s God.

Our break to rejuvenate is over and now its time to get back to work. Stay tuned as we take on So Cal!!!!!!