This week we had a visit from an old friend, Irene, who is a Brit and lives in the London area. She worked with my husband in the States about 16 years ago and would come over after work to help coach my son's peewee soccer (football) team. She recently found Dave again on a business networking site and made contact. Then she was coming over to San Francisco for a wedding and some work and wanted to come up to see us. In all the plans, Dave never told her he had cancer and then it became awkward for him. So I picked her up at the train station so I could have an opportunity to tell her and prepare her. I didn't want it to be awkward for her...
It was a gloriously, typical, beautiful sunny day when we found each other at the train station. After 16 years we of course didn't know what to expect, but she looked fabulous and was exactly the way I remember her and not to worse for wear. The years have been good to her. Since it was so lovely, I suggested we go ahead to one of my planned trips since it was early in the day and it was beautiful and we were within walking distance. She was game and off we went to Old Town Sacramento. This is the original western town of Sacramento on the Sacramento River dating probably back to the 1800s. Cobblestone streets with western style buildings, wooden sidewalks, the old west. Complete with horses, carriages, an old steam engine train, and wonderful little shops and restaurants. It is surrounded by skyscrapers and all the modern trappings. Its a bit surreal. We had lunch and a couple of drinks and caught up on life and the children and so on. Eventually the time presented itself and I was able to drop the bomb. It dovetailed perfectly into the conversation and while she was not pleased to hear bad news she was so incredibly relieved I had prepared her and off we went for home. She walked in the house with a big smile to see Dave standing at the top of the stairs grinning a huge happy grin to see her wearing his baseball cap to cover his bald head and it was as if nothing had happened and no time had passed. Irene was WONDERFUL! She was very direct, "Lori told me of your recent troubles, but I'm happy to hear that you are doing well, and I must say you look wonderful!" She chided him to eat, chided him to walk, chided him to rest, and I was relieved of the wifely nagging for 3 glorious days. They are colleagues and Dave and Irene had great laughs and stories to share, then business, then more laughs.
Dave worked from home while she was here as he was a bit under the weather from a cold, and I was the "hostess with the mostess", having planned adventurous activities for the two of us. We went kayaking one day, which she had never done and then we went flying over northern California with an old friend of mine from childhood who owns several small airplanes. He spends everyday flying and hanging out at his hanger. She was game and he of course was completely willing to have company. So off we went early this morning, despite weather reports of gusting winds. If he could get the hanger door open, we would do it. (If it was too windy, he wouldn't be able to get his hanger open.) We flew over Lake Oroville, the Buttes, and had lunch in Willow. She learned of all the agriculture, the history, the famous duck hunting and the old nuclear missile silos at the Buttes from the Cold War.
Tomorrow I will drive her down to Vallejo and she will catch the ferry over to San Francisco instead of taking the train. It will allow me more time to chat and she will get to enjoy the Ferry across the Bay which she has not done before. She will fly back to London on Thursday. Her visit has been just wonderful for Dave.
To hear him laugh and enjoy her company and she was so natural and comfortable as our guest with our situation. It was great. I had an opportunity to get out and play a bit, which was wonderful for me. All in all, it was simply a fabulous time. I hope that it isn't another 16 years before we meet up again. Naturally she has invited us over and I know I would like to go. I have many UK friends now that I would just love to meet! :)
Lori
"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain!"
