Pulling for Plan A

Okay, I've been letting things sink in for a few days and I've finally come up with a plan of sorts. I've decided to visit with my family, friends, and relatives all over California through the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years), then begin my Walkabout again in January. This time I plan to start here on the West Coast and see what happens.

I still haven't told my family about my Walkabout, and I don't plan to just yet. I'm not really comfortable with this decision, but I still feel it's the right thing to do since my mother would worry endlessly. Most of my friends don't really understand what the heck the Walkabout is all about, which makes sense, I guess, when I realize that I often can't remember either. (If you're as confused as the rest of us, check my entry "(F) all of the above".)

I hope to occasionally sweep up around here in Southern California so that I don't get too rusty. And perhaps I'll even dress up as a monk for Halloween.....

Meanwhile...

My Aunt Rosie's funeral went well. And, of course, it felt a bit strange not having her there with all the other relatives at the reception at my mother's house after the funeral. For me, her passing was definitely an end of an era. She was such a commanding presence at any family gathering as many of us took turns attending to her needs, especially me. As I said before, I will miss her special mix of gruffness and sweetness.

Quite a few friends and relatives had to evacuate their homes because of the fires here in Southern California. Luckily, everyone I know has been able to return to their undamaged homes. Unfortunately, at least 1300 other homes weren't so lucky, and even now some houses are still threatened by the continuing fires. I'll soon be heading down to San Diego where most of the fire damage occured.

So, to recap my plans so far:

Plan A: Visit with family, friends, and relatives through the holidays, then begin my Walkabout again in January.

Plan B: Realize that my Monkabout was just some fever-induced dream or a temporary bout of insanity and get a "real job" and a "real life".

And the always-reliable backup Plan C: Fail at everything. Laugh anyways.