My nephew was hit by a car. He’s okay, thankfully. Like a crumple zone, his sinus cavities collapsed and absorbed the worst of the impact. 

Before the reconstructive surgery to reopen the sinus, the doctor mentioned there might be some scarring. Then, with a straight face, the doctor turned to my brother-in-law and said, "If he had forehead wrinkles like you, we could have gone in though one to hide the scar." You can imagine my brother-in-law’s reaction. 

In San Francisco this week for work. The days are long and packed, but it's great to catch up with everyone.

C2 and I caught up. He knew Andy as well. We shared our commiserations over friends who have passed on. This is happening more as the years go by.

C2 expressed embarrassment about the state of his kitchen when I last dropped by. He is also maneuvering a little to keep me away from his house-- we met at a restaurant instead of his place.  I'm pushing him to have deeper conversations on this. Slowly.

After that it was a social weekend. We have friends within mutual walking distance of good coffee shops. Saturday and Sunday we had an early coffee with them.

Saturday evening we had dinner and games with a group of Friends. Sunday we had dinner with a coworker of my husband.

My husband and I have much travel over the next couple of months. It took us a couple of hours on Sunday to line up our schedules to arrange dog care and so we ciould spend some time with each other. First world problems.

My friend Andy has passed away. COVID hit him hard early in the pandemic and he never fully recovered. The official cause of death was pulmonary fibrosis.

I am heartbroken. 

Andy and I met each other 25 years ago. Rereading my old posts of him is embarrassing. We drank too much. We hooked up too much. We were a mess. Fun times, but I will never do that again. 

I’m worried about C2.

Friday, we decided to have breakfast together and agreed to meet at his place. Saturday morning, my husband and I arrived a little early. C2 and I had been texting—he knew we were on the way. When we knocked, C2 didn’t answer, so I let my husband and I in. I have a key. He was in the shower; we shouted hello.

We walked into the kitchen.
The sink was full of dirty dishes—rancid smell.
Flies hovered.
Counters stained.
A large bowl of uncovered compost sat on the counter.

I filled the dishwasher and wiped down the counters. It only took a few minutes while C2 was getting ready.

He looked embarrassed when he came out. Said he’d been really busy. No time to clean.

So—my worries.

First, that he’s not keeping his kitchen clean. Not even close. It’s attracting insects.

Second, that he always says he’s busy, though he has no job. And yet he struggles to do the things that matter— training, applying, cleaning.

It’s been a wild week. Work hit like a fire hose starting early Monday. The executives decided to hold an on-site at my office, which meant dressing up and spending time with them. They reaffirmed that they’re happy with how my org is running, so their attention is focused elsewhere. I suppose I’ve earned their neglect.

While we were away, an old friend—FL—and her daughter watched our dog and house-sat for us. FL ended up staying an extra week. She worked remotely during the day, and we spent the evenings together. It was genuinely pleasant.

Still sorting through the photos.

Lisbon and Porto....

The Douro Valley where much port wine is grown.

The Azores...

 

Travel day. Pics to come…

More travel notes…

Portugal and the Azores are very easy to travel in. The water and food are safe. Alcohol is inexpensive—beer and wine often appear at buffets, and in the Azores the local wine is both lovely and affordable.

Portuguese food tends to be heavy, with a lot of meat, dairy, cheese, and fish. Even so, it was easy to find restaurants serving good meals at reasonable prices.

The islands operate on their own time. For one excursion, we arrived twenty minutes early, only to be told to come back at the scheduled time. When someone asked if five minutes early would be better, the answer was the same: “At the scheduled time.”

On another tour, our guide announced we would have ten or fifteen minutes at a viewpoint. He said Germans like to ask, “Which is it—ten or fifteen?” He enjoys answering with something even less specific.

If we return, we’ve been told more than once that Mosteiros is a wonderful place to stay, and that September and October are ideal—fewer tourists and a warm ocean. I’d also like to stay in Furnas. It’s off the coast, but looked lovely.

Travel notes for future me…

July 25 – Arrived. Rode a tuk-tuk—a great way to get a feel for the city and decide where to explore.

26 – Tile museum.

27 – Explored historic parts of Lisbon.

28 – Sintra with friends. Charming city.

29 – Took the train from Lisbon to Porto—comfortable and efficient. Explored Porto. Dinner at a Fado restaurant (live music). The Fado was excellent.

30 – Visited a few museums. Dinner out. Good restaurants are common here. Food and water are safe. Prices are reasonable.

31 – Toured the Douro Valley. Much of Portugal’s Port wine is grown here.

Aug 1 – A driver took us along the nearby coast. Helpful for deciding where we might stay on a future visit.

2 – Explored Porto on foot.

3 – Flew to the Azores.

4 – Toured Sete Cidades. Gorgeous.

5 – Whale watching on a zodiac. Saw Sei whales, a sperm whale, and common and spotted dolphins.

6 – Whale watching again, this time with a larger group. Saw sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins, and spotted dolphins.

7 – Hot springs and tea plantation.

8 – Jeep tour.

9 – Resort day.

 We've all arrived safely in the Azores. These islands are quieter and more rural than the mainland. Their beauty is breathtaking.

Being here, surrounded by friends, has been a welcome time for catching up. It’s also made me realize what a minor miracle it was to get us all here. For some of my friends, travel is an ordeal—a source of stress that saps their patience and energy. They’d rather be home. For others of us, these new landscapes and experiences are what we live for. This trip isn't just a destination; it's a testament to our friendships, bridging the gap between those who find comfort in the familiar and those who find it on the road.

Azores trivia… Hydrangeas are an invasive species here. They grow everywhere. 

Lisbon and Porto are lovely. Easy to walk. Easy to like.

Both cities are centuries old and well kept.

You turn a corner, and there it is: something centuries old you hadn’t seen before. No sign. No announcement. Just there.