BEFORE ATTEMPTING FLIGHT AGAIN

 76 of #100daychallenge

Still in LA. Or should I say, "Saigon. Shit. I'm still only in Saigon." You Apocalypse, Now fans will get that reference. 

Turns out that I don't have a valid driver's license at the moment, which makes it dang near impossible to rent a car. So, no go on the SUV rental and hence no travel yet. Although I did renew on-line, I need one of those pieces of paper with the state seal. So it is off to stand in a DMV line in the morning and a take two on rental. Of course, I found this out after Patrick had dropped me off the airport rental counter. After a couple of protestations, I quickly 'phoned Patrick, who was not far away. David and I ran through a couple of iterations, but decided the easiest and most organized was to just push the departure. 

I did nothing with my free day but sit around doing needlepoint and watch Workin' Moms. 

Yesterday, I got together with my cousin Christina to work on our dresses for awhile. Fitting dresses is hard but I think we can figure it out. C seemed ever-so-slightly out of sorts after a fun girls' evening. Progress was made.

Thursday, July 15th

I am not even sure when I wrote that, but I think it was Sunday, so I am running late late late on my challenge here.

Where to begin? Except that I have already begun. For some reason, I have been thinking about White Christmas this morning and have the number The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing in my head.

Later that same day, but getting close to the end.

So, there were problems renting a car because I didn't have enough space on one credit card. Finally moved around enough money and debt to be able to rent a car which I will do tomorrow night. Then we head out on Saturday morning, picking up my brother David in Los Banos, CA, and heading on to Nevada where we will spend the night. 

A pleasant sidebar to all of this was that my friend D was going to come down to chill at the house and feed the kitties and such. She and I got to hang out for three days and three nights, imbibing and talking late into the night, which we greatly like to do. We also watched Genius: Aretha on Hulu and got into that headspace. All of this was enjoyable. I burned the Atlantic Records Aretha box set for D.

It has been hot and not the kind of comfortable where you want to move beyond a good fan or some AC. My AC is not currently operating so you know where we ended up. 

Tomorrow, my mom has an eye doctor appointment which I ended up not having to cancel, which is to the good. Then pick up the car, pack up, and hit the road.

I miss Anita a lot. I keep seeing things that would amuse her. I was accustomed to texting her throughout the day. I worry about her. She is beyond my reach and worry. 

But her sister did reach out to me, thanking me for taking care of all of this, for retrieving the sentimental pieces and what might pass for family heirlooms. She immediately sent money to defray some of the expenses which took a lot of pressure off of the whole situation. 

R, the person who found Anita and took Katie the kitty into her possession for safekeeping asked me if she might keep her. Inasmuch as I would like to take her, I think it is the better part of sanity to leave Katie in a good home rather than driving her for 14 hours to fend for her place in my current cattery. My stipulations to R were that she send pictures and that she contact me should anything in their situation change. Taking care of Katie was Anita's main wish, and I hope I will be discharging that trust appropriately.

My first figs. 

ONE IN THE HAND

A bird re-entering a bush,

like an idea regaining

its intention, seeks

the missed discoveries

before attempting

flight again.

The small black spirit

tucks in its wings,

softest accordion

whose music is

the perfect landing,

the disappearance

into the dangerous

wintered body

of forsythia. Just as

from time to time

we need to seize again

the whole language

in search of

better desires.

If we could only imagine

a better arc 

of flight; you get

just what you want.

And see how beautiful

an alphabet becomes

when randomness sets in,

like mother tired

after disappointment,

and keeping us

uninformed—the man

walking away whom we

want to recall

and in whom we invest

the whole explanation.

One in the hand,

one in the mind,

but clearly you know

what you have, how clearly

what he’ll want to do, and do

when you let go.

— Jorie Graham, Hybrids of Plants and of Ghosts, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1980