The end of 2010

Wednesday December 22, 2010 finds me and Penelope heading down south for the holidays. Eugene is barely 'heading south', but anything to exit the city and its confusion for a while. We arrive at my parent's house unscathed, our soundtrack to the temporary migration comprised of cumbia, salsa, reggae. As we descended in to the valley, the clouds were infinite in their expansion. Covering every aspect of the sky, every snow dusted peak. The drive to Eugene in torture, but that one stretch of highway is eternally blissful and those billowy masses never cease to amaze the weary (board) traveler. An old 'lost and gone forever' friend gets a hold of me and she and her daughter come over for a visit. We had reconciled at our 10 year high school reunion this June, but I am ever skeptical of her and her choice, so many years ago, to spiral down the dark, miserable hole of addiction and abuse. She is better now (!) I hope it stays that way, especially since she is getting married soon. Oh yes, and she is now vehemently religious. From one extreme to the next. Trading one addiction for another. Interesting.